Best Riding Mowers for Small Yards

Keeping your lawn in great shape isn't difficult as long as you have the right tools for the job. For small yards, a riding mower is one of the best investments you can make. Riding mowers for small yards can be a much better choice than push mowers because they cut faster and handle thick grass with ease, making them ideal for yards with few obstacles.

If you're interested in a riding mower for your small yard, here are a few things you should consider.

How to Choose the Best Riding Mowers for Small Yards: An Overview

When choosing a riding mower, you're making a long-term investment in your lawn. The average riding mower will last between 500 and 700 hours of mowing time. At 2 hours a week to mow the lawn, you can count on roughly 9-15 years from your mower before you need to replace it, if you take proper care of it.

That means you need to think carefully about your budget and the type of mower you really need for the job. It's better to err on the side of having too much mower than not enough. However, that can stretch your budget, so you ideally want to find the sweet spot of the right mower for your small yard.

What Are the Main Types of Riding Mowers?

When you're considering riding mowers, you're mainly looking at three kinds of mowers for small yards: lawn tractors, rear-engine riding mowers and zero-turn mowers. 

Lawn Tractors

These mowers are best when you have a lot of grass to cut in a short amount of time. They're the fastest option for cutting your grass because they have large cutting widths and high speeds.

They're also going to be the most expensive option on the market. The average riding tractor costs anywhere from $1,200 to $2,200, which can stretch most families' budgets. In many cases, the extra speed and cutting width simply aren't worth the expense.

There are a couple of exceptions, such as if you have a huge yard or you need to mow multiple lawns in a short period of time. For example, if your parents live down the street and you're going to be cutting their grass as well as yours, you might want to go for the more expensive model to limit the strain on your machine. But in most cases, the lawn tractor is an unnecessary expense compared to some of the more affordable options.

Rear-Engine Riding Mowers

This kind of mower comes with a much more affordable price tag — the high-end models generally won't cost more than $1,000. If you're on a tight budget, you can usually find a reliable rear-engine riding mower for about $800.

These mowers are going to be your best choice among riding lawn mowers for small yards. That's because they don't go over the top on speed, cutting width or other features only necessary for larger lawns. They still cut through wet grass and can handle a much larger amount of work than a push mower.

Where they can run into problems is when you have lots of obstacles in your lawn. For example, if you have a tree in your yard, a rear-engine riding mower might not be the right choice for you. You'll need to go around the tree carefully, and that's not an area where these types of mowers excel. However, if you have a mostly open lawn with your trees in one spot, this can be the best choice for your lawn.

Zero-Turn Mowers

This type of mower is the answer to all of your concerns about mowing around trees and other immovable obstacles. When you use one of these mowers, the front wheels and rear wheels work together, so the mower effectively has a zero-degree turning circle. When the front wheels are going one way, the rear wheels head the other so you can expertly make any cut in a circle around your tree.

However, these mowers are anything but cheap. You can easily pay close to $5,000 with most models costing around $3,000 or more. They're outstanding for yards with lots of obstacles, but if your yard isn't covered with trees, there are few reasons to purchase this mower.

Riding Mowers vs. Push Mowers

For traditional push mowers, riding mowers are most often going to be the superior choice. Push mowers are at their best when you need a tight turning circle or you have to deal with a steep slope. For most people, the amount of manual labor required from a push mower simply isn't worth the cost difference between that and a riding mower.

There's another great reason to use riding mowers for small yards: They're much more efficient. Push mowers can only run as fast as the operator using them; riding mowers can go as fast as the engine allows, regardless of the operator.

Gas-Powered Riding Mowers vs. Battery-Powered Riding Mowers

Of course, you won't need to consider fuel costs at all if you opt for a battery-powered riding mower. Battery-powered riding mowers for small lawns have become much more common in recent years, and in some places, they're poised to replace gas-powered mowers.

Gas-powered riding mowers are simpler to take care of, far less costly and easier to get going should your power supply run low. Small engine repair shops are everywhere should you run into problems, and if you run out of gas, you can simply drive to the gas station, be back in 15 minutes and get right back to mowing.

On the other hand, battery-powered mowers are far quieter. They're not cheap or easy to maintain, but they're better for the planet because they don't have any emissions that can damage the environment. Plus, as governments around the world start to move away from fossil fuels, gasoline might be more costly or difficult to find.

Key Considerations

The most important consideration is your budget. You want to get a mower that you know can last you for many years, so you only have to buy one once a decade. That means you don't want to necessarily go for the cheapest model. You want the best riding mower for small yards your budget will allow. 

You also want to consider fuel costs, which is another reason that heavy-duty tractors aren't the best choice for a small yard. Most riding mowers burn about 1 gallon of gas for every hour they're in use. For most people, that comes out to around $25 to $40 in fuel expenses.

