Lawn Mower Vs Lawn Tractor: Which One Should You Use For Snow Removal?

When the temperature starts to drop, it's usually not long before the yard is covered with a blanket of snow. It can be very pretty and great fun for kids and dogs, but somebody's got to clear it when you need to get to work or school. There are a bunch of better ways to remove snow than using a shovel, and if you've got a riding lawn mower or a lawn tractor, it seems like an obvious solution. You should be able to get the job done with maximum speed and minimum effort.

Unfortunately, it's not as simple as that. Although technically you could argue that a lawn tractor is a kind of riding mower, in practice, they can be quite different machines. Lawn tractors are bigger, heavier, and more robustly built. By contrast, some experts suggest that lawn mowers are great for grass, but that's where you should leave it.

Snow can be surprisingly heavy. Although density varies, on average, a cubic foot of snow weighs around 20 pounds. Your mower needs a strong frame to move that kind of load without buckling. It also needs a heavy-duty transmission and should develop upwards of 15 horsepower. So if you're worried about how long your riding mower might last, you probably want to avoid putting it under that kind of strain. Generally speaking, a lawn tractor is the machine that is recommended for snow removal.

What manufacturers call their machines can add to the confusion. For example, Cub Cadet calls their plow-capable XT1 LT50 model a 'riding lawn mower,' although it looks like a tractor and produces a healthy 24 horsepower. John Deere, which researchers call the most popular lawn mower brand in the USA, has a plow for their X300 Series. They call those models 'lawn tractors.' Yet their X330 has a 22-horsepower motor, which is smaller than Cub Cadet's 'lawn mower.'

The golden rule is to check whether the manufacturer of your machine offers a plow for your exact model. If it does, then it will have been proved to be up to the task. It can be tempting to look at 'universal' plows, but doing so could be risky. We found a five-foot blade for zero-turn lawn mowers, but experts say those machines should only be used for tackling a couple of inches of snow at most on hard surfaces.

Bear in mind that many lawn mowers will need the cutting deck removed to fit a plow. Both lawn mowers and lawn tractors also need counterweights for the back of the machine and snow chains for traction. Otherwise, you'll literally be spinning your wheels. The bottom line is that while it might be possible to use your lawn mower for snow removal, a lawn tractor is a more capable machine and a much safer bet.