Last Modified on Jan 5, 2023

How To Load A Riding Lawn Mower Into A Truck - Complete Step By Step Guide

load riding lawn mower into a truck

Have you ever watched or experienced a lawn mower wheelie while loading them into a truck? Most people don't know the correct technique of loading a riding lawn mower into a truck, so if you are one of those and don't know about it, this how to load a riding lawn mower into a truck guide for you.

Did you know that an average riding lawn mower weight is close to 485 pounds? This means riding lawn mowers are heavy machines, so you need to be aware before loading them on a truck. Otherwise, you get some serious injury if this falls on you while you load them.

Honestly, loading a riding mower into a truck is not a very difficult job. You just need to follow some simple steps like buying a perfect ramp, attach them with the truck's tailgate, set the mower in low gear, and come upon the truck bed.

Still, many people avoid or maybe afraid of doing this loading.

But you don’t have to worry because we already discussed here how you can load these heavy machines with a ramp or without a ramp and much more. So without wasting your time, let’s get started.


Step By Step Guide To Load A Riding Lawn Mower Into A Truck


Step 1: Secure The Truck

First, you need to place your pickup truck on a flat surface. Then lower the tailgate and turn on the parking brakes of your truck. Flat surfaces provide stability, lower tailgates help keep the ramp-up, and parking breaks help avoid newton’s 3rd law.


Step 2: Buy The Perfect Ramp

A ramp is an essential tool that helps to load your mower into a truck securely. First, make sure that your ramp is strong enough to take the weight of your mower. And also wide enough to fit the mower wheel on the center of the ramp. If you use two ramps, then set them correctly, adjust with the mower wheels wide, or you can use a wide enough ramp.


Step 3: Set The Ramp

Now place the ramp attached with the end of the tailgate. And don’t forget to use tie-down straps or safety harnesses that come with the ramp kit. Now set and connect the ramp with straps by following the manufacturer's details.

These straps will help to avoid sliding while you and your mower move forward on the ramp. So this way, you can make riding lawn mower ramps for your truck.


Step 4: Move The Mower

When you are confident about everything is OK, clean, and well attached. Then set your mower in low gear and drive to move forward upon the ramp carefully. Keep in mind, don’t stop at this stage. Otherwise, you may fall back before starting again.

However, you can take someone's help to push your mower from behind to avoid rolling. So this way, you can fit your riding lawn mower in a pickup truck.


Step 5: Final Work

When you come up at the truck bed, simply park the mower at the side, remove the ramp, and raise the truck's tailgate. Remember that tie-down strap adjustment depends on different types of truck models and equipment.


*Note Some Important points

  • Before purchasing a ramp, first, measure your lawn mower weight.
  • Try to buy metal ramps.
  • Riding lawn mowers' desks are very low in height from the ground. So they are not very suitable for low incline ramps. That’s why you need to buy less steep incline ramps to avoid the damaged tailgate.
  • Try to buy longer ramps to balance properly with the center of gravity.
  • If you use arched loading ramps, which help to avoid touching the tip of the tailgate of your truck with the mower deck, the curve of these ramps is very helpful to solve this problem.
  • As we mentioned, try to buy wide ramps for better support and balance.
  • While you go up on the ramp with a steady speed, make sure you don’t hit the truck bed end edge for over speed.
  • Make a gap between your mower and truck bed edge for better traveling and transport. This gap helps to avoid rubbing the bed edge. And you can get a free space to walk behind the mower on your truck.
  • Lastly, if you want to load a lawn into a moving truck, just empty your drain and gasoline.
  • Without a ramp, you need to pull this loading mower by your hand into the truck.


FAQs


Can you jack up a riding lawn mower?

Yes, you can jack up a riding lawn mower. For that, you need a floor jack or bottle jack and place it under the mower front axle. Now raise the jack and lift the front tire until it goes enough height so that you can rotate the tire with your hand.


Can you transport a lawn mower in a car?

Yes, you can transport a lawn mower in a car if you secure the mower on a car or truck bed. Moreover, you can place the mower in a box to avoid rubbing your mower and car while driving it.


Will a 48'' mower fit in my truck?

Yes, when a 48" mower will fit in a 48" opening gate. On average time the gate is 36", 42", or 48", so you need space for the hinges and latch, which gives another 1-3" large space for the opening.


Can you jump-start a riding lawn mower with a truck?

Yes, you can. For that, you need a 12-volt mower battery that is strong enough to handle a jumpstart with a car. However, we don’t recommend anyone to do this type of work. But if you want, then buy a riding lawn mower that contains a powerful battery.


How do you tie down a riding lawn mower on a trailer?

The best option is to follow your manufacturer’s instructions, and if you want to know, then these are the answers. First, Turn off your mower engine by removing the spark plug. Then set the strap with the mower axle and safe it to the corners of the trailer. Now just Repeat the systems with the straps that go in four corners. Check the strength of all straps and also check that if any loose ends you missed.


Conclusion

So these are some best tips about how to load a riding lawn mower into a truck. Always remember, invest in high-quality, strong, and metal ramps to take the weight both of you and your mower. And also, keep in mind that tie-down placement needs to be perfect and accurate to avoid any injury or damage to your expensive mower.

So we recommend following the manufacturer’s instructions to take the best result. And don’t forget to set low gear on your mower and turn the truck brakes on. If you follow these guidelines step by step, then everything will work comfortably and clean.

I hope this article will help you stop doing wheelies while you go middle of the ramp. Now go for the loading and make your journey safe and hustle free.





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