Ariens Lawn Mower A19A42 Review

Small, yet powerful, the Ariens lawn mower A19A42 does not cost a whopping amount and is in fact one of the less expensive riding mowers in the market today. This Ariens lawn tractor with automatic front mounted engine hides underneath a 42 inch deck ideal for lawns greater than 1 acre. Briggs & Stratton 19 HP single cylinder engine provides the power to this machine while the pedal controls with automatic transmission helps with easy maneuverability. While most ride-on mowers have a large turning radius, like all Ariens Lawn Tractors, the A19A42 makes a tight 16 inch turn around any obstacle. Add to this the ability to mow in the reverse direction, it ensures you never end up making pivot holes in your lawn. Other exciting features of the Ariens 42 inch include dual blade arrangement, washout port for easy cleaning of the deck, ergonomic high back seat, total of 6 cutting positions and maximum speed of 5.2 mph.

Product Info:

  • Riding Lawn Mower
  • Lawn Tractor
  • 19HP, 540 cc single cylinder Briggs & Stratton engine

Features:

  • 42 inch cutting deck
  • Dual blade arrangement
  • 6 Height Positions
  • 16 inch Turning Ratio
  • Max. 5.2 mph forward speed
  • Weight: 408 lbs
  • 2-year warranty

Ariens IKON-XL 42" Zero Turn Mower 22hp Kohler Engine #915222

$4,199.00 in stock
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Last update was on: March 28, 2024 10:57 pm


In-Depth Review of the Ariens Lawn Mower A19A42

Ease of Use

For anyone who has never really driven a riding mower, this Ariens masterpiece will be an absolute charm. It isn’t the heaviest of the lot and the most powerful, but it has sufficient features to make mowing something that you never again procrastinate on. The mower comes with an innovative anti-vibration system (AVS) for smoother wholesome performance.

It is shipped fully assembled, so you only have to fill in the 1.5 gallon tank, add the necessary oils and lubricants, attach the steering wheel and get started. However, removing the mower from its massive packaging can take well over half an hour. The Ariens brand even made an instruction video on how best to uncrate the tractor.

Starting the mower is a simple case of locking the key in and pushing the start button, which makes it mighty easy, however because of the close proximity of the gas tank filter cap, you can’t refuel in the middle of mowing and restart immediately. I find 15 minutes of break more than enough to get back to my lawn.

The first time you depress the gas pedal, you may feel the engine non-responsive, but don’t push hard or else the tractor has a tendency to jerk into action. Best advice here is to gradually get the mower moving even if it strains a bit in the start. Same goes for the reverse direction. As for changing seat height, deck height, all the necessary controls are perfectly placed from the seat on either side. Coming to the ability to navigate slopes, this mower does well with medium inclination, but if you have steep hills, it can feel a bit underpowered up or light down the slope.

Driving speed is normal, not too fast and not too slow. Its forward speed is max. 5.2 mph and 2.9 mph en reverse. Both are controlled by the foot pedal.

Cut Quality

No doubt here, the Ariens lawn mower A19A42 can dice up your yard to just 1 inch or maintain a perfect 4.5 inch cover. Quality never drops even when you let your grass cover exceed 7 inches in height. This is predominantly because of the larger 20 inch hydraulic suspension mounted rear wheels that help maintain balance of the deck. Mulching needs you to manually add the necessary blade, which is not packaged along with the mower.

Height Adjustment

Ariens height Adjustment

You have got 6 height positions

Handy lever to the right of the driver lets you directly manipulate the deck height from 1 inch to 4.5 inch. You get a total of 6 positions, which is more than enough for any type of landscaping work. Unlike walk-behind mowers, with ride-on mowers you can mow at 1 inch height setting and not trample the roots or graze the top soil because of the balance of a tractor on four large wheels.

Motor Power

19 HP generated by the 540cc Briggs & Stratton engine is by no means the highest you will find in the market but it is more than ample for this Ariens lawn tractor with a 42 inch deck. The fact that this mower can reach 5.2 mph in the forward direction and an impressive 2.9 mph in the reverse direction speaks a lot about the engine in place. Besides Briggs & Stratton are known for manufacturing some of the most reliable tractor engines.

Maintenance

Remember that purchasing a large tractor mower entails with it a lot of maintenance. Unlike walk-behind mowers that don’t take time winterizing, a ride-on tractor takes time draining all the fuel and oil out and then winterizing it properly. You also have to keep it stored in a shed or under a cover when not in use to prevent rusting. Thankfully, this Ariens lawn mower features rust-proof welded steel frame so this should not be a problem later. The deck is easy to clean with a hose inlet that lets you directly push a pressure washer or garden hose into the inlet and blast the blade and underside of the deck clean. Besides, the seat itself happens to be pretty sturdy so nothing necessary there. All-in-all this ride-on mower needs less maintenance other than the usual that such large machines require.

Cost Effectiveness

Have a really large lawn? Don’t want to spend thousands of dollars on a massive tractor mower that you really don’t have the space to store? This Ariens tractor mower happens to be the cheapest of the entire line-up from Ariens and yet features a good engine with a large deck. Little regular maintenance necessary, excellent instruction booklet and user manual, great after purchase service all make it a good choice.


PROS:
  • Inexpensive, yet reliable mower
  • Perfect Cut
  • Easy to ride once you get the hang of it
  • 6 Height Positions

 

 

CONS:
  • Small engine
  • Mulching kit is not included

 

 

8.5
Total Score
Inexpensive and Reliable Tractor
When the best walk-behind mowers can cost near thousand dollars, why not pay a couple more hundred to get the Ariens lawn tractor mower A19A42? Easy to ride, absolute fun to landscape with and a breeze to maintain, this riding mower is perfect for the average property owner with a huge yard.
8Editor’s score
Ease of Use
8
Cut Quality
9
Height Adjustment
8
Motor Power
7
Maintenance
7.5
Cost Effectiveness
8.5
9User’s score
Ease of Use
7.3
Cut Quality
10
Height Adjustment
8.6
Motor Power
9.3
Maintenance
9
Cost Effectiveness
10

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General Info

Brand
ARIENS
Mower Type
Deck Size
42

Features

Mulching
Bag
Side-Discharge
BBC
Speed Control
Electric Start
CARB Compliant

Height Settings

Blades
Height Positions
Max. Height (inch)
Min. Height (inch)

Motor Info

Engine Brand
Motor Info
Max. Forward Speed (mph)
Max. Reverse Speed (mph)

Buyer Guarantee

1 Comment
  1. I bought my First Ariens Lawn Tractor back in 2013 when I was at my place with a Couple Acres right on a Stream, Wich was the back lot, needless to say I still have and ran the Machine to date, didn’t have alot of money but had a ton of Grass to Mow on what is deemed Wet Land? I Never Owned Such a Reliable, Durable Lawn Machine with minimal Maintenance Ever Needed! Change Oil, an Occasional Battery every two to three years Gas Up and Go! Love it 5**** All the way

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