Riding Mowers

The first motorized lawn mowers were push mowers, but it wasn't long before riding mowers made their debut. With a push mower, the engine provided the force that spun the blades, but the mower still needed to be pushed by the user. Later models were modified so that a larger mower engine could generate more force and drive the mower forward, too.

This still required a lot of effort on the part of the user, as he had to maneuver the cumbersome mower base. In addition, the force of the engine often wasn't enough to push the mower up hills, and would make it roll downhill too quickly to cut grass well. Even a motorized mower was a lot of work to use.

From Push to Ride

The first riding mowers took the technology of a lawn tractor and combined it with the mower deck. Now, in addition to pushing, pulling, and towing, a lawn tractor could mow as well. Having a gas pedal and brake gave the user more control over the mower without being as exhausting--mowing the lawn was no longer a day's work.

By adding a steering wheel to the mower, it became much easier to navigate the mower. Now, modern riding mowers are even more easy to steer. Zero-turn mowers can even turn on a dime, being able to change direction with no turn radius whatsoever. These mowers represent the peak of current mower technology, which keeps moving towards giving us nicer lawns for less work. A good feature to look for is an easy-to-use cutting height adjuster.