A ride-on mower for under £1000 in our top ten from the winter sale
It’s sale time and here at MowDirect we have compiled 50 great deals on garden machinery – there’s a bargain for every gardener.
From mowers to tractors, from snow blowers to hedge cutters there will be something in our sale to tempt any keen gardener.ide-on
And now is the time to buy with special across the board so you can get ready for Spring and save yourself a packet at the same time.
So to kick off our popular annual sale here are ten top deals from our winter sale – you can see our top 50 bargains on these pages.
We helped develop the range of Redback products, and this mower comes with a charger and 2Ah battery and can be recharged within 70 minutes.
With a cutting width of 37cm it is ideal for smaller lawns and as it is far lighter than similar petrol machines it is easier to manoeuvre around garden furniture and around bushes and trees.
It has a 40-litre grass box and has five cutting heights all selected with a single lever.
A handy dial on the handelbar shows how much charge in left in the battery.
The regular price is £249 but it is just £199 in our sale and has a three-year warranty. Delivery to the UK mainland is the following working day and free.
But if you prefer a petrol-powered mower then this little beauty will do the trick, the Mountfield SP454 Self-Propelled Petrol Lawn Mower (Warehouse Clearance).
From a long-time favourite manufacturer with British buyers, this is aimed at those with a medium-sized lawn and is powered by the manufacturer’s own 140cc engine.
There are cutting heights from 20mm to 70m and plenty of power to tackle the rougher areas as well as the smooth.
The grass box holds 55 litres and it has s steel cutting deck to give the mower robustness and a long life and when conditions allow you can mulch the clippings rather than collect them.
In our sale it costs £229 compared with the recommended price of £349 and is delivered free the next working day with a two-year warranty.
The Hayter Spirit 41 Petrol Autodrive Rear-Roller Lawnmower (Code: 619) has a 41cm cutting width making it suitable for smaller lawns and will leave an iconic stripe which really shows off a traditional garden.
Really well made with an aluminium cutting deck, it has a ribbed rear roller which means you can cut right up to the edge of the lawn without it toppling into the flowers.
And you can also leave the lawn with a very tight finish as it will trim the grass right down to13mm. Front find also enhance the finish as they smooth the lawn before it is cut.
The engine is from the world’s leading supplier Briggs Stratton, 125cc, reliable and easy to start. And it also has a friction disc to protect the crank should you happen to hit something solid.
The cutting deck is plastic line to resist corrosion and dampen the noise.
This mower costs £369, a saving of £60 on the normal price and is delivered free the next working day with a bottle of engine oil to get you mowing straight away.
The Toro HoverPro 450 Petrol Hover Lawn Mower (02602)(Warehouse Clearance Model) floats on the current of air produced lets you slide the machine along rougher areas and down the sides of banks and ditches.
And the clippings will be mulched as they are cut.
A Honda 135cc engine is very efficient, starts easily and is also easily maintained.
It weighs in at 17.6kg thanks to its injection moulded cutting deck and it has three cutting heights between 18mm and 30mm.
For awkward areas you can buy a Hi-Ride kit and a transport wheel is also available at an extra cost.
It costs £299, a saving of £50 on the recommended price and we deliver it free the next working day with a free bottle of engine oil. There is a two-year warranty.
The Einhell GH-BC 43AS Brushcutter has a 42.7cc engine and the power to cut through thick vegetation like banks of nettles and dock and can even deal with brambles and gorse.
The cowhorn handlebars make it easy to use with a sweeping action to deal with large areas with little effort.
It has been designed to minimise vibrations and has an aluminium shaft to keep the weight down and resist rust.
When used with the strimming head to trim down lawn edges and the like it has a twin line feed which spools out more line by bumping it on the ground.
The shaft is split to make it easy to transport in the boot of the car.
The recommended price is £159.95 but in our sale it is just £119.95. And we deliver it free the next working day with a two-year warranty.
Here’s a top notch hedgetrimmer from a Japanese company with a reputation for making excellent and powerful garden machinery.
The Tanaka TCH22E-CP2(66) Petrol Hedgetrimmer (Special Offer) is often the choice of the professional gardener and has a 21.1cc engine designed to give excellent power while minimising harmful emissions and using little fuel.
Powering it is a specially designed 0.87hp (21.1cc) two-stroke engine that utilises Tanaka’s acclaimed PureFire technology, whereby power-output is maximised while polluting exhaust-emissions and fuel-costs are minimised.
Husqvarna YTH18542
Best riding mower overall
Cutting width: 42 inches | Transmission: Hydrostatic variable speed | Power source: Gasoline | Mow in reverse: Yes | Mulching/bagger capable: Yes
The Husqvarna YTH18542 snagged the top spot on our list of the best lawn mowers, and it also takes the crown here as the best riding mower you can buy. Personally, I have a slightly older version of this model, and I absolutely adore it.
