
So Which is Better?īoth garden tractors and lawn tractors have their pros and cons. These brands all use engines from Honda, Kawasaki, Kohler and Briggs and are popular with homeowners and professionals alike. There are 100s of lawn mower brands around the world but let’s look at the 10 most popular riding mower brands below: In addition to the engine garden tractors will have 4WD, diff locks and functions to provide better traction in rough mowing and tractor conditions. Lawn tractors use less powerful engines from Briggs & Stratton and Kohler in the less than 20 hp range.Garden tractors use more powerful engines from Honda and Kawasaki in the 25 hp and above range.How Much More Powerful Are Garden Tractors (Engine Size/Type, Transmission Size/Type)? You will see lawn tractors with decks between 30 inches and 48 inches and garden tractors up to 72 inches. As garden tractors are bigger and mower powerful they have wider decks than lawn tractors. The wider the mowing deck the wider lanes you can mow. The deck refers to the where the cutting blades are located. Garden tractors will use a thicker gauge.Lawn tractors will use 12 gauge sheet metal (max gauge) which is 0.1046 inches (2.657 mm) thick and weighs 4.267 lb/ft2 (20.834 kg/m2).Gauge 3 is much heavier and thicker than gauge 20. The smaller the gauge the thicker the sheet metal.garden tractor will differ by a few gauges of steel. In addition to the axle beams being thicker and having more cross sectional area, the sheet metal exterior of a lawn vs.
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Lawn tractors – especially the entry models – will look like kids toys compared to the big garden tractors landscapers use. Garden tractors have thicker axle beams to hold the heavier engine, larger mower deck and generally bigger machine. This means lawn tractors are more easily moved around obstacles and better turning radius. Some lawn tractors will have the same size tires front and back whereas the garden tractors all have huge rear wheels and smaller front tires. The tires on garden tractors are much bigger to deal with tougher terrain and hold the weight of the other components. The smaller the mower the higher the percentage. The engine accounts for about 9 – 15% of the riding mower weight. In the above example the garden tractor engine is 27 lbs (12 kg) heavier than the lawn tractor engine.

The John Deere S100 lawn tractor uses a 17.5 hp engine made by Briggs & Stratton which weighs 77 lbs (35 kg).The engines garden tractors use are bigger and weigh much more. The smallest lawn tractors are 220 lbs (100 kg).The largest lawn tractors are 660 lbs (300 kg).The smallest garden tractors are 660 lbs (300 kg).The largest garden tractors are 2,200 lbs (1,000 kg).You may see a lawn tractor from John Deere and a garden tractor from Husqvarna be close in weight and size.īut in general garden tractors are much larger, with bigger engines, tires, and stronger components to deal with tougher tasks. Garden tractors and lawn tractors come in different weights, sizes and there is some overlap. Size Difference of Lawn Tractors vs Garden Tractors The more expensive ones may have Kawasaki or Honda brand. They usually have Kohler or Briggs & Stratton small engines. Lawn tractors will be best for 1 – 2 acre home lawn which you mow weekly or bi-weekly. They have larger (at least) 26 HP small engines from Kawasaki and some even have Honda small engines.

There is no doubt you should buy a garden tractor if you are using it commercially because that is what they are designed for: daily hard work. Lawn tractors have attachment ability but the size of the trailer and bagger are much smaller and basically only good for small around the house jobs.Garden tractors are unique by having more hefty attachment options like baggers, large trailers and snow plows.Knowing how you will use your garden or lawn tractor is the most important thing to know before deciding which is best for you. Lawn tractors are 2WD, use a hydrostatic transmission and rear wheel drive.įunction: How Are Each Type of Riding Mower/Tractor Used (Backyard, Farm, Construction Site)?.Garden tractors have a transaxle (tranny and diff in one unit), larger engine, diff locks and 4WD.Lawn tractors are smaller and best for residential use and light commercial use as they have better manoeuvrability and are easier to find space to store in your garage.Garden tractors are more heavy-duty, more expensive, capable of using attachments like snow plow, bigger, heavier and best suited when you mow all-day-every-day and rely on it for your income.
