The Husqvarna MZ61 Briggs & Stratton riding lawn mower boasts a lot of power with a sixty one-inch deck and twenty-seven HPs. The mower itself is made out of eleven gauge stainless steel and features a reinforced bottom for improved durability. Considered a semi-commercial model, this mower can easily handle maintaining larger properties and heavy daily use.
Our Verdict: The Husqvarna is a pro-quality, powerful riding lawn mower that’s designed for commercial or home use. It can easily handle larger properties without breaking a sweat. However, for smaller yards, this model is definitely overkill. Powerful, equipped with large pneumatic tires and a zero turn capability, this is a riding lawn mower that is designed to last and one that can easily withstand heavy daily use.
Read on to learn more about Husqvarna’s top-selling model, what makes it tick, and what impressive features it has to offer.
Table of Contents
Overview and Features
This mower comes with greasable aluminum spindles that can easily be accessed in two different locations. The mower’s side chute is made out of tough plastic, while the deck offers twelve different height settings that you can easily change via the foot pedal. The mower’s control panel is located on the right-hand side of the seat and includes an hour meter. Buyers will love the built-in cup holder and the thick seat complete with armrests.
Product Rating:
- Zero turn
- Large deck
- Low vibration and reduced noise
- Variety of height settings
- Pneumatic tires
Transmission
The mower’s hydrostatic gear transmission is a commercial quality hydro gear model that allows the mower to reach speeds up to eight and a half miles per hour.
Maneuverability
This is a zero turn mower that will allow you to handle tight turns as you navigate around obstacles, and mow around trees and bushes. This mower is best suited for larger yards, commercial properties, and farms. It comes equipped with a five-gallon gas tank, so you won’t have to stop to refuel when you’re mowing a large property.
Deck
The large sixty-one-inch cutting deck provides a huge cutting path, which is just one of the reasons this model is a great choice for larger properties.
Power
The Briggs and Stratton Endurance V-twin engine offers an impressive twenty-seven HPs.
Wheels
The six-inch wide castor wheels help the mower to easily climb hills, maneuver around obstacles, and handle even wet surfaces, with ease.
Reliable Startup
The chokeless start makes it easy to power up the mower with the turn of a key, regardless of whether it’s too cold or hot outside.
Cutting Quality
The durable steel deck can contain or mulch clippings, which is a great option if you want to fertilize your lawn or get rid of yard debris. The front pneumatic long life wheels easily go over terrain, while the mower’s removable foot pan allows you to easily access the spindles and the deck-belt pulleys, which will make maintenance much easier.
Chassis Design
Riders will be impressed with the mower’s oversized chassis, in addition to the large front and rear tires. Combined, this makes for a high-quality, powerful mower that’s easy to use and ride. Additionally, when you’re sitting at the control center, you can make fast and easy adjustments. The deck lifting system is ergonomically designed and provides a very precise cutting height adjustment option for a perfectly manicured lawn.
Advantages and Disadvantages
Pros
- Zero turn
- Large deck
- Low vibration and reduced noise
- Variety of height settings
- Pneumatic tires
Cons
- No fuel gauge
- Can scalp a lawn at top speeds
Performance
This zero turn riding lawn mower is the perfect buy if you need a reliable model that can handle lawn maintenance for several acres of property. It’s highly efficient and able to easily handle four or five acres of property in as little as an hour. The included seat is thickly padded and helps to minimize vibration. Additionally, vibration is also reduced thanks to the padded dual levers, even when the mower is operating at top speed.
The mower’s six-inch caster wheels have serious gripping power and won’t slip on flat land. But because all mowers can spin and tear up a lawn, the key to using this mower correctly is knowing the right speed to use, even if you’re on flat land.
Overall, this is obviously a mower that was designed with comfort, productivity, and performance in mind. Users will find the controls simple and well laid out. The mower’s durable steel frame combined with the hydraulic system is nothing short of impressive. This is a great mower for both hilly and flat terrain. It can easily fly up a hill but it can slide down slopes if the surface is wet. If you’re going to negotiate steep hills, make sure you do so in a lower gear in order to prevent the mower from tearing up the terrain.
Related Questions
Is This Mower High Maintenance?
No mower is perfect. You may notice that the mower tends to leave lines on the yard, even when you’re not actively mowing. Additionally, the deck can easily get mucked up with clippings. If you notice this, make sure you clean it promptly in order to prevent clogging the blades. For some, this model may be too high maintenance. Before use, make sure you read the user’s manual from cover to cover. The section dedicated to care and maintenance will explain how often the mower will require a tune-up or an oil change. To learn more about how riding lawn mowers work, click here to read our buyer’s guide.
Is This Mower Beginner-friendly?
If you’re new to driving a riding lawn mower, then the dual levers and steering wheel may take some getting used to. Since both parts of the motor determine the steering and speed, you may struggle with turning too quickly. The dual levers will allow you to easily power around obstacles and across ditches.
When you first use the mower, make sure you go slow, especially if you’ve never used a zero turn mower before. It can take some getting used to in order to fully gauge how the wheels operate on difficult terrain. If this model is simply overkill for your smaller property, we recommend the Husqvarna LTH1738 Hydrostatic Gas Riding Lawn Mower, which is designed for small to medium-sized yards.
Conclusion and Rating
Product Rating:
This Husqvarna riding lawn mower is fast, powerful, and built tough. It’s designed for both pro and home use for larger properties, features a zero turn design for ultimate durability and comes equipped with large six-inch pneumatic tires. Overall, this is one tough mower you can rely on for use around the home or on the job. We gave this model a rating of four and a half out of five stars.