Zero turn ride-on lawnmowers are the cream of the crop in terms of garden gadgetry. Although lawn tractors might be a little more macho than a standard ride-on mower, the zero turn’s ability is what really sets these mowers apart from the competition. The benefit of having a zero radius turn is that more time can be spent mowing, and less time planning a route around the area to maximise the mowing time. Zero turn mowers can move 360° without moving from the central spot they are on, allowing the mower to get right up to the edge of the grass, turn and move off again without missing a patch. They also tend to have a higher top speed than standard ride-on lawnmowers, which helps cut down the time spend mowing even further.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Currently, they are significantly more expensive than the equivalent non-zero turn models, with the top John Deere Z425 model setting the consumer back around £5,800 or more. John Deere have recently announced a range of zero turn mowers that are set to cost from £2,000, which is a lot more friendly on the wallet and will open up the choice of ride-on lawnmowers to many more consumers than before. As the technology that creates the four wheel independent drive (which allows each wheel to be operated at different speeds therefore effecting the tiny turning radius) becomes more widely used and cheaper, the same technology can be offered at a better price in lawnmowers and other machinery that can be improved by decreasing the turning radius, such as forklifts and other commercial equipment.
This technology is apparent in all zero turn mowers except those from Swedish company Husqvarna. They have used a steering wheel attached to a rear axle that is mounted midway along the body of the mower on some of their models, rather than controlling the speed of the wheels on either side with levers, which is the steering input method employed by all other zero turn mower manufacturers. However, their latest offerings feature the double lever set up favoured by other makers.
Of course, consumer perception may take a while to shift but once people realise there are zero turn lawnmowers within their budget, it is expected that this sector will take off in the domestic market very quickly; in a similar vein to the rise of robotic lawnmowers as they also come down in price.
The models are available in the USA from February 2017, and include the Z335M, Z345M, Z345R, Z355R and Z375R. They are available with cutting widths of 42, 48 or 54 inches and are compatible with the John Deere mulching unit, so can be used with or without the collection bag. The seat is easily adjustable (some John Deere equipment requires a specialist tool to adjust seating positions) and the levers have been ergonomically designed to make operation as comfortable as possible. There is also the option of adding wider tyres for a smoother ride, and adding a foot pedal to raise and lower the cutting deck from the seat, although these add-ons will increase the price. Making the base models less fancy and more focused on practicality means the Z300 Ztrak series starts at a cheaper price than other ranges, but can be made more expensive by adding these premium features in if the buyer desires them.
With many more zero turn mowers aimed at the consumer market set to be released in 2017, this could be the year for massive growth in sales of this style of lawnmowers.