Husqvarna YTH23V48-CA Review

(Rated: 4.3 / 5) Review by Frank Lowery
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Balance And Handling
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When you own a fairly large property and you have a lot of grass that you have to keep looking good, a walk behind mower probably will not help you get the job done efficiently and quickly enough. Instead, you are going to want a riding mower. These machines allow you to mow your lawn a lot faster than a walk behind mower can for a couple of reasons. Not only are they able to drive at speeds that are a bit faster than what you could get with a walk behind mower, they are also able to support cutting decks that are significantly wider than those found on walk behind mowers.

The Husqvarna YTH23V48-CA has a massive 48 inch wide cutting deck. That’s a full four feet wide, and it will allow you to get bigger jobs done in fewer passes, which means you can finish more quickly and be back to enjoying the weekend with your family. And it has a top forward speed of 5.2 miles per hour. While that is not exactly the speediest lawn mower I have reviewed, it is still more than fast enough to allow you to finish the job in less time. The cutting deck has three blades and innovative air induction technology, both of which will help you get a clean, professional looking cut every time you use it. And the cutting deck and drive system are supported by a Briggs & Stratton Intek series engine, which is one of the better ones available for riding lawn tractors today.

Review Summary

The Husqvarna YTH23V48-CA is a riding lawn tractor that has a 48 inch wide cutting deck with three cutting blades made of durable steel. The cutting deck features an innovative air induction technology, which is designed to improve airflow inside the cutting deck so that grass blades are pulled up to their full height before they are cut. This provides for a much cleaner cut than other riding lawn tractors can provide. And instead of needing several slices to cut through grass, which can leave it looking tattered and uneven, the Husqvarna YTH23V48-CA slices right through grass blades the first time. This is better for the health of the lawn and leaves it looking and feeling its best.

The Husqvarna YTH23V48-CA is powered by a best in its class, Briggs & Stratton Intek series engine. The engine is 727 cubic centimeters and provides a full 23 horsepower to the tractor. It is a V-twin two cylinder engine that is designed to need less maintenance while still providing the kind of reliable power you need for consistent, quality performance. And the engine on the Husqvarna YTH23V48-CA produces fewer emissions than other models. It is specifically designed to be compliant with California Air Resources Board regulations, so you can use this lawn tractor regardless of what state you live in.

The Husqvarna YTH23V48-CA has three grass clippings management options, including side discharge, collection in a rear bag for later disposal or composting, and a mulching option. The mulching option does require a blade change, however. There are a few other minor drawbacks associated with the Husqvarna YTH23V48-CA. It may occasionally struggle to deliver a clean cut to wetter grass, and it does not always provide a good cut to rural, pasture varieties of grass. It has fairly large overall dimensions, which may present issues with storage or maneuvering in tight spaces. I will cover all of these issues as well as discuss particular areas where the Husqvarna YTH23V48-CA really shines in the Pros & Cons section below.

I will also provide a detailed product specifications table that will compare the Husqvarna YTH23V48-CA to two other similar lawn tractors so you can get a better idea of how it stacks up against the competition, and discuss how its pricing compares to the general market.

Specifications

The Husqvarna YTH23V48-CA is a gas powered riding lawn tractor with overall dimensions of 69.2 x 59.7 x 41.4 inches. It has a best in class Briggs & Stratton Intek series engine that is 727 cubic centimeters and provides 23 HP to the tractor. The engine is designed to provide reliable performance over the long term without requiring a lot of extra maintenance. The mower has a hydrostatic transmission that is designed by Tuff Torq to provide smooth transition between speeds as well as from forward to reverse. The lawn tractor has a top forward speed of 5.2 mph and a top reverse speed of 2.9 mph, and can cut grass even while moving in reverse. The gas tank on the lawn tractor holds three gallons when it is full, which is more than enough to finish even bigger jobs without needing to be refilled. It has an electric key start and a backup manual recoil starter as well.

