Riding Mower How-To Videos | Toro (2024)

FAQs

What is the best way to mow with a riding mower? ›

To mow with a riding lawn mower, adjust your speed for different sections of your lawn so the cuts are smooth and even. You can't make quick, sharp turns on a riding mower. Instead, take long turns or move in a circular pattern. When you make a turn, raise the blade or blade deck if you get off the grass.

Often the highest setting on most mower types is 3 inches. Mowing the grass at 3 inches or taller will prevent diseases, promote deep digging roots, help the grass conserve water, improve turf density, and improve turf color.

Riding lawn mowers and lawn tractor models have comfortable chairs, making them easy to use and manage. You don't have to stoop over or crouch down, and the ride is much smoother than a push lawn mower. The blades are also higher off the ground, so you don't have to worry about hitting rocks or other obstacles.

For the healthiest and most sustainable approach, 3.5 to 4 inches is most desirable. Lawns mowed at 3.5 or 4 inches out-compete weeds, tolerate grubs and look just as good as lawns mowed at 2.5 inches. Photo by Dave Smitley, MSU Entomology.

Cutting in concentric circles is an efficient pattern because all the turns you make are in the same direction. Since turns are more gradual, it's also easier to maneuver your mower. A circular pattern will match the cuts you make around trees and flower beds as well.

Some say you must cut the grass, then edge, trim, and blow off all surrounding surfaces. Others say just the opposite or some other mixture of those steps. Those arguing for mowing first claim that this is the best order since you can then trim edges of lawn to the precise height that you cut the grass at.

A mowing height between 2.5 to 3 inches is best for most of the season, except during summer stresses when the lawn mowing height should be raised one-half inch to mow at 3 to 3.5 inches. Raising the mowing height provides more insulation from summer heat and reduces water loss from your soil.

If you neglect your lawn for a few weeks during its active growth period and it gets too high, you will impair the root growth if you cut more than one-third of the blade to reach the recommended height. Growth will slow as the grass puts its resources into the leaf tips to help them recover.

The first mow should be more of a trim leaving grass as long as 3 or 3.5 inches. Later on in spring, you can begin cutting your lawn shorter, depending on the type of turf you have.

If your riding mower is showing signs of decline, or you're thinking about upgrading to a riding mower, you may be wondering "How long do riding mowers last?" You can expect to get anywhere from six to ten years out of your riding mower, or longer with proper care and maintenance.

What are the disadvantages of ride-on mowers? ›

A major drawback to riding mowers is that they have a fairly large turning radius in comparison to zero-turn mowers. While riding mowers still provide an excellent cut, they are a bit more inefficient. You will need to make extra passes in order to cut your entire lawn.

Never insert hands or feet into the mower to remove grass or debris. Even with the motor turned off, the blade can still be spinning. Use a stick or broom handle instead. The machine must be turned off and the spark plug disconnected (or power cord unplugged for electric models) before attempting to remove the object.

The mowing height range for most grasses is between 1.5 and 3 inches. In general, for most lawns 2 to 2.5 inches is optimum because if you are mowing at 3 inches, your lawn may grow to 5 or 6 inches before you mow it again. Here are some problems associated with letting your grass grow too long: Lawn thinning.

As a general rule, avoid slopes that are steeper than one foot of incline for every three feet of horizontal width. Most lawn tractors and zero turn mowers can handle slopes that are only one foot of incline for every four feet of horizontal width.

To fully cut the grass in one slow pass, a mower can cut grass only half as long as the mower blade. Longer grass is held down by the blade shroud so it cannot reach the blade. Any grass over about 6 inches high will be really difficult to cut with a normal mower.

While there is no definitive answer, it is often found that doing the edges first can be easier and leave a cleaner appearance. Doing the edges first will mean that the excess clippings from the edges will then get cleaned up when the mower goes over the top of them, making the clean up a lot easier and quicker.

If you're utilizing a push mower, then one of the most important tips to remember is to always cut side to side instead of up and down. If you mow up and down on a sloped hill, then you can risk severe injury. While mowing uphill, there is a possibility you may fall, allowing the mower to roll on top of you.