How to get a great lawn without blowing your entire spending plan on a mower.
An excellent riding mower can top $5000. However for a lot of house owners, a more modest investment will cut it. We test 4 more budget-friendly tractors at a horse farm in upstate New york city to discover how much mower you can get for less than two grand.
Husqvarna YTH21K46
Price: $1600
Engine (HP): 21
Deck (Inches): 46
The Husqvarna is similarly at home on wide-open lawns and in difficult situations. A large lever by the steering wheel allows fast engagement and disengagement of the mower deck, and right-foot pedals permit easy speed control and switching between forward and reverse. The pedals are specifically practical when your hands are full turning the steering wheel while mowing in close quarters.
Dislikes: The Husqy lacks a dash-mounted mechanical fuel gauge.
Cub Cadet LTX 1045
Price: $1900
Engine (HP): 20
Deck (Inches): 46
If your lot is little or has complex landscaping, requiring a lot of back-and-forth mowing, the Cub is your maker. The hydrostatic-drive foot pedals to the driver’s right are large, particularly the reverse pedal. Similarly, its interlock for trimming in reverse is connected to the ignition switch, and its position is plainly marked and accompanied with a pushbutton. For those who have been baffled by other, less practical reverse-mowing setups, this might be a real plus.
Dislikes: Nothing kept in mind.
John Deere D110
Price: $1700
Engine (HP): 21
Deck (Inches): 42
The Deere is sure-footed going up and down hills, over roots, and around any barrier. This is due to the foot-pedal hydrostatic drive and a PTO (power launch) lever by the steering wheel that makes it simple to work around rocks and other blockages. A large lever on the left-hand side helped us promptly lift the deck out of harm’s method.
Dislikes: These are small grievances, but the plastic hood hinge, seat, and discharge chute are insubstantial and proof of cost cutting.
Craftsman YT 3000
Price: $1740
Engine (HP): 21
Deck (Inches): 46
A large lever on the right rear fender shifts the tractor into forward or reverse. It resembles cruise control, an ideal function for trimming huge areas. Fat rear tires– the 9-inch treads are 2 inches wider than those of the other 3 lawn mowers– reduce tire marking.
Dislikes: We liked the Craftsman much better on wide-open areas than on the elaborate parts of our test course since we discovered ourselves continuously taking our hands off the steering wheel to shift into forward or reverse.
