Ride-on lawn mowers & tractors are intended to make gardening and mowing the lawn more of a pleasure and less of a chore. With even the smallest of lawns and gardens, ride-on lawn mowers can be a great investment saving you time and effort.

Ride-on Lawn Mowers were first produced in the United States in the early 1960s by Snapper.. Since then a whole range of manufacturers have emerged and offer a wide array of products. Over the years mowers have become more advanced and now rear-sweeper mowers exist, which are designed specifically for the wet grass cutting conditions found the UK. They creates a solution to the ongoing problem of side-mounted collection tubes (found on US made machines) becoming blocked by damp grass.

How can you decide which is the right ride-on mower for you? The two main types of ride-on mower are rear-sweeper and the rear-collect mowers and below are both benefits and drawbacks of each.

Rear-sweeper ride-on mowers remove the possibility of clogging altogether as no tubes or chutes are used,: instead the cutter deck leaves the grass cuttings on the turf which is later swept up by a powered sweeper being towed behind the ride-on. If your grass is particularly lush and the grass has been left to grow long (and damp) in certain areas of your grounds, this may be the most suitable choice for you. Westwood and Countax rear-sweeper tractors are particularly robust and the more powerful models will handle areas of rough and orchards with great ease. Rear-sweeper ride-on mowers also have full width metal rollers at the base of the rear sweeper which - when mowing in alternate directions - produces a well defined banded finish. These ride-on's are also designed to produce a close cut on more formal lawns. In short, these ride-on tractors offer an all-round solution for all types of lawns regardless of how wet, lush or uneven your ground is.

You may well be thinking why anyone would consider anything other than a rear-sweeper ride-on. However there are many reasons. One of the most prominent reasons comes down to the cost.
Rear-sweeper ride-on mowers are quite considerably more expensive than rear-collect machines. While it is possible to buy a decent quality 40" rear-collect ride-on tractor mower for around £2000-2500, an equivalent will cost you in excess of £3000.

Another reason is that rear-collect ride-on mowers have a wider range of models and specifications, particularly at the smaller end of the market. The most popular size cut of ride-on lawn mower & tractor is 30" (the smallest rear-sweeper model available is 36".. A 30" ride-on lawn tractor with rear-collection can be purchased for well under £1500, although a top spec 30" model will cost you several hundred pounds more. Rear-collect models are also available with cutting widths below 30" for lawns and gardens under 1 acre. Brands strong in this area of the market include Lawnflite, MTD-Yardman, Hayter, ALKO and Castel-Lawn King. These smaller models are much easier to manoeuvre and are ideal for gardens containing obstacles such as flowerbeds, trees and ornaments.

To find out more about the the range of EFCO ride-on lawn mowers available from Paul Prettejohn why not call us on 01404 890257 or visit us in Luppit, Honiton.