If you’ve decided it’s time to upgrade your mower, determining whether or not it will fit through your gate is a must. While the question seems simple, finding out the answer isn’t as cut and dry as you’d hope.
There are riding mowers that will fit through a gate, but unfortunately, not all will.
If the overall width of your lawn mower is wider than your gate opening, then clearly, it won’t fit. The only way to find the answer is to have the exact measurements of your gate and those of the riding mower.
Read on to find out all you need to know about whether or not a riding lawn mower will fit through a gate.
This post may include affiliate links. Purchases made through these links may provide a commission for us, at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
Follow all safety instructions provided in your equipment operator’s manual before diagnosing, repairing, or operating. Consult a professional if you don’t have the skills, or knowledge or are not in the condition to perform the repair safely.
Will a Riding Lawn Mower Fit in a Gate?
The average garden gate is usually about 3 to 4 feet, so you can’t get just any mower in there. There are a few things that could get in the way of your mower fitting, including:
- The mower deck is too large
- The wheelbase may be too wide
- The chute on the side might stick out too far
- Your gate is too small
If you can’t get it through because of the first two things, then ultimately, the problem is that your gate is too small, and you may need to look into having a bigger gate installed. You could potentially fix the problem with the chute sticking out, but that still depends on the size of your mower deck.
You should be able to lift it or take the chute off to make some space and to help squeeze it in there, but the mower deck can still be an issue though if it’s oversized.
Grab a tape measure to find the actual width of your gate opening as manufacturer gate specifications are not always accurate. Measure the widest part of the lawn mower to ensure it will fit through the gate.
Determining the Size of Your Mower
You could find riding mowers as small as 28-inch cutting lengths up to over 60-inch cut lengths. The deck cutting width is different from the actual deck width so make sure that you check the deck width when checking dimensions, not just the cutting width.
How Big of a Lawn Mower Do You Need?
Lawnmowers come in various sizes to choose from. It’s best to choose based on the size of your yard. Find out more about lawn mower sizes and features in “Choose the Best Lawn Mower for Your Yard Size“.
| YARD SIZE | LAWN MOWER TYPE | DECK SIZE |
| Less than 1 acre | Push Mower, Self Propelled Walk Behind, Small Format Riding Mower | 18″ – 36″ Deck Width |
| 1 to 3 acres | Riding Mower, Zero Turn | 36″ – 42″ Deck Width |
| 3 to 4 acres | Riding Mower, Zero Turn | 42″ – 54″ Deck Width |
| 4 acres and more | Zero Turn Mower | 60″ – 72″ Deck Width |
If your yard is under 1 acre, then you might just look into having a push mower instead of a riding lawn mower. A riding mower is a good choice for a yard under 1 acre when you are not physically able to push a lawn mower or you are looking for a lawn mower option that has less impact on your body.
Adjusting Your Gate to Fit a Riding Lawn Mower
You could only do a couple of things about your gate.
- Remove the gate and hinges on a chain-link fence for extra room
- Remove the chain links from the posts to open up a space to drive through
- Replace the fence and add a bigger gate
Now obviously, having your fence or gate removed and replaced would cost quite a bit of extra money. But if that means having the mower of your dreams, it might be worth it.
Removing the chain-link grid from its posts will be a lot more work to do, but it will open up much more space for you to get that mower that you want through.
What to do if the Mower Still Won’t Fit?
Unfortunately, this may be the case for the lawn mower that you’re trying to get. If this is the case, you could:
- Look into smaller mowers.
- Use a push or self-propelled walk behind lawn mower.
- Look into a yard trimmer.
- Take apart your gate.
- Have a larger gate installed.
You may have to have some of the fence taken down to make a larger gateway. You could remove the gate and hinges off of a chain-link fence to add a couple more inches if that’s all you need, or you could go with a smaller mower that you may not have wanted.
Using a walk-behind lawn mower with a deck size of 30″ or less will work well for a yard that is less than 1 acre in size.
If you have a yard size greater than 1 acre, you may want to seriously consider modifying your gate to fit a lawn mower with a larger deck size. The deck size will cut down on the time you need to take out of your week to mow your lawn.
Can You Put a Lawn Mower in a Trunk?
A riding mower definitely won’t fit, but a normal push mower will. If it’s brand new and still in the box, then you should just be able to put it in. If it’s been used, you might want to clean it but besides that, just fold the handle down, and you could lift it in.
Most new push mowers and self-propelled lawn mowers come with a foldable handle to make your lawn mower compact for storage and if you need to transport it.
You may need two people to lift the mower, but it should just go right into most trunks. If you can’t close your trunk all the way, you can just strap it closed for the ride.
How Can You Transport a Riding Lawn Mower?
So you’re going with something smaller, or you found out that the mower you want will fit through your residential gate. Congratulations on the new purchase! There are two ways you could transport your new addition to your lawn care arsenal.
- Trailer
- Truck
A trailer will be easier to load, but just a truck and ramps will still get the job done.
How do You Load a Mower on a Trailer?
To load the mower on a trailer, you need to:
- Park your trailer
- Lay down your ramps or gate
- Pull the mower up the ramps
- Strap down the mower to the trailer so it won’t move
- Raise your trailer ramps and gates and make sure they are in a locked position.
Using a trailer will be the easiest way to transport the mower. You don’t even have to have a truck as long as your vehicle has a tow hitch to pull a small light utility trailer.
How do You Load a Mower on a Truck?
On a truck, it’s pretty much the same process, but you might need to have angled ramps or even pull up to a sloped area because of the low clearance and steeper incline. You need to:
- Park your truck
- Lay down ramps from the ground to the back of your truck bed
- Move your mower into the back of the truck bed
- Remove the ramps
- Strap down lawn mower so it doesn’t shift during transport
It’s a bit more tedious to get the mower on and off a truck bed, but you have to do what you have to do with the tools you have.
In Summary
So now you know you won’t get just any mower to fit through your gate, but you have some information that you could use to help you find one that will fit or even be able to work that special mower you want in there with a bit of extra work or hopefully not, money.
Before you buy, make sure you do your research! Know what size gate openings you have and know the dimensions of the lawnmower if there is a concern for space.