When you think of a zero-turn mower, you tend to think of the professional mowers used by lawn crews around the neighborhood. But, thanks to some of the big-name manufacturers, you too can have a professional standard mower to use for yourself in your yard. But is it a good choice for your lawn, and are you going to benefit? Let’s take a closer look at the advantages and disadvantages of a zero-turn lawn mower to help you make the right choice in your next purchase of a new lawn mower.
Zero Turn Mower Pros and Cons
Zero-turn lawn mowers are best suited for medium to large lawns with plenty of open space to take advantage of their size and speed. They are available with large cutting deck options, big engine horsepower, and operate at a higher speed than other designs of lawn mowers. Zero-turn lawn mowers will achieve a high cut standard in a far shorter time than competing mowers.
Advantages of Zero Turn Mowers
Zero-turn lawn mowers have a unique design stemming from their hydrostatic transmission and independent drives. This sets the zero turn mower apart from other mowers and gives them advantages that other lawn mowers just can’t achieve. With extra power comes a greater deck size and speed. Let’s take a closer look at what the zero turn does differently from other lawn mowers and how they are taking advantage of new technology.
Hydrostatic Drive & Steering
Hydrostatic transmissions are not unique to zero turn mowers, but they are when they use two independent drives. More and more lawn tractors are using hydrostatic drives these days, but they are driving a differential gear and powering two wheels simultaneously.
The difference with a zero turn is that a dedicated hydrostatic motor drives each wheel. As a result, each wheel is able to turn at different speeds and in different directions. What does all this mean? Well, a zero-turn lawn mower can maneuver itself in any direction without moving across the lawn.
The upside to this is that the mower doesn’t waste time getting itself into position like a lawn tractor does. Additionally, not having to repeatedly run over the same grass to turn reduces the over-compaction of the lawn. This reduces grass thinning, grass damage, and the effects of reduced permeability to the soil.
Large Cutting Deck Size
Previously, a 42” inch cutting deck would have been considered big. Lawn tractors used to have the biggest decks available to homeowners and were the preferred choice for those with large lawns. Now, with the availability of zero turns in both residential & commercial versions, 42” inches is considered standard. Depending on the size of your wallet, you can extend your cutting width out to 120” and up.
Faster Lawn Mowers
Along with the unique turning ability of the zero turn mower, the hydrostatic drives provide a greatly increased mowing speed. Historically, lawn tractors top out at around 5 MPH. This is where even the most budget-friendly zero turns start.
If shortening the time it takes to cut your lawn is a consideration, then zero turns have you covered. The standard speed of a zero turn is around 5-8 MPH, so you could be cutting off up to 50% of the time taken to mow your lawn. Additionally, you will save time by taking advantage of the mower’s turning ability which eliminates the need to cover ground that’s already cut just to turn around.
If saving time is of real concern, then Dixie Chopper’s Extreme cuts at 15 MPH!
Advantages of Zero Turn Mowers Summary
To summarize, with the introduction and development of zero turn mowers, there is an overall improvement to what you can achieve both in efficiency and the health of your lawn.
- Superior Turning ability “Zero Turn”
- Large Cutting Deck Options
- Faster Cutting Speed
- Shorter Working Time
- Reduction of Grass Damage
- Reduction in Soil Compaction
Disadvantages of Zero Turn Mowers
Unfortunately, with the advantages come some disadvantages of zero turn lawn mowers. Let’s take a look at a few of the drawbacks zero-turn mowers have and discover if they’re going to cause you an issue.
Learning to Drive
The first time you sit on a zero turn, you may wonder where the steering wheel is located. You wouldn’t be the first, including myself. Zero turns do take a period to learn to drive. So don’t be surprised if you can’t cut in a straight line (I wrote a piece on how to cut in straight lines with a zero turn, which might help) or flatten a few flowers during the first few weeks. Have patience and be prepared to have a less-than-perfect first couple of weeks while you learn to drive your new mower.
Cost to Buy
Zero turn lawn mowers are fairly complex pieces of equipment and require additional components like hydrostatic drives and larger decks, and with that comes a pretty heavy price tag. Zero turns are the sports car of the mowing world, and they don’t come cheap.
Slopes & Traction
Are zero turns good on hills? Not exactly…Zero turns are notorious for having bad traction and struggle with slopes. Unfortunately, this is true. If you have a zero turn, you are going to get stuck. This could be because the slope is too steep or the grass is a little damp.
