A Highly-Rated Riding Mower Users Say Is Worth Its Hefty Price Tag

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If you have a large yard, you certainly know the importance of a reliable riding mower, and how the right choice can make mowing day so much easier. Cutting width also matters; a mower that cuts a 50-inch band will save time over one with a 30-inch cutting deck, so the larger the yard, the more appealing a larger cutting deck (and presumably, the larger the price). Choosing the wrong deck size is one of those common mistakes when shopping for a lawn mower. 

While somewhat pricey, one riding mower that might suit your large-yard needs gets great ratings on Home Depot's site, making it well worth the cost. The Cub Cadet XT1 Enduro LT 50-inch has a cumulative 4 stars out of 5 on Home Depot's site as of this writing, with 1,556 out of 2350 users giving it 5 stars. On Cub Cadet's website, it gets even higher rankings, landing at 4.3 out of 5 stars. This riding mower retails for $2,999 at Home Depot, with free delivery and ship-to-store options available. Cub Cadet also sells the mowers online for the same price, with additional delivery charges. 

The highly-rated XT1 Enduro LT 50-inch has a 24-horsepower, twin-cylinder Kohler engine, a fabricated deck, and a hydrostatic transmission that doesn't require shifting. It cuts a 50-inch swath of grass with each pass, and comes with a 3-year, no-hour-limit warranty, a 5-year frame warranty, and a lifetime limited deck shell warranty from Cub Cadet — great if you're putting it through heavy use.   

Reviewers of the XT1 Enduro LT50 appreciate its power and cutting-deck size. One shared on the Cub Cadet site that it's the "best mower I've ever used," and noted that they mowed 3 acres of various terrain in about 2.5 hours, compared to the four it took with another (unnamed) mower that had a 46-inch deck. Quite a few reviews on Home Depot mention that this mower has a great turning radius. For delivery and setup, customers said the mower arrived on pallets or in a crate, and that setup was easy. A few negative comments seem more geared towards Home Depot, in that parts were scratched or the keys were missing upon delivery. 

If you have another model from Cub Cadet, reviews say this model cuts well and is fast, though it uses more gas than their older Cub Cadet. Others noted the LT50 is loud. One Home Depot reviewer shared, "Lots of plastic parts, very loud, sounds like bearings are bad in the mower deck." Wearing ear protection is a good idea with any potentially noisy yard and garden gear, anyway. A few users mentioned the mower feels unstable when mowing on hills, so this may be better for level yards. Instead, you might want to learn how to choose the best mower for your hilly yard. Some reviewers also mentioned issues with battery life. Performing routine maintenance and keeping the mower deck clear are ways to extend the life of your lawn mower.