How to Haul a Riding Mower or Lawn Tractor With a Rented Trailer

The riding mower you just bought is sitting in the seller's driveway, and it has become clear that it is not going anywhere in the back of the SUV. The same realization hits when a rented mower needs to get to a big job, or when your own lawn tractor has to make the trip to the lake place or the repair shop. A riding mower is just big enough that it will not fit in a truck bed and just heavy enough that two people cannot lift it, which is why the first time most homeowners need to haul a riding mower with a trailer, the answer is a rented utility trailer. The haul is simple if you get three things right: a trailer with a ramp gate and enough deck, a careful drive up the ramp, and four straps at the frame. Here is how to do all three.

Which trailer to rent

A utility trailer with a ramp gate is the right call for a riding mower or lawn tractor, with a deck wide enough for the mower and long enough to leave room to strap it down. The whole point is to drive the mower on under its own power rather than lift it, and the fold-down rear gate is what makes that possible.

Check three dimensions against your mower. Deck width has to clear the mower's cutting deck and wheels with margin; most riding mowers and lawn tractors carry decks in the 42- to 54-inch range, so a 5- or 6-foot-wide trailer is the common fit. Deck length needs to let the mower sit centered over the axle with room for straps front and back. And payload should sit well above the machine's weight, which for riding mowers and lawn tractors commonly runs from a few hundred pounds to around 1,000 for a heavy garden tractor. A single-axle utility trailer covers most of them. Route the exact figures to your mower's spec sheet and the trailer listing. Read more about what size trailer you need for a zero-turn mower if you are hauling commercial equipment, and about why some trailers have two axles and others have one.

Bringing a purchase home

If you are picking up a mower you bought, confirm the trailer fits before you drive to the seller, and plan to load it where the ground is level. The seller's sloped driveway, with a mower you have never driven, is exactly where this goes wrong.

Ask the seller for the make and model ahead of time so you can check the deck width and weight against the trailer. Find out whether it runs, because a mower that will not start has to be pushed or winched up the ramp, and that changes how shallow the ramp needs to be and how many hands you bring. Pack your own ratchet straps, since a seller is not going to have them, and look the mower over before it goes on the trailer. Once it is home, the seller is not going to help you get it off, so make sure you understand the controls, the parking brake and the deck lift before you load it.

Moving a rented mower or taking yours somewhere

Moving a rented mower for a big job, or taking your own to a second property or a repair shop, is the same haul with one extra responsibility: either the machine is not yours to scratch, or it is yours and you want it back the way it left. The rules are the same, with a little more care.

For a rented mower, coordinate pickup and return with the owner, photograph its condition before you load it, and ask whether they want the fuel run down or left as is. For your own machine headed to a cabin or a shop, think about the return trip and whether you will need the trailer again on the way back, since a multi-day rental is often simpler than two separate ones. Read more about how trailer rental pickup and return works on a marketplace.

Load it up the ramp

Drive the mower up the ramp slowly and straight, in low gear, with the deck raised and the blades off, and have a spotter watch the wheels. A riding mower's low deck and short wheelbase mean the ramp angle matters more than the machine's weight does; a steep gate catches the deck or the front end before you reach the top.

Park the trailer on level ground and leave it hitched to the vehicle, so the tongue cannot lift when the mower's weight hits the gate. Chock the trailer wheels. Raise the mower deck all the way up so it clears the transition from ramp to deck, shift to the lowest gear, and drive straight up without stopping until the mower is centered over the trailer's axle. Then set the parking brake and shut it off. A very low mower or a rear-engine model sometimes loads better in reverse, so the heavy end leads. If the mower does not run, push it up a shallow ramp with plenty of help or use a winch; do not try to muscle a dead mower up a steep gate with two people, because that is how it comes back down on someone. Read more about how to load a trailer, step by step for the weight-placement side.

Tie it down at the frame

Strap the mower at four points to the trailer's rated tie-down rings, hooked to the frame or the axle, never to the deck, the steering wheel or the seat. Four ratchet straps pulling in opposite directions are what keep a mower from rolling, sliding or bouncing on the road.

Find the frame rails, the axle or the factory tie-down points on the mower, and run two straps forward and two straps back so it cannot move in either direction. Snug them until the tires compress slightly, which takes the bounce out of the ride without bending anything. Set the parking brake and leave the mower in gear or in park as a backup. Then check the straps after the first few miles, because the mower settles and the straps loosen early. Hooking a strap to the mower deck bends the deck, and hooking it to the steering wheel is how a front end gets pulled out of alignment. Read more about how to secure a load on a utility trailer.

Small things that save a mower

A few habits keep the mower from arriving dented and the trailer from coming back damaged, and most mower-hauling damage comes down to skipping one of them.

Lower the ramp gate carefully and latch it before you drive, since an unlatched gate drops at the first bump. Never tow with the deck lowered or the blades engaged. Throw a tarp over the seat and the engine if rain is in the forecast, because a soaked seat and a wet air filter are a bad start to mowing season. Take corners and bumps gently, since a mower bounces more than its weight suggests. And unload on level ground, backing the mower down slowly with the spotter watching the gate the same way they watched it going up.

What about insurance and damage protection?

Before towing a rented trailer, contact your auto insurance provider to ask whether your policy covers liability and towing-related damage claims.

Eligible rentals booked through Big Rentals also include Basic Rental Protection at checkout. This added protection can help limit your financial responsibility for certain damage or theft events during the rental period.

For full details on how Basic Rental Protection works, including deductibles, exclusions, and renter responsibilities, review our FAQ and platform terms.

The Short Version

• Rent a utility trailer with a ramp gate, wide enough for the mower deck (most are 42 to 54 inches) and rated well above the mower's weight
• For a purchase, confirm the fit and whether it runs before you drive to the seller, and bring your own straps
• For a rented mower or your own, photograph its condition and coordinate pickup and return with the owner
• Load on level ground with the trailer hitched and chocked, deck raised, low gear, straight up, spotter watching the wheels
• Strap at four points to the frame or axle, two forward and two back, never to the deck or steering wheel, and re-check after a few miles
• Latch the gate, tarp the seat in rain, drive gently, and unload on level ground

Browse utility trailer rentals near you.