Best Lawn Mower for Your Yard’s Size and Terrain

What are the factors that will affect your lawn mower purchasing decision? Your yard’s size, terrain, and landscaping. While that may sound simple enough, without talking to a lawn care equipment provider, distilling specific lawn features affecting a lawn mower's performance may be daunting – especially when you want to ensure that the investment into a lawn mower or tractor will fit your specific needs for this year and the next as you craft your outdoor spaces. Consider these three different lawn examples and the John Deere mowers that will work best.  

1. Mid-size Lawns without Slopes or Obstacles  

Standard rear-wheel drive, two-wheel front steering mowers work well for homeowners with an open piece of land that doesn’t have many obstacles or tight corners. Also, yards with a few slopes are no problem for a standard two-wheel steer style lawn tractor. Standard rear-wheel drive mowers have a variety of price points, so first-time buyers who are interested in staying within their budget can consider these mowers as options.  

A two-wheel-steer mower is generally a good fit for properties 1/3 of an acre up to 3 acres. Review the John Deere lawn tractors equipped with only two-wheel steering and their notable features.

2. Lawns with 3-plus Acres and Trees   

A riding lawn tractor with a four-wheel-steering offers a tighter turn radius than a two-wheel steering mower, making it great for lawns that have naturally occurring obstacles to navigate, like trees and shrubs or hardscapes. Like two-wheel-steer models, four-wheel-steer lawnmowers also handle sloped terrain well.  

The four-wheel-steer mower is advised for more significant property owners caring for a total land area of 3 acres or more. Review the table below of John Deere lawn tractors equipped with four-week steering and each model’s features

3. Flat Lawns with 5-plus Acres  

As the name implies, a zero turn mower (ZTR) has a zero-turn radius – meaning it can turn on a dime to hug tight corners and curves. Homeowners with properties that include gardens, hardscapes, and several plants, shrubs and trees may find this mower to deliver the best results faster than other mowers. One potential downside, however, is ZTRs don’t perform as well on hilly terrain as two and four-wheel-steering lawn tractors — so these are best suited for flat land with minimal slopes.  

Review this table of John Deere zero turn lawn tractors and each model’s features.

Zero-turn mowers operate at a higher average speed than two- and four-wheel riding lawn tractors and are precise machines focused on maximizing productivity. Landscaping and municipal and lawn maintenance professionals usually opt for zero-turn mowers since they reduce total mowing time. Every year, more and more attachments for zero-turn mowers become available. Standard collection systems and mulching kits are available, as are attachments such as fertilizer spreaders, dethatchers and even snowplows. Towable attachments can be used with the installation of a hitch behind the machine. Collection systems range from side-mounted collection bins to rear-mounted collection bags, whereas mulching systems include a modified mowing deck and specialized mulching blades. 

No matter your location, the weather is a factor in outdoor work. Consider sunshades for protection, while complete enclosures and heater add-ons are ideal for cold-weather comfort. 

Speaking of cold-weather use, operators in seasonal climates can still use the mower year-round. Adding front blades, blowers and brooms turns the mower into a snow-removal machine during the winter months.  

Typically, the larger the lawn, the wider the cutting deck size is needed. The larger size improves productivity and requires fewer passes with the riding mower. Most of John Deere’s X-series riding mowers’ decks are height-adjustable, as well as the zero-turns. John Deere mower decks range in size from 42 to 60 inches depending on the model of mower it’s being installed on. 

Knowing these unique features of your current property and what you envision for the next five years will help you to select the right model for your lawn.  

Ready to talk to a lawn care equipment expert? Call or visit your local RDO Equipment Co. store.