The drives for these mowers are in several categories. The most common transmission
for tractors is a manual transmission. The second most common transmission type
is a form of continuously variable transmission called the hydrostatic transmission.
These transmissions take several forms, from pumps driving separate motors,
which may incorporate a gear reduction, to fully integrated units containing
a pump, motor and gear reduction. Hydrostatic transmissions are more expensive
than mechanical transmissions but they are easier to use and can transmit
greater torque to the wheels as compared to a typical mechanical transmission.
The least common drive type, and the most expensive, is electric.
There
have
been a number of attempts to replace hydrostatic transmissions
with a lower cost alternative, but these attempts, which include variable
belt types (e.g., MTD's Auto Drive) and toroidal, have various performance
or perception problems that has caused their market life to be short or their
market penetration to be limited.
Riding lawnmowers can often mount
other devices such as rototillers, snowplows, snowblowers, yard vacuums, occasionally
even front buckets or fork-lift tines.
|
