How Long Do Garden Tractors Last? This article looks at and compares the life expectancy of Riding Mowers and Garden Tractors.

How Long Do Garden Tractors and Riding Mowers Last

Purchasing a new riding mower can be an expensive and time-consuming investment, so you don't want to have to replace it after only a year of use. This article helps break down how to properly care for your mower to extend the average life expectancy.

Most manufacturers offer warranties or guarantees that last up to five years, this is ideal when you are considering purchasing your own ride-on mower. However, with the proper care, well-maintained mowers' service life can dramatically increase, similarly to cars, motorcycles and other powered auto-machines.

How Many Hours Can a Garden Tractor Last?

Garden Tractors are the largest and heaviest type of riding mower available, this is so they can be used for a multitude of other garden tasks owing to their attachment ability. The additional weight prevents Garden Tractors from tipping over when heavy tows are attached. 

Remember that the following estimates are just the average life expectancy, and many factors can impact how long riding mowers are usable. Certain brands are known to produce higher-quality riding mowers that have better quality parts and longer service life.

Research different brands before purchase to compare quality and spare parts availability. Lastly, don't forget that routine maintenance plays a major role in the average life expectancy of your riding lawn mower. 

So how many hours can a Riding Lawn Mower last?

The average life expectancy of a well-maintained riding lawn mower is anywhere between 250 to 300 hours, depending on use, amongst other factors. Most people use a Garden Tractor for around 50 hours per year, meaning its usable lifespan is generally at least ten years.

With proper care and regular maintenance, life expectancy can increase to around 15 years, depending on usage. Over 300 hours is too much for a Garden Tractor, as this surpasses the average life expectancy. Although proper care and replacement of some parts can dramatically increase service life.

After the 300-hour mark check, it may be worth purchasing a new mower, depending on expected repair costs. The biggest advice is to listen to your Garden Tractor, any clicking sound or growl signifies something needs looking at and repairing.

What Is The Life Expectancy of a Riding Lawnmower?

Riding lawnmowers come in a variety of sizes, designs and quality, ranging from large Garden Tractors to smaller Compact-riders. Function and usability vary with each model, with some able to have small attachments.

A riding lawnmower's service life can range anywhere from ten to fifteen years, depending on the brand, proper care and type of riding lawnmower. Ensuring the riding mower receives good maintenance will make a huge difference in the lawn mowers' life expectancy.

As with any other powered machine, remember to check the engine oil levels, air filter, gas tanks, fuel tanks and engine fins, as well as the mower deck and any accessories like a tow bar.

The average life expectancy of most Riding Mower is better estimated using hours as mowers aren't used every day like cars generally are. Below we give further details of how many hours a properly maintained mower can last.

So how many hours can a Riding Lawn Mower last?

It's estimated that without proper care, Riding Lawnmowers can still last more than ten years, working out at around 500 to 1000 hours. Yet, well-maintained mowers can last up to 15 or 20 years, so around 1500 to 2000 hours.

Similarly to push/pull mowers, manufacturers prescribe an average life expectancy of 10 years for Riding Mowers. Various factors impact how many hours a riding mower service life lasts, from the engine to the brand.

Just ensure spare parts for your riding lawn mower are easy to acquire, as older models may have more obscure and expensive replacement parts.

Life Expectancy: Garden Tractors VS Riding Lawnmowers

So, when comparing the average life expectancy of Garden Tractors to Riding Lawnmowers, there is minimal difference. Although the size of the machines greatly varies, with the proper care and regular maintenance, they can both last well over 10 years, and even up to 20 years.

Nevertheless, standard Riding Lawn Mowers can last much longer than Garden Tractors when comparing usable hours. The difference is owing to the fact Garden Tractors are generally used less than Riding Lawn Mowers.

Yet, the numerous usages of a Garden Tractor can make it functional all year round, increasing usability but potentially reducing average lifespan in terms of years as its usable hours are utilised in a shorter amount of time. How many hours a Garden Tractor or Riding Lawn Mower lasts remains relatively the same; however, the usage will affect the year life expectancy. 

Generally, Garden Tractors a designed to have a usable service life of between 250 to 300 hours, whilst standard Riding Lawn Mowers can last anywhere between 500 to 800 hours.

What Affects Average Life Expectancy?

Well-maintained riding lawnmowers and Garden Tractors can have an average life expectancy of around 10-15 years, with a potential for longer or a lot less if it doesn't receive proper maintenance.

Below, we discuss some popular riding mower brands' stated service life, along with the other impacting factors on life expectancy, such as engine size, build quality and usage.

Popular Brands Service Life

Who manufactured your Riding Mower can affect the average life expectancy, as some brands are renowned for their high quality, whilst others offer cheaper alternatives with lower quality parts that break easier. Different brands also offer various load-carrying capabilities, which can affect the service life.