The 42-inch cutting deck has two sets of blades for more even and consistent cuts, and you can fit it with a mulching kit or bagger attachment for easier cleanup or to re-feed your lawn with ultra-fine clippings. You can set the cutting height to six different positions to get the best cut all season long, and a deck wash feature lets you hook up a garden hose to clear dried grass clippings to maintain optimum performance.
The hydrostatic transmission works like a car: the harder you push the pedal, the faster you go. Which means using this riding mower is much easier than variable speed manual models. It even has a mow-in-reverse feature that keeps the blades engaged when you back up, making it quick and easy to go over spots you may have missed or navigate tricky areas around garden beds.
It’s also equipped with an 18.5HP Briggs and Stratton engine that’s powerful enough to handle hills, inclines, and even rough terrain. The 16-inch turning radius makes it easy to mow around obstacles like trees, lamp posts, and lawn ornaments, and you can hitch a wagon accessory to the back to haul mulch, potting soil, or tools for other yard work.
Cub Cadet XT1 Enduro LT
Best electric riding mower
Cutting width: 42 inches | Transmission: Hydrostatic variable speed with cruise control | Power source: 56V battery | Mow in reverse: Yes | Mulching/bagger capable: Yes
The Cub Cadet XT1 Enduro LT was one of our picks for the best electric lawn mowers, and it’s still the best electric riding mower you can buy. It’s built on the same chassis as the gas-powered XT1, so you’ll get the same durable construction without the hassle of an engine maintenance routine.
The XT1 Enduro LT uses a built-in, 56V battery to power the unit, and it can be charged with a regular wall outlet, so you don’t have to worry about needing a special charger. A full charge will give you about 90 minutes of run time, which is enough to handle lawns up to two acres. When you do need to plug in, it’ll reach 100 percent in about four hours, so you can top up the battery while you take a lunch break or tackle other outdoor chores.
The 42-inch deck uses dual blades for an even, consistent cut and has a mow-in-reverse feature that keeps the blades running while you back up so you can navigate tricky areas or go back over spots you missed. You can adjust the deck to 12 different heights for the perfect cut all season long over almost any terrain. There are even built-in USB ports so you can charge your phone while you mow.
Cub Cadet Ultima ZT1
Best zero turn riding mower
Cutting width: 50 inches | Transmission: Hydrostatic variable speed | Power source: Gasoline | Mow in reverse: Yes | Mulching/bagger capable: yes
The Cub Cadet Ultima ZT1 nabbed our pick for the best zero turn mower you can buy. It’s equipped with a 23 horsepower Kawasaki, twin-cylinder engine, and a hydrostatic transmission for easier operation.- and enough power to handle steep inclines and large yards. The frame is made of tubular steel for durability and strength and is painted with a corrosion resistant powder coat to prevent rust and damage from the elements.
The 11-gauge stamped steel deck comes in sizes from as small as 42 inches up to 54 inches to make short work of just about any size lawn, and it can be adjusted to 15 different cutting heights for perfect results all season long. The seat and lap bars are fully adjustable and feature ergonomic designs for more comfortable long-term use, while the seat suspension system provides a smoother ride across rough terrain.
Like the name implies, the zero-inch turn radius means you can pivot in place when you need to, making it easy to maneuver the lawn mower around obstacles like small trees and lawn ornaments or oddly shaped sections of your yard.
Troy-Bilt TB30
Most affordable riding mower
- Compact design
- Affordable price compared to other models
- Six-speed transmission
- Rear-mounted engine
- Mulching capable
Cutting width: 30 inches | Transmission: Six-speed manual | Power source: Gasoline | Mow in reverse: No | Mulching/bagger capable: Yes
While it’s hard to find a riding mower that can truly be considered “budget-friendly,” the Troy-Bilt TB30 is one of the most affordable models on the market. If you buy directly from Troy-Bilt, it retails for around 450,800, while retailers like Home Depot and Tractor Supply Company sell them for just a hair under 6500,000.
It features a 30-inch cutting deck, which is perfect for lawns that hit that rare middle ground of being too big for a push mower to be practical but not quite big enough to justify buying a 42 or 46-inch lawn tractor. The deck is designed to easily transition from a traditional side discharge to mulching grass to make it easy to re-feed your lawn with ultra-fine clippings. It also has a six-speed manual transmission, so you can set the forward or reverse speed that best suits your yard and go.
The body of the mower features a slim, compact design that’s great for garages and tool sheds on the smaller side. Since the engine is mounted on the rear of the lawn mower, you’ll have a better line of sight, which is great for seeing things like sticks and rocks that need to be removed and watching out for pets and children who may be nearby. And just because the engine is smaller doesn’t mean it skimps out on power; with 10.5HP, you’ll be able to pull garden carts, spreaders, sprayers, and other implements to tackle every outdoor chore.
