3 Best Ride on Mower for Paddocks

The best ride on mower for paddocks won’t be a small investment. But it can be the difference between a lush lawn for you and your horse and a space that doesn’t look good at all. The benefit of a ride on mower is obvious: you trim the paddocks in the shortest time possible. You get the job done fast with far much less effort than you would if you used a push behind model.

Ride on lawn mowers come at different price points, each with unique sets of features, benefits, and drawbacks. To choose the right model for you, it’s best to understand how much power they consume, how they perform, how much they cost, and what can enhance their functionality even further if improved.

The goal for this guide is simple: look at the top-rated ride on mowers you can buy to give your paddock a unique, aesthetic look and highlight key pointers to help you make the right purchase decision the first time.

In a hurry? Here’s a quick list of the best ride on mowers for paddocks that you should consider buying this year:

Ryobi 38" Battery Electric Rear Engine Riding Lawn Mower RY48110

-

Buy on Amazon

Ryobi 38" Battery Electric Rear Engine Riding Lawn Mower RY48110

-

Buy on Amazon

Now let’s get into more details about each of these riding lawn mowers so you get a clear picture of why they might be worth getting for your paddock.

Best Ride on Mower for Paddocks Review

1. Husqvarna YTH18542

If there’s one undeniably genuine reason why Husqvarna is such a popular brand in the market, it’s the quality design and performance efficiency of the equipment that it builds. The YTH18542 model is one of the best ride on lawn mowers for paddocks in their product line, and for good reasons.

No products found.

Powered by a Stratton Intek engine, Husqvarna YTH18542 delivers better performance than similar products in its price range. With a fender mounted cutting height adjuster, you decide just how many inches of grass you would like to cut from the paddock. Add to this the adjustable height seat and foot pedal-operated hydrostatic transmission, and what you get for the price is a machine that’s easy to maneuver.

Husqvarna YTH18542 has a 16-inch turning radius, which makes it a good option that you can use to mow smaller spaces, particular at the edges of the paddock. With the ergonomic steering wheel, you never have to worry about riding this mower over and around obstacles as you will do so just fine.

2. Snapper 560Z Commercial Engine Zero Turn Mower

Whether you own a paddock with one or a few horses or you’ve won a contract to mow a paddock in readiness for a horse riding sports competition, the Snapper 560Z commercial zero turn mower can help you get the job done.

No products found.

Snapper builds this unit for performance even for commercial-grade jobs. Powered by the Briggs & Stratton engine that packs up to 25 horsepower, the Snapper 560Z can cut grass fast and leave you with a lust lawn. 

We like that it includes a steel bumper and front axles, which allow you to ride it even on rough terrains. The maximum speed of this is 9 miles an hour, a mile an hour faster than the Husqvarna YTH18542, making it the fastest model on the list.

The cutting deck is 52 inches, enough to cover a wider section in a single pass. The adjustable deck height lets you decide the thickness you’d like to mow, so you have full control over how you want the paddock to look eventually.

3. Ryobi Electric Rear Engine Zero Turn Mowers

An electric zero turn mower is a good option not only because it’s environmentally friendly but also because it gets the mowing job done fast. Ryobi is one such great option, a battery-powered mower with at least 2 hours runtime on a single charge.

Ryobi 38" Battery Electric Rear Engine Riding Lawn...

Buy on Amazon

With the 360 turn, you can mow a paddock as large as 2 acres before you have to charge the mower again. This, too, runs at a speed of up to 8 miles an hour, but it has a shorter cutting deck of just 38 inches.

Buying Guide: How to Choose the Best Ride On Mower for Paddocks

Now that we’ve seen some of the best ride on lawn mowers that you can use to trim and give the paddock a neatly trimmed, beautiful appearance, let’s look at exactly what to look for before investing your money in a model.

1. Choose a Model with Your Most Preferred Power Source

Ride on lawn mowers are either electric or gas powered.

Electric mowers aren’t just eco-friendly, they’re also easier to start and don’t often make a lot of noise when in operation. However, they’re not as powerful as the gas-powered model. Not to mention that they usually have a shorter runtime overall.

Gas-powered lawn mowers, on the other hand, are very powerful, but they have a few limitations. Not only do they demand more maintenance, but they also make noise when in use and they’re not so environmentally friendly.

To be clear, both types get the mowing job done quite well. So the model that you choose will more than likely come down to preference as far as the power source is concerned.

Also read: How does a robot mower cut the grass?

2. How Does the Mower Handle Grass Clippings?

Mowing a paddock is one thing. Collecting the cut grass and putting it in its right place is another thing altogether. This raises the question of grass clippings.

Here’s the thing:

You can get a lawn mower that spits the clippings back to the paddock or buy a model that either bags or mulches the grass.

As with the consideration of the power source, the model you choose as far as grass clipping is concerned is also entirely a matter of personal preference.

Also read: How to attach grass bagger to lawn mower

3. Consider the Size of the Mowing Deck

The first question you ask yourself is how big your paddock is. Second, think about how much time you would actually like (or be willing) to schedule for the mowing job. Then, look at the deck size of the mowers and choose an option that’s more appropriate. 

Deck size refers to the width of the path that a mower can cut in one pass. A mower with a deck size between 30 and 60 should be enough if you have a small or medium-sized paddock. You can go for bigger deck sizes if you have a larger field. 

It’s important to consider obstacles in the paddocks when making a decision of what ride-on mower to choose. If you have to mow quite a lot around trees and grass, choose a mower with a smaller decks size. Otherwise, go for a bigger one.

4. Types of Ride on Lawn Mowers

The type of riding lawn mower is also an important consideration to make when choosing a machine to level your paddocks.

Again, the type of mower you choose depends on your personal preferences as well as how much you’re willing to pay.

Here’s a quick summary of the type of ride on mowers that you might want to consider:

Lawn/Garden Tractor

They’re ideal for paddock owners who want more engine power and a more durable and faster lawn mower. With an 18 to 24 HP engine, these are ideal for heavy-duty jobs. Not to mention they mow large paddock lawns quite easily.

Garden tractors have their cutting deck between the rear and front axles. Some models have mowing attachments behind them. However, lawn tractors aren’t so powerful and they may not do so well in tight places and over obstacles.

Also read: Which gravel rakes work best for garden tractor

Rear Engine Mowers

They’re affordable and compact, with smaller cutting decks that are ideal for small paddocks. While they’re cheap, they have lower horsepower and slower engines.

Technically, if you have more than three-quarters of an acre of a paddock, a rear-engine mower isn’t for you.

Mulching Mowers

Mulching ride on lawn mowers are the best options to consider if the grass in your paddock isn’t too high. They have sharp blades that cut grass into tiny pieces that can decompose easily.

Zero Turn Mowers

Although expensive, they’re the most efficient and more reliable investment that you can get. Their 360-degree turning radius and four-wheel steering allow you to mow over obstacles, making it a more efficient option than a lawn tractor and rear engine lawn mower.

Also read: Why does my zero turn mower pull to one side?

Zero turn mowers are a big deal because they’re not only easy to maneuver but also mow at a speed as high as 8 miles an hour, so you can level your paddock fast. What’s more? We love them because they can mulch, bag, and side discharge grass cuttings.

Frequently Asked Questions

We hope that this guide helps you to find the best ride on mower for paddocks.

Choose a type that suits your budget, check out some online reviews, and, if possible, take the mower to a test drive to determine its efficiency.