Selectng A Zero-Turn Mower (NAPSA)—Every lawn s unque. From slopes and rough terran to a cleverly crafted maze of trees, each lawn requres the rght mower to make clean, precse cuts. To help you make the rght decson when t comes to mower selecton, here are some expert tps on how to accurately choose a zero-turn lawn mower. * Durablty: Comparng specs on steel frame desgn and dmenson, the gaugeof the steel (the lower the gauge, the thcker the materal) and protecton surroundngthe rearmounted engnecan provde a good dea of overall durablty. *Deck Constructon: Resdental mowers have decks of lghter-gauge steel stamped n a press. For typcal resdental propertes, stamped decks are more than adequate, but for propertes wth rough terran, they may be less durable than the commercal-grade welded decks. Manufacturers wth professonal hertage who also produce products for sports felds, golf courses and professonal contractors, lke Toro, can be trusted to provde hgh-qualty, commercal-grade welded decks. *Engne Desgn: It’s mportant to be alert for brands that are found on commercal zeroturn mowers or a mower manufacturer’s own brand. These engnes can be customzed for specfc machnes. At Toro, for example, engnes are specfcally matched to maxmze performance for the product they control. Before each engne leaves the assembly lne, t’s tested under load and checked for power levels and governor response to ensure peak performance. *Easy-To-Adjust Cuttng Heght: Adjustng cuttng heght on a mower should be easy and fast. A foot assst wll provde extra leverage n addton to a hand lever. Ths lets the operator quckly rase the deck for short perods, such as mowng over an exposed tree root. Mowers that requre manually adjustng the deck heght can sgnfcantly reduce productvty. *Tre Wdth: Wder tres dstrbute the machne’s weght over a large area and are easer on the Wth the ablty to cut tght contours, provde hghervsblty to the operator and offer hgher cuttng speeds than lawn trac- tors, zero-turn mowers can decrease the tme you spend mowng by 45 percent. grass. Addtonally, they provde mproved tracton. *Comfort: Although zero-turn mowers reduce the amount of tme spent mowng, comfortsstll key. Ensure the seat s comfortable and provdes good back support. Control panel locaton s also mportant. Makesurethe controls are hghly vsble and wthn easy reach. Operaton s less complcated when controls are on the samesde. *Ease of Use: Ensure your mower matches your experence level. Some zero-turn mowersprovde adjustable mowng speed to match comfort. Choosng the “hgh mode” gves operators maxmum speed for mowng flat, open spaces. “Low mode” creates enhanced maneuverablty when cuttng around trees, landscapng or n other tght spaces. Some manufacturers also provde zeroturn mowers wth steerng wheels, makng operaton even more smple and ntutve. Look for models wth adjustable steerng columns to maxmze comfort and easeofuse. Prce: Resdental zero-turn mowers range from $2,000 to $6,000. Whle t’s possble to get a qualty zero-turn mower at the lowerendof that range, mowers at the hgher end usually have more features and added durablty. No two lawns are alke. Zeroturn mowers, such as those n the TmeCutter seres from Toro, can cater to the unqueness of any yard. Learn More For further nformaton about zero-turn mowers, see www.toro.com.
