A Zero-Turn Lawn Mower Will Have You Living Your Suburban Dad Dreams

• Can mow up to 2 acres on one tank
• Supremely comfortable seat
• Never runs out of battery
• Assembly included

• Learning curve
• Louder than electric

If you're looking for a gas zero turn mower, this is our favorite option. The TimeCutter from Toro. It's the gold standard, with a 42-inch wide blade and a 22 horsepower engine that can kick things into gear at a max speed of seven miles per hour. You can slow it down for a more precise trim, or just to have a few more minutes to enjoy the smooth ride and extraordinarily comfy seat. Any zero-turn mower is going to have a learning curve—even if you're used to riding mowers—due to the tank-like controls. But once you do, riding this is one of the most satisfying experiences a homeowner can have.

Gas means no waiting for batteries to charge and no getting stuck in a situation where the lawn is 90 percent mowed and a hot or cold day means your battery dies early. The other benefit of gas is the mower is cheaper. You'll pay more for a refill on gas than you will charging batteries, but over time it's negligible. But it also comes with some downsides. It's loud, for one. Then there's just he issue of sitting around sucking up gas engine exhaust every weekend.

For larger yards, the TimeCutter Max is the ultimate option. And for the smoothest, most comfortable ride possible you'll want to snag one of the Toros marked MyRide. That means the Toro TimeCutter Max MyRide

• Horsepower on par with the best gas mowers
• Relatively quiet
• LED headlights

• 60V battery doesn't last that long

If you're looking for an electric solution, it's nearly impossible to go wrong with Greenworks. Take this zero-turn mower. It has the same blade dimensions as the TimeCutter and a comparable max speed and power, but it runs purely on rechargeable 60 volt batteries. This also means you don't have to equip your earmuffs every time you want to use it (although, like wearing a helmet, we still recommend it as a best practice).

The only thing holding it back from perfection is how often you'll need to change out the battery. If you have a multi-acre property, it will be a multi-battery task. Thankfully, the mower comes with four batteries and two dual chargers so you can always have multiple backups ready.

• Intelligent Joystick Drive System makes it easy to learn
• 3 acres per 80V charge
• LCD control panel
• 40V batteries are usable with other Ryobi tools

• Veterans may not love the one-handed steering

Home Depot exclusive brand Ryobi is one of our go-tos for power tools, and that trust extends to larger appliances as well. The brand's 80-volt battery electric zero-turn mower is a beast. But it also has the easiest learning curve of all these riding lawn mowers. Modern Ryobi zero-turns come with what the brand calls (and trademarks) the Intelligent Joystick Drive System. While it may not be the revolution the marketing claims, it does make the mower easier to control with a single-hand. In fact, that's the whole point—the one handed joystick controls frees up your other to use the LCD control panel.

It may sound too fancy for a device that mows your lawn, but you're already spending multiple thousands of dollars. You may as well get the one with the battery life display, simple headlight controls, and quick speed adjustment on a button. And yeah, it has Bluetooth you'll never use.

Of course, the real highlight is the power of the 80 volt battery. This can carry the mower up to around three acres of continuous usage. If you have a smaller yard, you can use the provided 40V batteries—which happen to be compatible with many other Ryobi appliances.

Why get a zero-turn mower?

• Maneuverability: Zero-turn mowers are great if you have obstacles on your property. The zero degree turn radius allows them to make close cuts that regular riding lawn mowers can't.
• Speed: If you know what you're doing, using zero-turn mower can be the fastest way to cut grass. Especially if you have a large yard. The more acres you have, the more time a zero-turn is likely to save you. Each of these lawn mowers tops out around seven or eight miles per hour.

What are the downsides?

• Cost: A good zero-turn lawnmower will typically run you around three or five thousand dollars. They are the most expensive of the lawnmower types.

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