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Steve Conaway Former Labs Manager / Senior Technical Project Manager
Steve was the Labs manager for CNET’s Home Division based in Louisville, Kentucky.
Expertise Portable power stations, tools, coolers, lawn mowers, DIY.
Having a big, gorgeous lawn is wonderful until it’s time to maintain it. However, with the right riding mower, you’ll save time and effort — especially when mowing larger yards and a little damp grass. But trying to find which one is right for you can be overwhelming. To help you make the choice — and not let lawn maintenance feel like a chore — we’ve compared the specs and found the best mowers for different yard needs and budgets.
When choosing a riding mower, consider your lawn size. For instance, a .05-acre yard may need only a push mower, which is far cheaper than even the most affordable riding mower. Plus, not all lawns are created equal. You may need to take steep inclines or other rugged terrain into consideration when making this decision.
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Recent advances in battery technology now offer the option of electric versus traditional gas motors. There’s a lot to consider here. If you run out of gas while mowing, you can refill in minutes and continue. With an electric mower, however, you might face a 1- to 2-hour delay while recharging. That’s why sizing your machine to your lawn is especially important when considering electric options.
On the other hand, some electric models are compatible with battery platforms, allowing you to use the mower’s batteries in other tools. If you have extra charged batteries from those tools, you can swap them into the mower to avoid the downtime of recharging. There’ll still be an offset on pricing, however. There’s a hefty upfront investment in batteries that may be tough to recoup.
Important note: Unlike most of CNET’s best lists, this one is based on research rather than hands-on testing, as the size and cost of these units made obtaining samples difficult. I’ve compared all the specs to find the best riding lawn mowers on the market so that you can make an informed decision about which one could be right for you.
Ryobi 48-volt, 100-Ah Electric Zero Turn Riding Mower: Ryobi has a few nice options for electric riding mowers, including this 100-Ah version that has the largest battery capacity of all our evaluated units. Looking at the math converting both the Ryobi and Ego units to watt-hours by multiplying their battery voltage by battery amp-hours, Ryobi has 4,800Wh versus Ego’s 3,360Wh. At these stated capacities, both manufacturers claim their mowers cover “up to” 3 acres, which makes the Ego system appear to be more efficient.
Greenworks 60-volt, 42-inch CrossoverT Electric Riding Lawn Mower: This mower is the least expensive of the electric options I evaluated. I do like the integrated storage bed in the back of the unit. It comes with six 8-Ah batteries and there is an extensive outdoor tool collection to interact with these batteries just like the Ego platform. For recharging, you will need to use the three included double-battery chargers to bring your six batteries back online. It can cover up to 2.5 acres per charge.
Craftsman T110 42-inch 17.5-hp Riding Lawn Mower: This gas-powered mower boasts similar specs to some of our other units, albeit with a slightly smaller 17.5-hp engine. A decent choice overall, especially if you’re already a Craftsman fan, but a slightly higher price tag per spec keeps this one out of the winner’s circle.
How much does a riding lawn mower cost?
Riding mowers vary greatly in cost. Entry-level costs for most known brands is around $2,000 and can exceed $25,000 for larger multifunction lawn tractors designed for very large lawn areas. An average lawn mower costs in the $3,000-$3,500 range.
What size lawn should I have before considering a riding mower?
This answer will vary a bit based on the individual, but in general, anything over half an acre is a great candidate for a riding mower.
You still might consider a riding mower for smaller lawns especially if you have concerns about your physical ability or stamina to push mow whatever size yard you have. Even in those circumstances, there are self-propelled push mowers that take the majority of the work out of the task.
Which is better, a traditional riding mower or a zero-turn mower?
Both mowers have their advantages. Up front, one of the main differences will be cost. Zero-turn mowers will usually cost at least 25% more (usually closer to 50% more) than their traditional counterparts. Zero-turns will mow your space faster and with greater maneuverability than the traditional riding mower. Smaller residential yards are easy candidates for traditional mowers while larger yards or people who mow multiple yards (like landscape companies) might opt for zero-turns to increase their time efficiency.
