Murray Garden Tractors Guide

So, you’re thinking about getting one of the available models of Murray garden tractors. But how do you know what kind to buy, and what are the benefits of the different cutting decks, drives, and engines? Here’s a brief rundown on the kinds of garden tractors Murray has to offer, as well as some things you might want to think about during the purchase process.

Potential Tractor Tasks

Before looking into sizes and varieties, you’ll need to think about what kinds of jobs you expect your tractor to perform. If all you’re planning on doing with your tractor is mowing the lawn, you probably want a riding lawn tractor instead of a full-fledged garden tractor.

They’re somewhat less powerful than the garden tractors, which are actually designed to be strong enough to use with attachments: such as plows, snow blowers, tillers. Garden tractors have under-mounted rotary mowers, and often come with features such as hydraulic propulsion and power take-off abilities.

Also, you’ll need to think about the size of your lawn, since that will dictate the kind of tractor you want. Why? Cutting deck sizes vary, and Murray garden tractors come in 3 different sizes:

- 38/40” cutting deck: for half-acre to one acre lawns
- 42” cutting deck: for one acre to two acre lawns
- 46/52” cutting deck: for lawns two acres and above

If you don’t consider the size of cutting deck relative to your lawn size, you’ll be spending more time mowing your lawn than necessary.

Tractor Transmissions

Murray garden tractors come with three main choices of transmissions: manual gear, automatic, and hydro-automatic. The manual drive is similar to a standard vehicle – it makes use of a clutch to start, stop, or change to one of 5 or 6 speeds.

The automatic drive does just what it sounds like: ground speed is controlled through your foot pedal, once the tractor is shifted into motion. Hydro-automatic requires even less action – there is no shifting at all, even forward and reverse is controlled via a system of pedals.

The choice of transmission definitely falls under personal preference, and may also depend on your perceived comfort level when it comes to maneuverability. If you’d prefer a greater sense of control over the tractor, you’ll want a manual Murray tractor, but if you’d rather let the machine work for you, a hydro-automatic is the way to go.

Murray Tractor Engines

Murray garden tractors are built with several distinct engine features, in order to enhance their performance and functionality. The cast iron cylinder sleeve on all Murray engines is included to help extend the life of the engine, and its complete coverage actually helps the engine to withstand excess wear.

The overhead valve also helps to deliver a longer-lasting engine, and increases the amount of power that can be processed and improves the fuel consumption. In these days of high gas prices, even something like a fuel-efficient garden tractor can make a difference to the bottom line!

Finally, the Murray twin-V cylinder feature keeps the engine well balanced, allowing for a much smoother and quieter ride than with many other tractors. It is still wise to wear noise-canceling ear protection when operating any tractor equipment, but Murray engines will certainly reduce the amount of noise heard by others in the area.

photo by Sir Mildred Pierce -CreativeCommons Attribution