Ride on mowers are halfway between professional and DIY tools, with applications for domestic gardeners, and landscapers alike.
In this article, we’re going to walk through some of the key factors to look out for when choosing the best riding lawn mower, and our buyer’s guide to ride-on mowers shares everything you need to know about the different types of mowers, and whether or not you really need one.
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Top Pick
Best Riding Lawn Mowers for 2024
Product | Our Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|
1. BAUMR-AG 36" 48V Brushless Electric Ride On Lawn Mower |  | | |
2. Cub Cadet CC 30 E Mini Riding Mower |  | ||
3. BAUMR-AG 30" 48V Brushless Electric Ride On Lawn Mower |  | ||
4. John Deere X584 Ride-on Mower |  |
Ride on Mower Buyer’s Guide
What are Riding Lawn Mowers?
Riding lawn mowers or Ride on mowers are, as the name suggests, lawnmowers that you sit on and drive, but it’s not quite that simple.
There are a few variations to consider when looking for ride-on lawnmowers, and the first is whether you want a true ride on mower (with a steering wheel, and traditional central blade), or a zero-turn mower, which is more expensive, but more accurate, and has a lever steering system.
Riding lawn mowers are perfect for gardeners with big spaces, or contractors with lots of small spaces. They save time, they save effort, and they do a better job than most push mowers with a suspended cutting deck rather than a rolling deck.
Do You Need a Riding Lawn Mower?
Riding lawn mowers is, if you need one, indispensable, and if you don’t, a waste of money. So don’t get caught up in the excitement of ride-on lawn mowers if your lawn is only small, or even average-sized, as you could save yourself a bunch of cash by buying a push lawnmower, or even a robot lawn mower instead.
Also, for groundskeepers, riding lawn mowers might not be enough, and you should really be considering zero turn mowers for specialist work.
Ride-on mowers are for gardeners with a lot of space to manage, but a budget to consider, to make sure you understand the sort of space you have, the limitations of ride-on lawnmowers, and the price you’re willing to pay (which is a big influence in the quality of mower you’ll end up with.
What to Look For When Buying Ride On Mower
When choosing a new ride-on mower, you need to consider budget over all else. What you spend is what you get with any lawn mower, and riding lawn mowers are no different.
Some riding lawn mowers cost upwards of $25,000, and some cost as little as $3,000 but there is a huge difference in comfort, and quality as you might expect.
There are three main factors to help you decide what lawnmower you want, regardless of budget: What’s the turning circle like? What fuel does it use? How wide does it cut?
We’ll explain each in detail below, but by understanding these three factors, you’ll be able to find the best budget option for you.
Turning Circle
While perfect corners might sound nice, it’s important to keep in mind that this is a luxury, only usually afforded to golf course mowers, and high end zero-turn mowers.
Perfect corners on ride-on mowers are achieved by front mounted cutting decks, where the driver sits behind the blade, therefore being able to drive the cutting blades right into the corners and over the lawn edges for perfect results.
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That might seem useful, but think about your garden. If your lawn has curved corners and hedges, then you can save at least $1,000 by choosing a riding mower with a central cutting deck, which will do a perfectly good job of lawn-hedge cutting.
What Fuel to Use
This is more of a long-term question, because buying a ride-on mower is an investment for most gardeners, and even for commercial gardeners, it’s worth considering electric engines for your lawn care machinery.
Most lawn mowers are still sold with petrol or diesel engines, but the future is electric, so why not take the leap now while electric mowers are less expensive than petrol.
Read our hands on reviews of electric riding mowers if you're considering electric alternatives.
Ride on Mower Cutting Depth / Width
The most important factor, especially when buying an electing riding mower, is the cutting width. The wider the blade, the longer our charge lasts, because you’ll cover more ground in a short time.
Conversely though, narrower blades make neater cuts, so it depends on how much time you’re looking to spare. To find the cutting width, look out for the measurement of the ‘cutting deck’ in mower listings.
How to Use a Riding Mower
There is not a one-size-fits all guide to using ride on lawn mowers, but generally the new electric engine riding mowers are much easier to use, and far simpler to start than petrol mowers.
To start an electric lawn mower, make sure any blade guards are down, and start the engine. Push the throttle and away you go. Electric lawn mowers are normally automatic too, so there are no gears to worry about either.
For petrol engine lawn mowers, you can buy automatic engines, but they’re much more expensive, so for the average petrol or diesel ride-on lawn mower, they should be started and driven essentially like a car.
Check the manual before starting up any new lawn mowers.
Riding Lawn Mower Safety Tips
Lawn mowers are built with safety in mind at every turn, so almost all lawn mower related injuries are through improper use.
When using a lawn mower, ensure any blade guards are in place before use, and when you service the mower, or clean the blades, ensure the key is nowhere near the ignition to prevent accidental starts.
Where possible, rake over the lawn before first use too, as large stones can blunt the lawnmower blade and flick out from beneath the machine.
Ride on Mower Reviews
1. BAUMR-AG 36" 48V Brushless Electric Ride On Lawn Mower
BAUMR-AG makes humble but effective tools. They’re not focused on showing off to the neighbours, but the lawn you’ll get as a result will be a talking point.
