What Is Best Garden Tractor

Things cool off in the fall, and that's when the fun starts, at least as far as yardwork is concerned. It's just satisfying to get behind the wheel of a tractor and grade a driveway, renovate a lawn or haul firewood to its stack. You can use any basic lawn machine for small jobs, like towing a dethatcher, but hard work calls for beefy equipment. In the outdoor power business, these machines are known as garden tractors. Heavier, more powerful (and, yes, more expensive) than their lawn tractor cousins, these products are built to take abuse. And we're happy to dish it out. To put garden tractors to the test, we assembled five machines and four common attachments and put them to work on a farm in upstate New York. The tractors ranged from one of the least expensive we could find (technically a high-end lawn tractor) to one of the most expensive. Our objective was not so much to test these tractors head-to-head, but to find out how much machine you need for different jobs.

It seems obvious that the more property you maintain, the bigger and tougher the tractor you need. But we learned that even if you have a small property, and it's all grass, you're better off buying a larger machine for the power and durability it provides. In that regard, a garden tractor is miles ahead of a lawn tractor. "It can easily process several acres of grass," says Greg Weekes, marketing manager for John Deere riding lawn equipment.

We did a lot more than cut grass in this test. We hauled firewood, dethatched and aerated a lawn, and graded a driveway. And one other thing—we had a blast.

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1—Massey Ferguson Prestige

ENGINE/TRANS: 23 hp/hydrostatic

DECK: 54 in.

WEIGHT: 858 lb.

WHEELBASE: 53 in.

UNCUT CIRCLE DIA.: 44 in.

PRICE: $6700

REVERSE MOW: Yes

2—Husqvarna YTH1848XP

ENGINE/TRANS: 23 hp/hydrostatic

DECK: 48 in.

WEIGHT: 560 lb.

WHEELBASE: 46.5 in.

UNCUT CIRCLE DIA.: 46 in.

PRICE: $2300

REVERSE MOW: Yes

3—Craftsman 917.276380

ENGINE/TRANS: 26 hp/hydrostatic

DECK: 54 in.

WEIGHT: 720 lb.

WHEELBASE: 48 in.

UNCUT CIRCLE DIA.: 55 in.

PRICE: $2600

REVERSE MOW: Yes
4—Toro GT420

ENGINE/TRANS: 17 hp/hydrostatic

DECK: 48 in.

WEIGHT: 852 lb.

WHEELBASE: 49.5 in.

UNCUT CIRCLE DIA.: 41 in.

PRICE: $5620

REVERSE MOW: Yes
5—Kubota GR2100

ENGINE/TRANS: 21 hp diesel/hydrostatic

DECK: 54 in.

WEIGHT: 969 lb.

WHEELBASE: 50.4 in.

UNCUT CIRCLE DIA.: 34 in.

PRICE: $8200

REVERSE MOW: Yes
HUSQVARNA

This heavy-duty lawn tractor marks the boundary where lawn and garden tractors meet. We were pleasantly surprised by its capable design, partly due to an 18-hp Kawasaki engine, certainly one of the best powerplants we know of in this price range ($2300). It provided enough muscle for some uphill grading, but eventually the tractor lost traction and spun its wheels (wheel weights are available). Another torture test: We took it up and down a trail using the wagon heaped with firewood and concrete blocks. The tractor handled the load with plenty of power, though it sounded as if we were straining the hydrostatic transmission. The Husqvarna pulls all but the heaviest implements without complaint.

NEEDS WORK: The rear hitch plate isn't visible when the driver is seated, making implement hookup more difficult than with other machines.

OUR TAKE: The Husqvarna is a good buy, and a simple and effective mower well suited for lawns up to 2 acres.

CRAFTSMAN

The Craftsman is top dog in the power-to-price category. At $2600, it has the most power of anything in its class because it's equipped with a 26-hp V-twin Kohler Pro engine. Craftsman rates its tractor to use some truly heavy attachments. Although we didn't test them, the company offers a 200-pound-capacity front-end loader scoop and a massive disc harrow. The Craftsman's hefty engine helped it pull our attachments without a hint of strain, and it easily mowed through tall grass.

NEEDS WORK: We didn't test decibels, but all that engine made the Craftsman louder than the other machines. A better muffler might help, although it also would cost the engine some power.

OUR TAKE: A powerful and inexpensive garden tractor minus the creature comforts of other tractors, such as power steering. A smooth cutter.

TORO

When you step up to the Toro GT420, things get interesting. The machine is not inexpensive, at $5620, but we think it's worth the money. The testers immediately noticed its vibration-free operation when cutting and pulling an attachment. Despite its small 17-hp engine, the GT420 has plenty of power—though it would be underpowered for long sessions with a grader. A twin-position foot pedal gives you precise ground speed in forward and reverse, a distinct benefit when matching speed to the work you are doing. The Toro was the only tractor equipped with a tilt steering wheel—a handy feature that allows multiple operators to choose an angle that's right for them.

