Top 5 Riding Lawn Mowers Review

Do you have a large lawn? Are you bored of having to push and pull your basic lawn mower around and around all day? Why not try a riding lawn mower?

Riding lawn mowers transform the job of mowing the lawn from a tedious chore into a joy! They are robust, sturdy, reliable and easy to use – and great fun.

Those of you with large lawns will be well aware of the mind-numbing boredom that comes with caring for your yard. Using a riding mower, however, can halve the time it takes to turn your lawn from an overgrown jungle into a putting green, and the gas powered engines remove the need to constantly untangle power cables.

Below we have reviewed our top five riding lawn mowers. We decide that they had to perform specific tasks, and perform them well.

They had to:

  • Have a good turning radius to make it easier to get around obstacles such as trees and hedges.
  • Be simple to use.
  • Have a good range of speed so you can mow your lawn quickly.
  • Have a good range of cutting lengths so you can get a close cut.

Our Top Riding Lawn Mower

Of all of the mowers we reviewed, our favorite riding lawn mower was the Swisher 50-Inch 23 HP Zero-Turn Radius Tractor. It was extremely easy to use, and getting started was a simple task as soon as we unpacked it. Once you get it started you can get mowing straight away. It is easy to maneuver as it has a zero turning radius, making it very easy to move around trees and turn corners.

The Swisher also has a 50 inch cutting diameter which means it can cut a wide area at one time, and mow an acre in about 40 minutes. It can move around at 5 MPH which makes it a lot quicker and easier to mow your lawn. It also features 8 cutting height settings (1-1/2 to 5 inches), spring-assisted deck lift and a pivoting front axle for level cutting over any terrain.

The only problem with this riding lawn mower is that, because it has a zero turning radius, it has a problem going down slopes when the grass is wet. We recommend that you don’t use it on a hill in wet conditions.

The Swisher is in the mid price range, so you are getting value for money as it has lots of great features and performs amazingly, but is no where near as expensive as some of the other models.
Swisher 50-Inch 23 HP Zero-Turn Radius Tractor The perfect mower for large, difficult lawns. - 9.5/10
Conclusions: This is an amazing mid priced riding lawn mower which is easy to use and has a great feature in the zero turning radius, allowing you to easily maneuver around trees, bushes and corners.
Pros: Easy to use ~ zero turning radius ~ mid price range ~ no power cables
Cons: Doesn’t work well on wet, sloping grass
Our Top Recommended Riding Lawn Mowers
Swisher 50-Inch 23 HP Zero-Turn Radius Tractor 9.5/10

Riding mower with a zero turning radius which makes it easier to get around trees and bushes, and 8 different cutting lengths from 1.5 to 5 inches.

It has a 50 inch cutting diameter, and 3 mulching/discharge blades, and travels at 5 MPH for a quick and close cut.
Ease of Use Works straight out of the box. - 10/10
Value Mid range priced riding lawn mower. - 8/10
Turning Radius Zero turning radius makes it a lot more maneuverable than other riding mowers. - 10/10

The Swisher does the job quickly and easily (about 1 acre in 40 minutes), but still gives you a great result!

All the points we were looking for and a huge range of features, make this the best riding mower we have reviewed.
Overall The perfect mower for large, difficult lawns. - 9.5/10
 
Snapper 5900682 Riding Mower 9/10

50 inch mower with a zero turning radius. Different cutting lengths 1.5 - 3.75 inches. Multi speed from 0 – 5.5 MPH.

Either mulches the grass or bags it. Cast iron front axle for easy and robust movements.
Ease of Use Easy and simple to use. - 9/10
Value Mid range priced riding lawn mower. - 8/10
Turning Radius Zero turning radius. - 10/10

This mower's large cutting base & zero turning radius make it quick, even around trees and bushes, and it cuts the grass right down to 1.5 inches. It comes a close second, only missing out as it doesn't have the same range of cutting lengths as the Swisher.
Overall A great option for larger lawns, and extremely quick. - 9/10
 
Poulan Lawn Tractor with 38-Inch Steel Deck 8/10

38 inch steel base for quick mowing, durability and long life, and 18 inch turning radius to get around corners.

Padded seat for comfort. 5 speed transmission so you can get a fast clean cut. Very good value for money.
Ease of Use Padded seat making it a more comfortable ride. - 9/10
Value The best value mower reviewed. - 10/10
Turning Radius 18 inch turning radius better than most but not as good a zero turning radius. - 6/10

This is the lowest priced lawn mower that we have reviewed, but it has lots of features for its price. The turning radius isn’t as good as others, but you can also cut in reverse. It is a very smooth ride making it a much more pleasurable ride. A good budget choice if you don’t have too many trees or bushes in the way.
Overall An excellent budget option, but a large turning circle. - 8/10
 
Snapper 2812523BVE riding mower 7/10

3 in 1 mowing options: bagging, side discharge or mulching. Cuts grass in 28 inch strips. 28 inch turning radius.

Pivoting frame to get a close cut on the contours of your lawn. Good value for money.
Ease of Use A very smooth ride. - 9/10
Value Excellent value for money. - 9/10
Turning Radius 28 inch turning radius which means it won’t go round obstacles very well. - 4/10

This is an excellent mower if you have a large lawn. It has a 28 inch turning radius so it doesn’t get round obstacles very easily, but the motor has an anti vibration system which makes the ride a lot smoother.
Overall A very smooth ride, but an enormous 28 inch turning radius. - 7/10
 
Poulan Pro 54-Inch 26 HP Lawn Tractor 6.9/10

54 inch cutting deck with Powerful v-twin engine. 20 inch rear tires for a smooth ride and 18 inch turning radius.

Mid price range. Cuts an acre in an hour.
Ease of Use Doesn’t work as well uphill. - 8/10
Value Good value for money - 8.5/10
Turning Radius 18 inch turning radius better than most but not as good a zero turning radius. - 6/10

This is an excellent mower for a person with a large yard as the very large base plate is robust and gets the job done quickly. The 18 inch turning radius isn’t as tight as some others so it can be a difficult to get around trees. The large back wheel makes for a smoother ride but doesn’t work uphill as well as the others.
Overall A good option for smooth lawns, but doesn't cope well with terrain. - 6.9/10
 
 
 
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