The 36” cutting desk isn’t huge, but it gives you more control, and more opportunities to get those perfect stripes in your lawn.
The steering is beautifully simple, with headlights to help you work into the evenings too. If you’re after a simple, elegant tool, the BAUMR-AG is the ride-on mower for you.
Pros
Cons
I’ve always been a fan of Cub Cadet mowers, they look good, they’re quiet, and they’re efficient at what they do.
Their new range of fully electric ride-on mowers and zero-turn mowers has revolutionised the lawn care industry in recent years and puts huge pressure on other companies to provide greener options for gardeners.
What I really love about the Cub Cadet CC 30 E ride on mower though, is that it’s small. It might not cut the biggest lines with every pass, but that means it’s easy to store, and great for smaller gardens where the lawn is just a little too big for a push mower, but riding mowers seem like an extravagance.
The Cub Cadet electric ride-on mower is a great middle-ground option for the average-sized garden.
Pros
Cons
3. BAUMR-AG 30" 48V Brushless Electric Ride On Lawn Mower
On a slightly tighter budget, or looking for something to manage a modest lawn? BAUMR-AG has got you covered. Their 30” electric ride-on mower is ideal for smaller gardens or homes with less storage space.
The simple steering makes it ideal for beginners, or anyone looking to upgrade from a push mower, and the electric motor charges quickly too.
Pros
Cons
4. John Deere X584 Ride-on Mower
John Deere is one of the best mower manufacturers in the world, with a reputation for landscape and agricultural machinery dating back almost 200 years.
The biggest advantage of John Deere tractors and John Deere ride-on mowers is that they integrate their own engines, making them really easy to maintain, typically with cheaper services too.
The John Deere riding mower x500 series is a great, simple, lawn tractor that gets the job done.
Pros
Cons
Best Ride On Mowers Australia
Best Ride On Mower - Our Top Pick
BAUMR-AG makes reliable tools, at reasonable prices, for industrial, professional and domestic use. The BAUMR-AG 36" 48V Brushless Electric Ride On Lawn Mower sticks to that trend nicely with a lightweight electric lawn mower that can cut up to 2 acres on a single charge.
If you’re happy driving around on something that looks agricultural, rather than the shiny bells and whistles of more expensive mowers, then this BAUMR-AG ride-on mower is the best choice.
Ride On Mower Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the best lawn mower manufacturer?
The two best lawn mower companies are John Deere and Kubota, with very little separating any of their comparable models. Kubota typically use Kawasaki engines to build better performance.
John Deere build their own engines for all products, making them much easier to maintain. The cutting performance, pricing, and lifespan of each mower brand are relatively similar.
How much do riding lawn mowers cost?
Ride-on mowers can cost anywhere from $3,000 to $30,000 and the price makes a big difference in quality, but how much you spend should be defined by two things: 1) Do you need a professional finish?; 2) How big is your garden?
Is a riding lawn mower worth it?
If you have a lawn bigger than a quarter of an acre then a riding lawn mower is probably worth it. Cutting large lawns is incredibly time-consuming, and while riding lawn mowers cost almost 10x as much as push mowers, they save more than 10x the time.
How fast do riding lawn mowers go?
The average riding lawn mower has a top speed of around 4-5 mph, which is equivalent to a slow jog, so you’re not going to win any drag races in a lawnmower any time soon, but it’s definitely faster than cutting the lawn with a push mower.
Cleaning up after mowing your lawn can be time consuming. To save time especially for bigger lawns, it is essential to use a lawn sweeper so check out our complete guide here.
Wrapping Up Our Ride On Mowers Guide
The best riding lawn mowers are obviously the most expensive, but you get what you pay for, so if you really want the best riding mower, you need to pay for it.
For most homes though, the best budget riding mowers can be affordable and still make great cuts, so take your time on this decision. Buying the best ride on mower is an investment, and when you get yours, it will be worth the wait.
Published on March 8, 2022 by Gary Clarke
Last Updated on September 26, 2024
is battery powered better than traditional petrol mower?
How many battery powered ride on mower have been sold in last year?
thanks
Hey,
Thanks for the question. Yes and no. It definitely depends on the area you are mowing. If you have a larger area, you will need multiple batteries so you have enough power to finish in one go, where if you run out of petrol you can just fill it up straight away and finish.
Maintenance wise there is not as much to do on electric mowers. Where on the petrol models you need to clean the filters for maximum efficiency.
With pricing petrol is an unknown cost, as is if you’re paying for your electricity. Electricity is much cheaper, but if you are self-sufficient and have your own solar panels it becomes free to run, so there are no ongoing expenses.
But the batteries lose their charge and will need to be replaced in 3-5 years. So, what happens to the old batteries? Do they become landfill, how are they recycled, etc.
A clear benefit of electric ride on mowers is the noise is pretty much non-existent when compared to a petrol mower where you need earmuffs or plugs to operate.
I am not sure how many were sold last year. I did a search but couldn’t find any numbers I trusted.
Personally, I prefer petrol still. I am not sure if batteries for such large machines last long enough. And I am not sure why there is such a big push for all power and gardening tools to become electric, with no good battery solutions or electrical generating solutions around the world.
I hope this helps, there are definitely points for both but also negatives.
Cheers,
Gary Clarke