5 Best Riding Lawn Mowers For Hills In 2023

As useful as a riding lawn mower can be, you’ll have to watch for how well you can use such a mower on a hill. This guide includes looking at how well a mower can handle even the most difficult inclines that you might go along.

You will have to look at many factors surrounding how well a mower can work on hilly terrain. The ability of the mower to work well on an incline can be critical to its success.

Contents

Top 3 Best Riding Lawn mowers in 2023

Product

Raven MPV7100 Hybrid Riding Lawn mower

Husqvarna MZ61 61-Inch 27 HP Mower

Poulan Pro PP155H42

Brand

Raven

Husqvarna

Poulan Pro

Dimensions

85 x 44 x 50 inches

75.5 x 76 x 42 inches

72.75 x 45 x 34.5 inches

Item Weight

870 pounds

770 pounds

465 pounds

Cutting Width

N/A

61 Inches

42 Inches

Special Features

Perfect For Larger Lawns

Reliable and Powerful For Hills

Moves Up and Down Hills With Efficiency

Best Riding Lawn mowers For Hills Reviews

1. Raven MPV7100 Hybrid Riding Lawn mower – Perfect For Larger Lawns

Raven MPV7100 Hybrid Riding Lawn mower

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The powerful 420cc engine provides enough power to help you move up and down even the most difficult hills. But the engine also works with an onboard generator that produces energy as quickly as possible.

The 46-inch deck provides a better amount of coverage. The vacuum and mulch features help take in grass quite well. The discharge feature also ensures the grass is discharged cleanly without producing annoying clumps. The feature is ideal for when you’re looking to leave grass clippings in your yard as a natural fertilizer.

You can also use the mower to tow tilling items and other things that you might wish to use in your yard. The 550-pound towing capacity makes it possible for you to tow other yard maintenance items around your yard.

Pros

  • Can work as a generator with an on-board battery
  • The front shocks provide support for many inclines
  • The wide mowing deck is ideal for large lawns

Cons

  • Extremely heavy at nearly 850 pounds
  • Takes a while to fill the gas tank

2. Husqvarna MZ61 61-Inch 27 HP Mower – Reliable and Powerful For Hills

Husqvarna MZ61 61-Inch 27 HP Mower

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Husqvarna makes this mower with a 61-inch zero-turn body. The arrangement produces a comfortable body that will help you turn in moments. The front wheels feature smooth tracks that will not tear up your yard. The rear wheels are significantly larger and will provide a better approach to handling your mowing needs.

The Briggs and Stratton engine features a 27 HP body that starts up fast and provides enough power when you move up and down a hill.

The 54-inch cutting deck provides a firm body for cutting. The deck lifting system helps you to adjust the mower to various cutting heights for your convenience. The design provides a simple approach to cutting that works in moments.

The clippings in your mower can also be mulched, bagged, or discharged. The flexible design of the mower provides you with many opportunities to control your full mowing experience.

Pros

  • The engine offers an air-cooled body
  • Carries up to five gallons of fuel for large yards
  • The hour meter features a service reminder to let you know when to maintain things

Cons

  • Not suitable for small or otherwise traditional yards
  • You need to get a separate mulching kit and bagger attachment for other things

3. Poulan Pro PP155H42 – Moves Up and Down Hills With Efficiency

Poulan Pro PP155H42

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The name of this Poulan Pro mower might seem complicated, but the mower itself provides a strong body that works well. The 155 horsepower Briggs and Stratton engine keeps the mower running, while a 42-inch vented deck cuts grass well and draws air through to keep longer grass upright. The body ensures the mower will keep on working even when the deepest brush gets in the way.

The automatic hydrostatic transmission helps you with going up and down hills in moments. The transmission will adjust the speed on your mower to help you move on even the toughest inclines. You can push the lever on the fender forward to go faster. You do not have to stop while mowing to change the speed, thus helping you to safely turn this yard tractor while mowing on a hill.

You can clean out and replace the air filter as necessary. The filter is easy to access and maintain. The filter ensures the air moving through keeps the engine running without possibly overheating.

Pros

  • Works for longer bits of grass
  • The wheels can grip many surfaces
  • The six-inch turning radius helps you move up and down fast

Cons

  • Difficult to adjust the mower by height
  • The discharge chute might be too large

4. Snapper 2911525BVE Classic – A Small Yet Powerful Design

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You can use the Snapper Classic mower when you need something a little smaller riding mower along with the benefits of a walk-behind mower while still being powerful enough for your work needs. The Snapper Classic uses an 11.5-horsepower Briggs and Stratton engine with a four-cycle rear-mounted body. The engine provides a clean setup while being easy to maintain and monitor. 