Below are some of the most common brands and their average life expectancy. Before selecting a ride-on mower check, the manufacturer's warranty offers.

• Briggs and Stratton: This brand mainly focuses on small-sized Riding lawnmowers for standard workloads. They give an average life expectancy of around 500 hours, although this can significantly increase with proper maintenance reaching over 1000 hours of usable service life.
• John Deere: This is considered one of the best Riding Mower manufacturers with the highest average life expectancy. John Deere offers a five-year warranty to cover unexpected problems and breaks, saving you money and giving you a sense of security. The smallest John Deere mowers can easily last 500 to 1000 hours. Larger mower models with twin cylinder engines, or even 4-cylinder, can last well over 1500 to 2000 hours. Proper care can increase service life allowing for 15 years of use.
• Husqvarna: Most mowers produced by Husqvarna are designed for smaller gardens, operating well with smaller workloads. Their average life expectancy is between 400 to 800 years, again depending on their use.
• Cub Cadet:  This manufacturer is another favourite. It has similar functions and life expectancy to Husqvarna, so the suggested service life is between 500 and 1000 hours. Like all mowers, this can be extended with the proper maintenance.

Size Of The Engine

The size of the engine can affect the average life expectancy of a Riding Mower. For Gas-powered Riding Mowers, the engine's capacity, the number of cylinders and fuel type essentially determine how powerful the lawnmower is. 

Diesel engines are often preferred over petrol engines due to their increased safety features, petrol is more volatile and likely to cause injury. Single Cylinder Mowers are the smallest of engines, lasting an average of 500-750 hours owed to the greater work put on a single piston.

Larger engine expectancy lasts longer, and those with twin cylinder engines last even longer as they can distribute the work between the two cylinders instead of one. It's useful knowledge to know life expectancy is based on the engine's life. But many other mower's features impact the service life.

Build Quality And Usage

One of the main influences on the expected life expectancy of your Garden Tractor or Riding Lawn Mower is how you use it. Purchasing a riding lawn mower is a big investment of your time and finances. So ensuring the mower is well maintained is vital.

You should check the components regularly to prevent expensive repairs. Another factor that affects the life expectancy of a riding mower is the type of terrain it mows. Thicker, long grass with twigs or other obstructions can ultimately shorten the lifespan due to the increased workload.

Smaller Riding mowers' service life can be reduced from 400-500 hours to 200-350 in these harsh conditions. Whilst sturdier, bigger mowers don't see as much of a dramatic drop. Garden Tractors or Lawn Tractors are built with more powerful twin-cylinder engines or 4-cylinder engines, meaning they can take on the additional pressure.

Other Garden or Lawn Tractor components are also designed for increased workloads and maintain power in less than ideal conditions. A small drop is expected still on difficult terrains, and a loss of around 40-50 hours is expected.

How To Increase Life Expectancy

As mentioned numerous times, the proper care and proper maintenance of a new riding mower can dramatically increase the average life expectancy.

Below are some key tips to properly maintain your very own Ride-on mower. Major problems may not be worth fixing, so double-check the manufacturer's warranty offers.

• Oil Check and Change: As with any powered machine, oil changes are vital to keeping the engine running smoothly. Change the oil after 50 years of usage, or annually depending on use. In the periods between, ensure you check the oil quality and levels.
• Clean the air filters regularly: Periodically check your air filter for any blockages; this should be completed at least twice per mowing season. Each time you change the oil, consider changing the air filter, and during the winter months, give the mower a thorough clean.
• Regular usage: As with any other powered machine, using it regularly ensures that the fluids and cylinders keep running. Moreover, it prevents the carburettor gas from going old and gathering rust. Stale gas causes numerous issues within the engine. Gas stabilisers can be used to prevent rust from developing if fuel tanks.   
• Sharpen the blades: Before each mowing season initiates, check your riding mowers' blades. Sharpen mower deck blades at least every 30-40 hours, and a minimum of once per mowing season. Simply, sharp blades equal a cleaner cut.
• Maintain the belts: The belts should remain properly greased and pulled tight to ensure the mower engine runs smoothly. Repair any noticed wear and tear as soon as possible to avoid injury from snapping bands.   
• Efficient spark plugs: A functioning spark plug is integral for the smooth running of the ride-on lawnmower. Defective spark plugs can cost a lot of money, from unburnt fuel to damaged cylinders and reduced engine life.
• Proper battery maintenance: The typical riding mower battery should be removed during winter and charged using a battery charger in maintaining mode. Every 10 hours of use, check the mowers' water levels, if possible, with the battery type. Check battery power after each mowing session.

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