Commercial Lawn Tractors

Zero-turn mowers compete with pro models

A new generation of zero-turn riding lawn mowers - controlled by a steering wheel instead of awkward levers - is bringing commercial technology to the back yard and cutting that weekly lawn chore down to size.

The steering-wheeled mowers offer the same maneuverability as their levered counterparts, but are a little easier to handle, said Greg Robinson, owner of Gene's Power Equipment in Coleman.

The new technology has been around for a few years, Robinson said, but recent improvements have the mowers catching on with homeowners.

"They finally hit on a few models that been really popular the last few years," Robinson said.

The new models provide residential equipment that has many of the bells and whistles of equipment that is used by professionals, thereby using less of what may be a homeowner's most precious commodity - time.

"The time-savings is a big thing with young families," Robinson said. "Fifty years ago we were tickled to just be able to ride on a tractor and mow the grass. Now we're a little more demanding. We don't want to be out there all day. The kids have ball games and we want to move on to other things."

Zero-turn riding mowers - traditionally used for commercial lawn care - work like this: Two levers are connected to motors that control the rear wheels. These levers - not a steering wheel - turn the machine. Pushing both levers forward will make the mower move forward, while pulling both back will make the mower go in reverse.

To curve to the right or left, to make a swinging turn that will leave no blade of grass uncut, or even to spin completely around in place, the levers are pushed and pulled in opposite directions, with the force determining the speed.

The zero-turn technology, which has been around for many years, allows the operator to turn the unit and go around trees and other tight spots without leaving swaths of uncut grass that must be cleaned up with a push mower.

Chuck Servinski, co-owner of Maple Hill Nursery at 2672 N. Eastman Road, names electric lawn mowers with their lower emissions as the next trend in lawn care. As yet his store carries just a walk-behind model, but electric riding mowers are being manufactured by several companies. The mowers run on batteries that are recharged after use.

"You're starting to see a lot of electric mowers coming out," Servinski said. "It's all about the going green thing."

Other innovations include tools powered with a lithium ion battery instead of gasoline, which can get old and stale in tools that are not used as often. The batteries are more powerful, last longer and eliminate difficult starts, Robinson said.

John Deere Lawn Mowers

John Deere Lawn Mowers

The range of John Deere mowers goes from push mowers to riding mowers in just about any size you need for your lawn. The John Deere name has been a well known brand for many years. From residential to commercial mowers they sell what you need to get the job done.

The residential push mowers are available in a variety of sizes from the 21″ self propelled gas push mower that retails for around 9. This mower features 6.75 ft/lbs torque and easily converts from a mulch to bag to discharge mower. The height is adjustable to nine different levels. The rear wheel drive is great for the performance of the mower on any type of terrain.

If you are looking for a 21″ push mower without the self propulsion there are several available including ones with bags. Your choices include gas mowers or electric. The convenience of being lightweight combined with the edge trimming that is available make this mower one of the best for trimming your lawn.

For smaller lawns a 16″ mower is available. The prices range on these mowers from about 0 right on up the scale to the riding lawn mowers. The John Deere line of mowers make the one that is right for your needs. If a riding mower is what you are looking for the 19.5 horsepower, 42″ riding mower is available for 99. The convenience of riding instead of pushing combined with the maneuverability of this mower make it a great value for medium to large yards.

The John Deere mower is made of cast aluminum to prevent rusting of the deck. The mower will keep the great look it had when you purchased it. The ability to life the blade system so they will be safe while transporting the mower is one of the features many people have come to expect from John Deere. The mowers are available with bagger options so there is no need to rake the grass trimmings. The easy adjustment of the mower allows for trimming to the desired height.

There are several riding mowers available from residential to commercial. Included in the residential mowers are the 22 horsepower with 42″ cut for 99 and the 26 horsepower with 54″ cut for 99. These are only a few of the fine mowers made by John Deere.

The commercial mowers made by John Deere is one you will choose for the commercial work you do. The Deere 1600 Turbo commercial mower is one that you might want to consider. These mowers retail for ,649. However if you are in the market for a used mower you can purchase one for around ,000. No matter if it is new or used John Deere stands behind their products.

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