NEEDS WORK: Only one small complaint: The awkwardly positioned deck height lever requires the operator to lean well forward to reach it.

OUR TAKE: If your emphasis is on solid grass-cutting performance year after year, this ruggedly built tractor may be your machine.

MASSEY FURGUSON

Just climbing into the seat of the Massey Ferguson is fun. Its dark red color and its 23-hp engine give it a farm-tractor quality. Then there's the grand old name, dating to 1847. Okay, the tractor is expensive at $6700 but, boy, did this thing pull a box grader—up a hill, no less, and over a rut. Several passes later, the rut was history. Other things that make the Massey fun are its hydraulic deck lift, a fender-mounted cruise control and power steering. It's got so much power and traction, we never needed the differential lock that makes the rear wheels drive in unison, though you might need it mowing uphill on grass wet with dew.

NEEDS WORK: We're nitpicking, but in a tight turn it leaves a larger swath of uncut grass than the Toro and the Kubota.

OUR TAKE: Power to spare and a quality of cut that makes a lawn look velvety after you're done, like it's been mowed by a giant electric shaver.

KUBOTA

Sure, the Kubota is expensive at $8200, but it's a lot of tractor. It's powered by a three-cylinder, liquid-cooled 21-hp diesel that provides gobs of low-speed torque. Yet it's extremely fuel-efficient, which is surprising given that it powers a tractor weighing 969 pounds. Its weight is due, in part, to its hefty 3/16-in.-thick steel frame (3/32 to 1/8 in. is more typical in this category). Dave Conero, our Kubota contact in the tiny New York town of Pine Bush, estimates the tractor's diesel uses about 30 percent less fuel than a comparable gas engine. This tractor's deck, hydrostatic transmission and power steering are all shaft driven, making the tractor precisely controlled while mowing or towing an attachment.

NEEDS WORK: Really, the Kubota is perfect. Our advice to its manufacturer is to leave it alone.

OUR TAKE: All that money buys you a comfortable and powerful tractor with class-leading performance and decades-long durability.

Getting Hitched

Attachments are a cost-effective way to turn a tractor into a property-management tool.

Name a yard-care job and there is a tow-behind attachment to do it. Attachments rake, dethatch, plow, grade, aerate, carry, mow, and spread granular or liquid lawn materials. We tested attachments by Agri-Fab (www.agri-fab.com). The company's products come in a range of sizes, capacities and prices. The 17-cu.-ft. dump trailer shown on the opening spread costs about $250. Filled to its 1500-pound capacity, it's best pulled by a garden tractor. On the other end of the spectrum is the 48-in. spring tine dethatcher (above right, about $150). A tractor or a riding mower can pull it, and the same goes for the 48-in. aerator shown below it ($250). The grader on the previous page rides on a two-wheel trailer that allows it to be easily moved over driveways or a lawn. The trailer's 12-volt winch, powered by the tractor's battery, raises and lowers the blade. A two-button switch controls the winch's Wind/Unwind feature. The grader and trailer as a combined kit costs about $990.

It's probably less expensive to buy this equipment, rather than rent it or pay someone to grade, aerate or dethatch.

Know Your Tractors

Entry-level lawn tractor: $900 to $1300, 14- to 15-hp engines, gear transmission, 38- to 42-in. decks. Deck size and durability limit these to cutting 1/2 to 3/4 acre.

Midprice lawn tractor: $1300 to $2000, 17 to 22 hp, gear or belt-driven automatic transmission, some hydrostatic transmissions, manual deck engagement lever, 38- to 42-in. decks with 42 predominating. For cutting 3/4 to 1 acre.

Lawn tractor/entry-level garden tractor: $2000 to $4000, 19- to 27-hp engines. Smaller engine sizes limited to 42-in. decks, larger engines may power up to a 54-in. deck. For cutting up to 2 acres, pulling attachments or driving a snowthrower attachment.

Garden tractor: $4000 to $11,000, 19- to 27-hp engines including diesel and liquid-cooled types, decks up to 70 in. Electric power takeoff instead of lever engages deck; hydraulic deck lifts are common, as is power steering. Large hydrostatic transmissions have bearings (instead of bushings) and metal helical gears instead of powdered metal gears with straight teeth. For mowing several acres and ground engaging.

Roy Berendsohn Senior Home Editor Roy Berendsohn has worked for more than 25 years at Popular Mechanics, where he has written on carpentry, masonry, painting, plumbing, electrical, woodworking, blacksmithing, welding, lawn care, chainsaw use, and outdoor power equipment.

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