Weed Eater WE-ONE Review

(Rated: 3.2 / 5) Review by Frank Lowery
Noise
Ease of Assembly
Maneuverability
Balance And Handling
Cut Quality
Check Price
Related pages: Best Lawn Mower, Best Riding Lawn Mower, Garden or Lawn Tractor Buying Guide, Lawn Mower Buying Guide, Lawn Mower Reviews, Riding Lawn Mower Reviews, Riding Mower Buying Guide, Weed Eater, Weed Eater Lawn Mowers,

If you are a homeowner with a large lawn to take care of – one that is more than a half an acre in area – the thought of cutting the lawn with a walk behind mower does not make a lot of sense. Walk behind mowers do not have the cutting deck width necessary to take care of that size job efficiently. And the idea of pushing a walk behind mower back and forth for up to an hour is not one any of us want to entertain. If this situation sounds familiar, then you are probably going to want to look for a riding mower. But riding mowers can often be priced at over two thousand dollars or more, and that kind of price tag can easily deter the homeowner who has a relatively tight home and garden budget.

The Weed Eater WE-ONE is a budget priced riding mower that is a step up from a walk behind mower. It is designed for homeowners who have a large property but do not want to invest in a full fledged lawn tractor or zero turn mower. This is a mini riding mower that is only 31 inches wide, and it has a fairly small engine and cutting deck as well. But it has enough power to eliminate the need for a walk behind mower, which will make the job of cutting a large lawn much easier and more comfortable. This mower is easy to store and transport and will cut your lawn without breaking your budget.

Review Summary

The Weed Eater WE-ONE is a great solution for large areas that have smooth, flat lawns. It is perfect for users who may not want or be able to operate a walk behind mower. Instead, you can ride in comfort while you are mowing your lawn, which means you won’t be too worn out after the job to enjoy the weekend and relax on the lawn with your friends and family. This mower is the first of its kind: it is an innovative breakthrough in compact personal riding mowers.

This machine has a 190 cubic centimeter engine manufactured by Briggs & Stratton, a leader in the industry. It provides a top forward speed of 3.8 mph and a top reverse speed of 1.1 mpg. The mower has a modest 26 inch cutting deck width. While that means it is on the smaller end of riding mower deck widths, and places it in a range more typically associated with walk behind mowers, it is still large enough to take care of medium sized jobs rather efficiently. It has a convenient fully electric start, so to get it going all you have to do is turn a key.

While you are using it, you will find that it has a number of convenient features designed to make sure you are riding in the utmost comfort while you are cutting your lawn. It has three speeds: the slowest is for edging, the medium speed is for cutting grass, and the fastest is for transporting it to or from the garage or tool shed. Once you have the Weed Eater WE-ONE in any of the three forward gears, simply release your foot from the clutch pedal and the cruise control will engage. This means you will be able to focus on making sure you give your lawn a perfect cut instead of concentrating on keeping your speed constant.

The Weed Eater WE-ONE is small enough to fit through the average yard gate, and it is easy to store without taking up too much space in your garage. It is competitively priced: it’s one of the few riding mowers you can find on the market today for less than $1200. Overall this is a great riding mower to start with if you have a medium sized property to take care of.

Specifications

The Weed Eater WE-ONE has a 26 inch cutting deck with a single blade and dimensions of 60.8 x 31.0 x 35.2 inches, and it only weighs 196 pounds, making it one of the smallest and lightest riding mowers available on the market today. It has a gas powered, Briggs & Stratton 875 OHV, 190cc engine with an electric key start. The engine supplies enough power for a top forward speed of 3.8 mph and a top reverse speed of 1.1 mph. Its gas tank holds a third of a gallon, enough for most medium sized lawn care jobs. It has a side discharge option for grass management, but there is also the option to purchase additional accessories for bagging or mulching. It has four height positions between 1.5 and 4 inches, and they are controlled by a single lever conveniently located within easy reach of the operator.

