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Riding Mower Reviews

Related Guides: Lawn Mowers, Leaf Blowers, Lowe's or Home Depot and Weed Eaters
According to the riding mower reviews we read, consumers put great weight on the value-to-performance ratio. Quite a few users comment in riding mower reviews that these cheap models do what they're meant to -- that is, mow moderate-sized expanses of lawn unmarred by too many boulders and stumps or steeply sloped terrain, make clean edges and give a level cut, climb up and move down small hills with relative ease, haul a cart or snow thrower, and start up without balking. Consumers recognize they're not paying top dollar (and thankfully so), and indicate their willingness to tolerate some slippage here and loose belts there because at budget prices, who can complain? They get cranky, however, when assaulted by major problems like brand-new mowers that won't start or parts that constantly fail and replacement parts that cost near as much as the cheap lawn tractor. Here's a summary of what we found.

Note: Reviews for the newest models we researched are sparse. We made our calls based on the strength of reviews for the predecessor models and whatever information we could find for the latest market entrants.

Riding Mowers Handling.

The ease of handling a cheap lawn tractor depends in part on the right match between machine and lawn, according to riding mower reviews by experts on sites like About.com and Garden.org. Consumers seem to agree. In riding mower reviews of the Weed Eater One on Walmart, for example, users report this lightweight riding mower is the right size for yards up to an acre and most say it manages slight inclines, bumps, and dips. Some riding mower reviews caution, however, that the Weed Eater One struggles on hills, especially when the grass is wet, and others note it's not the best buy for yards with lots of rough spots.

For larger yards and/or terrain with steeper slopes, lawn tractors reviews by consumers lean towards models like the Craftsman YT 3000 28924, John Deere D100, and Ariens 42-inch 960460024. These bigger, heavier, and more powerful lawn tractors with front-mounted engines are more stable than the riding mowers with rear-mounted engines. Moreover, they hold at least 1.5 gallons of gasoline (tank capacity on the new John Deere D100 was increased to 2.4 gallons) compared to the Weed Eater One WE261, whose tank holds only about onethird of a gallon, and can cover more territory before needing a refill..

Users like these models for a variety of operational reasons. In lawn tractors reviews on Sears, nearly half the user reviewers praise the hydrostatic automatic transmission on the Craftsman YT 3000 28924, which helps move it up and down small hills; one user comments that it doesn't lag on the ascent nor lose control on the descent. The manual shift on the John Deere D100 takes some getting used to, say user reviews of the older LA105,which also featured a manual transmission; that said one user notes he purposefully chose this model because the manual shift affords him more control on steep slopes. Although a few users critique its performance on hills, the new John Deere D100 wins kudos in reviews on Lowe's for an easy and quick cut. The Ariens 42-inch 960460024 is another new riding mower that's right-sized and right-powered for yards up to two acres. Commenting on TodaysMower.com, an expert expresses a preference for this model over an earlier version, and says its power is sufficient for weekly yard chores and light hauling. Users are less enthusiastic about the Troy-Bilt 13AX78KS011 lawn tractor. A few users talk up the large 20 HP motor, tight turning, and smooth ride of the Troy-Bilt 13AX78KS011 in lawn tractors reviews on Lowe's, while the majority grouse about excessive maintenance and servicing requirements and the frequent need to replace parts.

by Maralyn Edid (Google+ Profile)

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Yard Machines 38 in. Riding Lawn Mower Review
Troy-Bilt 20 HP Automatic 42 in. Riding Mower Review
Weed Eater One Review
John Deere D100 Review
Craftsman YT 3000 Review
Ariens 42 in. Riding Lawn Mower Review

Ariens 42 In. Deck 19.5 HP Briggs & Stratton Automatic
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