I see a lot of members here purchasing zero turn mowers for the first time and a lot of discussion about maintaining and repairing them. What I don't see a lot of is discussion of how to operate them safely and what their limitations are.
You can get yourself into trouble pretty quickly on a zero turn mower. The weight distribution is totally different than a lawn tractor, with the engine in the rear instead of the front and the steering also in the rear instead of in the front. So the way you mowed your lawn with your lawn tractor or walk behind mower may need to change if you switch to a zero turn, particularly if you have slopes to deal with. With a lawn tractor, hills are often best mowed up and down the hill, whereas with a zero turn mower hills are often best mowed across the slope of the hill or diagonally.
It's important to understand that on a zero turn mower, when you're going down a hill much of the weight of the mower is on the front caster wheels (which you have no control of), and the rear wheels which you use to slow, stop and turn have little weight on them. This can make you lose control of the mower going down a slope, which can cause serious injury or death, especially if there are drop-offs or water features on or at the bottom of the hill. Also, when going up a hill there is a risk of flipping the mower over backwards. Some mowers have wheelie wheels on the underside of the rear of the mower and roll over protection systems (ROPS), but that doesn't eliminate the dangers. Most of the roll-over accidents/injuries I've read about involve an operator trying to go up a steep slope, spinning their wheels and then suddenly getting traction or rolling/sliding backwards and then suddenly stopping, causing it to do a back flip.
Please note that it's very difficult to "bail" off of a zero turn mower if things start to go wrong. You're basically trapped in the operator position by the lap bars and often tall fuel tanks and/or control panels on the sides, regardless of whether you have a seat belt and ROPS. Furthermore, you're greatly limited on how much you can shift your weight - you can't sit on the fender like you did on your lawn tractor (no I'm not advising that either).
So in the interest of safety for zero turn operators new and old, I'm going to put up links to a series of videos by Exmark that go over zero turn mower operation and safety in detail. Most of what is contained in these videos is also applicable to other brand mowers. I'd also like to encourage the seasoned operators here to share some tips on what to do and what not to do on zero turn mowers. Please lets keep it focused on novice operators and safe operation, not the things that people do trying to push the limits of these mowers. Personally I try not to push my luck, so if conditions are questionable for operating a zero turn, I instead use a walk behind mower. Questions are also welcome, of course.
So here are the Exmark videos on zero turn mower operation and safety
Part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qhPWW_84zw
Part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzd9aNRecKc
Part 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=so3hQ_YFzKI
Part 4: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7V6t9fW6EI
You should also carefully read the operator's manual for your specific mower before using it. And please, no passengers, EVER!
You can get yourself into trouble pretty quickly on a zero turn mower. The weight distribution is totally different than a lawn tractor, with the engine in the rear instead of the front and the steering also in the rear instead of in the front. So the way you mowed your lawn with your lawn tractor or walk behind mower may need to change if you switch to a zero turn, particularly if you have slopes to deal with. With a lawn tractor, hills are often best mowed up and down the hill, whereas with a zero turn mower hills are often best mowed across the slope of the hill or diagonally.
It's important to understand that on a zero turn mower, when you're going down a hill much of the weight of the mower is on the front caster wheels (which you have no control of), and the rear wheels which you use to slow, stop and turn have little weight on them. This can make you lose control of the mower going down a slope, which can cause serious injury or death, especially if there are drop-offs or water features on or at the bottom of the hill. Also, when going up a hill there is a risk of flipping the mower over backwards. Some mowers have wheelie wheels on the underside of the rear of the mower and roll over protection systems (ROPS), but that doesn't eliminate the dangers. Most of the roll-over accidents/injuries I've read about involve an operator trying to go up a steep slope, spinning their wheels and then suddenly getting traction or rolling/sliding backwards and then suddenly stopping, causing it to do a back flip.
Please note that it's very difficult to "bail" off of a zero turn mower if things start to go wrong. You're basically trapped in the operator position by the lap bars and often tall fuel tanks and/or control panels on the sides, regardless of whether you have a seat belt and ROPS. Furthermore, you're greatly limited on how much you can shift your weight - you can't sit on the fender like you did on your lawn tractor (no I'm not advising that either).
So in the interest of safety for zero turn operators new and old, I'm going to put up links to a series of videos by Exmark that go over zero turn mower operation and safety in detail. Most of what is contained in these videos is also applicable to other brand mowers. I'd also like to encourage the seasoned operators here to share some tips on what to do and what not to do on zero turn mowers. Please lets keep it focused on novice operators and safe operation, not the things that people do trying to push the limits of these mowers. Personally I try not to push my luck, so if conditions are questionable for operating a zero turn, I instead use a walk behind mower. Questions are also welcome, of course.
So here are the Exmark videos on zero turn mower operation and safety
Part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qhPWW_84zw
Part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzd9aNRecKc
Part 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=so3hQ_YFzKI
Part 4: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7V6t9fW6EI
You should also carefully read the operator's manual for your specific mower before using it. And please, no passengers, EVER!
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