This is the time of year when lawn and garden tractors really come into their own as the grass is growing quickly and there are a host of jobs to be done in all quarters.
For many of you, a ride-on mower with a rear engine is quite sufficient to cope with a good sized garden, not only keeping a large lawn in trim but tidying up rougher areas like small paddocks and orchards.
In general terms, these have less power.
But a lawn tractor has more uses throughout the year and has the power to tow more garden devices like trailers and leaf sweepers and can prove a great help throughout the whole year not just when the grass is growing.
Easy to drive: Lawnflite MiniRider
The simplest little ride-on is the Lawnflite Mini Rider 60RDE Ride-On Mower, a great little machine at a really good price.
It’s easy to drive, easy to manoeuvre through garden gates and the like and has a cutaway design which lets you mow more accurately. The height of cut can be set to between 38 and 95 mm.
It has a Briggs & Stratton tried and trusted engine and a key start to make firing it up easier.
Three forward and one reverse gears, a cutting width of 60 cm, and a large grass-collector of 150 litres all contribute to making this a great value little ride on.
Plus there is a mulching kit for recycling the clippings back to the lawn.
This mower at just £1499 is £100 less than the manufacturer’s price, is delivered free within three to five working days and has a one year maker’s guarantee.
Another great little machine which represents outstanding value for money is the MTD-Lawnflite 76SD Mini Rider.
A perfect choice for anyone buying their first ride-on mower, it has a 76 cm cutting width and 46 cm turning circle.
It is easy to drive around obstacles on the lawn like small trees and through gates and it has Transmatic transmission making it easier to control the speed through the foot pedal.
You can either mulch the clippings or discharge them at the back but you can buy a large grass box for £180.
There are five cutting heights and because of the way it is designed it is possible to mow right to the edge of borders and paths.
The cutter deck actually floats so that it can better follow the undulations of the ground.
An 11.6 hp MTD engine provides the power and there is a key start to make it easier getting underway.
This machine costs £1419, compared with the maker’s price of £1599, it arrives delivered three within three to five working days and there is a two-year manufacturer’s warranty.
Next comes the Lawnflite 380 XT-S Lawn Tractor, an excellent and really versatile machine with a shift on the go transmission making it a top value purchase.
There are a host of optional extras for this garden tractor, which has a meaty engine and gives plenty of power to use attachments like trailers, rollers and sprayers.
It has side discharge and the change on the go transmission gives a much smoother ride through the five forward and five reverse gears.
Large rear wheels give excellent manoeuvrability and there is an optional grass collector available.
This machine costs £1499 compared with the recommended price of £1699. Delivery is free within three to five working days and there is a two-year manufacturer’s warranty.
We think our next machine, the Lawnflite 2-in-one Mini Rider is another well-priced machine with plenty of power and easy to drive.
You can either cut and discharge the clippings to the side even when it’s wet or mulch them (optional) and return them to the lawn. Power comes from a 196cc MTD engine which sips fuel and makes little noise.
There are six forward and one reverse gear in the transmatic drive.
Cutting width is 60 cm, enough to cope easily with medium sized lawns yet small enough to get through most garden gates.
Delivery is free within three to five working days, there is a two-year maker’s warranty and the price is £1299.
Cub Cadet is a major manufacturer of quality garden machinery and their Cub Cadet LR1 NR76 Ride-On Mower is a cracking little machine with a very tight turning circle, a 76 cm cutting width and six-speed Transmatic transmission making it very manoeuvrable and easy to drive.
This means you speed up just by pressing the foot pedal – no need to stop to change gears.
There is a very large 200-litre grass collector – a deflector means you can remove the box if the grass is too long.
The five cutting heights are between 38 and 95 mm and the power comes from an 11.6 hp ThorX engine.
The floating cutting deck means that the blades follow the contours of the ground to give a better finish.
A steel chassis gives great strength and a longer life and the steering column is adjustable to make driving more comfortable.
This machine costs £1799. There is a two-year maker’s warranty and delivery is free within three to five working days.
Next comes a machine from one the country’s favourite brands.