Zero turns usually come with turf tires installed which are great for the grass but terrible for traction. If you’re adamant about cutting the slope, then you could go for a track-driven zero turn. They are not ideal for lawns, but if you have grassy banks on your property, then this could be a solution.
I also wrote this piece on how to get better traction on a zero turn mower, which may be worth reading too.
Gasoline-Powered Engines
Finally, one thing we can’t ignore is the fact that zero turns generally have gas-powered engines. We all know that gas emissions are destructive to the environment, and we all like to do what we can to help protect it. So, you can convert your engine to a natural gas engine and do away with the gasoline. Or, opt for one of the new electric zero turn mowers (the jury is still out on those though).
When Buying a Zero Turn Mower Makes Sense
If you put a zero turn in the right yard, they can be a great advantage and make life much easier. So, let’s look and see if it makes sense to have one in your yard.
The Time it Takes to Cut Without a Zero-Turn Mower
As a general rule, if your lawn takes you longer than 1 hour to cut with a walk-behind, then either a riding mower or zero turn would be a suitable upgrade. So, if you are looking to upgrade, then check to see how long it takes you to currently cut your lawn with your existing mower.
Read my comparison on walk behind mowers vs zero turns for more info.
When Push Mowing is Too Difficult
Mowing with a push mower isn’t always that easy, well, for me at least. Zero turn lawn mowers make light work of mowing. So, if you love mowing and doing it yourself, but lack the physical strength to use a push mower, then an upgrade to a zero turn could be a way to keep you cutting.
Size of Your Lawn
Next, take a look at the size of your lawn and decide if it’s small, medium, or large. If you decide that you fall in the medium to large-sized lawn, then a zero turn is going to potentially save you a significant amount of time cutting.
Design of Your Garden
If you have good access to your garden and gates and flower beds do not obstruct you, then you know you’ll be able to cut the whole yard with no trouble.
When Buying a Zero Turn Mower Is Not Your Best Option
You may have your eye on a nice new zero turn, but is it the best choice? There are situations where a zero turn just isn’t going to work. Sometimes it’s down to the yard to decide whether or not a zero turn is the best option. Let’s dive in and see if your yard works for a zero turn.
Mowing Doesn’t Take You Long
As we looked at before, you need to consider how long it takes to cut your lawn currently. If you are only out cutting for 30 minutes or so, then a zero turn really isn’t worth the cost. This isn’t saying you can’t use a zero turn; it just seems overkill. But there’s no rule against it.
Small Amount of Grass to Cut
This really comes into the same category as how long it takes to cut your lawn, but it could take you a long time to cut because it’s a difficult yard to cut. If you only have a small amount of grass to cut, then spending your hard-earned money on a new zero turn could be a waste.
Tight Spaces in Your Yard
Next, have a look at the design of your yard. You’ll want to make sure that a new zero turn is going to be able to access the yard and get to all the sections of the lawn. The last thing you want to do is have a mower that is too big to get to the lawn.
Too Many Hills
As I mentioned before, zero turns are not the best on slopes and hills. Anything over 10-15 degrees could cause a zero turn to struggle. Some mowers are better than others, so it’s worth checking the reviews for the particular mower you’re interested in first. But, in my experience, all zero turn mowers with turf tires struggle in 10-15 degrees. So, if you want to avoid getting stuck and tearing up your lawn, then try a different design mower.
Do you Have Somewhere to Store the Mower?
Finally, do you have somewhere to store the mower? Zero turns are much larger than a little walk behind. If you don’t have enough room to store the mower and keep it out of the weather and somewhere safe, it may not be the best choice to purchase.
My Recommendations for When to Buy a Zero Turn
Now that you have learned a bit about zero turn mowers and their pros and cons, you should have a fairly good idea if your yard is a good match. Here are a few examples of the types of yards and whether zero turn lawn mowers suit them.
| Type of Yard | Yes/No |
|---|---|
| Small lawn on slope | No |
| Small lawn that is flat | No |
| Medium lawn with easy access | Yes |
| Medium lawn with only a little gate to access | No |
| Medium lawn with easy access on a big slope | No |
| Large lawn flat ground with big gate | Yes |
| Large lawn with access on a 5-degree slope | Yes |
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