We have 1 acre of property. Should we get a riding mower or a push mower?

Question

I am willing to do up to 2 hours of hard work. I would rather have a gas mower either way, and would also get a self-propelled push mower. The only thing is my husband thinks we need a riding mower and says a push mower would be too much work. But riding mowers are SO expensive! What should we get?

Answer 1

It all depends on how much of your acre is lawn. If you have mostly large areas, it is better to have a riding mower. Just remember it is healthy to cut your lawn in a different direction every time you mow to keep your lawn healthy. At the same time you might need both riding and push mowers because you might have some areas that your riding mower cannot access, unless that access is small enough to so with a weed eater. Riding mowers are more expensive even in repairs. Personly, I like the effect that the push mowers have in tghe cuts.And if pushing is an issue, the self-propelled are great. Usually the only I would get a riding mower is if I didn't have time to spend cutting the lawn or........if I was just plain to lazy to cut the lawn any other way. But if you yourself are willing to take the time to do the work, I would definately say self-propelled mower.

Answer 2

Well, an acre is not too much to do with a push mower, but it will take a while.

And consider: Is an acre too much to do with a push mower by yourself?

It may come down to an investment in making sure the Hubby will help with the lawn without long dialogs about how you should have bought the riding mower!

Answer 3

Have 2 acres, used a push mower on it for several years. It is a lot of work, but does give you a good physical workout and the grass looks a lot better than with a 44 inch deck. Now have a rider due to health probs but If I could, I would go back to the push mower to get the exercise (leg probs so I can't do that). Here is an idea--buy 2 push mowers, just alike, one for you and one for him, and exercise together. Forget the self propelled ones, really have no purpose that I could ever see (and I used to sell them!).

Answer 4

Mellisa,
I frankly have no idea what msccc, whomever, afore me was talking about. Congrats on 1 acre of turf. Frankly your husband may be right. Normal mowing may take the two hours you figure, however, in the spring and fall, if may take two times that given rainfall, fertilization rates, and general conditions.
A truly good industrial mower with a 5hp or better B&S mower, 20-21 deck is going to cost you around $400. I am not talking about the cr.. they sell at the Box Stores, rather, a real Landscape Supply store where the deck is built, the wheel assembly is made, the blade itself, is made for use.
At and Acre you want Industrial not the K-Mart $129.00 3Hp
mower.
I am a retired Landscape Director and can tell you the need for a rider is critical in an acre or less, unless, you can operate a self-propelled 40" to 48" walk-behind mower. In any case, and I hope you do not go with the walk-behind, you will need a reliable two-cycle weed-wacker that is convertable for your purposes.
Since this is your first purchase of a riding mower consider going to all the Landscape Supply shops to purchase either a used or new model. The used are redone and under warranty and cheap. The new can be like new cars. The later the season the cheaper the price given a newer model coming soon! In either case the dealer is your warranty, your supplier of parts, and single source to compain to. Try doing that with Sears!!
The advantage of a riding mower, aside from wear and tear on the body, is that you can get a stronger engine, a better product, and things you can add-on. For example, there are generally rear hitches for trailers to haul debris or mulch, etc. Some come with an attachment of a front-end snow removal brush for sidewalks and drives (makes him use it in the cold of winter ha-ha).
The company will always sell you on what they call a zero circle/radius mower. Aside from the monies in addition it is stupid. I have never seen a Professional Landscape co. that ever sent a lawn cutting crew out without a weed-eater person. Save the money and get a good weed eater or a friendly goat to trim. Change the oil every month ($5) the blades every year sharpened ($5.00), new plugs yearly ($5.00), and clean the underside of the deck after each use and you have five to ten years of usage regardless of the cutting or towing you do.
While John Deere and others are popular I prefered the usage of Snapper during my twenty years at Drexel Univ. The parts were readily available and the durability, when maintained, tremendous. I had riding tractors that had over five years of daily usage (including winter). They cost half the price of the other so called names.
Think of it. You can sit on a comfortable seat stearing around your property while you point to him where to use his weed-trimmer. You'll be done in an hour or less and he will be still trimming. Buy him a good trimmer with the monies saved. The Cart Option is a great buy! You'll find it useful for all seasons. In August you may even put the Hubby in the cart to bring him home from the trimming he does! Do not get the snow broom. It is hard on the engine given the temp and is really hard on whomever operates the broom/plow as it blow right back on them. (I take mercy in Dec not Aug!).
Good Luck, hope it helps. I am at [e-mail], except for your husband, whom like my wife, wishes I were in another place.

Answer 5

It depends on your age; we have a acre of ground and started out with a self propelled push mower and the next two years it got to be pretty hard so we got a rider.
Can you borrow a mower from someone to try and see how hard you think it is? Remember even with a rider you have a lot of trimming to do in an acre of ground.
Trouble with a rider is if something goes wwrong you have to have a truck to haul it to a repair shop and home again. Just things to think about.

Answer 6

An acre is a little bit of mowing but not that bad.If it is affordable I would recommend a riding mower..but dont go without food over it..and an acre isn't like, really frightening to mow by push mower, but it breaks a bead or two of sweat

Answer 7

Hi, your lucky. I know that if you don't spend the money now and get a riding mower, you'll be wishing you had. You'll be pushing that new Push, or Propelled Mower around ,It's Hot and sticky outside,The grass keeps getting stuck in the blades,Your starting to sweat,and the bugs are biting at you. I can just imagine what your thinking of,that Riding Mower! Nice and new, Fast, Easy to manuver and fun too. You could be done in a fraction of the time while drinking a nice cool drink, and staying cool. Wouldn't it be nice to enjoy the rest of that beautiful Sunday Afternoon with the family,instead of pushing that stinking push-mower? Get the Rider, you'll be happier! Bye

Answer 8

if you are willing to do the grass cutting get a push mower with a 22" cut,i don't like the self propell since you have to cut at the pace of the mower,but a acre will take almost two hours to cut,and on these hot days that will be work

Answer 9

We have just under an acre. Guys can mow it with a push mower in under an hour. It takes me or our daughter about 1:15, since our stride is smaller and our upper bodies weaker. (But we're pretty!)

If you're cool with hard work (skip the gym that day!), a self-propelled gas-powered push mower sounds perfect.

Answer 10

I have an acre lot and a push mower. It takes me up to 4 hours to mow the complete lawn (I take breaks since I live in Texas and it's hot).

If I could afford it, I'd buy the rider and save my energy for weed eating, blowing & sweepeing, and weeding the flower beds.