Lawn stripes aren’t just for professional golf courses and baseball stadiums. You can also have them in a residential lawn because they add a unique lush to the landscape.
To achieve this, you’ll need the best ride on mower for stripes and you are good to get started with the job. Having looked at standard mowed lawns and compared them to those that have stripes, we can hardly deny that stripping adds an aesthetic final touch to the ground.
In this guide, we’ll review the top-rated ride on mower for stripes, gives you examples of grass catcher to use, and show you some examples of the top rated stripe attachments that are worth the investment.
Let’s get started.
Contents
- What’s the Best Ride on Mower for Stripes?
- 1. Snapper 560Z Commercial Engine Zero Turn Mower
- 2. Ariens 915223 Zero Turn Lawn Mower
- 3. Husqvarna YTH18542
- Best Ride on Mower for Stripes: FAQ’s
- 1. Can I stripe my lawn without using a stripping kit?
- 2. How high should the grass in my lawn be for stripping?
- Author
What’s the Best Ride on Mower for Stripes?
The following is a review of the best ride on mower to buy if you want to make beautiful stripes in your yard:
1. Snapper 560Z Commercial Engine Zero Turn Mower
If you’re in the market for one of the best riding lawn mower that you can use for stripes, Snapper 560Z might be a good option to consider.
It’s a well-built model that works well, and while it’s an expensive unit, you do get financing with a zero percent interest if you qualify.
Snapper 560Z is so versatile that you can use it for both commercial grade as well as residential mowing. It gets its mowing power from the Briggs & Stratton engine, which has up 25 HP (horsepower). With such a powerful engine, this model can cut grass fast and leave it looking good with just a few passes.
It has a cutting deck of 52 inches, which makes it good enough to cover a substantially wider section of your lawn. Moreover, it has a number of adjustable cutting heights, which allow you to cut grass of different thicknesses, so it’s easy for you to have full control of your yard as far as mowing is concerned.
When it comes to speed, Snapper 560Z zero turn mowers moves faster than some mowers in the same category. The brands built it to run at a speed of 9 miles an hour, so you can get the mowing job done fast.
What’s more? This zero turn mower has front axles and a steel bumper, which makes it easy for the rider to mow even on rough areas of the terrain.
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Pros
- Larger fuel tank of 5.25 gallons
- Financing available for those who are on a very tight budget
- Steel bumper and front axles absorb shock in bumpy areas of the lawn
Cons
- While it’s a powerful zero turn mower, it’s an expensive model
2. Ariens 915223 Zero Turn Lawn Mower
Ariens 915223 is one of the best zero turn mowers in the market and one that’s good at mowing and making stripes in medium and large size lawns.
It’s so versatile that it works efficiently for any purpose. Not to mention allow you to complete the mowing job fast.
With a wider cutting deck and easy maneuverability, the Ariens 915223 is the best mower to consider if you want to work on a large field in a short time.
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To begin with, Ariens 915223 features a robust and sturdy Kawasaki engine, which not only handles heavy-duty jobs but also does so at great speed. With its powerful hydraulic transmission, the mower not only drives at a constant speed but also allows you to ride up to a speed of 6miles an hour.
You will love Ariens 915223 zero turn lawn mower because it’s easy to maneuver. Thanks to its comfortable seat, adjustable wishbones, and ergonomic armrests, you can ride on this zero turn mower for an extended period without worrying about body fatigue.
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The levers of the machine have a decent level of padding. As such, this zero turn mower absorbs vibrations from mowing quite well, thus ensuring maximum comfort during operation.
With a cutting deck of 52-inches wide, this ride on mower allows you to work on a large field in a short time. Moreover, its 13 cutting adjustment heights allow you to cut grass of different thickness, making it easy for you to achieve a uniform cut with just one pass.
Even the fuel gauge is quite helpful because it allows you to read how much gas you have left in the tank for easy refilling.
If you choose to buy this mower for mowing and adding stripes to your yard, make sure you take off the key when the machine is not in use. Leaving the key in seems to discharge the battery, which can be quite an inconvenience when you need to use the mower at a later date.
Pros
- Powerful Kawasaki engine that’s also easy to maintain
- Has 13 cutting height adjustments, so you can easily cut grass of different thickness
- 52-inch wide cutting deck to mow a large area with one pass
- Back seat with armrest for comfort especially on extended use
- Good padding on the lever, which helps with proper shock absorption
Cons
- May be too costly for some people
- The battery discharges if you don’t take off the key
3. Husqvarna YTH18542
Husqvarna has become a household name in the tools market because of its commitment to designing some of the best tools that make work easier.
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And their YTH18542 is one of the best ride-on mowers to use if you wish to get the best stripes on your yard.
The Husqvarna YTH18542 lawn mower features a powerful Stratton Intek engine that guarantees better performance all the time. It has a fender-mounted height adjustable, which you can use to set how many inches of grass you would like to cut from your lawn.
The foot pedal hydraulic transmission makes the equipment easy to maneuver. Moreover, it features a 16-inch turning radius, which makes it a good option that can easily get into small, tight spaces – particularly at the edges of the lawn.
It is important to note that although it’s not a strong selling point per se, the padded seat does quite make this ride on lawn mower stand out. It even features ergonomic steering wheel, which makes it easy for you to maneuver around and over obstacles to get your mowing job done.
Pros
- Features multiple height adjustments to let you cut grass based on desired heights
- Foot pedal hydrostatic and ergonomic steering wheel for easy maneuverability
- Powerful, heavy-duty engine for extended period of mowing and stripping
- Rides well over and around obstacles
Cons
- Sometimes the black cable comes out
- May be an expensive model individuals who are on budget
Best Ride on Mower for Stripes: FAQ’s
1. Can I stripe my lawn without using a stripping kit?
You can use a ride on lawn mower to stripe your lawn without the need for an additional kit. Place the cutting deck close to the ground and mow without tuning on the cutting blades.
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To be clear, your goal here isn’t to cut the grass from the lawn. Which is why we haven’t even suggested that you get a grass catcher for the recommended zero turn mowers. Rather, your goal is to bend the grass in the opposite direction to create the stripes.
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2. How high should the grass in my lawn be for stripping?
There’s no definite answer to this question because every lawn owner has personalized preference on how tall or short he or she would like his or her grass to be.
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We like the fact that the mowers we’ve recommended in this guide have adjustable cutting and stripping heights. Depending on your preference, all you have to do is to choose the height you would like to strip and do so accordingly.
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Even with that being the case, we do recommend making sure you have the right grass height before you start stripping.
To be a little precise, you should strip a lawn that has grass with a thickness of 2.5 to 3.45 inches. That way, it will be easy for you to get the best results.
In other words, tall grass often works best for making stripes on a lawn.
While you can hire a professional landscaper to mow and add stripes to care for your lawn, it’s a good option to get the best ride on mower for stripes to do the job yourself.
Even the DIY stripping will make your lawn look beautiful and professional, and that’s only at the expensive of investing in the right mower for the job.
If you’re completely green to this kind of mowing, you may want to ask for help from neighbors or friends who’ve to do this right.
Alternatively, you can watch some DIY videos on YouTube to get you started. Again, you need to make sure you schedule regular maintenance of your lawn from time to time, otherwise, the stripes will disappear and you will have to start the entire process all over again.
