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Whether you call it a riding lawn mower or a lawn tractor, the modern versions of this equipment can do a lot more than just cut grass. Many people think first of riding versus walking as the foremost benefit of a lawn tractor--or the speed at which one can mow. Those are both great advantages, especially when heat and humidity loom, but those features are only part of the modern riding mower's offerings, especially when you consider attachments. Read the items below to get a clearer picture of a riding mower's versatility and then use your own imagination to envision how a lawn tractor can work on your custom projects.

Follow Safety Procedures When Operating Your Lawn Tractor
Keep yourself safe. Wearing ear-muffs should be standard practice around loud engines, especially when your ears will be exposed for long periods of time. Wearing a face mask is also a good idea to limit inhaling allergens raised up in the grass and dust as you mow. Similarly, wearing safety glasses/goggles is wise when mowing around low handing branches of trees and shrubs. Even more important, is understanding that all mowers have a kill switch as a safety feature that stops the blade when the contact is broken. In riding mowers, it is normally in the seat so that displacement of the driver's weight stops the blade and the engine. Additionally, mower manufacturers warn very clearly that their equipment should not be used on steep slopes.

Compare Physical Size, Engine, Mowing Deck, and Turning Radius
Choose the right size mower/engine, balancing your primary grass mowing need with other anticipated purposes. Know where you will store it when it is not in use. A variety of mowing decks and blade(s) may match your needs, as well. Mowing decks come in different widths--the model in the video has a 42-inch wide deck with dual blades that cut a wide swath and require fewer passes to finish cutting the grass when your yard is large. (Yards that are the size of a postage stamp don't require such a mowing beast.) A tight turning radius allows for close U-turns and makes it easy to trim next to structures, garden beds or edging. Consider how far the mowing deck extends beyond the wheelbase, too--you may want to mow under fences while keeping the tractor housing away from the wire or along flower beds while keeping the wheels on firm ground away from tender plants. Your mower will typically come with a cutting blade, but additional blades offer some options, coming in cutting, thatching, mulching, high-lift, low-lift and varieties that are worth investigating. These blades can be sharpened by a reputable dealer when they lose their edge.

Consider Purchasing a Spreader Attachment
Consider purchasing a spreader attachment for your lawn tractor if you also count spreading grass seed, fertilizer, insecticide, or other material among your home improvement skills. The spin spreader in the video can hold up to 175 pounds of dry material to ameliorate your lawn and garden and make quick work of dispersing it. The spreader adjusts to control the application rate and is a pull-behind attachment that hooks quickly to the lawn tractor's towing hitch with a bolt and cotter pin.

Consider Buying an Aerator to Maintain Healthy Grass and Soil in Your Yard
Purchase aerator to use when your yard is heavy with clay or compacted soil to help it breath and stay healthy. The 40-inch 132-tine steel spike aerator in the video connects easily to the tractor's hitch with a bolt and cotter pin. Adding up to 100 pounds of weight on the aerator by stacking concrete blocks in the weight tray that is precisely the right dimension to hold them. This model will aerate up to 2-inches deep.

Apply Liquid Treatments with a Pull-Behind Sprayer
Spray liquid feeders and other treatments on your yard with a tow-behind sprayer/applicator for your lawn tractor. In the video, the sprayer has a 90-inch wide boom for dispersing liquid materials and also has an adjustable hand gun and wand extension with 18 feet of hose. The hand gun sprays up to 30 feet and can reach the tops of all but the tallest trees.

Shop for a Rear Bagger to Tidy Your Yard
Tidy your yard, especially when fall arrives and leaves litter the lawn, picking up clippings and other debris with a rear bagger on your riding lawn mower. The position behind the mower makes the bagger easy to use--add a set of mulching blades to the mower and you will have a world-class leaf collector. Dual collection containers inside are easily empted into the composter or collection bags as appropriate for your home and neighborhood.

Add a Utility Cart to Perform Dozens of Tasks
Add a utility cart behind the lawn tractor and you have a home hauling machine that is a smaller version of its namesake "tractor."Fill it with firewood, plants, or anything that you need to move from point A to Point B and save yourself a lot of back-breaking work. Bulk materials such as dirt, sand, or the play set ground cushion can be hauled from truck to garden and unloaded easily because the cart has a tilting box. Carry a load of manure from the barn to the compost heap or buckets of water from rain barrels to your thirsty plants. Scrub it out and carry grandma, the ham and potato salad, and chairs down to the creek for a picnic--the uses for a utility cart are almost endless.

Add Up the Advantages of a Snow Blower
Use a snow blower if your lawn tractor's manufacturer offers one. The dual stage snow blower in the video can clear snow from your driveway or a neighbor's in a matter of minutes. The forward-mounted snow blower has a low-speed auger and a second-stage blower that churn up the snow and airlift it out of the way whether it is deep, wet, or encrusted. If your teenager makes spending money mowing grass, he or she can earn more in the winter by clearing snow the easy way.