How To Remove The Snow From Your Yard With A Riding Lawn Mower (& If It's A Good Idea)

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So you've invested in a riding mower as one of the best methods for cutting your grass more efficiently. It's reasonable to wonder if you could use the same tool to remove snow from your yard in the winter. While it may be possible, it may not actually be that good of an idea, and there is some key information you need if you want to avoid damage to your machine.

If you want to plow snow with a riding mower, you need to be sure the model you own is up to the task. The safest bet is to check whether your manufacturer has a plow attachment specifically for your machine. If they don't, then your mower probably isn't designed for the job. "Universal" plows are available, but while they may fit, you have no way of knowing whether they've been tested on your model, so buying them is a risk.

If you do find a manufacturer attachment, buying and fitting it may still not be a good idea. You'll often have to remove the deck, which can be quite involved. Once you're ready to plow, there may be limits to the snow you can remove. One expert source suggested your lawn mower should produce at least 20 horsepower to plow snow. Many riding mowers aren't that powerful. So you may be able to remove light snow from paths and driveways, but it may not cope with heavy snowfall.

Some experts suggest you should think twice before using your riding mower to plow snow, and it's not bad advice. While the weight of snow can vary considerably, on average it is around 20 pounds per cubic foot. Attempting to push that kind of mass could result in frame damage or transmission problems.

Most times you see a plow attachment, it's actually designed to fit more powerful "lawn tractors." Although strictly speaking these are a type of riding mower, they are quite different from standard riding or zero-turn mowers and much better suited to the task. For example, Cub Cadet has a 46-inch plow blade that fits their XT1 and XT2 lawn tractors. John Deere, who independent researchers rank as the country's most popular lawn mower brand, offers a 44-inch plow for their X300 lawn tractor range. There is plenty of choice, but they are made for machines that have higher performance than most ordinary riding lawn mowers.

Even if you have a riding mower that's powerful and robust enough to remove snow from your yard, costs don't end with the plow. You'll probably want to add chains for the tires and rear weights to give the necessary traction. When all's said and done, it might be possible to plow snow with a typical riding mower, but it's probably not a good idea. If you do want a dual-purpose machine, you should really consider investing in a lawn tractor.