Consumer Reports Data Shows These Are The 3 Best Riding Lawn Mowers Of 2025 So Far

After about a decade, it's common for lawn mowers to have engine issues or even break down. That's usually around the time when it's necessary to purchase a new mower. This is something most folks dread, given that mowers today cost thousands of dollars. But the grass keeps growing, and it's ultimately cheaper to buy a new machine than it is to pay a landscaping company. Luckily, Consumer Reports has compiled data to create lists of what they believe are the best riding mowers on the market in 2025.

If you've never used a riding mower, you should consider taking a look at some of these recommendations, because riding mowers are a lot more convenient than push mowers. You can cut your lawn in a fraction of the time and have more hours on the weekends to relax. Consumer Reports breaks down its riding mowers into three categories: the lawn tractor, the gas zero-turn-radius mower, and the battery zero-turn-radius mower. These mower types serve different purposes, so there are a few things you'll need to take into consideration. How large is your yard? What is the terrain like? Do you have a lot of structures and landscaping that you'll need to cut around?

If you're not already familiar with Consumer Reports, it is an American nonprofit that has performed product testing, consumer-oriented research, and investigative journalism since 1936. Consumer Reports is one of the most trusted consumer advocacy organizations in America because of its unbiased work, which has led to various product recalls and new legislative protections.

Lawn tractors are one of the most popular mower types because they are practical for hilly yards and rough terrain. The machine can mow a lawn, push a snowplow, and even turn the soil in your garden. According to Consumer Reports, lawn tractors can reach top speeds of 6 to 7 miles per hour. The nonprofit noted that John Deere tractors were one of three brands to earn an above-average or higher score for predictable reliability.

Consumer Reports' top-rated lawn tractor is the John Deere X354 Lawn Tractor, which sells for $5,000. The machine aced its bagging, evenness, mulching, handling, and side-discharging tests. The mower also offers several attractive features, including cruise control, a fuel gauge that is visible from the driver's seat, and an automatic transmission. One downside is that it produces a lot of noise, but not unusual for a lawn tractor. If you're not just cutting grass with it, John Deere also sells attachments like a lawn sweeper and a variety of carts. The machine has a four-year warranty.

For something a little more affordable, Consumer Reports also recommended the Cub Cadet XT2 SLX50, which sells for $3,999. Its performance scores were perfect in all areas, including side discharging, bagging, cutting evenness, mulching, and handling. The machine's deck is also 50 inches, which is 8 inches larger than the John Deere X354's. This means that you can fit larger blades. If these options are a little too pricy, there are plenty of fine lawn tractors that sell for less than $3,000.

Zero-turn-radius mowers can pivot at a 360-degree angle thanks to their two independently controlled rear wheels. Instead of using a steering wheel, the driver operates this mower using two levers. It might take a second to get the hang of it, but the learning curve is small. One downside of buying a zero-turn mower is that they usually cost more than lawn tractors due to their speed and tighter turning radius. If you buy one, you probably won't have to do as much edging with a push mower or a weed eater because the machines can work their way into corners fairly easily.

The John Deere Z530M 24 -HP V-twin Gas Zero-Turn retails for a whopping $6,100, but it has stellar ratings across all categories. It mulches well, cuts evenly, and handles smoothly. The machine comes with a four-year warranty. Consumer Reports also recommends the Z515E, which costs about $1,000 less and also scores highly in product tests. Member surveys consistently show that John Deere zero-turn mowers generally rank highly in owner satisfaction.

You can also look into battery-powered options as well. The John Deere Z370R ZTrak Battery Zero-Turn sells for about $6,500 and can mow over an acre per charge. It has a 42-inch deck and a five-year warranty. It takes about 6 hours to charge the batteries for these mowers, but if you have batteries, you'll always have one ready to go. Battery-powered mowers are not as powerful as gas mowers, but you won't have to worry about engine maintenance, and they are better for the environment.