The Mountfield 1430M Lawn Tractor is a departure from other similar machines as it has twin blades to give a smoother and better cut but still at an affordable price.
The twin blades also give better collection of the clippings.
It has an 82 cm cutting width with heights from 25 mm for the smarter country lawns to 80 mm for the rougher areas.
Another handy feature is the audio alarm which sounds when the grass box is full.
Mountfield’s own 7500 series engine gives loads of power and
is engineered for a longer life. There are five forward and one reverse gears and the deck is electronically engaged.
It is designed with several comfort features so it can be driven for longer periods and there is a 240 litre grass box, unusually large, which can be emptied from the driver’s seat.
Also when purchasing this tractor you can buy a steel tipping trailer as well as other optional extras.
This mower costs £1749, £200 less than the manufacturer’s recommended price, and delivery is free within three to five working days. There is a two-year manufacturer’s warranty.
Lanflite 603 XT-S
Another machine with a really top spec at a keen price is the Lawnflite 603 XT-S Lawn Tractor designed for dealing with grassy areas of around two acres.
There is also a wide range of attachments for this tractor which makes it a true labour saving device around larger gardens.
An MTD ThorX OHV engine provides plenty of power and it has a variable speed change through its twelve gears. The engine produces less vibration and is quieter when running and it is comfortable to drive too as it has a spring assisted seat.
The grass collection is excellent due to the clever design of the deck and a fan to blow the cuttings into the box.
But remove the box – when you are cutting rougher areas and there is a deflector flap to move the grass to one side.
Twin headlights make it possible to mow when it gets a bit murky.
Normally you would expect to pay £1699 but we have this great little tractor on sale for £1569.
There is free delivery within two to three working days and a two-year manufacturer’s warranty.
Another machine offering amazing value for money is the Mountfield 1538M SD, a machine with loads of power with a 98cm wide cutting width for those of you with larger areas of lawn and grass to keep under control.
It is especially handy if you have not only lawns to cut but orchards, paddocks and longer grassy areas.
To cater for this, cut grass is discharged to the side. mulching is also possible with this 2-in-1 machine.
The drive system combines clutch and brake in one foot-pedal and there are six forward and reverse gears so you can mow at the speed which suits you best.
The front axle pivots to even out any uneven ground and will give a better cut.
Steel construction, twin headlights and large wheels give a real sturdy feel to this garden tractor.
Delivery is free within three to five working days and there is a two-year maker’s warranty.
This garden tractor is just £1499 – you would normally expect to pay a lot more for such a machine.
Lawnflite is a company with a great reputation for manufacturing top notch garden machinery and their Lawnflite 703 XT-S Lawn Tractor is full of excellent features.
Made for lawns up to two acres with a 92 cm cutting width it has a unique Direct Collect system for dealing with the cuttings in a really efficient way, wet or dry.
The grass box can be simply removed in seconds and it has a 12-speed highly advanced Transmatic Drive for a smoother ride.
It has an amazing 46 cm turning circle contributes to really great manoeuvrability.
There are a host of optional extras, some only available when you buy this tractor.
The price is ££1699, £200 less than the manufacturer’s price.
There is free delivery within three to five working days and a two-year manufacturer’s warranty.
And finally, there is a really tough machine at an amazing price.
The Lawnflite 903 XT-S Lawn Tractor is designed for large lawns and grounds not only to give an excellent finish to the lawns but to be a real workhorse with a wide range of tasks.
It gives an excellent finish to lawns with a special ejector chute which can cope with even wet grass.
A Briggs & Stratton engine gives plenty of power and is engineered for a longer life.
The cutting height can be adjusted by a special lever for raising or lowering the cutting deck.
There are six forward and seven reverse gears, strong disc brakes and a very tight turning circle. Both clutch and brake are combined in one pedal.
This machine has been designed with larger gardens and grounds and challenging conditions in mind and offers unrivalled value for money.
Delivery is free within two to three working days and there is a two-year manufacturer’s warranty.
This garden tractor costs £1999, and that’s £400 less than you would expect to pay for such a machine.
This blog updated June 2016
Updated again Feb 2018.