The five-speed shifting feature on the mower helps you adjust the speed without stopping. The drive system uses a disc-based setup for keeping the mower running even in the most difficult situations.

The vertical stand-on-edge body provides a good design that helps you mow in even the most compact areas. The unit controls also help you to keep the work running without being complicated.

Pros

  • Easy to clean off the mower
  • Does not require much space for storage
  • Powerful enough to go over most hills

Cons

  • Takes a bit to steer
  • The pedals may be hard for some people to reach

5. Troy-Bilt 382cc 30-Inch Premium Neighborhood Riding Lawn Mower – Perfect for Residential Work

Part of mowing on a hill entails making sure you have a mower that can handle the changes in elevation while being easy to steer. This Troy-Bilt mower features a body that helps you to move along your lawn and to keep a firm grip on your hills.

The mower features 13×5-inch front wheels and 16×6.5-inch rear wheels. The 18-inch turning radius provides a helpful design to allow you to keep the wheels moving well.

A manual power take-off feature helps you get the mower running fast. Meanwhile, the 30-inch cutting deck provides five height settings. The lever on the side of the seating area helps you to move the mower up and down for your convenience.

The 1.3-gallon fuel tank provides room for helping you to get enough fuel for your entire lawn. The fuel sight window helps you identify how much is left in the tank.

Pros

  • The 382cc rear engine provides enough power
  • The cutting deck uses a curved body for simple turning
  • The wheel treads provide support for many yards

Cons

  • May produce more emissions
  • The treads need to be cleaned off on occasion

What to Find In Your Riding Mower?

There are many points that should be noted when finding a quality mower for your use:

1. Review the ability of the mower to grip a hill. The tires should be capable of sticking on an incline without slipping.

2. Note how well you can adjust the speed on your mower. The speed feature should be controlled to where you can keep the mower mowing without obstructions. This includes being able to slow down the mower when you start mowing down the hill.

3. You can work with various mowing heights when getting such a mower ready. The unit should have a good enough height for hills, although the ability to switch between heights for hills and flat surfaces is a plus.

4. The ability of the mower to steer is critical to its success. You should look at how well the mower can handle turns, especially when you’re on an incline. Some mowers are zero-turn models, although the value will vary based on where you go.

Technical Measurements

The question that may come to your mind when buying a riding mower for hills would be, What size mower do I need? Relax! we are answering it here for you. There are a few specific measurements that you’ll find in your ride-on lawn mowers for hills. These include the following points:

1. Engine Power

The engine power is measured in cubic centimeters. An engine with a higher cc total is one that produces more power and is capable of handling more resistance. This is useful for when you need to move up and downhills.

2. Wheels and Tires

The wheels on your mower need to be large enough to go through hills. The wheels should have sturdy treads that can grip a variety of terrain, including inclines. The front wheels should be larger than the rear ones.

3. Mowing Deck

The mowing deck refers to how much grass the mower can cut at a time. This is based on how wide the swath of grass that must be cut can be. A wider layout provides more room for mowing grass.

Considerations For Mowing

There are a few things that you’ll have to consider when getting a riding lawnmower ready on a hill:

1. Keep the mower height to its maximum setting. You will avoid scalping the grass and damaging the blades. The mower will also trim the grass as evenly as possible.

2. Always mow your lawn up and down. While you could mow side to side if you have a push mower, your riding mower could be at risk of toppling if you did that.

3. Make sure the grass isn’t wet. It will be harder for your mower to cut through wet grass. You may also be at risk of slipping.

4. Watch for the speed that your mower travels at while on a hill. You do not want to risk the mower going too fast.

Editor’s Pick

The best option to find when looking for a riding lawn mower for the money is Troy-Bilt 382cc 30-Inch Premium Neighborhood Riding Lawn Mower. The mower provides a simple layout that can handle plenty of grass, but the sturdy engine can work on many hills. The wheels provide a good grip on the ground, not to mention you will have a very easy time with steering. The unit fully works without you having to spend too much time trying to adjust the height.

Conclusion

A riding lawnmower can be ideal for hills if you know what to find. You will have to ensure that your mower works well and that you have a model that can work on even the most difficult sites. The mower must be powerful and capable of moving without a struggle. Being capable of keeping the mower running is especially vital for ensuring that the grass will be cut without the yard being scalped in the process.