Lawn Tractor Buyer Guide

Things to know before buying a ride-on tractor

The lawn tractor saves time on those large gardens it not only offers comfort but much quicker cutting times when compared to a walk behind type. Todays lawn tractors have come a long way since their introduction in 1914, features such as electronic blade engagement, cruise control, hydrostatic drive, comfortable adjustable seating and even the styling all add to a very positive user experience.

Add the very high build quality and the Snapper® range of lawn tractors will give you years of excellent service and will aid  you maintaining your lawn to the highest quality.

 

If you are unsure about what type of lawn tractor you need a good place to start is to ask yourself some questions:

  • How large is your lawn? Selecting the perfect lawn tractor comes down to picking the right mower deck size. Deck size is also referred to as cutting width. It's recommended to choose a deck size based on how large your garden or property is. The answer to this question will help you decide the correct deck size. See our size guide below.
  • Do you need a model that can manoeuvre around trees and obstacles?
  • How much space do you have to store your lawn tractor?
  • Do you collect or mulch

 

See below the correct lawn sizes for tractor use

 

Features

Lawn tractors have lots of features, so here is a quick explanation of some of the main features you may see when researching which lawn tractor, you want to buy:

  • Drive SystemHydrostatic transmission makes it easy to control the speed of the mower without the use of a clutch or changing gears. If you have a lot of obstacles to mow around, it is easier to use and offers better speed control as well. Some also offer a cruise control option which is great for cutting large, open areas.
  • Cutting width - The wider the cutting width, the quicker the mower will get through large areas of well-maintained grass. It is often referred to as the cutting deck.
  • Mulching - Recut the lawn clippings into tiny pieces and blow them back on to the lawn, where they break down and act as a fertiliser for your grass. This can be an inbuilt feature or an option (see product specifications for more details) . A rule of thumb for best results for mulching is cut leave  so if you grass is 3" high you are cutting 1" of grass, also important is that you don't travel to fast you need to give the deck time to shred the grass into smaller pieces. If you notice grass been left on your lawn check your height of cut and also your speed this should ensure the perfect finish on your lawn every time you use our product.
  • Wash-port - Hose fitting point on the lawn tractor to clean the housing while the mower engine is running, increasing the life of the chassis and improving cutting efficiency.
  • Fabricated Deck / Stamped Deck - This is the process on the how deck is manufactured. Stamped decks are usually made from one piece of sheet steel and then it is pressed into a mould to form the shape of the deck. Fabricated decks are generally made by hand the advantage of this type of deck is it is more durable and will last longer as there is more material used in the process of making it and less stress points when compared pressing.
  • Side Discharge / Rear Eject - This is the point where the Lawnmower  ejects the grass from the deck. the most common eject system is side discharge however Snapper has released a rear eject deck for their non collector machines, this system offers higher safety and less likely hood of a foreign object such as a large stone escaping and causing damage
  • Engine Power cc/kw - The engine size would be important if you have a unlevel site, since the engine drives both the blades and the wheels you could be faced with a situation that you slow down or lose drive altogether because the machine cannot mow and go up a slope due to lack of power.
  • Tyre Size - The larger wheel allows weight to be distributed better on your lawn avoiding unsightly tracks on your lawn.
  • Zero Turn - This feature is particularly useful where you require tighter turning circles. it uses two drive motors one for each rear wheel which can act independently from each other allowing you to turn the machine on its axis.
  • Electric Blade Engagement - Simply push a button to start your blades cutting.  

 

Type of Lawn Tractors

Rear Engine Ride-on

This is the smallest type of lawn tractor with the engine at the back and a seat towards the front. They have smaller cutting widths of 33” and are the cheapest type to buy. Features include excellent visibility, a low centre of gravity and the Hi- Vac® mowing deck which offers both mulch and side discharge capabilities. Ideal for medium-sized gardens and tight spaces. 

 

Rear Discharge-Mulching Lawn Tractors

Rear Discharge Tractors gather the clippings and keep them off the lawn so that your garden stays tidy. Most lawn tractors have a large grass collector, the larger the collector the less time you spend emptying it. You can also dispose of the grass by using the mulching facility which will blow the grass clippings back on to the lawn, where they break down and act as a fertiliser for your grass. 

 

Side Discharge-Mulching Lawn Tractors

Side-discharge lawn tractors have cutting decks that eject the clippings from the side of the deck. On certain models, there is an option to purchase a collector bag and an option to purchase a mulch kit for mulching the grass that is cut 

 

Zero Turn Ride-on

Designed to turn on the spot, this makes them incredibly manoeuvrable and ideal for more intricate shaped lawns as well as grass areas containing obstacles such as trees and flowerbeds. They have two steering handles that separately control the rear wheels, instead of the conventional steering system, which controls only the front wheels. You can save up to 50% on mowing time compared to a standard tractor mower making them ideal for cutting large areas. Smaller and more compact than other lawn tractor models they’re good for storing in smaller garden areas. 

 

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