How does zero turn mowers work

The controls sound complicated as compared to the traditional steering wheel controls. Still, once a person gets the hang of the controls, it becomes easy and swift to use zero turn lawn mowers, even for significant grounds. Generally, it is suggested after buying a new lawnmower to practice driving the mower without its blades attached, which helps in getting the hang of the controls without ruining the lawn.

The best zero turn mowers offer excellent maneuverability along with variable speeds to a higher degree. These mowers are usually used for mowing down big parks, golf courses, grounds, and fields as the speeds they work at are higher.

This also is the reason behind relatively higher costs of zero-turn mowers, which makes it infeasible for owners of small homes with relatively smaller lawns.

When most people think of their dream homes, they always think about having a massive lawn around their house, which will make their house look lovely.

But the problem with owning a big and beautiful lawn is to keep it beautiful and well maintained. Most people dread lawn maintenance tasks and often pay others to do it for them. Lawnmower companies sensed an opportunity here and tried to make lawn mowing less cumbersome and time taking over the years. This led to the development of ride-on lawnmowers in the previous century, and since then, the ride-on lawnmowers have only become better and better.

The zero-turn lawn mower was one such design, which led to a massive improvement in ease of mowing lawns, and the homeowners with big lawns have been grabbing these up like hotcakes.

Still, there has always been room for improvement, and the new designs addressed those needs by switching over to the rear wheel drives. The basic working of the mower remains the same, but the improvement in operability has been immense.

Your email address will not be published. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Share Tweet. Working of Zero Turn Mowers Over the years, there have been many designs used by lawnmower manufacturers to make the best zero turn mowers. Conclusion When most people think of their dream homes, they always think about having a massive lawn around their house, which will make their house look lovely. Sandy Jensen. Sandy Jensen is the founder of OrganizeWithSandy and Works with Champalimaud Design where she curates and creates fresh ideas for designing and styling your life.

How to level a Zero Turn Mower. Can you eat squirrels from your backyard safely? You may also like. Comments Leave a reply Cancel reply Your email address will not be published. All rights reserved. Zero Turn vs.

The drive wheels of a zero turn mower are controlled by two independent wheel motors. The ability for one wheel of the mower to turn forward while the other wheel moves in reverse is what allows the mower to turn in a zero-degree radius. Operators can make the wheels move in the same or different directions. Apparently it was his wife's dislike of lawn care that spurred Regier on [source: Hustler Turf]. Most zero-turn riding lawn mowers don't come with a steering wheel; instead, they frequently have two levers that control two motors connected respectively to each rear wheel.

They typically steer something like this: Pushing both levers forward causes the mower to move forward, while pulling them back causes it to reverse. The farther you push in either direction, the faster you go. To curve right, you push the left handle farther forward than the right handle, and vice versa if you want to curve left. If you want to make a swinging turn -- which leaves no grass uncut and sets you up that much faster for your next pass down the yard -- simply push the appropriate handle forward while keeping the other one in neutral, causing the mower to pivot around the stationary wheel.

You can also spin around completely in place by moving one lever forward and pulling one lever back with equal force, in which case you'll be pivoting the mower around the central point between the two drive wheels. Many zero-turn mowers are more appropriate for larger commercial or industrial applications, but some are small enough to be useful and reasonably priced for practical residential use. On the next page, we'll learn about this inspired system, as well as the benefits it brings to sweaty people mowing on steamy summer days.

If your lawn is on the small side, a zero-turn mower might not be worth the investment. But if you have a lot of ground to cover, literally, then it could be worth the cost. Here's one suggestion for sizing up your lawn mowing needs. But if you have a big lot and not a lot of patience when it comes to mowing the lawn, not just any riding mower will do. That's because one of the main perks of zero-turn mowers is how much time they save over regular riding lawn mowers.

According to one avid fan, the switch from a traditional riding lawn mower to a zero-turn model cut back mowing time by 70 percent [source: Maxwell ]. Other estimates also tend to be very favorable, albeit slightly more conservative. Zero-turn mowers help save time because they're easy to handle, highly maneuverable and constantly in action. Plus, with a zero-turn mower, you can cut closely around obstacles like bushes and flowerbeds, eliminating the need to waste time trimming with a weed whacker.

The concentration of obstacles and floral features in your lawn will be a factor when determining which zero-turn mower to buy, because one thing to consider during the purchase is cutting deck width. Too wide and you could have trouble squeezing the mower into all the little nooks you need to reach; too narrow and you won't be saving as much time.

Options like cruise control and a variety of attachments are also available on different models, so consider carefully which features will be beneficial to you depending on your situation.

With a new zero-turn mower, you'll be zipping around the yard in no time, but it's not all fun in the sun. On the next page, we'll consider a couple of drawbacks to purchasing a zero-turn mower.

Despite the many advantages of zero-turn mowers, there are some downsides to consider. For starters, if your yard has areas that slope at angles greater than 10 to 15 degrees, a zero-turn riding mower isn't a safe bet in those spots because it could roll over.