A ride on mower is not just a push mower with a seat on top. It is a powerful tool that serves as an essential landscaper’s assistant for large properties, offering long operating hours and reliable performance with relatively low fuel consumption in turn. The single set of features that sets it apart from basically any other piece of landscaping equipment is its ease of use. These machines are expressly built to be comfortable, coming with a healthy ensemble of user-centric features that make what is usually demanding work feel effortless. In this article, we are going to be looking at exactly what ride on mowers are, where they excel, whom they work best for, their available attachments and more.
What Is A Ride On Mower
A ride on mower is a relatively simple and self-explanatory concept. However, that is not to say that there is not nuance or more to explore. These are lawn mowers designed to be ridden like a functional vehicle rather than being pushed about. With four wheels and a robust body, it is a stable mower with a low centre of gravity to prevent tipping. At its bottom sits a series of blades with a wide cutting deck, allowing it to cut a significant amount of grass in a single pass. Of course, it features a seat on top on which the operator sits, as well as a steering wheel and controls that determine not only how it drives, but how it cuts.
A modern ride-on mower (such as those provided by BS Power) comes with a whole array of additional features, safety systems, and attachments. This transforms a more comfortable mowing experience into an incredibly effective one that improves results and reduces effort.
How Do They Differ From Other Forms Of Mowers
Before moving deeper into the specifics of ride on mowers, it is worth spending a moment fully clarifying the difference between them and other forms of mowers. They are closest in form and function to the traditional push mower, with the primary exception being that they can be ridden rather than needing to be manually pushed. However, they are also larger and capable of a more versatile range of functions, effectively making them a more robust version of the traditional mower viable for longer cutting sessions.
They are the most different to brushcutters, which are handheld devices with a spinning head on a pole. Brushcutters are highly mobile and versatile, with interchangeable heads and a narrow body that allows them to be wielded in a vast range of terrains and scenarios. However, compared to a ride on mower, a brushcutter is less capable of sustained cutting sessions over long stretches of lawn.
What Kind Of Terrain A Ride On Mower Excels On
The real scenario where a ride on mower stands out is over vast swathes of lawn, such as on an expansive property, estate, or golf course. They are built for wide, flat (or gently sloped) areas with few obstacles. Compared to traditional push mowers or brushcutters, the amount of grass they can cut in a single pass is significantly higher.
As a general rule of thumb, any property under two thousand square meters generally does not justify the extra cost of a ride on mower, as a push mower can viably complete the task of mowing without too much effort on the operator’s part. However, anything above the 2000-square-meter mark begins to make ride on mowers seem more appealing. At three thousand meters or above, the effort expended in mowing with a push mower almost demands the use of a ride on mower as a more viable advantage.
The Owner A Ride On Mower Is Best Suited To
There is no strict perfect owner for ride on mowers, but there are certainly some kinds of owners that prize these machines over others. The first would be professional landscapers responsible for maintaining large lawns on estates. While push mowers or brushcutters might be more affordable per unit, the added efficiency of ride on mowers saves time, effort and (if the unit is especially fuel-efficient) fuel in the process of cutting the same amount of grass. Over time, the more robust option will end up saving time, effort and even money.
Secondly are those with large lawns, but who are not as capable of operating a push mower. This might be someone of advanced years or with some kind of mobility impairment. Operating a push mower for hours on end can place a great amount of strain on the body, especially when working during the hot midday hours. Ride on mowers offer a far more comfortable alternative that will not place undue stress on the body.
Comfort Features For Long Cruises
To help reduce operation fatigue, a ride on mower comes with a number of comfort-centric features built in. The seat (which itself majorly helps) is built specifically to provide excellent lower back support, keeping one of the most ache-prone parts of the body safe from strain. Different models come with various kinds of suspension systems, designed to absorb impact and prevent shock from travelling through the machine into the operator.
Similarly, the vibrations from the mower itself are dampened with padding, preventing the slow and pernicious exhaustion caused by the constant rumble and noise. The steering wheel and pedal are all adjustable, allowing the mower to be fit to each individual operator’s proportions.
There are dozens of other possible comfort features that exist across modern models, from adjustable armrests to cup holders. The bottom line is that virtually all ride on mowers will be especially designed to keep you as the user as comfortable as possible for as long as possible, making long cutting sessions feel like an enjoyable ride rather than an arduous chore.
A Ride On Mower With Endurance
It is not just you that needs to keep up with long working hours; it is also your mower. The good news is that ride on mowers is built for endurance as well as power. They are capable of working for long continuous hours throughout the entire day while contending with the elements and heat from the sun.
To achieve this, they are built from sturdy materials both inside and outside, with well-balanced designs. Their motors blend power with efficiency, allowing them to tirelessly cut grass with minimal fuel expenditure. Some models even come with headlights that allow you to cut grass even as the sun begins to set, allowing for truly extensive lawn mowing sessions to take place without issue. Take diligent care of your ride on mower and provide it with a steady supply of fuel, and you will be able to keep up a schedule of full days for many years to come.
A Flock Of Birds With One Stone
Part of the wonder of ride on mowers is all the available attachments for these robust machines. These allow you to slowly transform your mower into the battalion of a one-man landscape army, performing multiple tasks with a single machine– possibly even at once.
The simplest of these would be a towable trailer, which you can fill with equipment or gathered debris. As you cut grass, the mower becomes a mode of transport from one small gardening task to the next, allowing you to hop out, manage the chore and hop in again. You can attach a lawn sweeper that picks up any loose leaves, sticks or twigs in your wake along with grass clippings, leaving your whole lawn absolutely pristine. You can also do the very opposite, with attachable spreaders, sprayers, or mulchers.
These will distribute fertiliser, mulch, or seeds as you mow, effortlessly encouraging new growth. You can add spike aerators that perforate the ground you pass, allowing for better aeration, watering, and fertilisation of your lawn. Realistically, these are but a fraction of the available attachments for riding mowers. What they demonstrate, however, is that these machines are capable of managing a vast variety of tasks with the right add-ons.
Conclusion
In conclusion, ride on mower is a powerful alternative to the push mower. Yes, it is bigger, and you can sit on it, but it can offer so much more than that. It is powerful, stable, and capable of cutting copious quantities of grass at a single time. For any lawn over two thousand square meters, it is the obvious choice of tool. Overall, it will end up saving you not only time but effort and even money. It is favoured among landscapers and those less capable of operating a push mower, both appreciating the mower for its ability to quickly mow large lawns without much effort on the operator’s part. Much of this machine’s success comes from its extensive comfort features.
These various features all work together to transform a taxing chore into a relaxing cruise. Even more, these mowers are compatible with a whole host of possible attachments that vastly expand the capabilities, from cleaning, fertilising, aeration, seeding and more. Visit the BS Power online store to begin browsing our full selection of relatable ride on mowers.