The Weed Eater WE-ONE has 10 inch front wheels and 13 inch rear wheels. Its lever operated drive system has three forward speed options: slow, for edging jobs, medium, for when you are cutting the lawn, and fast, for when you are transporting the mower to or from the garage. There is a convenient cruise control mechanism that automatically engages when you take your foot off of the clutch pedal. It has a deeper deck that is designed to improve airflow around the cutting blades so that you reduce the likelihood of scalping and get a uniform cut every time. The WE-ONE comes with a two year consumer warranty.

Description

The Weed Eater WE-ONE is a compact personal riding mower with a Briggs & Stratton 975 OHV Series 190cc engine. It has a gas tank that holds 0.3 gallons, enough for the majority of medium sized lawn care jobs, and it has a convenient electric start – all you have to do is turn a key. It has a friction disk transmission that provides maximum forward speed of 3.8 mph and a maximum reverse speed of 1.1 mph. The transmission provides for three forward speeds: the lowest speed is designed for edging and trimming, the medium speed is for cutting the lawn itself and the top speed is for transporting the mower conveniently from the garage or tool shed to the lawn and back again. The mower has a turning radius of thirty to forty inches. It has a padded foam seat for added comfort while mowing, and the seat folds down for easier storage in tight spaces.

The WE-ONE has a deck width of 26 inches with a single 3-inch blade engagement. The cutting blade is made of 13 gauge welded steel and is designed to stand up to the toughest grasses without being damaged. The mower has total dimensions of 60.8 x 31.0 x 35.2 inches, and it only weighs 196 pounds, making it one of the smallest and lightest riding mowers available on the market today. Its small size makes it easy to maneuver through the average sized garden gate, and storage is a breeze – you will hardly notice that it’s even in your garage or tool shed until you need to use it. The 26 inch cutting deck is on the small side for riding mowers, but it is large enough that you will be able to cut a medium sized lawn of about 1/4 to 1/2 an acre in well under an hour. That means you’ll be able to finish up your lawn care activities and be back to enjoying your weekend and relaxing with your family before you know it.

The mower features four height adjustment options between 1.5 and 4 inches, and they are easily adjusted using a single lever mounted within easy reach of the operator while the mower is in use. It is never recommended to cut your grass shorter than 1/3 of its initial height, and during the summer months it’s best to avoid cutting your lawn shorter than 2 – 3 inches. Cutting it any shorter can weaken the grass and make it more susceptible to disease creeping in, or weeds or crabgrass gaining a foothold. The WE-ONE provides enough easy to use cutting heights that you can always be certain you are providing the healthiest possible cut to your lawn.

The Weed Eater WE-ONE comes equipped with a single grass management option – side discharge – but there is the option to purchase additional accessories for mulching or bagging grass clippings. It has an ergonomically designed cockpit with a foam padded seat so you can cut the lawn while riding in comfort. The cutting deck is designed to be deeper than that of a walk behind mower or even those on many other riding mowers. This allows for improved airflow so that you can be sure you are getting a more even cut every time you use it.

The Weed Eater WE-ONE is one of the most competitively priced riding mowers for residential use on the market today. It is difficult to find a quality riding mower for less than $1500, and almost unheard of to find one that is consistently priced at under $1200. This means you can upgrade to a riding mower without blowing through your entire home and garden budget for the year. This is a great riding mower for homeowners with medium sized properties who have a lawn between 1/2 and 1/4 of an acre. This mower is perfect for those of us who are unable or unwilling to push a walk behind mower but who do not want a more expensive model. It provides the advantages of being able to mow your lawn in comfort, but it does not take up as much space as other riding mowers and it costs a fraction of what they do. Overall, this is a great riding mower to get started on.

