As the competition heats up, riding lawn mower producers are improving their offerings with new innovative features. They understand that consumers are looking into zero turn mower reviews and information much more closely than former generations have. The reality is that the quantity of traditional riding lawn mower models available to purchase is decreasing as the amount of zero turn mowers is rising. ZTRs are all the rage, touted as the “Modern” solution to lawn maintenance equipment, although they have been around commercially for approximately fifty years.

The term “riding lawn mower” has been misused to identify everything from any ride-on lawn mower to a household tractor. To distinguish, a riding lawn mower is a rear-engine mower upon which the person sits. In comparison, a ride-on lawn mower with the engine before the operator constitutes a lawn tractor. If it can do more than cutting a lawn, it would be referred to as a garden tractor.


Amongst rear-engine riding lawn mowers there are two types: traditional riders and zero turn mowers. Traditional riders are quick but may require anywhere from four to 28 inches to complete a 180 degree turn. This pointless movement at each end of the lawn requires valuable time that could be spent enjoying life. A zero turn radius mower (ZTR) does exactly what the name says. It can complete a U-turn without leaving its own path, no more wasted movement or time. Additionally, most zero turn mowers can run at up to double the velocity of a traditional rider. Traditional mowers deliver a peak speed of somewhere around four miles per hour. Many ZTRs may mow as quickly as nine miles per hour.

The prominent controlling differences between the two types of mowers are in the steering mechanism. Formal riders feature a wheel that allows the front-end wheels to turn inside the radius determined from the design. ZTRs feature two guidance handgrips that individually operate the two rearward wheels. By turning one wheel forward and the other wheel backwards, you have turned the lawn mower in position.

Why should choose one and only type of riding lawn mower over some other? Budget represents one condition. Most traditional mowers are priced between $1,600 and $3,000. ZTRs begin at roughly $2,600 and travel upwards to $7,200 or more. Most people agree, however, the extra money invested is well worth it. Just the amount of time saved will pay for the extra cost in the first year. With a ZTR, you will actually enjoy mowing the lawn again, agilely swinging around trees and dodging anything in your path.