How to Load Up Your Riding Lawn Mower

Operating a riding lawn mower is simple enough once you get the hang of it, but getting it from one property to the next presents a different challenge. Thankfully, ramps have made it easier to load and unload your mower, eliminating some of the downtime between lawns.

Step-By-Step Guide to Loading Your Riding Lawn Mower

Let’s walk through the process of loading up your riding lawn mower, step by step.

Step #1

First, check that your trailer has built-in ramps. If not, you’ll need to make your own from wood or purchase metal or aluminum ones from the store. Be sure to check the owner’s manual for your riding lawn mower for the precise weight. You’ll want ramps that can support more than the weight of your mower. If you are going to use homemade wooden ramps, don’t forget the metal bracket that attaches to the end, which will rest on the back of the trailer.

Step #2

Place the ramps from the ground to the back of your trailer, spacing them the same distance apart as the wheels on either side of your mower. Make sure they are securely in place before you even begin to load your mower onto the ramps and into the trailer. If you can, position your trailer down-slope from the mower, creating less of an incline.

Step #3

Raise the deck on your mower as high as possible, then line up the wheels with the ramps. You can either drive it up the ramps or push it. If you are driving it, keep the mower in a lower gear. If you are pushing it, turn the engine off but keep the transmission in neutral. You may want to recruit help pushing it so that the mower does not roll back on to you.

Step #4

Once loaded, engage the parking brake and secure the mower in place in the bed of your trailer. You can use two ratchet straps to keep the mower from moving during the drive. You will also want to slide the ramps into the bed of the trailer, as well, to help you unload the mower.

1. lawn mowers
2. residential