I have spent over 20 years on the bench at a small-town outdoor power equipment dealership in East Texas, and I have lost count of the mowers I have torn down that sat outside uncovered. The pattern is always the same: the owner swears the mower ran fine when it went into the shed, and by spring it needs a carburetor, a battery, or a wiring harness. A cover is the cheapest insurance you can buy for a zero turn, and the Tough Cover zero turn mower cover is the one I put on my own 54 inch mower at home. Here are 10 reasons to cover your zero turn mower, in the order I would explain them to a customer at the counter.
The cover I put on my own 54 inch zero turn
Tough Cover's 600D fabric fits decks up to 60 inches, and it has held up through two East Texas summers on my mower at home. Check today's price on Amazon.
Amazon Check Today's Price on Amazon →It keeps morning dew off the engine and deck
Dew is the quiet killer. Every morning from late spring through fall, my part of East Texas lays down a heavy dew, and a bare mower sitting outside is wet by 7 a.m. That water finds its way into the throttle linkage, the control cables, and the bare steel on the underside of the deck. A cover sheds that moisture before it ever touches the machine. It is the difference between a mower that starts on the first pull all season and one that needs the carburetor pulled in June.
It stops UV rays from baking the tires and seat
Texas sun will destroy a zero turn even when it never rains. UV rays crack the sidewalls on tires, fade the seat vinyl until it splits, and turn the dash plastic brittle. I have replaced more seat covers than I can count on mowers that lived in full sun. The Tough Cover blocks that UV load, and the fabric is dark enough that it does not show the grime that comes with sitting outside.
It keeps leaves, pine straw, and acorns out of the works
A zero turn parked under a tree is a magnet for falling debris. Leaves pack into the cooling fins on the engine, pine straw works its way into the belt area, and acorns roll down into the pulley covers. Every one of those is a small repair waiting to happen. A cover keeps the top of the machine clean, and a clean top means the cooling fins stay open and the belts stay free of grit.
It protects the wiring from birds and rodents
Birds love to nest in the open frame of a zero turn, and rodents love the warmth of the engine bay. I have seen wiring harnesses chewed clean through by mice, and I have pulled more than one nest out of a blower housing. The Tough Cover closes off the top of the machine, which is the main entry point for that kind of trouble. It is not a rodent-proof vault, but it removes the easiest invitation.
It keeps the seat dry so you can actually use the mower
A wet seat is not a small thing. If you have a zero turn, you know the seat is the first thing you touch, and a soaked seat means you are either waiting for it to dry or sitting in a puddle. The cover keeps the seat dry through a rainstorm, which means you can mow the moment the ground firms up instead of waiting on the seat. That matters more than most people think.
It keeps the battery from draining as fast
A battery that sits in the weather self-discharges faster than one that stays dry and shaded. The Tough Cover keeps rain and direct sun off the battery box, and it also keeps the terminals from corroding as quickly. I still tell customers to pull the battery or hook up a maintainer over the winter, but a cover stretches the time between charges and makes a dead battery in spring a lot less likely.
It keeps the deck from rusting into a solid sheet
The underside of a mower deck takes the worst abuse on the machine. Grass clippings hold moisture against bare steel, and if the deck is not cleaned and covered, that moisture turns into rust that eats through the shell. I have seen decks rusted so thin that a finger pushed through the metal. A cover keeps rain off the top, and if you also scrape the deck before you cover it, you have done more for that mower than any additive on the shelf.
It keeps the control levers and cables moving freely
Zero turn control levers are exposed to everything. Rain washes grease out of the pivot points, and grit works into the cable ends until the levers get stiff and sloppy. A cover keeps the worst of that off the levers and the cable ends. I still tell customers to hit the pivot points with a little light oil now and then, but a covered mower needs that attention a whole lot less often.
It keeps the fuel system from growing varnish and gum
Temperature swings make condensation form inside the fuel tank, and that moisture is what turns gasoline into varnish. A cover moderates the temperature swings on the tank and the carburetor, which slows the whole process down. It is not a substitute for running the fuel out or adding stabilizer before storage, but it is one more layer between your carburetor and a cleaning bill that runs a couple hundred dollars at most shops.
It keeps the mower looking like something you want to keep
This one sounds soft, but it is not. A mower that sits outside uncovered fades, rusts, and generally looks neglected, and a machine that looks neglected gets treated that way. The Tough Cover keeps the paint from fading, the decals from peeling, and the whole machine looking like it is worth maintaining. When a mower looks good, the owner checks the oil, cleans the deck, and catches small problems before they become big ones. That alone is worth the price of the cover.
What I'd Skip
If you keep your zero turn in a fully enclosed, climate-controlled shop, you do not need a cover. A cover is for mowers that live outside, under a carport, or in a shed that is open to the weather. If your mower is already under a solid roof with walls, the Tough Cover is a nice extra, but it is not doing the heavy lifting. I would also skip it if you are the kind of owner who mows every single day and never lets the machine sit long enough to collect dew. For everyone else, a cover is the cheapest maintenance part you will ever buy.
I have seen decks rusted so thin that a finger pushed through the metal. A cover is the cheapest insurance you can buy for a zero turn.
Put one on before the next rain
The Tough Cover fits decks up to 60 inches, which covers most residential zero turns, and it is the one I use on my own 54 inch mower at home. Check today's price on Amazon.
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