Landscaping With a Lawn Tractor
By Andrew Caxton

In this article you will find information about lawn tractors. Knowing the prices, various uses, and how to use this tool safely can help you make the knowledgeable decision about which lawn tractor is best for you and your uses.

Lawn Tractors = Small Tractors

If you need a tractor for different kinds of farmwork for less than 2 acres, then a farm tractor is the best choice for you. You can greatly reduce your manual labor, due to the many attachments that are available for lawn tractors. You will find that this can help you keep your garden in tip-top condition in much less time. In most cases, a lawn tractor up to a maximum of 7-10 HP will also have a ZTR (zero turning radius) feature to help you when working in a smaller field.

The Versatility of Lawn Tractors

Versatility is a major benefit of lawn tractors. Some of the jobs that can be completed by lawn tractors include hole digging, lawn rolling, tilling, mowing, and many other jobs. The power take off spindle makes these jobs easily possible. That is why lawn tractors are a gardener's best friend.

Purchasing A Lawn Tractor

Choosing and purchasing a lawn tractor is much like buying an automobile. The optional accessories increase the prices of both a car and a lawn tractor. That is why you want to choose your lawn tractor and accessories wisely to ensure that you will use the ones that you are purchasing. You also want to ensure that you can try the lawn tractor in the showroom to ensure that you can attach and remove the accessories with very little effort. Test-drive the lawn tractor to make sure you can get in and out of it easily as well.

Price of Lawn Tractors

There is a large price range in lawn tractors. A smaller lawn tractor can start at $900 and go up to $6000. The Bolen 762F76 is a basic model and it is available for just under $900, while the John Deer Spin-Steer SST-16 is approximately $3300. A Poulan Pro PK1845H42ST is about $1400. These costs are for the tractor without any accessories. Accessories can make the cost greatly increase. A canopy starts at $110 and a collection bag for grass is around $300. A cart can run you anywhere from $110 to $220, depending upon the size. Now you see how the costs can quickly add up. If you are planning to use the lawn tractor for mowing 1/2 to 1 acre, then you may want to choose a stand behind lawnmower for around $350, instead of a lawn tractor.

Safely Using A Lawn Tractor

Lawn tractors are designed with a low center of gravity and that is why there is very little possibility of the lawn tractors tipping over. It is important to use the following safety precautions, regardless of the little possibility of them turning over.

• It is important that you watch your speed, especially when you are on an incline. A small rock can cause your lawn tractor to have problems and possibly injure you.

• While getting off of the lawn tractor, ensure that it is turned off and all attachments touch the ground, if at all possible.

Andrew Caxton is a journalist who has written more articles and newsletters on the subject for http://www.lawn-mowers-and-garden-tractors.com . A free online magazine that carries articles on lawn tractors, and a guide on lawn care here lawn tractors
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How to Choose a Lawn Tractor Or Riding Mower - Which One is Right For You?
By Janet Ashby

If you have a large lawn that is getting too much to handle with a walk-behind mower you may be considering buying a lawn tractor or a riding mower. A lawn tractor may have various attachments available and can be used for hauling materials about your yard in addition to mowing your lawn. More expensive than riding mowers they have multiple uses. You should also be looking for mowing decks that are easily adjustable and have mulching capabilities.

Choosing the Type of Mower

Zero Turn Mowers

For a lawn that is more than 1/2 acre with multiple objects a zero turn mower would be a good choice. The time taken to mow your lawn can be cut in half with a zero turn mower as these mowers are more efficient. The excellent maneuverability allows you to easily mow around all size objects without having to back up and turn repeatedly. The rear wheels are used for both power and steering and operate independently so one wheel can reverse while the other wheel rotates forward allowing zero to 360 degree turns. In addition these mowers are fast, up to 6.5 mph so you can quickly cover a large lawn.

Riding Mowers

For a lawn of between 1/2 to 1 acre a riding mower will be ideal. They have few attachments as they are primarily built to do one thin wheel and that is to cut the lawn!

Lawn Tractors

With higher horsepower engines lawn tractors are better for larger lawns and rougher terrain. They also have a good range of optional attachments so if you want to use your mower as a snowblower, an aerator, a machine to move material around your yard you should choose a lawn tractor.

Garden Tractors

The toughest of these machines with the highest horsepower, garden tractors usually have two-cylinder engines and sturdy transmissions. For a very large garden or yard with rough terrain choose a garden tractor. Factors to consider before you purchase a lawn tractor or riding mower

Size of Lawn

The first thing to take into account is the power of the engine and the cutting width and to ensure that these are suitable for the size of your lawn. Here are some general guidelines to help you choose. Be aware of the width between any obstacles as a larger deck may cut down the time to mow a large area but be unable to mow between obstacles.

1/2 to 1 acre lawn: You will need a mower with at least a 14 hp engine and a 42" cutting width

1 to 2 acres lawn: A cutting width of between 42" and 46" with a 14 to 16hp engine should be adequate

.3 Acres and above For this size lawn area an engine size of between 18 and 24 hp and a 46" to 54" cutting deck would be the best buy

Attachments

A wide range of attachments are available for lawn tractors including snowblowers, front blades, tractor shovel, electric spreaders, baggers etc. Check that attachments that you might need now or in the future are available for the model you are considering. Riding mowers generally have very few attachments but are cheaper to buy so if all you want to do is mow your lawn a riding mower would be the best buy.

