Everything You Need to Know About Mowing the Lawn with Your ATV

ATVs are versatile pieces of equipment with a whole lot of utility beyond what you might immediately expect. For example, with the right attachment, you can use your ATV to double as a lawn mower!

Of course, it’s not always advisable to do so. While ATVs can be used for cutting grass, they were not specifically designed to do so. This means you need to make sure the circumstances are right before you start warming up your ATV for your grass cutting duties.

The benefits are that cutting grass with your ATV will save you money (you won’t need to purchase a riding mower), will drive faster than a standard mower and will be more capable of cutting thick, tall vegetation. However, it will cause more damage to the grass, can be harder to maneuver in some circumstances and will give you a real workout to your hands and wrists.

Ultimately, if you need a well-manicured, pristine lawn, you’re going to want to use a conventional or riding lawn mower versus an ATV. But if you’re out in the country and are looking for quick, economical options and aesthetics aren’t important, using the ATV can be highly beneficial.

Your options for ATV lawn mowing

Before you pick the specific type of mower attachment you’re going to use, you’ll need to figure out how you want to mount the mower.

• Frontal mount attachments have a mowing deck that goes on the front of the ATV. The benefit is that they offer greater visibility for mowing, but the drawback is that they are not as versatile as some other options.

• Pull behind lawn mower attachments are perhaps the most popular. You tow these mowers along as you drive. Just make sure they fit within your ATV’s towing capacity.
• Center mount mower attachments are the least common, as they attach to the underside of the ATV and cut at the side or front. They’re best for ATVs that need lighter attachments.

Once you’ve decided where you want to mount your mower, you can move on to choosing the category of mower you’ll work with.

Rough cutting mowers

These mowers are simply designed to get the job done without a whole lot of care for the aesthetics. They’ll cut through grass quickly, especially on rough terrain, but won’t win you many landscaping awards.

• Flail mowers: Flail mowers are designed for particularly rough terrain and thick grass. They feature blades on a horizontal roller that turn on their own pivot individually. The design allows you to trim fairly low to the ground. You can purchase front-mounted flail mowers if you wish.

• Rotary motor: This is a more traditional style of motor, featuring blades on the deck or horizontally to the ground rotating parallel to each other. They’re able to cut thick, tough grass.
• Shredders: Shredders are similar to flail mowers, but have another cutting bar to help mulch up larger areas.

• Trimmers: Trimmers are standard lawn trimmers but designed for harsher environments. They feature a large cutting line and swinging motion, ideal for cutting around shrubberies.

Finish mowers

If you’re a little more concerned with the appearance of your grass, finish mowers will help you get a cleaner cut. They’re no substitute for a riding or pushing lawn mower in terms of finesse, but they are popular options for ATV enthusiasts who want an okay-looking result for their grass that doesn’t need as much maintenance.

• Reel mowers: These mowers have curved glades attached to the wheels that cut while they turn. It’s ideal for grass that is easy to mow or is finer in texture, and for people who want a bit more of a finished appearance.
• Rotary blade: These mowers allow you to go deeper in customizing the depth and precision with which you cut your grass.

Other things to know

Keep in mind that you’ll need to install your mower attachment, so it’s important to review the manuals both for the attachment and for your ATV so you can get it done safely and correctly.

In general, the cost of the attachment will run you anywhere from several hundred to several thousand dollars, depending on the type of attachment you choose and where you purchase it from. This will still be cheaper than purchasing a riding mower in most cases, but it is an extra expense that’s worth considering, and the mower attachment will need at least some level of ongoing maintenance to ensure continued reliable performance.