Husqvarna YTH23V48-CA has a 48 inch wide cutting deck, which is the kind of big cutting swath you want on a riding tractor to help you get the job done more quickly and efficiently. The cutting deck has three steel blades and features innovative air induction technology. This improves air flow within the cutting deck to ensure that grass blades are standing fully straight when they are cut. There are three grass clippings management options included in the initial purchase price: side discharge, bagging for later disposal or composting, and mulch. The drive system is lever operated. There are six height adjustment options between 1 1/2 and 4 inches. The front wheels are 15 x 6 inches and the rear wheels are 20 x 8 inches. The mower weighs 476 pounds. It comes with a 3 year consumer warranty.

Description

The Husqvarna YTH23V48-CA is a gas powered riding lawn tractor equipped with a powerful engine manufactured by Briggs & Stratton. The Briggs & Stratton engine on this model is compliant with California Air Resources Board regulations regarding engine emissions, so you can use it anywhere in the United States. And fewer emissions mean the engine will be more fuel efficient and you will not have smelly fumes in your yard when you are done cutting the grass. The engine is their Intek series, and it is 727 cubic centimeters and it provides 23 HP to the tractor. That is enough power to drive not only the tractor at a top forward speed of 5.2 mph and a top reverse speed of 2.9 mph, but also drive the three cutting blades on the 48 inch wide cutting deck.

48 inches – that’s four feet – is about as wide as it gets on residential grade riding lawn tractors. A wider cutting deck means you will be able to finish cutting your lawn in fewer passes, which will save you a lot of time and let you get back to enjoying your weekend and relaxing with your family, which in the end is what it’s all about. The cutting deck has innovative air induction technology. This design allows for improved air flow within the cutting deck so that grass blades stand up straighter as the tractor passes over them. That allows the three steel cutting blades to deliver a clean cut on the first pass so that your lawn looks like it was professionally manicured every time. The grass will not look tattered and it will feel much healthier as well.

The Husqvarna YTH23V48-CA comes with three grass clippings management options included in the initial purchase price, which is a definite advantage over many other lawn tractors in its class. All too often, manufacturers expect consumers to shell out thousands of dollars on riding lawn tractors but will not include basic additional accessories like grass clippings management options. On the Husqvarna YTH23V48-CA, you can use the side discharge to leave clippings in neat rows on your lawn, or collect clippings in a rear bag for later composting or disposal. Or you can mulch clippings into tiny pieces that will break down more quickly into the soil, releasing stored nutrients, nitrogen, and phosphorus to keep the lawn looking great without needing additional fertilizer. The mulching option does require you to change out the blades, however.

The Husqvarna YTH23V48-CA has six height adjustment options that range from 1.5 to 4 inches. And you can easily switch the cutting deck from one height to the next with a convenient lever located on the rear of the lawn tractor. That means it will not be difficult to make sure you are always cutting your lawn at a height that will keep it looking and feeling its best. Lawn care experts recommend that you never cut your grass shorter than 1/3 of its original height, and with the Husqvarna YTH23V48-CA you will never have a problem avoiding this.

The lawn tractor has overall dimensions of 69.2 x 59.7 x 41.4 inches. While this does not make it one of the biggest lawn tractors out there, it does put it on the larger side. This is in part due to the fact that it is supporting a cutting deck that is four feet wide, but at the same time, it could present minor issues for some users. A lawn tractor of this size could be a bit difficult to maneuver in tighter corners of the lawn, and it will not be the easiest machine to find storage space for in your garage.

The Husqvarna YTH23V48-CA has front wheels that are 15 inches tall by 6 inches wide and rear wheels that are 20 inches tall by 8 inches wide, and the tractor weighs 476 pounds. Along with its low center of gravity, these specs mean that it will be able to handle uneven or rough terrain without any problems. And it is equipped with anti-skid wheels on the cutting deck to make sure that when you do run over uneven patches, the blades will not wind up scalping the lawn.

The cockpit of the Husqvarna YTH23V48-CA is designed to be as comfortable and convenient to ride in as possible. The driver’s seat is padded and has a high seat back for added comfort and lumbar support. The seat is easily adjusted to support users of varying heights. The steering wheel is also padded and is angled to be ergonomic and convenient to use. And the cockpit is designed on an open, step through plan to make mounting and dismounting easy.

