What is a zero-turn ride-on mower? If you are from the UK it is quite possible that you will be unfamiliar with this type of sit-on lawnmower. Whilst in the United States this style of ride-on has become extremely popular in recent years and has been standard kit amongst commercial operators for some time due to the huge time-saving capabilities they possess, the zero-turn ride-on mower has yet to really take off in the UK. Essentially this type of ride-on allows you to literally turn 360 degrees on the spot. This is possible because the rear wheels are independently powered and unlike on a traditional ride-on mower can turn in opposite directions.
The main advantage of a zero-turn ride-on mower is the considerable enhancement in manoeuvrability that is achieved. This has several important beneficial effects. The first benefit of course is the huge time savings that are made when using a zero-turn ride-on mower. If mowing an area of grass with a traditional lawn tractor the amount of time you spend not cutting grass can be quite considerable. When cutting up and down an area of lawn every time you turn and head in the opposite direction a good portion of your overall time is being spent simply manoeuvring the tractor into position without actually cutting any grass. With a zero turn ride-on mower this process is quick and effortless and enables you to spend pretty much all of your time on the mower actually mowing grass. You a can also get into much tighter spots with a zero-turn.
A second benefit of a zero turn ride-on mower is that you use far less fuel than a standard sit-on lawnmower, particularly lawn and garden tractors which collect the grass. Zero-turn ride-on mowers are therefore not only extremely economical to run and save you money over the long run, but also better for the environment as they both consume less fuel and emit fewer emissions due to the smaller amount of time spent on them. Zero turn ride-on mowers offer a further environmental benefit in as much as they are mulching lawn mowers. Mulching not only saves you time over conventional collection mowers – you don’t have to spend time going backwards and forwards to the compost heap – but also helps to keep your lawn green and healthy by returning cuttings to your lawn as a natural fertilizer in the form of mulch.
So why have zero-turn ride-on mowers not taken off in the UK in the same way as America and elsewhere? There are a number of explanations which have been put forward. It has been suggested for instance that the unusual looking steering levers traditional zero-turn ride-on mowers employ – the operator turns the machine not by a steering wheel but by moving two steering levers in opposing directions – have put people off because they are unfamiliar with this type of system and on first use it can appear complicated and the mower unwieldy. Zero-turns have also up until now been of the rear-engine style of ride-on mower which have their limitations, particularly when it comes to towing attachments or using on slopes.
This however might all be about to change as for the first time a full zero-turn sit-on lawnmower has come onto the market in the UK which not only use a steering wheel but also is an actual zero-turn tractor mower. The Cub Cadet All-Rounder 1050 Lawn & Garden Tractor boasts a powerful 23hp twin cylinder engine and large-sized 50″ cutting deck. It has more than enough power under the bonnet to handle any tractor attachment and it will turn 360 degrees on the spot even on hills and inclines. This new tractor mower from MowDIRECT offers the combined benefits of a normal zero-turn ride-on mower with that of a traditional style lawn or garden tractor. New for 2008, the Cub Cadet All-Rounder has now come into stock and is available with free UK mainland delivery.
