5 Of Home Depot's Most Affordable Zero-Turn Lawn Mowers
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Home Depot is frequently a key resource for home improvers looking for new tools and materials to handle all sorts of repairs and renovations. The same is true for the outlet's garden center. Landscaping tools and an abundance of plant life, soil amendments, and more can be found in the orange big box store's attached outdoor segment. There are lots of gardening tools at Home Depot that often fly under the radar, including things like steel tampers, lawn leveling rakes, and rolling seeders. But the lawn mower category is a particular strong point for Home Depot. While the outlet doesn't always offer the absolute best price for budget conscious buyers looking for a great mower, the sheer volume of grass cutters available in Home Depot stores is staggering, take it from someone who has spent plenty of time inside these facilities!
The peak performer in this category is without a doubt the zero-turn mower, not including specialty mowing tools to handle tall grass and brush buildup. This is a riding mower (although stand up options do exist), and it offers an extremely tight turning radius and very responsive controls that allow you to get the most out of the cutting implement. Professionals often reach for zero-turn mowers, but homeowners with tricky lawn or a lot of outdoor real estate might want one, too. These five models are some of Home Depot's best options for someone looking for a high quality zero-turn mower while also seeking to keep the budget for such an expensive tool within relative control.
Murray Cruz 19 Horsepower 42-Inch Zero-Turn Mower
One of Home Depot's least expensive models in the zero-turn arena is the Murray Cruz 19 Horsepower 42-Inch Zero-Turn Mower. The tool runs on a Briggs & Stratton 540cc engine and can deliver a top speed of 7 MPH via its Hydro-Gear dual hydrostatic drive. It features a 3.9 star average rating, but features a 4.2 star average as a product bundle with a mower cover. On its own, the tool has been rated by over 400 buyers, giving it plenty of solid feedback to support its value. This is also a one of the only mowers in its category priced below the $3,000 mark, and the highest rated of this group (with a $2,899 list price).
The mower is rated for use with lawns ranging up to 3 acres, and features a single lever height adjustment to make locking in the perfect cut height simple. The control space includes some quality of life features like a cup holder, phone holder, and an adjustable high back seat for added comfort. It also runs on wide rear tires that offer enhanced traction when going up or down sloped areas as well as an anti-scalp deck to protect your lawn in the event that you're cutting across bumpy segments. The mower offers a minimum cut height of 1 inch and is backed by a 3-year limited warranty.
Troy-Bilt Mustang 22 Horsepower 42-Inch Zero-Turn Mower
Priced at $3,299, the Troy-Bilt Mustang 22 Horsepower 42-Inch Zero-Turn Mower features an enlarged 3.5 gallon gas tank that offers coverage for up to 4 acres of cutting needs across yards characterized as flat or slightly hilly. It operates with a dual hydrostatic transmission to produce solid zero-turn performance and fast cut times. The stamped steel deck is robust and the mower includes anti-scalp wheels to keep the blade from digging into the grass when hitting spots with variable heights. This mower is underpinned by a 725cc two-cylinder Kohler engine. It offers a low vibration ride that makes for a smoother cutting experience and a more comfortable operation.
The mower's 2-inch tubular frame is also purpose-built to absorb impacts and keep the mower cutting at its full potential, even in challenging environments or across difficult terrain. It runs with an electric PTO that operates the cutting blades, and it can support towable attachments to the mower for more versatile functionality, as well. It features a lifetime limited warranty covering the frame and 3 years of limited coverage for everything else.
John Deere 20 Horsepower 42-Inch Zero-Turn Mower
John Deere is a name with instant brand recognition, even within households that have never owned a tool from the maker. Because of its prominence in the professional agricultural space, it might be easy to write off the brand as an expensive or premium option that won't suit a residential user, even one with needs that extend up into the zero-turn market. However, the John Deere 20 Horsepower 42-Inch Zero-Turn Mower is actually one of Home Depot's more affordable models, retailing for $3,399 at the home improvement shop. The tool's large frame makes it something that may not fit well in a smaller garage, but this is rarely going to be an issue that impacts a lawn mower owner looking for cutting capabilities that extend over acres rather than square footage. This model features a 1-inch minimum cutting height with built in height adjustments operated by a foot lift ranging from 1.25 to 4.5 inches. The mower runs on a John Deere V-Twin engine and dual EZT transmissions to produce a 7 MPH top speed and fast cutting capability across 1 to 2 acres of total landscape.