The Husqvarna YTH23V48-CA is priced competitively, and it comes with a limited two year consumer warranty.

Pros

When you have a fairly large lawn that needs a big mower to keep it looking great without forcing you to spend your whole weekend doing so, a riding lawn tractor is the obvious choice. The main reason consumers opt for these machines is because they have much wider cutting decks than walk behind lawn mowers and can get the job done much faster as a result. The Husqvarna YTH23V48-CA has one of the widest cutting decks you can get on a residential grade lawn mower. And the cutting deck as well as the drive system is powered by one of the best engines in its class, a Briggs & Stratton Intek series engine. The engine is more fuel efficient and produces fewer emissions, making it CARB compliant. The cutting deck on the Husqvarna YTH23V48-CA is designed with unique air induction technology, which provides better air flow and superior cuts to the lawn. And the lawn tractor has three grass management options included in the initial purchase price. Let’s take a look at each one of these pros in a bit more detail.

1. Super wide 48 inch cutting deck : 48 inches is a full four feet wide. That places the Husqvarna YTH23V48-CA at the high end of the spectrum for cutting deck width on residential grade lawn tractors, and I do not think you will be able to find one that is much bigger for a similar price. The cutting deck has three steel blades that provide clean cuts and need sharpening infrequently – I would not expect that you will have to sharpen them more than once every couple of years. The width of this deck will allow you to finish mowing your lawn in fewer passes, which simply put means less time spent on lawn chores. And less time spent cutting the grass is all the more time you can spend relaxing and enjoying your weekend with your family, which after all is what it’s all about.
2. Briggs & Stratton 727 cc Intek series engine : Briggs & Stratton is a leader in the engine manufacturing industry, and their Intek series engine is made with the kind of excellent design and high quality parts that keeps them there. At 727 cubic centimeters, the Intek series engine provides a full 23 HP to the Husqvarna YTH23V48-CA, which is an awful lot of power. The engine is a V-twin two cylinder model that is designed to require minimal maintenance to keep it running at optimal performance levels. The engine also has full pressure lubrication to keep it working smoothly, and an advanced debris management system to keep its fuel lines clear. It is designed with mechanical compression release for reliable starts every time. The Intek series engine will deliver quality performance to your lawn tractor over many years of use.
3. Reduced emissions and CARB compliant : Not only is the Briggs & Stratton Intek series engine powerful and reliable, it is also designed to be more environmentally friendly than other gas powered engines. That means that it will not only be more fuel efficient – which will save you a good deal of money over the long term – it will also produce fewer emissions. In fact, the engine produces so few emissions that it is compliant with California Air Resources Board emissions standards, which are some of the toughest in the United States. That means that you will be able to purchase and use this great lawn tractor no matter where in the nation you happen to live. It also means you will not have a lot of fumes and exhaust hanging around your yard after you are done cutting the lawn, which is better for your own health as well as the environment.
4. Three grass clippings management options included : It is not unusual for manufacturers of lawn tractors and other grass cutting machines to cut corners on accessories and bonus features when they are selling a new product. And all too often, the first accessories that are either sold separately or removed altogether are the extra grass clippings management options. Fortunately, on the Husqvarna YTH23V48-CA, all three are included in the initial purchase price. You can use the standard side discharge to leave grass clippings in neat rows on your lawn. Or you can attach the collection bag so that you can dispose of your grass clippings or add them to your compost pile. Finally, you can opt to mulch your grass clippings into tiny pieces that will break down into the soil more quickly, releasing nitrogen, phosphorus, and other important nutrients into the soil and keeping your lawn looking and feeling its best.
5. Air induction technology for improved cutting : Not only does the cutting deck on the Husqvarna YTH23V48-CA have three powerful steel blades that have rotary tip speeds that are extremely fast, which ensures the grass will be sliced through cleanly on the first pass, it also has a unique air induction system. This allows for improved air flow on the cutting deck, which means the blades of grass will be pulled up to their full height as the lawn tractor passes over them. Because of that, they will be cut more evenly, and you will have a clean, professional looking cut every time you mow your lawn. Not only does this look better, since the grass will not be tattered or ragged looking, but it will be much better for the lawn’s overall health. Grass that is cut more cleanly will be able to recover much more quickly and remain verdant and beautiful.