John Deere 1570 TerrainCut
Best commercial riding mower
Cutting width: 60 or 72 inches | Transmission: Hydrostatic variable speed with optional AWD and cruise control | Power source: Diesel | Mow in reverse: Not specified | Mulching/bagger capable: Not specified
The John Deere 1570 TerrainCut is a commercial-grade lawn mower designed for handling places like golf courses, sports complexes, and public parks. But if you live in a rural area and have a 5- to 10-acre property to maintain, it can be a powerful asset to have in your workshop.
It’s available only through local dealers or the official John Deere website, and if you go through the official site, you can customize aspects of the 1570 TerrainCut to better suit your needs. You can choose either rear or side discharging decks in either 60- or 72-inch lengths for ideal clipping disbursement and streamlined mowing. The gas tank holds up to 16 gallons (60.6 liters) of diesel fuel, so you can spend more time working and less time refilling your tank.
The 37.4HP engine and hydrostatic drive allow you to operate the TerrainCut like a car, and you can opt for all-wheel drive for better traction across steep or rough terrain. The mower has a “steer from the rear” design, meaning the back two wheels control the direction of the entire unit, which will take some getting used to if you’ve never driven something similar before, especially when driving in reverse.
The deck is stamped from seven-gauge steel and can be adjusted from one to six inches for cutting height, so you can maintain everything from upscale golf courses to grazing pastures and drainage ditches. And while the almost 28,000 price tag puts this mower squarely out of reach of typical homeowners, it’s a worthy investment if you have a landscaping business or need to maintain a very large, rural property.
What is the best riding mower?
In my opinion, the Husqvarna YTH18542 is the best riding mower you can buy. It has a 42-inch stamped steel deck, dual cutting blades, and a mow-in-reverse feature for maneuvering around tricky areas and obstacles. It also has a hydrostatic transmission which allows you to operate the mower like a car: press the pedal and go, no more messing with levers.
Other than your budget, there are a lot of features and scenarios you have to consider while shopping for a new riding mower. The size of your yard will determine how wide the cutting deck should be, though either a 42 or 46-inch version will be more than enough for most yards.
You can choose either a manual or hydrostatic transmission. A manual model lets you “set and forget” your speed so you can FOCUS, while hydrostatic models operate more like cars, going faster the harder you press the pedal. This makes them more intuitive to operate, but also more expensive.
Zero turn mowers are designed for mowing in oddly-shaped areas or around lots of obstacles like trees, lamp posts, and lawn ornaments. They’re called “zero turn” because they have a zero-inch turn radius; you pivot around either rear wheel for ultra-tight turning.
Choose this riding mower…
A well-rounded, gas-powered mower for yards up to two acres
A battery-powered riding mower for eco-friendly lawn care
A zero turn mower for maneuvering around obstacles or tricky areas
A compact riding mower for lawns a touch too large for a push mower
A commercial-grade mower for a landscaping business or large rural property
How did we choose these riding mowers?
Aside from price, I chose both gas and battery-powered riding mowers to give you a choice in how you handle yard work. Gas-powered models give you better run times and more horsepower, while battery-powered ones save you time and money on engine maintenance and help reduce your carbon footprint.
I also chose a variety of cutting deck widths for handling everything from 1 to 10 acres, including a commercial-grade model for large rural properties and landscaping businesses.
How do you decide which riding mower to buy?
Assuming you have a budget in mind, the first thing you need to do is find out how big your lawn is. You can either find your lot size on your memorandum deeds if you’ve bought your house, or you can check your city’s website to see if you can request lot measurements if you’re renting. If your lot measures about an acre, you’ll be able to use a 30 or 42-inch cutting deck without any issues. For lawns up to two acres, a 42 or 46-inch deck is ideal. And if your lot is over two acres, you can get a mower with up to a 72-inch cutting deck to handle larger areas.
The transmission type is also important. Many newer models have what is known as a hydrostatic drive. This means that they operate similar to how a car drives: you push the pedal and it moves forward or backwards. And the harder you push, the faster you go. This makes it easier to learn how to drive, but that also makes the mower more expensive. stripped-back models have variable speed manual transmissions, which allow you to “set and forget” your speed so you can FOCUS on paying attention to obstacles and people who may be nearby.
And finally, you’ll want to consider the power source for your new riding mower. Gasoline engines are far more common, but there is now a wider variety of battery-powered models to choose from. The perks of a gas engine are that you’ll get near-infinite run times (as long as you have enough fuel to keep the engine going) and a bit more power for handling steep inclines and rough terrain. The downsides are dealing with exhaust emissions and maintenance that can be a time and money sink. Electric models don’t need engine maintenance, so you save a bit of money in the long run. But they usually have a maximum run time of about an hour, which means that you may have to plan your mowing over several days if you have a larger yard.