Transmission

Gear Driven or Automatic Consider the layout of the lawn area to be cut with your lawn tractor or riding mower. A gear driven mower will be better on open areas with few obstacles such as flower beds or bird baths. Choose an automatic transmission for areas that have obstacles so that you can easily vary the speed around the objects. Most of the lawn tractors with automatic transmission also have cruise control so you can set this in areas that are clearer.

Bagging, Mulching or Side Discharging

Many lawn mowers have the options to easily switch between mulching or side discharging. Most have optional bagging attachments.

Safety Concerns

The higher speed of lawn tractors and riding mowers leads to some concern for safety and operators should be aware of these factors before they use the machines.

Obstacles: Care must be taken with obstacles on the lawn as hitting a solid object will do severe damage to the machine at these speeds.

Scattering objects: Any small objects, for instance stones, twigs, household objects left on the lawn will be picked up by the mower and projected at high speed. Always ensure there are no people or pets in the area when operating the machines.

Noise: Some of these mowers can be very noisy. Wear ear protection if this applies to your model

Advantages and Disadvantages

Lawn Tractors

Advantages: Durable, built to last, attachments to do many other tasks

Disadvantages: Expensive, leaves uncut areas at the end of turns, needs a large storage area, difficult to take in for repairs

Zero Turn Mowers

Advantages: Fast, best for a lawn with many obstacles, no uncut areas at the end of turns, few attachments

Disadvantages: Expensive, needs a large storage area, difficult to take in for repairs, few attachments, some safety concerns due to the high speed.

Riding Mowers

Advantages: Cheaper than lawn tractors, reasonably fast, leaves uncut areas at the end of turns,few attachments

Disadvantages: Awkward to steer around obstacles and leaves uncut grass close to obstacles.

Janet Ashby is a keen gardener who finds gardening in the tropics a challenge. For more information and some good deals in new and used Toro lawnmowers check out Toro Lawnmowers and Snowblowers For deals on John Deere lawn tractors please visit John Deere Lawn Tractors and Snowblowers
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Riding Lawn Mower Blade Care
By Linda Lasczc

Occasionally, a riding lawn tractor or mower's blades can become unbalanced, bent, or dull, and will need either reconditioning or replacement. It is recommended that maintenance be performed on the blades at least twice a year. To care for a riding lawn mower's blades, follow the steps listed below.

NOTE: These materials are prepared for use by trained technicians who are experienced in the service and repair of equipment of the kind described in this publication, and are not intended for use by untrained or inexperienced individuals. Such individuals should seek the assistance of a service technician or dealer.

Preparation

As with many projects, think safety first. Always wear heavy leather gloves and safety glasses/goggles for protection and always disconnect both the battery ground wire from the negative battery terminal and the spark plug wire from the spark plug. If the unit is equipped with a twin cylinder engine, remove both of the spark plug wires from the spark plugs.

Removing the Blades

Most riding lawn mowers have removable blades. In order to reach the riding lawn mower's blades, remove the deck before performing maintenance. DO NOT tip the riding lawn mower on its side. This can result in serious damage to the unit. Remove the riding lawn tractor's blades by turning the blade bolt or nut counter-clockwise with a standard long-handled wrench. Do not be surprised if the blade bolt or nut is difficult to remove due to normal corrosion, dirt build-up and initial torque setting of 70 to 100 ft. lbs.

Sharpening the Blades

Sharpen the riding lawn tractor blades by using a tool, like a hand file, which is designed to be used on hardened metal. It is not imperative that the blade be as sharp as a knife. An edge at roughly a 45 degree angle will be adequate. Most of the wear will be around the blade tip. Focus on this area. If the blade is significantly worn or gouged beyond reconditioning, replace the blade. Follow the above procedures for all the blades.

Balancing your Blades

Before installing a new or sharpened blade, it is important that the blade is balanced. If a blade isn't balanced properly, it will rattle and vibrate. This will damage other components on the riding lawn mower. Blade balancing tools can be purchased at a local hardware store for a reasonable price. Clean all dirt and debris from the blade. If the blade is not thoroughly cleaned it will affect the balancing of the blade.

There are two procedures for checking the balance of a blade that we call out in this publication. The first is when using the vertical test method, the free hanging blade will rotate on its own, heavy side downward. The horizontal test method is the second; this is when one side of the blade begins to drop towards the table top. The side that drops to the table top or rotates downward is the heavier side, and needs further sharpening or material removed to balance out the blade. After sharpening, test the blade balance again, and repeat until the blade is balanced. Follow the above procedures for the remaining blades.

Installing the Blades

Once the blade has been sharpened and balanced, reinstall it with the proper orientation. If using an OEM blade, the word "Bottom" is stamped on the blade for the side that should face the ground. If the word "Bottom" is not present, be sure to install the blade with the raised tips toward the top of the deck. The blade bolt or nut should be tightened properly using 70 to 100 ft. lbs. of torque.

Since 1961, Cub Cadet has been meeting the needs of rural and suburban homeowners, while keeping one simple promise - to build it better. As the leader in premium outdoor power equipment, Cub Cadet features innovations such as zero turning radius mowers, smooth and easy automatic transmissions and the CycloCut™ mowing deck. Cub Cadet has built its legacy on high-quality engineering - producing smarter, faster and tougher products. For more information, visit http://www.cubcadet.com
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