What's the Difference Between MTD Lawn Tractors and Garden Tactors?

If you're looking to buy a new lawn mower, and especially if you've come across MTD's impressive lines of lawn and garden equipment, you may have considered indulging yourself with a major upgrade: Is my lawn big enough for a riding tractor, or do I just stick to the conventional walk-behind mower? Like the wording of the question suggests, the size of your lawn should determine whether you really have a need for a riding unit. The general rule of thumb is that if your lawn exceeds 100 ft. sq., then it might be worth it to consider the time saving investment of a riding tractor. A riding mower might be a bit of overkill if your lawn is any smaller, but there's no law against taking it easy if the idea of shaded, drink-holder-access mowing is just too irresistible. Don't let it stifle your excitement, but you still have some critical (and fun) decisions to make if your heart is set on an MTD riding mower. In the first place, MTD riding tractors come in two varieties-"lawn tractors" and "garden tractors." So what's the difference? In general, the major difference between lawn and garden tractors is size.

• Lawn tractors are designed for smaller acreage and lighter-duty mowing needs that don't require extra horsepower or heavy-duty mower construction.
• Garden tractors, on the other hand, are bigger all around, with larger wheels, more horsepower, heavier frames and transmissions, and are made for large acreage jobs and high torque applications.

The more specific differences between MTD lawn tractors and MTD garden tractors have to do with attachment options.

• Lawn tractors can use work attachments that do not engage the soil, like dozer blades, grass catchers, mulch kits, snowblowers, and tow-behind assemblies.

MTD Dozer Blade Attachment

• Garden tractors can use all of the attachments that lawn tractors can, plus attachments that engage the soil. This is because attachments like tillers, plows, harrows, and cultivators need the extra power that garden tractors offer.

MTD Harrow Attachment

So really, the choice between garden tractors and lawn tractors comes down to what kind of work you need the machine to do. When it comes to attachments though, the varieties that MTD offers do not stop at those we've mentioned here by any means. Other accessories include things like:

• tire chains
• grass collection systems
• ramps
• tow-behind carts
• sunshades
• and more

Some patented MTD riding tractor options actually affect the compatibility of some types of attachments. Many models of MTD tractors include their special AutoDrive™ system that makes driving a tractor much like driving a car. Attachments for MTD AutoDrive™ models are made for fast installation by virtue of another patented design feature, FastAttach™, which makes attachments changeable without tools. Lawn tractor or garden tractor, attachments or no attachments, eReplacementParts.com is an authorized dealer of genuine replacement parts for MTD's full lines of outdoor equipment. Our huge inventory includes parts for MTD chippers, edgers, snowblowers, and trimmers, among others. We also carry MTD attachment parts like those discussed above. Our online parts replacement service is here to keep your MTD riding tractor running strong, so you can enjoy your rightful place in its seat