Any one of these great features taken by itself would immediately put the Husqvarna YTH23V48-CA head and shoulders above almost all of its competition, and taken together they make this one of the better riding lawn tractors on the market today. The super wide cutting deck, combined with the top forward speed of 5.2 mph, allows you to finish cutting your lawn much more quickly than you could with a smaller, slower lawn tractor, and that means you will be back to enjoying the weekend and relaxing with your family all that much sooner. And because it’s CARB compliant, you can enjoy the power of a gas riding tractor without worrying about the amount of emissions you are putting out when you use it. All told, these pros make this an excellent lawn care machine.

Cons

There are a few areas where the Husqvarna YTH23V48-CA may present minor issues to its owners. The main ones are the fact that it might get bogged down if you are using it to cut wetter grass, and the fact that it can struggle somewhat to cut rural pasture grasses. Most suburban lawns are not planted with this kind of grass, so this should not present a problem for the majority of readers, but it is still important to be aware of it if you do have pasture grass on your property. In part because of its huge cutting deck width, the Husqvarna YTH23V48-CA is a rather large riding tractor, which could present some minor logistical issues. It will need its owner to be mechanically inclined enough to do occasional light maintenance on the engine. And while the mulching option is convenient, you should be aware that it requires a blade change before you can use it. Let’s look at each of these cons in turn.

1. May get bogged down in wetter grass : In spite of the fact that the Husqvarna YTH23V48-CA has a cutting deck that is designed to have excellent air flow and provide cleaner cuts to the lawn, if you attempt to mow your lawn after it rains, you may encounter problems. The cutting deck may not be able to handle wetter grass easily, and you may experience suboptimal performance under these circumstances. That said, this is not altogether uncommon for residential grade riding lawn tractors to have a difficult time with wetter grass, and in general it is not recommended that you cut your grass when it is wet anyway. Of course, you can always just wait a day or two for grass to dry out, but if you live in areas that experience consistent rainfall, such as the Pacific Northwest, this may not be a simple option for you.
2. May have trouble with rural pasture grasses : Certain varieties of pasture grasses, such as bromes and crab grass may present problems for the Husqvarna YTH23V48-CA. This issue is related to the fact that it does not handle wetter grass easily, and pasture grasses like these varieties tend to have higher water retention capacity than other grasses such as Kentucky bluegrass, fine fescues, or St. Augustine’s. The lawn tractor can handle any of these drier varieties without any problems, even the tougher ones, and these are the more common kind of grass found in suburban yards all over the United States. So for most of my readers, this con will probably not present an issue. But if you have a rural property that has pasture grass on it, you may want to think about upgrading to a more powerful zero turn mower rather than using a riding tractor such as this one.
3. The mower’s dimensions are fairly large : The overall dimensions of the Husqvarna YTH23V48-CA are 69.2 x 59.7 x 41.4 inches, which places it on the bigger side for riding lawn tractors. This is in part due to the fact that the tractor is supporting a massive 48 inch wide cutting deck, and you will have a hard time finding a lawn tractor with that size deck that is not fairly big. But this may present issue around maneuvering the lawn tractor in tighter spaces. You may also have a difficult time finding adequate storage space for this lawn tractor, especially if your garage is like mine and already chock full of gardening and lawn care tools. So while I would not recommend against buying this tractor based on its size, you should be prepared for the fact that it is a big machine.
4. Some maintenance is required to keep it running well : As with any other lawn mower or tractor that has a combustion engine, you will have to occasionally do some light maintenance to keep it running at its highest level of performance. That means you will have to change the occasional spark plug, replace air filters, change the oil periodically, and even clear a clogged fuel line now and again. None of these tasks is particularly difficult on its own, and there should be no reason why you are not able to learn how to do them pretty quickly. But I do think it is important to know what you are getting into with one of these machines, especially if this is the first lawn tractor you will own. Fortunately, there are plenty of resources online that can teach you how to take care of your lawn tractor.
5. Requires a blade change for mulching : While it is a great feature that the Husqvarna YTH23V48-CA comes with three grass clippings management options included in the initial purchase price, if you want to use it to mulch your lawn, be prepared for a little extra work. Many lawn tractors that offer a mulching option just have a plug you attach to the cutting deck. But on the Husqvarna YTH23V48-CA you will have to swap out the cutting blades for mulching blades. This is not especially difficult, but it does require you to get under the cutting deck and fiddle around for a while. If you will always either use or ignore the mulching option, you only have to do this once, or not at all. But if you want to periodically mulch, be prepared to be swapping out the blades every time.

