Consumer Reports has released its latest member survey results on riding mowers. According to the survey, nearly one-third of riding mowers either break or develop problems in the first 5 years of ownership. According to the report, 

"The most commonly reported problem among riding mowers has to do with the mower belt, affecting 14 percent of riding mowers," says Martin Lachter, a senior research associate at Consumer Reports. "The next most common problems are related to the engine and mower deck."

To help you find a reliable riding mower, Consumer Reports incorporates brand reliability and owner satisfaction into its Overall Scores for lawn mowers and tractors. The information is provided along with data collected during our extensive field testing, which covers everything from how well a mower cuts in three modes (mulching, bagging, and side-discharging) and its noise output at the user's ear and at 25 feet.

To calculate predicted reliability, we survey our members about the products they own and use the results to make projections about how new models from a given brand will hold up over time. Models from brands that rate Fair or Poor for predicted reliability aren't eligible for our recommended lists of products, regardless of their performance.

The latest report is based on 2018 and 2019 fall surveys, which included data on more than 18,000 riding mowers purchased between 2009 and 2019. Below are some of the results for two of the categories Consumer Reports ranked.

Lawn Tractors

John Deere – rated excellent for predicted reliability and owner satisfaction

Husqvarna – rated very good for reliability and owner satisfaction

Cub Cadet – rated good for reliability and very good for satisfaction

Simplicity – rated good for reliability and very good for satisfaction

Craftsman – rated good for reliability and satisfaction

Snapper – rated good for reliability and satisfaction

Troy-Bilt – rated good for reliability and satisfaction

Murray – rated poor for reliability

Poulan Pro – rated good for reliability and poor for satisfaction

Zero-Turn Mowers

John Deere – rated excellent for reliability and satisfaction

Ariens – rated very good for reliability and excellent for satisfaction

Toro – rated very good for reliability and excellent for satisfaction

Craftsman – rated very good for reliability and satisfaction

Cub Cadet – rated good for reliability and excellent for satisfaction

Troy-Bilt – rated good for reliability and excellent for satisfaction

Husqvarna – rated good for reliability and very good for satisfaction

Snapper – rated good for reliability and very good for satisfaction