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I have moved to south Florida and my front yard is St. Augustine and need a small riding mower- bad knees- and would also need a small push mower to trip around the palm trees. There are so many out there I am writing and hoping to get a recommendation. Here it is always hot and the grass grows year around. Plus I am on a corner and have grass on the side to cut. I estimate about 4000 sq feet of grass total.
I'm guessing a neutral steer is same as zero turn radius and similar terms, in other words a highly maneuverable small riding mower. And you're going to need it too if your yard is that small. If maneuverable enough and maybe a couple changes in landscape as suggested you probably don't need a push mower. If you get a basic rider I think that will be frustrating as you'll be spending additional time trying to get it to move in ways that it can't easily do, lots of backing up, etc.
I think you might want to price the rider plus gas and maintenance vs someone coming to cut it for you. The latter shouldn't cost very much on 4000 sq ft. You'll be in for at bare minimum somewhere between 2-3 grand I think for a better mower and it just seems like a lot for such a small yard. But then again, it's Florida and I guess the grass grows all year. Maybe the payoff is still only a few years even if you do spend 3 grand. But find out how much the lawn service costs just to be sure. I am a recent veteran of doing some things myself without knowing how much it would have cost to have someone else do it, so I don't really know how much I've saved. I kinda wish I knew.
40' x 100' equivalent? No way would I use a rider on something that small. What you need is a roomba with a mower blade.
Hire it done or see if a neighbor might be willing to mow yours at the same time as theirs for something in trade.
They actually do make robotic mowers. If the yard is flat that might not be a bad option. And certainly a conversation starter. But probably still a little touchy and takes a fair bit of setup.
I've mowed a lot of grass in my life. For the size yard you have I would seriously look at hiring it done if the cost is not out of sight. Do you really need a riding mower for such a small area? Figure your initial costs and what it might cost to have it done. You'll have to do the regular oil changes, blade changes and the aggravation itself. What is your time worth?
If you get a riding mower I don't see the need for a push mower. I would instead get a good trimmer. Get a good brand like an Echo, Shindawai, Stihl or Redmax. The cheap ones should be taken out of the box and promptly deposited in the trash recepticle. They are junk.
I don't know if John Deere makes a small riding mower but they are really well designed. And if you do, see a John Deere dealer, not Home Depot or Lowe's. Those are not the same mowers. I sold mine when I moved here after eight years and took care of over 2 acres. Pretty much bullet-proof.
If you think you can make do with just a hand mower, as I think you probably can, I purchased a new Lawn Boy mulching mower last year that has been splendid and starts every time. Those are now made by Toro BTW. You can spend a ton of money on hand mowers but I got mine at Home Depot for about $180 after I talked them down as it was a "return" model. I guess the previous owner didn't know it was necessary to pull the rope to start it.
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But probably still a little touchy and takes a fair bit of setup.
