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I have a 1/3 acre lawn that I have been mowing with a Honda self-propelled mower. I am thinking of going to a riding mower now that I'm getting older. I was hoping to get some recommendations from you experienced folks. I plan to bag the clippings, What brands/models would you recommend?

Thanks.

Todays riding mowers are a crap shoot depending on how much you want to spend. What ever you purchase, please use your local dealers who can provide you services down the road. I personally would stay away from anything built by MTD or Husqvarna. You will need to do a lot of research, as they are sold under many names. Only recommendation I can give you is a Simplicity Regent for that size of lawn. Bottom line is talk everything over with the better half and then go with your gut.

Do you have to mow around trees and obstacles or does your lawn lawn have mainly straight runs? A zero turn makes mowing irregular lawns and around obstacles a breeze. Otherwise, a tractor may suit your needs.
I bought an Ariens Zero turn with the Kawasaki engine. It has a welded deck with 4 point attachment and built pretty strong...and made in America. Lol
Just offering that suggestion.

Mostly straight runs, a couple trees. Thanks for the feedback.

I would think about a riding mower as a multi use machine. In addition to mowing and picking up clippings, you can add a cart, sweeper and other attachments. But, consider how much space you have for stuff. Besides the mower, a cart, vacuum (for clippings) or sweeper takes up a lot of space.

Also, consider that riding mowers require considerably more maintenance than a push mower.

Finally, I decided against a vacuum for removing clippings because I had to remove it to use the cart. So, I opted for a sweeper which attaches like the cart.

Riding mowers can usually cost less than a Zero turn. I would avoid big box stores, & find a good Dealer, cause big box stores will have to ship your mower to a Dealer if there are problems, anyhow. And the Dealer isn't gonna jump on yours in front of those that bought from the Dealer..

Just things to consider.

for a 1/3 acre property....most any riding mower will be fine. From a dealer or big Box store doesn't matter. Even the entry level models will give you 5-8 years with no problem. If you wear out a cheap one....buy another one. What it more important is the quality of cut from the deck. If you see a neighbor's yard you really like, find out what mower he is using. If your yard is flat and only a few trees to maneuver around, one of the cheaper ZT's may be fine for you. It's all about the deck. You need to be able to level the deck and keep it level. If the deck is not supported well it will tilt and cause uneven cutting. At this point I would stay clear of the Electric models. From what I have seen they are incorporating a lot of plastic ( which may crack) and there is still a issue with battery longevity. Yes you can get replacement batteries but they are expensive. Another thing to consider........for 1/3 acre you may be making more turns than you realize. The weight of a rider will crush or flatten your grass on the turns and if you repeat driving over areas that have been mowed you again flatten those areas causing a ugly finish look. John Deere and Simplicity are two of the major brands that I would consider first. Depending our your budget your might need to consider less expensive units. Even if you do the minimum maintenance, you will be fine. Nothing wrong from buying from a Box store or a dealer......in either case you will have to pay to have a rider transported in for service unless you have a truck or trailer to haul them. In 50 years of mower ownership, only once have I needed to haul a rider in for service.

The difference between a reputable dealer and the big-box-stores is the initial set up.
The dealer will take the time to level the deck, adjust the controls, etc. and make sure the unit is ready to perform.

I bought a Country Clipper Avenue 42” ZTR for much the same reasons the O.P. describes, 1/3rd acre, trouble walking long enough to mow just the front or back.

Have borrowed lawn tractors in the past. Felt I spent half the time mowing just turning around.

The Country Clipper is about the most expensive one can find but I felt it was built best, offers joystick control (twin stick is an option), but the handrail option sealed the deal. Plus a front step. Much easier and safer to mount/dismount than any other mower I found.

Edited to add picture. You can see the handrail that I found to be so important:

Only 1/3 acre. No need for a 0-turn.

To help decide the brand, go on here and look at the Snapper section. It's dead for the most part. Tells you these are great machines and tend not to break.

Go on here at look at all the posts on Cub Cadet, Honda and Husky to name three. Honda makes mowers you can't pull backwards or side sling in 2023. Bad Boy is another to watch out for.

You should look at a Toro 30" Timemaster or an older 33" Snapper rear engined rider.

slomo said:

Only 1/3 acre. No need for a 0-turn.

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1/3rd acre is all the more reason for a zero-turn. You don't have room to turn around and you are constantly turning around for lack of long runs to cut before turning.

My back yard. Ring video link will only work for a month or two:
https://ring.com/share/7f8c0829-6851-454e-bbc1-43189ae746bb

slomo said:

To help decide the brand, go on here and look at the Snapper section. It's dead for the most part. Tells you these are great machines and tend not to break.

