Testing, Testing: Lawn Tractors Get Review

When maintaining a large property, a big lawnmower can make life easier. Significant price drops are part of the reason more than a million lawn tractors were sold last year.

The tractors range in price from $800 to well over $4,000. The most expensive models allow users to make a tight U-turn at the end of each row for faster mowing. Testers found the tight-turning mowers do not cut any better than conventional tractors and they did not handle as well on hills.

The least expensive lawn tractors have gearshifts. Testers found them somewhat awkward to use and jerky to ride.

Lawn tractors with hydrostatic transmission are a lot easier to operate, according to testers. They are able to change speed automatically without having to shift.