How to Select the Right Size Mower Deck for Your Yard

When it comes to mowing the lawn, most of us want to be done the moment we start. Speed is affected by a number of different factors, weight, wheel pumps, wheel motors and deck size. Deck size, being the most obvious, is one of most common way that most people try to cut down on their mowing time. But with a big deck comes great responsibility. There are a lot of times that a large deck doesn’t work for a lawn, or a small deck isn’t efficient. Here are some of the things to consider when figuring out what size deck fits best in your yard.

Acreage:

It’s important to look at the total amount of lawn you’re mowing. If you’re mowing half an acre a 72” or 74” deck doesn’t make any sense and can actually tear up your yard. However it can be just as bad to put a 48” mower deck on a 10 acre piece of property, you may never finish mowing.  It is important to get the right balance for the acreage of your yard. 60” mower decks are often times considered the “one size fits all” for the average yard.

Trees/Gates/Garage:

When you start looking at a new lawn mower, you need to take a hard look at your lawn. You need to measure your smallest distances between trees and gates. The main reason we sell commercial grade 50” or smaller mowers is because of gates in yards. You need to make sure that the mower that you’re looking at will fit in the tight spaces in your yard and in your garage.

Lay of your Land:

If you have a flat yard that spreads out over 7 acres, the sky is the limit on the size of the mower you can use. However if you have hills or a rolling property it might be better to spend a little more time with a smaller deck than to tear up the yard with a large deck. A lot of how well a large deck mows can be attributed to expertise as well but in general it is harder to mow (and make the yard look good) with a large deck if you’ve got a lot of character to your yard.

Time:

Probably the last thing you SHOULD be thinking about, if you want a perfect yard is the first thing most of us think about. We’re all the time trying to cut time out of the mowing equation. For most of us, there is always something we would rather be doing. That said most people don’t want to a sacrifice a good cut for an extra 20 min worth of work. It’s important to try to find the right balance between time and quality of cut. The mower deck you pick should be able to provide that balance.

If you have any other suggestions for things to think about while trying to find the perfect deck, leave a comment. If you’re looking for a new mower or have any questions about the size of deck you think you need for your yard, come in or give us a call today!