Pros

There are plenty of reasons why a small, personal riding mower is a great choice if you have a medium sized property to take care of or if you do not want to deal with the hassles associated with operating a walk behind mower. Gas walk behind mowers typically require the user prime the engine before pulling a heavy starter cord. And electric walk behind mowers are either too heavy because of their batteries, or require you to deal with tangled extension cords. This riding mower starts up easily by simply turning a key. It is a great startup riding mower. It provides good cutting performance, is compact and lightweight for easy storage, it has a high quality Briggs & Stratton engine, it is easy for the novice or experienced user to operate, and it has an extremely affordable price tag. In this section I will discuss these pros in some more detail.

1. The mower provides good cutting performance : The 26 inch cutting deck is designed to be deeper than those that are on most walk behind mowers and even those on many other riding mowers. The deeper deck means that the airflow within the cutting deck is optimized so that the grass stands up to the cutting blade. The blade is made from durable 13 gauge steel so that along with the increased air flow, the mower will provide a uniform, professional looking cut your lawn every time you use it. In addition the mower has 4 cutting height options from 1.5 to 4 inches, so you will be able to provide the best possible cut to maintain your lawn’s health and beauty year round.
2. Compact and lightweight for easy storage and transport : The Weed Eater WE-ONE has total dimensions of 60.8 x 31.0 x 35.2 inches, and it weighs only 196 pounds. This makes it one of the most compact and lightweight riding mowers available on the market today. With these dimensions, it can easily fit through the average garden gate or trellis, so you will not have any problems maneuvering it in or out of your yard. It also means that this mower will be very easy to store in any garage or tool shed. You will barely even notice that it is there until you need to use it. And if you need to transport it from one location to another, I can easily fit into the bed of any pickup truck.
3. High quality Briggs & Stratton engine : The Weed Eater WE-ONE is equipped with a Briggs & Stratton 875 OHV Series 190cc engine that provides a lot of power to the mower. Briggs & Stratton is a leading manufacturer in the industry, and you can rest assured that your WE-ONE has one of the best engines available for personal riding mowers today. In addition, this mower has a friction disk transmission that along with the engine provides a top forward speed of 3.8 mph and a top reverse speed of 1.1 mph. There are three forward speeds: slow for edging and trimming after a job, medium for cutting the lawn, and fast for moving the mower in or out of the garage. In addition, there is a convenient automatic cruise control that engages as soon as you take your foot off the clutch pedal.
4. The mower is easy for anyone to operate : The Weed Eater WE-ONE is a great machine for anyone to get started using riding mowers with, and in part that is because it is so easy to operate. The mower is compact and the controls are easy to use. The mower is controlled using a conventional steering wheel. The cutting height is easily adjusted with a single lever that is conveniently located within easy reach of the operator. You can shift between speeds using a combination of a clutch pedal and a hand operated lever. And once you have set the mower to the desired speed, simply releasing the clutch pedal engages the cruise control, so you can concentrate on giving your lawn an even, neat cut instead of focusing on holding the speed steady. All of these features combine to make the WE-ONE one of the easiest riding mowers to operate, and it is easy to see why it’s such a great mower for beginners to purchase.
5. Affordable price tag : It is not easy to find a quality riding mower for less than $1500, and it is extremely rare to find one that is priced at less than $1200. The Weed Eater WE-ONE has one of the most affordable price tags of any riding mower on the market today. Of course, it is not as big or powerful as some of the other riding mowers that are out there. But then again, if you are only using it for moderately sized residential properties – about 1/4 to 1/2 of an acre – then you probably do not need one of the big, expensive riding mowers that are out there. A moderately sized riding mower like the WE-ONE provides all of the comfort of using a riding mower without forcing you to spend your entire home and garden budget to get one. The price is extremely attractive.

All told, the Weed Eater WE-ONE is a great compact personal use riding mower. It is designed to consistently provide quality cutting performance, and it has a deeper cutting deck to ensure that it is always giving your lawn an even cut with a professional looking finish. The mower is much more compact and lightweight than other riding mowers, which means it will be easy to transport in a regular pickup truck, and it will not take up too much room in your garage or tool shed. It is equipped with a powerful engine that is manufactured by Briggs & Stratton – one of the leading manufacturers of engines and engine components in the industry, so you know it is a quality piece of machinery. The WE-ONE is extremely easy to operate, whether it is your first time using a riding mower or you have been using them for years. And it has an extremely competitive price tag, so you can rest easy that buying it will not put too much stress on your wallet. All of these features make the Weed Eater WE-ONE one of the best small personal use riding mowers available to homeowners today. It is perfect for people who want to upgrade from a walk behind mower to a riding mower, but who are not yet ready for a bigger, more expensive model.