The tool's high back seat makes for a more comfortable ride as you traverse the yard, and it features color coded controls that offer an easier time managing the mower, especially for those just making the jump into the zero-turn environment for the first time. The zero-turn cutting tool also includes an integrated parking brake that activates when the steering levers are raised. It's backed by a 3-year/200-hour warranty policy, but you'll need to register after purchasing to activate the coverage.
Cub Cadet Ultima Z2 21.5 Horsepower 42-Inch Zero-Turn Riding Mower
Another high powered option for lawn maintainers looking for a great tool at a relatively low price is the Cub Cadet Ultima Z2 21.5 Horsepower 42-Inch Zero-Turn Riding Mower. It has been rated highly by over 4,000 Home Depot buyers and sports one of the highest average rating scores on this list. The tool is the most expensive gas model included, however, retailing for $3,599. For that cost, you'll get a tool that offers upgraded capabilities over the simplest options across the spectrum, however. It's underpinned by a 726cc V-Twin Kawasaki FR series engine, as well as a 2x2 tubular steel frame that's designed to handle intense loads and plenty of curveballs that the yard's geometry might throw your way. It also includes a 3.5 gallon tank that allows the mower to tackle yards with slight hills as well as sizes that range up to 4 acres.
The tool's 20-inch high back seat is one of the larger options in this roundup, too, making for improved comfort in addition to the tool's top end performance specs. Significantly large back wheels produce reliable driving power even on wet terrain, allowing this to be a cutting tool or makeshift lawn tractor to handle other jobs even when mowing isn't the first priority. The foot control raises the deck's cut height in quarter-inch increments, ranging from 1 to 4.5 inches in height. The mower includes a 3-year, no hour limit warranty as well as a lifetime limited warranty on both the deck and frame.
Ryobi 80V HP 42-Inch Electric Zero-Turn Mower Kit
There are tons of outdoor power tools in the Ryobi catalog, including a solid number of lawn mowers. At the pinnacle of Ryobi's offering however, is naturally a zero-turn model. The Ryobi 80V HP 42-Inch Electric Zero-Turn Mower Kit is an all-electric option that does completely away with the gasoline fuel source that powers traditional mowers in this category. There are significantly more gas-powered models to consider when it comes to zero-turn tools, but this selection can be a major swing toward a new way of handling yard work. The kit comes with two 14.0Ah batteries, a charger, and the mower itself, bundled together for $3,999. That's a bit of a jump over the other competitors on this list, but Home Depot is also bundling a 500-pound tow-behind utility dump cart from Ryobi with the tool until September 9, 2026. This is listed at a $279 price, immediately placing the total purchase in a new light. Shipping with the batteries is also a big deal, allowing you to completely do away with logistical concerns over maintaining a fuel reserve to keep the mower operating.
With its included batteries, the mower can handle up to 2 acres of cutting capacity, with extended runtime in eco mode boosting this further. The mower also produces the equivalent of 25 horsepower engine, making it the most powerful model on this list. It's backed by a 5-year warranty and service policy, giving the tool a significant lifetime of utility, too. It can tow up to 250 pounds of equipment or material via front and rear 2-inch square hitches, and offers quarter-inch height adjustments to lock in the cutting deck for a cut height ranging from 1 to 4.5 inches.
Methodology
The zero-turn lawn mower segment is a particularly limited one, and these five tools are some of the least expensive options at Home Depot while also garnering good-to-great user feedback. Each of these features substantiation from owners to support their value, with most enjoying a 4.0 star average rating or better from at least 100 buyers, and the least expensive model included scoring a 3.9 star average but coming in at a price that's notably lower and therefore still deserving of recognition.