Taking all of these drawbacks into consideration, I really do not think any one of them presents the kind of red flag that would lower my overall opinion of this lawn tractor. While it may not handle wet grass very well, that is a common issue for riding lawn tractors, and not one that I consider to be especially problematic. If you have pasture grasses in your property, you may want to consider other lawn tractors, but at the same time you will be hard pressed to find one that is designed better than the Husqvarna YTH23V48-CA. The fact that it is a big machine is something that tends to come with the territory when you are shopping for a lawn tractor with an extra wide cutting deck, and hopefully you will be able to find enough room for it in your garage, because the advantage of the wide deck outweighs the drawback of finding storage space for it. And light maintenance is part of owning a machine with a combustion engine; upkeep on the Husqvarna YTH23V48-CA is not terribly difficult.

Product Comparison

I always encourage my readers to be shrewd consumers when it comes to buying new gardening equipment and lawn care products. One of the best ways to make sure you are getting the right product for your needs is to do some comparison shopping before you make up your mind. That way, you not only get a good idea of how a particular machine stacks up compared to similar models made by its competitors, but you also get a really clear picture of the overall state of the market. By doing this, you can really get a good idea of not only what you need for your yard and garden but also which options and product specifications are most important to you. To help you do this quickly, I have selected two other lawn tractors that are comparable to the Husqvarna YTH23V48-CA: the Poulan Pro PB17542LT and the Weed Eater WE-ONE. Let’s take a look.

	Husqvarna YTH23V48-CA	Poulan Pro PB17542LT	Weed Eater WE-ONE
Dimensions	69.2 x 59.7 x 41.4 inches	72.8 x 34.5 x 45.1 inches	60.8 x 31.0 x 35.2 inches
Power	Gas	Gas	Gas
Engine Manufacturer	Briggs & Stratton	Briggs & Stratton	Briggs & Stratton
Engine Specs	Intek 727-cc Engine	Intek 500-cc Engine	875 OHV 190-cc Engine
Transmission	Tuff Torq	Tuff Torq	N/A
Transmission Type	Hydrostatic	Hydrostatic	N/A
Gas Tank	3.00 Galons	1.50 Galons	0.30 Galons
Starter	Key	Key	Key
Deck Size (cutting swath)	48-inch	42-inch	26-inch
Number of Blades	3	2	1
Mulch/Bag/Discharge	Mulch, bag, and discharge	Side discharge	Side discharge
Drive System	Lever-operated	Lever-operated	Lever-operated
Max Speed	5.2 mph forward 2.9 mph reverse	5.1 mph forward 1.6 mph reverse	3.8 mph forward 1.1 mph reverse
Height Adjustment	Single lever (6 positions)	Single lever (6 positions)	Single lever (4 positions)
Height Settings	1-1/2- to 4-inch	1-1/2- to 4-inch	1-1/2- to 4-inch
Wheel Size	15×6-inch front 20×8-inch rear	15×6-inch front 20×8-inch rear	10-inch front 13-inch rear
Weight	476 pounds	500 pounds	196 pounds
Warranty	3 years	2 years	2 years

As you can see, all three lawn tractors are equipped with Briggs & Stratton engines, although the Weed Eater’s is not an Intek series engine, and it is considerably smaller than either of the other lawn tractors. The Weed Eater has a friction disk drive system while both of the other lawn tractors have hydrostatic transmissions manufactured by Tuff Torq. Hydrostatic transmissions are designed to provide a smoother transition from one speed to the next. The Husqvarna YTH23V48-CA has the widest cutting deck of the three tractors, at 48 inches, and it has more cutting blades than either of the other tractors. The Husqvarna is also the only model to offer three grass clippings management options in the initial purchase price. And it has the fastest forward and reverse top speeds of the three.