What Features Should You Look for in Riding Lawn Mowers for Small Yards?

Handling

Above all, you want to look at how your riding mower handles. You want something that's easy to drive, responds well to your steering and can easily navigate around potential obstacles. You can opt for a front-handling, rear-handling or zero-turn riding mower, depending on what features your lawn includes.

Speed

You also want to consider the speed and cutting path. If you have plenty of open space with little to no permanent obstacles in the way, you may want to get a faster lawn mower. When you have wide-open space, quicker riding mowers for small yards mean less time mowing the lawn.

On the other hand, if you have several trees, you might want to sacrifice speed because you won't be able to use it. You need to slow down to turn around a tree or a walled garden, and a mower that goes too fast won't allow you to do that as well.

Cutting Width

The cutting width also affects how efficiently and quickly you can mow your yard. When your mower has a wide cutting path, it cuts through more grass on each pass. For smaller yards, a wide cutting path isn't necessary. You might be a little more efficient, but that extra efficiency won't be worth the higher price tag. Lawn tractors have a larger cutting width and allow you to finish quicker; however, the cost is quite a bit more than a riding mower.

Cutting Height

One great feature of riding mowers is the ability to choose the height you want to cut your grass. For most people, that's going to be about 3 inches. That height allows you to maximize the life of your grass and give it the best chance to thrive. Cutting the grass too short can limit its ability to acquire vital nutrients.

How It Handles Rough Terrain

Terrain should always be a consideration when you're choosing a mower. That's because some riding mowers can't handle rougher terrain and might struggle if your lawn is full of uneven bumps and odd topography. Before you purchase any kind of riding mower, you should get a good sense of what your lawn is like and explain it to an expert. If you have rough terrain or a difficult slope, a riding mower might not be a good option for you.

Engine Features and Accessories

Knowing the kind of engine and its safety is a critical part of finding the right mower for your needs. Here are a few things that can help you decide on the right mower.

Starting Mechanism

For most mowers, you'll need to engage both the seat and the choke before turning the key and getting the mower to start. These features can help protect you and make sure the mower can't accidentally engage.

Mulching and Bags

Some mowers give you the option to add attachments, such as snowblowers, mulching blades and bags for grass clippings. Most are sold separately, but these options can make total yard care a breeze.

What Safety Features Should You Look For?

You'll want to make sure your mower has a good cooling system to keep the engine temperature at a reasonable level. In most cases, you're going to be using your mower on fairly warm days, so it's important to keep the engine from overheating.

Another great feature to have is a safety switch attached to the seat of the riding mower. This  switch won't let the mower operate unless someone is in the seat to engage the electronics. If someone accidentally starts the mower, it won't go anywhere without them actively riding it.

What Maintenance Features Should You Consider?

You want maintenance for your riding mower to be as easy as possible. You'll want to check out the air filter and oil filter system and find out whether you can make these changes yourself or if you'll need an expert to handle them for you. Knowing where and how to take care of riding mowers for small yards can be the difference in how long they last.

What Are the Top Picks for Riding Mowers for Small Yards?

If you're looking for a quieter model with a zero-turn capacity, it's hard to beat the Husqvarna Z254. This model is designed to be as simple and straightforward as possible. It has a hydrostatic transmission, so the hoses won't leak. It also has a 54-inch cutting width, so it's a top-of-the-line option. Still, if you need that zero-turn ability, you'd be hard-pressed to do better than this.

A more conventional and budget-friendly option is the John Deere S100 mower, which is ideal for the homeowner who wants options with their mower. If you need to attach anything from baggers to mulch covers to snowblowers, this mower gives you that capability. It doesn't stop there, offering four different mowing heights and a reliable hydrostatic transmission.

Low price doesn't have to mean low quality, and the Craftsman T110 mower more than lives up to that ideal. This mower is one of the least expensive on the market, yet it delivers plenty of performance with a 17.5 horsepower single-cylinder engine. This mower's a great choice for anyone with a straight, open yard who doesn't need to get in and out of tight spaces.

If you do need to get in and out of tight spaces, you might want to consider the Troy-Built Bronco. It doesn't have the zero-turn circle of the Husqvarna, but at 18 inches, it's pretty close. Like the John Deere, it offers several attachments to help you get the most out of your mowing experience.

Get in Touch With Bradley Mowers

If you'd like to learn more about any of the riding mowers for small yards we have available and how they might work for your needs, we're always available to help. Just call us at 815-935-8383 or e-mail us at info@bradleymowers.com. We'll be happy to answer any questions you have and steer you in the right direction for your lawn's needs.