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Finding the Lawn Mower to Match Your Lawn

Jan. 6 2022 Buying Guide By New South Tractor

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Lawn mowers are an indispensable part of lawn maintenance, whether you use them professionally or for your own yard. But there are many different types of mower and many types of lawn—so how do you find the right fit for yours? We here at New South Tractor want to help you get the perfect tools, so we’ve put together a brief guide to finding the lawn mower to match your lawn, below. To learn more, or to see the lawn mowers we have for sale, contact our store in Newton, North Carolina, today!

Size Up Your Lawn

First, examine your yard and evaluate the following qualities:

  • Size: the larger the lawn, the faster and more efficient you’ll need your mower to be.
  • Grass thickness: dense brush can choke up smaller and weaker mowers.
  • Slopes: any hills will require a stable and high-traction mower.
  • Obstacles: trees, paths, rocks, and other obstacles will require a model with plenty of agility and a tight turn radius.

The better you’re able to narrow down your specific needs and challenges, the easier it will be for you to find a lawn mower to tackle them.

Manual Mowers

Manual mowers rely on you for propulsion, as the name implies. That means you’re doing a lot of work, making these mowers best for small lawns, preferably a quarter acre or less. Cutting widths for these are between 14-22”. 

They’re also not great for thicker grass, given their relatively small size and engine power. And since you’re doing most of the pushing, you’ll want to avoid pushing them up any hills, meaning manual mowers aren’t great for sloped lawns.

Self-Propelled Mowers

These mowers are a bit tougher and larger than manual models with a cutting deck between 21-61”, but the important difference is that they have their own propulsion, either gas or electric. Most can hit 5 mph, making them a better fit for hilly yards, and the stronger engine makes them better at tackling thick growth. These traits make them great for lawns up to half an acre.

Riding Mowers

Riding mowers are perfect for larger lawns, three quarters of an acre or more. You aren’t doing any pushing at all and are instead riding and steering, which takes a lot of the effort out of the chore. Cutting width ranges from 26-54” and they can hit around 10 mph. They can handle most any density of grass and most hills.

Zero-Turn Mowers

These are ideal for huge, relatively flat properties. Zero-turn mowers can hit up to 13 mph and have cutting decks up to 72”, and as the name suggests, they can turn on a dime. However, they aren’t able to handle sharp inclines.

Ready to get started? Contact us at New South Tractor for more information, or to see the lawn mowers we have for sale. We proudly serve Newton and Asheville, North Carolina—let us serve you today!