We get quite a few calls from people looking for new riding equipment this time of year. The spring and early season rush is tapering off, and if you take a drive out to acreages around Calgary, you’ll see that there’s still plenty of grass that hasn’t been cut yet, especially given the recent amount of rain. If you’re considering a riding mower, we can help you make a well-educated choice. Most people do have something in mind when they come to see us; whether that’s really the right machine for them is another matter.
People love to tell us why they hate their old lawn mower, so we consider it our job to fix them up with something they don’t hate as much! Let’s face it, nobody likes to mow the lawn. By far the most common complaint is that mowing takes too long. If two or three acres of grass is taking you six hours to mow, there have got to be other things you want to do with your time! A good zero-turn machine can cut that time down to three hours or less, especially if you’re mowing around obstacles like trees, bushes and buildings.
Tractor-type vs. Zero-Turn
When thinking of a riding mower, most people picture the conventional tractor-like machine with the motor in front, a steering wheel, and the mowing deck underneath the rider (the Forrest Gump model). This is the most affordable type of riding mower, but far from the best.
When you think about it, that tractor design is not an efficient one for mowing grass. First, you roll the grass down with the front tires that are under the weight of the motor. Then, you expect the lifting power of the blade to stand that grass back up and leave a nice cut. That’s rarely what happens; when the grass does stand back up a day later, you’ll find that your mower left tracks where the grass was not cut quite as short. It’s much better to have a light footprint in the front so the grass gets cut evenly across the machine’s path.
Quite often those who own that conventional type of riding mower also find that it just takes forever to mow their property. For the most part, this is a maneuverability issue. That’s where the advent of the zero-turn mid-deck and front-deck mowers really shine; they do a much nicer job than the tractor type, while being much faster and more maneuverable. Some folks at first will balk at the lever controls– being more comfortable with a steering wheel– but with very little practice it becomes just as easy as driving a shopping cart.
Stability on Slopes
To employ a zero-turn mower, you want terrain that is somewhat flat, without any steep inclines. Zero-turn mowers are a little harder to maneuver on a steep slope because the steering mechanism is in the drive wheels; any loss of traction results in a loss of steering control. So, if you’re mowing very hilly terrain, you’ll employ either the tractor type (with a steering wheel and rear wheel drive) or one of the hybrid zero-turn models with steering wheels that can hold onto a slope and still do the really fast turns around trees and other obstacles, likely with a front-mounted mowing deck.
Machines that can rapidly mow a very steep incline do tend to be pricey, ranging as high as $40,000. Other less expensive machines will handle that incline, but will take more time to do it. Walker MB series (front mounted) mowers are very well balanced to handle this type of terrain but they’re something of a specialty item, costing more than mid-mount zero-turn mowers of similar size.
Get Your Equipment Demonstrated On-Site
Ideally, if you’re looking at mowing equipment costing thousands of dollars, we should load it up and bring it to your property to try it out. Buyers have a lot fewer problems if we can actually go out to the property and demonstrate the equipment there. This provides the peace of mind to be sure you’ve chosen the right machine. We’re one of the few suppliers that do this on a regular basis.
Come See Us!
Prices for zero-turn mowers start at around $2999, and the sky’s the limit depending on how big, how heavy duty, and what comfort level you want. No matter what mower you buy, it will make long grass short. The real questions at hand are how long will it take, and what will the end result look like. Have a talk with one of our sales associates, and if you can, bring photos of your property. We can help you make the equipment choices that fit your needs and budget.