I am a professional in the mowing business, which has allowed me to use different mowers. When it comes to riding mowers, size matters!
You may think that the bigger, wider, and larger the lawnmower is, the faster the job is done. Surprisingly, this may not work in some situations. Should I get a 42 or 46-inch riding mower?
What to Know About Terrains and Mowers
There are only a few lawn areas in commercial and residential places that are perfectly flat. Mowing hills, inclines, and sudden dips are all part of the job that must be done.
If you are using a King Kong mower, you will be experiencing problems of gouging, scalping, or uneven cutting on troughs or drainage channels and shallow ones. The deck of the large mower is too big to get to the depth of the culvert.
This is where you need to bring in a smaller mower. This means you will end up spending more time on the job.
When mowing, you will find it very difficult to get spaces to mow around trees, shrubs, walls, signs, light posts, fencing, etc. You can only get a few feet apart in such places.
A large mower cannot be used in situations like this. You can use a smaller Stand-on mowing machine to mow such tight spaces because the machine’s size will allow the operator to maintain control while he shifts his position to avoid low tree branches.
It is also difficult to have mowing spaces on trailers. Larger mowers occupy large spaces leaving fewer spaces for mowing. No matter the cutting efficiency of a large lawnmower, you cannot compare it to the efficiency of two mid-sized mowers.
Lastly, every big mower brings a big weight to every job. Big mowers bring damage to lawns that have been flooded by overnight rains or sprinkler systems. These kinds of lawn areas cannot carry a machine that weighs about 1,200 pounds. It will mow the grass but, it will deface the entire lawn environment.
Some places are best for mega-sized mowers, but most mowing jobs can be done better with small to mid-sized lawn mowing machines. With a stand-on mower, you can be able to handle every aspect of the mowing job like navigating obstacles and challenging terrain. Think of maximizing your productivity rather than the size of your lawnmower cutting decks.
There are some factors you must consider when you want to buy a riding lawnmower. The size of the cutting deck that will serve your purpose is one.
However, the quantity of grass you want to cut does not determine the deck size you buy. You must have enough space to keep a riding mower within the width of the deck before you decide to buy it.
Considering a few factors is important when shopping for a riding lawnmower. Which size cutting deck meets your needs is one of them, but choosing a deck width isn’t just dependent on how much grass you plan to mow.
Before you make your final decision, ensure you have enough space to store a riding mower with the deck width you choose.
Lawn Size
Naturally, the bigger the lawnmower, the wilder the size of the cutting deck it requires. The larger the size of the cutting deck, the fewer passes you make across the lawn while moving.
Therefore, let the size of your cutting deck equal the size of your lawn. You can use a deck size of 40 inches or less to mow a half-acre lawn. For a lawn between half to two acres, you need a deck between 42 and 48 inches wide. The required deck should not be less than 50 inches wide for three acres and above.
Time Factor
If your cutting deck can cut a wide strip of grass in one pass, you will spend less time on the job. If you should mount a 42-inch deck on a standard garden tractor it will take you an hour to mow an acre of lawn.
If you increase the deck size to 46-inch, you will save about ten percent of the time. You will gain seventeen percent of the time if you increase the deck size to 50-inch.
Smaller Deck Plus More Horsepower
Not all the time, a big deck results in faster mowing time. If you are using a big deck on a small lawn, or a lawn with many flowerbeds and trees to navigate around, you just need to have a smaller mower to help you navigate those tight areas.
If your mower is the type that has the features to mow on different landscapes, go for a riding mower that has a small deck for easy maneuvers.
It will not have the capacity to mow a big space at once, but pairing the smaller deck with a larger horsepower engine will increase your mowing speed. The higher the horsepower the more the ground speed and the less time spent on mowing.
Mower Type
The width of the deck determines the mowing speed. The type of riding mower on which the deck is mounted also affects the speed a lawn is mowed. If slopes are about 10 degrees on your lawn, the mowing machine has to slow down completely.
This is because a lot of the weight of the machine is at the rear wheels, and then the machine is steered from the rear wheels. This is why it is difficult to control the machine when mowing downhill. Whether the deck is wide or narrow, you must slow down in such places for safety reasons, although it will result in spending more time on the job.
FAQs
Should I get a 42 or 46-inch riding mower?
You need a 40 inches deck or less to mow a half acre of lawn. You need a riding mower with a 42 to 48 inches width of deck to mow half to two acres of lawn. Go for a deck of 50 inches in width if your lawn is up to 3 acres and above.
Is a 42-inch mower big enough?
If your yard is of medium size, between an acre to an acre and a half, you need a mower with 42 inches of deck. You will spend much time maneuvering through tight corners with larger mowing machines.
If you are a homeowner and you have about half to three acres to mow, you need a mower with a cutting deck between 42 and 48 inches.
How wide should my lawn mower be?
A 20-inch walk-behind mower may be perfect for a small yard, but a 21-22 inch mower can work for a larger yard.