There are a few things you should know about zero turn mowers. While more and more people are purchasing them for personal use, they still remain best used commercially. Unless you have a pretty big lawn and over $2,500 to spend, you may be better suited for a regular lawn mower, or perhaps a cordless lawn mower. It really depends entirely on what kind of projects you’ll be working on, and how much work you’ll be doing with the mower. By reading our reviews you’ll notice that while many mowers are quite powerful, they may often be too powerful for your needs.
The exception
Not all zero turn riding lawn mowers are only for big projects though. Something like the Ariens Zoom 34 or Ariens Zoom 42 are perfect for small to mid-sized lawns. Such vehicles are small, efficient, quick, and portable. This makes them perfect for residential areas and smaller properties. In my experience, the smaller mowers are quite significantly cheaper than the larger mowers like the Poulan Pro. The cheaper price combined with the fact that they are effective in small areas make it a compelling argument.
Some mowers to check out
As we’ve mentioned, the Zoom series by Ariens is a fantastic choice. Those are by far two of the quickest and sharpest zero turn mowers we’ve ever had the privilege of reviewing. Along with those, we recommend checking out the Z246 by Husqvarna along with the IKON. Unfortunately for many of us, many manufacturers of zero turn mowers focus mainly on building large zero turn mowers. There is a higher demand for commercial mowers causing the imbalance.
Can you use large mowers like the MZ61 on a smaller piece of land? In theory, it sounds like it wouldn’t be too difficult, right? Until you actually attempt to do it yourself, most will not realize the immense skill one would need to successfully mow their lawn using such a bulky vehicle. The difficulty is due to the fact that spaces are generally much smaller and the blades may not reach certain areas. Again, it may work but it’s not something we’d recommend doing.
The Verdict
Many will tell you that zero turn mowers are not worth purchasing. On the other hand, others might even tell you that buying a riding lawn mower was one of the best decisions they’ve ever made. If you are considering purchasing one, you will have to determine whether or not it will bring a lot of value to your life. Obviously if you own a lot of acreage, then owning a product such as this would benefit you tremendously. If not, you may want to reconsider.
The difficult decision comes to those who have a lawn in between a large and small-sized lawn. It may be too small for the typical zero turn riding mower but still too big for a regular lawn mower. These individuals should look for mowers that are smaller and faster, yet still plenty powerful to suit their needs and be effective.