I’m a lawn-geek.
So I was more-than-ready to try out the Troy-Bilt Mustang Mower.
I’ve mowed small lawns, in-and-out of the usual annoying obstructions. And I raced flat-out on wide-open, nothing-in-my way turf.
Mow and Go. While it took me a few mows to get used to the speed, power and action, this mower means business.
Speed. On a wide open stretch, the Mustang runs wide open. I mowed a yard that usually takes 1-1 1/2 hours with a push mower in about 30 minutes and gave it the tightest cut it ever had.
Mulch Plug. Clippings still fly 2 to 3 mower-widths away; on a huge, wide lawn, I’m not sure I care. In a yard with lots of items you want to keep grass off of (walks and drives to flower bed or gardens), I preferred using the easy-to-install mulch shield (shield was easy; blade change on a zero turn is little trickier, see below). It works. And it creates a major-league suction that I know is keeping grass up in the mower deck and pulverizing it, which I like for keeping my grass extra healthy. Plus, it feels like there’s about 90% fewer clippings to blow off the driveway, etc. Note: Like any mulch set-up, it can only process so much grass so it is most effective when the lawn is being regularly cut.
Money Saver. If you have a lot of grass you’re paying someone else to cut, you might just be able to put some money back in your pocket by doing it DIY-style. With the power, speed and cut-quality the Mustang delivered for me, a weekly war with a too-small mower versus a too-big lawn turned into a weekend drive that was, well, kind of fun. One thing to consider is that zero turn units may require professional maintenance. For example, the blade change is DIY-able, but it requires removing the deck, which is a somewhat complicated operation of removing belts and bolts and moving the deck itself. The blades are also secured with a nut that’s a size larger than homeowner socket sets (like mine) and it simply won’t budge if you try to hack it with a pair of Channel Locks. You might be able to end-around the deck removal by raising the mower (sort of like a mechanic would get under your car) but that’s another operation. Since oil and filters need to be changed anyway, adding blade changes or sharpening to a typical tune-up schedule might just make life easier and keep you mowing and going. So check into the mower’s maintenance requirements when you’re doing your home improvement math.
Pony-up.