Finding the best riding lawn mowers of 2021

By Sean Brenglinger

Riding lawn mowers are by far the fastest way to get your grass cut.  For those of us with yards on the larger side, a gas-propelled riding mower is almost a necessity.  Not to mention that riding mowers turn cutting grass into a fun activity, compared to the chore of using a push mower.

Whether you’re a full-time lawn maintenance professional or just a homeowner looking to increase your mowing efficiency, we’ve picked out the best riding lawn mowers on the market in 2019 to make things easy for you.  We’ve researched all the various options and compared them along the dimensions of cutting, maneuverability, mulching capability, durability, bagging capability and many other features in order to make sure that you get the best mower for the job.  

So without further ado, here are the best riding lawn mowers for your money.

Pros

• Easy and intuititive to use
• Extremely comfortable compared to other models
• Powerful enough to cut through the most overgrown lawns
• Great mulching and discharge functionality 

Pros

• Extremely durable deck construction
• Deck wash – it basically cleans itself!
• One of the more powerful mowers on the market
• Maneuverability is top notch

Pros

• Powerful engine that allows it to move up and down hills with ease
• Comfortable high backed seat
• Easy cleaning system
• Foot operated hydrostatic transmission that operates as smooth as could be

Pros

• Easy to adjust the cutting length – a perk for adjusting mowing height for seasonality 
• Very easy to accelerate and steer – even a novice can do it
• Extremely comfortable to ride in and steer
• Rated extremely highly for durability – this sucker will last
• Excellent mulching and discharge – grass clippings come up so fine you barely see them

Pros

• Rated extremely highly for durability 
• Easy to maneuver and accelerate, handles very nicely
• Very good price for the quality – we’d rate the quality on par with the John Deere X350-42
• Very convenient washout port 

Pros

• Cutting performance – clippings are chopped finely and evenly so that they fall straight to the dirt.  You’ll barely notice them.
•  Bagging feature is easy to use and efficient – you can pack a ton of grass or even leaves into one back
• Fast – this mower gets to high top speeds and accelerates fast
• Very precise maneuverability 
• The seat is very comfortable – like sitting in first class on a plane

Pros

• Cutting performance – clippings are chopped finely and evenly so that they fall straight to the dirt.  You’ll barely notice them.
•  Bagging feature is easy to use and efficient – you can pack a ton of grass or even leaves into one back
• Fast – this mower gets to high top speeds and accelerates fast
• Very precise maneuverability 
• The seat is very comfortable – like sitting in first class on a plane

Riding Mowers: A Buyers Guide

So you want to get a riding lawn mower?  Maybe you’ve got acres of farmland you need to mow, or you’re just looking to cut your grass really fast.

This guide has all the info you need to help you choose the best riding mower for your lawn and your needs.

The 3 Different Types of Riding Mowers

There are really three styles of riding lawn mower out there: tractor, rear engine, and zero turn.

Lawn Tractor (Front Engine)

Best for most homeowners 

The most common type of rider among consumers is the lawn tractor style lawn mower with the engine in the front.  Typically they have more power, wider cutting decks, and more versatility than their rear engine counterparts.  For example, front-engine lawn tractors can typically power de-thatchers and aerators.

Rear Engine

Best for small lots and budget shoppers

What makes a rear engine riding mower?  You guessed it, the engine is in the rear.  Rear engine mowers are typically inferior to front engine mowers across all dimension aside from two: maneuverability and price.  Generally they have smaller engines that you sit on-top of, making the length of the mower shorter and easier to maneuver.  Of course, you give up power with the smaller engine, and rear engine mowers usually have smaller cutting decks.

Zero-Turn

Best for landscape professionals and lawn care enthusiasts

The zero-turn mower is the Mercedes of lawn mowers, which is why most professional landscapers use them.  Zero-turn mowers are typically the fastest and most powerful.  Additionally the name zero-turn comes from the fact that they can turn in place, and aside from this, they are highly maneuverable. Unlike the other types of riders, the zero-turn is not controlled with a steering wheel.  Rather, this type of mower has a handheld lever for each wheel, making it challenging for beginners to learn.  The other downside is the price, as zero-turn mowers tend to be more expensive than the other two categories.

Factors to Consider When Buying a Riding Mower

There are a number of features to consider when purchasing a riding mower.  Here, we’ll break down the jargon and help you decide which features are best for you.

