What is the quietest riding lawn mower?
The EGO ZT5207L is the quietest riding lawn mower we could verify, at 82.5 dB(A) at the operator's ear, K 3, in the European manual for its twin, the ZT5200E-L.
EGO pairs all four seat declarations below with a K of 3 dB(A):
- ZT5207L, 52 in. zero-turn: 82.5 dB(A)
- TR4204, 42 in. lawn tractor: 83.9 dB(A)
- ZT4204L, 42 in. zero-turn: 84.3 dB(A)
- ZT4205S, 42 in. zero-turn with steering wheel: 84.3 dB(A)
The whole spread is 1.8 dB, smaller than the K that EGO attaches to every figure. On EGO's own paperwork the four are level, and the order above is the order of the printed numbers, nothing firmer.
How loud is a riding lawn mower in decibels?
A battery riding mower from EGO declares 82.5 to 84.3 dB(A) for the seated rider, plus a guaranteed 100 dB(A) sound power. We found no gas riding mower with a declared figure.
Sound power describes the whole machine rather than the rider's seat. EGO's measured values run from 95.48 dB(A) for the 52 in. Z6 to 96.44 for both 42 in. Z6 models, with the T6 tractor at 95.72. Each European manual adds a guaranteed value of 100 dB(A), "measured according to 2000/14/EC", the EU outdoor noise directive.
The ear figures carry no named standard in EGO's manuals, so we compare them only with each other. Our guide to sound power and sound pressure explains why a 100 dB(A) power figure from a rider and an 84 dB(A) seat figure are not ranked together.
Is a lawn tractor quieter than a zero-turn mower?
No, EGO's T6 lawn tractor is not clearly quieter than its Z6 zero-turns: it declares 83.9 dB(A) at the ear, between the 52 in. Z6 at 82.5 and the 42 in. models at 84.3.
The tractor and the 42 in. zero-turns share a 42 in. deck and two blades, yet differ by 0.4 dB at the ear, far inside a K of 3. The choice between them rests on steering, towing and speed rather than noise.
The T6 has a steering wheel, tows up to 600 lbs and tops out at 6 mph. The Z6 turns in place and reaches 8 mph in travel mode, but its US manual limits towing to 250 lbs.
Is there a quiet gas riding mower?
No gas riding mower we checked has a maker noise figure, so none can be called the quietest gas rider on makers' evidence.
Husqvarna's US pages for its TS 120, TS 140X and TS 348XD tractors list "Sound pressure level at operators ear" and two sound power lines under a "Sound and noise" heading, with no values beside them. Its US zero-turn pages, such as the Z254, have no sound lines at all.
Toro's manual for the TimeCutter MR4275T and MR5075T, models 74691 and 74695, says the machine "produces sound levels in excess of 85 dBA at the operator's ear". That is a warning threshold rather than a measurement, so it is not set against EGO's values.
Cub Cadet's US pages for the XT1 LT42 tractor and Z1 42 zero-turn give no figure.
How do EGO's European riding mower models match the US ones?
EGO's European riding mowers match their US twins by model number: the European ZT4200E-L, ZT4200E-S, ZT5200E-L and TR4200E are the US ZT4200L, ZT4200S, ZT5200L and TR4200, which EGO sells as kits with batteries.
We set each European manual's specification table beside the US manual linked from EGO's US page. The 52 in. pair agree on deck, wheel sizes, tire pressures, top speed and the 217 kg weight. The 42 in. lap bar pair agree on deck, wheels, blade speeds and forward speeds, and differ by a kilogram.
Two pairs differ on blade speed. The US TR4200 manual says up to 3000 RPM where the European TR4200E says up to 2850, and the US ZT4200S says up to 3200 where the European table stops at 3000. Each European figure describes the machine EGO tested, which may not reach the US top blade speed.
Every European manual also lists cutting heights of 25 to 100 mm, where the US manuals give 1.5 to 4.5 in.
EGO's US site also sells newer Z6 kits, the ZT4214L, ZT4215S and ZT5216L. The ZT4214L page lists "More horsepower. More torque. Quieter." without a decibel figure or a machine it is compared with.
Its US manual covers a ZT4210L mower at 401 lbs, which matches no European manual we found, so these newer models are not ranked.
Do you need hearing protection on a riding mower?
Yes, EGO tells riders of all four mowers to wear hearing protection, in both its US and European manuals, even though they are its quietest declared riders.
The US manuals list "hearing protection" with safety glasses and footwear as protective equipment to wear. The European manuals say the user "should wear gloves and ear protectors in the actual conditions of use".
The lowest figure here, 82.5 dB(A), is taken at the operator's ear, where the rider sits for the whole mow. Our power tool noise and hearing page covers how exposure time adds to the risk.
