I only have 1/2 acre and I have a rider. I used a Self Propelled mower for the first year and it took a little over an hour to mow(sometimes 2 times a week as my lawn is irrigated). My rider is a 38" and it knocks the mowing time down to 20-25 minutes. For me it was an issue of being able to come home from work and knock out the lawn before Dinner (and not sweat like a hog doing it). I also pull an aerator with my tractor and have a cart for hauling. My wife thinks it is partially because I am a farm boy that is now in the city (could be a little bit of it as well).

What is the matter with you? Why would you ask such a question?

In America, bigger is always better, more is always better.

Bigger tools are better than smaller tools, power is better than sweat.

All kidding aside. I see people here in Iowa driving a JD Lawn Tractor mowing a 60' X 100' city lot. I also see people mowing a 1/4 - 1/2 acre with a 20" push mower from WalMart.

To each his own.

The big question is what is the future going to bring?

In 2000 I bought a ZTR with a 56" front mounted deck to cut my 4 hour mowing time down on 3.5 acres of trees and flower beds to less than 1 hour. 2 years later I moved into a new home with 1 acre. 3 years later, I moved in to a new home with 3/4 acre. All my neighbors had riding lawn tractors, they all asked me if I was going to keep my ZTR, as it seemend overkill for the 3/4 acre. But why trade down, the ZTR was paid for and it only took about 20 minutes to mow the 3/4 acre.

Just bought a new place and will be moving in a month or so. It has 4.5-5 acres to mow. I still have the ZTR and it will handle it with ease. I just mowed it last saturday and it only took 70 minutes and that is going around several dozen trees and out buildings and other stuff.

Buy what you want, and forget trying to figure out everything to the inth degree.

I have never regretted buying quality and over size, it has always paid off in the long run.

metal mentioned it in passing, but don't forget the other uses for a riding mower / small lawn tractor. I have about a half acre. I have about a dozen mature trees and my wife gardens and has a pond. There are many uses for a small tractor and lawn cart in this yard. Moving mulch, dirt, etc in the garden. Moving stones for paths and garden walls, Cleaning up storm damage and downed limbs. Moving firewood. As an elevated support for getting the branches just beyond your reach.

Like any tool once you have it it will get used for much more than you thought when you were thinking about buying it.

jopopsy,

I mow larger than a 1/2 acre but I can honestly tell you, I personally would still have a ride on for the 1/2 acre. I agree with you. 1/2 acre is large enough where your going to want a ride on vs. push mowing. Like the others have written so far, you probably have other uses for your ride on other than mowing therefore you would benefit from a small lawn tractor. Just my opinion of course since it is your money...take a look at the JD X304 with 42" deck. It is 4 wheel turning and if you can get your hands on a left over 2007, you will get the stronger transmission and probably save money! This model is what I would most likey purchase for a 1/2 acre. You may even want to consider a used 2007 X304. Best of luck to you!

I have a plethora of different lawn tractors, and also an older model Snapper Riding mower.
I always gravitate back to the Snapper, and get the job done quicker than with a lawn tractor!
Mine is an 8 HP, and the deck is falling apart, it has been re engined several times, now has an 8 hp Tecumseh commercial engine on it, which handles my hilly sections, anmd the level parts too, with ease! Guess i'll have to get the bigger Snapper Hi-vac rider back in operation. An engine just showed up yesterday, its been laid up for several years. The hi-vac is great for fall, when the oak leaves come down, and also in spring, for the maple seeds that whirl down all over the yards!

There was an article on the internet about some guy having a $17,000.00+ JD X series garden tractor for little over 1/4 acre lot. Sorry I can't remember where the link is, but it was way more than over kill. He talked about mowing in different directions to get a different look. He spent more time cleaning up his tractor than mowing. He also spoke of eying his neighbor's yards and wanting to make them look better. Bigger is better in some people's eyes.

Here's that article.

For me, I don't think lot size would be a top consideration. The differences in time, money, and things to be done other than mowing would be more important.

Here is a link that might be useful: Mower power to him

Thanks Varmit! That is the very article I remembered reading. There was some footage to see when this article first came out, but I guess it has rolled off. Still a good comparison.

That's one awesome article !!!! I have since emailed it to all my buddies. Lots of hits coming that web site's way ...

Why limit yourself to just one? Get the right tools for the job and enjoy.

This is a tractor forum, so all the tractor enthusiasts will tell you to get a tractor. But, honestly, will it kill you to do a couple of hours of walking a week? Besides, you will need a hand mower anyway for trimming.

Harold brings up a good point, how old are you and do you have kids? If the answer is 65, retired with no job than by all means get a 19 inch electric mower and take your time. If you are like me and in your 30's with three kids under the age of 5, then get the mower that gets the job done as quick as possible so you can spend more time with your kids, they grow up way too quick and a few hours a week with the kids will pay off way more than a few hours chasing a mower.

As you can see "Mike McCall" gained nationwide notoriety when he bought a lot more lawn mower than the average man would think he needed for his little subdivision lot. But the size of his yard had nothing to do with why he bought the behemoth: he just wanted to own it, to wash it, to shine it, to crank it up and hear it run, and drive it around the yard. As Stevie Ray Vaughan put it so well in his song, that JD was his "Pride and Joy".

My answer to the question is: if you can mow your yard in about an hour, more or less, with a normal walk behind, you don't "need" a riding mower, unless, it is putting a strain on your body, due to health reasons, to do it.

I was reading that some of these walk behinds (the HRX in particular) are not robust when it comes to things sticking out of the ground. I have a new construction lot, and try as I might I will not be able to get every stick out of the way (nor will I be able to find them once the grass comes in). I have read the HRX has no shear pin and will crap out if you hit a stick of any appreciable diameter.

I'm assuming the Snapper RER, like any other rider I ever had, may nick the blade but it'll chop those things down w/ no other side effects?

I noticed a small ride on mower at Tracor Supply. It was only 22" cut but, if you don't want to walk this would be great. It has 1 wheel on the front and two on the back and is ZTR. Just an Idea.

That guy in Florida is a nut. He's got a $17k tractor which won't even fit in his backyard! If it cut his whole 1/4 acre lawn in 5 minutes, that would be one thing, but he can't even finish the job without using his LT to trim around the corners (and the back yard).

I think 1/4 acre is a justifiable lot for a small rider. There are just two things to consider: are you looking to save time or effort? It might actually take you longer to mow a small lot with a rider vs pushing a mower around, but if you're looking to avoid the physical strain of pushing a mower due to health reasons or otherwise, a rider might be the way to go. The key to saving time is to dig mulched flowerbeds around obstacles to eliminate the need for trimming. It's a lot of work, initially, but pays huge dividends in the long run.

Your other option is a commercial walk behind. Toro and Scag make good ones. Better Outdoor Products makes affordable good ones. With a sulkey you could ride when appropriate. For lawns in the 1/4-1/2 acre range a 32-48" commercial WB makes a lot of sense.