Cutting Deck Size

Probably the most important spec when it comes to any riding mower – tractor, rear engine, or zero turn – is the cutting deck size.  The deck size is basically how much grass gets cut, and equivalent to the blade length.  Smaller riders – usually rear engine – range from 28 to 36 inches wide – not that much bigger than say a 24 inch push mower.  Tractors typically have larger cutting decks, usually from 36 to 48 inches.  Some – such as the Craftsman model we recommend, have 54 inches.  Zero turn mowers can have cutting decks from 40 to 60 inches.  

The wider the cutting deck, the more grass you cut at once.  However, a larger cutting deck means a larger mower, which means it’s tougher to cut close corners and get into tight spaces.  So that’s the tradeoff you have to make.  Additionally, wider cutting deck generally means a higher price.

If you have a half acre lot or less, you’re best off going with a cutting deck on the smaller end, simply because you won’t have a whole lot of wide swaths that need cutting compared to all of the various corners and edges.  If you have a 1+ acre lot, or a smaller lot with long straight-a-ways, go for a larger cutting deck.  Only go for an extremely large deck if your lot is giant and regular.

Mulching and Discharge

Mulching – in this case – doesn’t refer to hardwood mulch in flowerbeds.  No, it refers to chopping grass up into tiny pieces so that it falls into the ground, decomposes, and creates fertilizer.  Discharge refers to how these clippings are spread.

The best riding mowers mulch the grass clippings very finely and evenly and discharge the clippings out of the side in an even manner.  Low quality riding mowers will leave large bits of grass in clumps.  High quality riding lawn mowers will chop the grass into tiny little bits and spread them evenly throughout the side, making it look as if you were never even there mowing.

Maneuverability 

Maneuverability is another thing to consider when purchasing a lawn mower.  Generally speaking, the smaller it is the more maneuverable it is.  It’s important because the easier it is to steer your mower around corners, structures, and plants, the less manual work you’ll have to do with a weed whacker or a push mower.  All of the top mowers we selected rate extremely highly on maneuverability.

What are the fastest riding lawn mowers?

The biggest reason people buy riding mowers is speed.  Unless you have a small lawn, a riding mower is going to get the grass cut faster than any other option.

But what are the fastest riding mowers on the market?  As it turns out, zero turn mowers are going to be the speediest.  Not only do they have the fastest speed, but they can turn far more quickly than a tractor or rear engine riding lawn mower.  

Here are our picks for the fastest riding lawn mowers:

Husqvarna Z254 54 in. 26 HP Kohler Hydrostatic Zero Turn Riding Mower

Craftsman Z560 24 HP Briggs & Stratton Platinum 54-Inch

Ariens Zoom 34 – 19hp Kohler 6000 Series V-Twin 34″ Zero Turn Lawn Mower

How to Stay Safe While Operating a Rider 

Riding mowers can save a lot of time and help you make your yard look great, but they are pieces of heavy machinery that must be handled with caution.  Here are a few safety tips for operating a riding lawn mower.

Understand All Components and Features Thoroughly 

Some of these lawn mowers have more bells and whistles than you can shake a stick at, like the John Deere X350-4.  Be sure you know what everything does before you start using it.  Call customer service, read the manual, watch Youtube videos…whatever it takes to learn the machinery.

Know Where the Emergency Shutoff Is

All riding lawn mowers (at least those we recommend) have an emergency shutoff.  Be sure you know where that is located and how to use it.

Wear Eye and Ear Protection

As is the case with so many power tools, you should wear protection for your ears and eyes.  Engines are loud, and blades can kick up debris from time to time, which brings us to our next point….

Clear the Yard of Debris

Do your best to remove any rocks, sticks, toys or other objects from your lawn before mowing.  Even the smallest obstructions can be extremely dangerous when flung by a lawn mower at 7500 RPM.  A piece of gravel can easily break a window or injure a person.

Remove the Spark Plug Before Changing Blades

If you don’t know how to remove a lawn mower blade, be sure to read up a lot about this or hire a professional.  There are a lot of ways to mess it up, but a surefire way to lose a hand is to try and unscrew a mower blade with the sparkplug still in.  You might end up starting the engine.

Mow Up and Down Hills – Not Across

If your property has hills a riding mower can make cutting on them a bit easier, but it also comes with risks.  It’s best to ride up and down a hill vs riding across.  If you ride across, you risk tipping over.  And if that happens, not only are you rolling down a hill – a spinning mower blade is chasing you.  However, if you mow up and down the hill, you are unlikely to tip, and the worst case is you stall going up a hill or go down a hill too fast.  No spinning blades chasing you.