Conclusion

The Husqvarna YTH23V48-CA is a quality lawn tractor that provides a lot of excellent features for its owner. Not only does it have one of the widest cutting decks you can get on a residential lawn tractor, it is also powered by a best in class Briggs & Stratton Intek series engine that is 727 cubic centimeters and can provide 23 HP to the tractor. The engine is designed to be fuel efficient and produce fewer emissions, so it is also compliant with California Air Resources Board regulations. That means you can buy it no matter what state you live in, and you’ll save money on fuel costs. The mower conveniently has three grass clippings management options included, and its cutting deck has innovative air induction technology so that you can be confident that you are always giving your lawn the best possible cut for its appearance and health.

Conclusion Pros

1. Super wide 48 inch cutting deck.
2. Briggs & Stratton 727 cc Intek series engine.
3. Reduced emissions and CARB compliant.
4. Three grass clippings management options included.
5. Air induction technology for improved cutting.

Any one of these pros on its own would be a great reason to buy the Husqvarna YTH23V48-CA, and taken together, they make this one of the better residential lawn tractors available on today’s market. Before we wrap up, I would like to take another look at the cons as well. I do not think that any of them are serious enough to outweigh all of these excellent features, but I do think it is important to get a complete picture of what a lawn tractor offers before you make up your mind about whether it is the right one for your yard. Certain cons are simply part of what you have to deal with to keep a good lawn tractor working well, but a few of them may mean that this one is not precisely the right fit for your needs. Let’s revisit the cons briefly.

Conclusion Cons

1. May get bogged down in wetter grass.
2. May have trouble with rural pasture grasses.
3. The mower’s dimensions are fairly large.
4. Some maintenance is required to keep it running well.
5. Requires a blade change for mulching.

Even with its powerful engine, three cutting blades and innovative air induction technology, the Husqvarna YTH23V48-CA’s cutting deck may get bogged down or even clogged if you are using it to cut your lawn shortly after it has rained. Of course, the simple solution is to allow your lawn to dry out before cutting it, but this might not always be an option. Certain types of pasture grass might present problems to this mower as well, especially if they are varieties that tend to retain water. The mower is by no means small, which could present issues around maneuvering in tight spaces or finding storage space for it. You will have to perform routine maintenance to keep it running well. And if you want to mulch your grass clippings, you will have to change out the blades on the cutting deck.

Final Word

All things considered, I have to say that the Husqvarna YTH23V48-CA is a very solid, well designed and well built riding lawn tractor. You will not have an easy time finding another lawn tractor that packs the kind of great features into it at a similar price. The Husqvarna YTH23V48-CA has a top of the line Briggs & Stratton 727 cc engine and a Tuff Torq hydrostatic transmission to provide reliable power and smooth transitioning between speeds or direction. Its cutting deck, at 48 inches, is one of the widest you can find on a residential lawn tractor, and it will help you finish cutting your lawn in fewer passes and less time.

The lawn tractor’s unique air induction technology allows for improved air flow on the cutting deck. That means that grass blades will be pulled up to their full height so that the three cutting blades can deliver a clean cut to them on the first pass. That way your lawn will be looking like it was cut by a professional and feeling great. While the Husqvarna YTH23V48-CA may have trouble with wet grass or certain varieties of pasture grass, it will provide excellent cuts on all varieties of suburban lawn grass and generally provide outstanding performance over the long term.

Best Price

The Husqvarna YTH23V48-CA has a price tag that places it in about the middle of the price range for riding lawn tractors. Considering the fact that it has a high performance Briggs & Stratton Intek series engine and one of the widest cutting decks you can find on a residential grade riding lawn tractor, the price is frankly quite competitive. Of course, this is a fairly big investment in terms of what most of us are used to spending on gardening or lawn care products, but this is one case where you are definitely getting your money’s worth. Along with its engine and cutting deck, the Husqvarna YTH23V48-CA has excellent bonus features like the innovative air induction technology and three grass clippings management options included in the initial purchase price.