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Or, the Snapper brand is dead since B&S purchased? Or that everyone expects the Snapper to break so they don't say anything about it?

slomo said:

Go on here at look at all the posts on Cub Cadet, Honda and Husky to name three. Honda makes mowers you can't pull backwards or side sling in 2023. Bad Boy is another to watch out for.

You should look at a Toro 30" Timemaster or an older 33" Snapper rear engined rider.

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The old Snapper tube-frame Rear Engine Rider is a classic. But it is not appropriate for one who isn't an enthusiast willing to spend time maintaining and observing things before they break.

GrumpyCat said:

Or, the Snapper brand is dead since B&S purchased? Or that everyone expects the Snapper to break so they don't say anything about it?

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Or that it's time for me to eat breakfast. And yes today, the Snapper brand is dead. The older machines are still something to look at.

GrumpyCat said:

But it is not appropriate for one who isn't an enthusiast willing to spend time maintaining and observing things before they break.

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If you can't fix a push mower then you sure as heck don't need a 0-turn.

Yes! A ride on mower is a good solution as you get older! you won’t regret it.
For 1/3 acre you won’t need an expensive, high powered machine. And, as it will be your first machine the simpler it is the better. My first was a Craftsman LT2000 with a 17.5hp Briggs & Stratton engine, manual gearbox, manual deck engagement, one pedal for clutch/brake and a side discharge (allowing me to use the rear hitch for trailers etc.). That was 15 years ago and I’m still using it. I would happily buy another Craftsman but they are no longer available in the UK where I am located. The point I’m making is simple controls means less complications and a longer life!
I’ve done all my own maintenance to keep costs down (as someone mentioned the ride on will require more attention than a walk behind) but some mechanical skills will be required.
If you want to collect grass clippings automatically you’ll probably need the rear discharge type with an integral bag/box. This limits the tractor’s hauling capability but if pulling trailers is less important than collecting grass then the rear discharge is for you.
Do your homework; try machines (dealers are usually happy to demonstrate); check U Tube videos (there are plenty!); talk to neighbours who have them and ask what issues they may have.
Once you know what you want, look for the best price. A cheap and cheerful machine doesn’t necessarily require a nearby dealer - the machine will run trouble free for maybe 5+ years anyway. My Craftsman arrived on a pallet and I basically set it up myself. The delivery driver was just that and left me to it. I’m now 77 and never once regretted getting a ride on!

Enjoy..

Rivets said:

I personally would stay away from anything built by MTD or Husqvarna.

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MTD sells under their own brand name, but they also make low-end mowers for Ariens, John Deere, Craftsman and others. And Rivets is correct, they are very low on the 'desirability' scale. One of their largest faults is deck height adjustment. Typically an MTD will come with a 6-position deck height adjuster, but if you'll actually measure the blade, you're lucky to get 4.

Many names I would never recommend.

Found this list on Wikipedia and thought it would be relevant since so many here ask the question "is this made by MTD."
Brands Owned by MTD:

* Bolens
* Columbia
* Cub Cadet
* Cub Cadet Commercial
* Farm King
* GardenWay
* Gutbrod
* Lawnflite
* Mastercut
* Mow Master
* MTD
* MTD Gold
* MTD Pro
* Troy-Bilt
* White Outdoor
* Yard-Man
* Yard-Man Select
* Yard Machines
* YardWorks

Private Label Brands Produced:

MTD has built various other brands and store-brand Lawn & Garden tractors over the years, including: Ace, Agway, Blue Grass, Coast to Coast, Dayton, EagleStar, EDT, E-Flor, EDT, EuroTrac, Fleurelle, FloraPro, FloraSelf, Florica, Forest City, Golf, Hechinger, Huskee, JCPenney, Kgro, Landmark, Lawn Chief, Lowe's, Massey Ferguson, Mastercraft, Mastercut, Motec, Novotrac, PowerPro, PowrKraft, Quality, Quality Farm & Fleet, Ranch King, Rasentrac, Rasentraktor, Sentar, ServiStar, Statesman, Task Force, Texas, Topflite, Turf-Power, Turf-Trac, Univert, Val Garden, Ventzki-MTD, Verts Loisirs, Victa, Wards, Wizard and Yard Works.

My mrs is still pushing our 17 year old MTD 22" w/Briggs Flathead.. Bought it new.. Not a single complaint about it..Well, 1, the plastic wheels, I bored them & made bushings to fit them.

Wish I could buy the exact same today. (for the price we paid 17 yrs ago.)