Cons

While the Weed Eater WE-ONE does have many great qualities that make it an excellent starter riding mower, there are certain drawbacks to purchasing this kind of mower, as well as this model in particular. It is important to me that my readers understand both the pros and cons of what different mowers have to offer. I think that if you do not have a complete understanding of all of the ins and outs of a lawn mower, you will not be properly equipped to make the best choice. And when you are spending over a thousand dollars on a tool, you want to make sure that you are getting the right tool for the job. Drawbacks associated with the WE-ONE include the fact that it does not do well on large lawns or uneven terrain; it only has one grass clippings management option included in the initial purchase price; it lacks a towing capability; it has a wide turning radius; and it is not particularly durable. I will discuss all of these cons in further detail below.

1. The mower is not well suited for very large lawns or uneven, hilly terrain : Because it has such a relatively small cutting deck size as far as riding mowers go, the Weed Eater WE-ONE is not well suited for cutting lawns that are larger than 1/2 an acre in size. Frankly, I would not recommend this mower for lawns that are 1/2 an acre, either, as it will take a long time to finish the job due to the small deck size. So if you own a very large property, I recommend you look for a bigger riding mower. The WE-ONE is also not suited for uneven terrain or hilly areas. It has a high center of gravity, and the engine is not powerful enough to provide the kind of torque necessary for negotiating steep inclines. This mower is best suited for medium sized, flat areas with even terrain. If that sounds like your yard, then this may be just the riding mower for you. But if you do have hills or sloping ground on your property, or if your property has a lawn that is 1/2 an acre or more in size, this mower probably won’t cut it.
2. The mower only has one grass clippings management option : Let’s face it: budget mowers are just that, and they are not going to have the kinds of accessories you can take for granted on more expensive models. Often the first thing to go is the grass management option. On the Weed Eater WE-ONE, you do have the option to purchase a mulching accessory and rear bagging assembly separately. But because they are not included in the initial purchase price, they should be considered hidden costs when you are comparison shopping this model with other mowers. If you are satisfied with simply discharging your clippings out the side of the mower and raking or sweeping them up (or even leaving them on the lawn) then the lack of grass clippings management accessories should not pose a problem. But if you do want extra options for mulching or bagging your clippings, you should be prepared to spend a couple hundred dollars more to get them.
3. There is no tow hitch or other garden accessories : One of the major advantages of larger riding mowers is the fact that they have the power necessary to tow small loads in a rear trailer. They are typically equipped with a tow hitch for that reason. Unfortunately, because it is designed as a personal riding mower, the Weed Eater WE-ONE does not have a powerful enough engine to support towing heavy loads, and so the manufacturer decided to forgo the tow hitch option altogether. Additionally, unlike other lawn tractors, which are designed to do many different gardening and landscaping jobs, the WE-ONE does not have any additional accessories. It is simply designed to cut the grass, and nothing else. Of course, if that is all you are looking for in your riding mower, then this will not be a problem. But if you are looking for a more versatile lawn tractor, you may need something else.
4. The mower has a rather wide turning radius : The turning radius on the Weed Eater WE-ONE is between 30 and 40 inches. That is a pretty wide turn. What this means is that you will not be able to maneuver the mower easily in tight corners or turn around small obstacles such as trees or garden beds very well. It also means that you will not be able to easily overlap from one cutting row to the next, and you may have to double back in some cases. This is a drawback that is associated with many lawn tractors, but the turning radius on the WE-ONE is particularly wide, in part because its deck size is so small compared to the mower’s length. If you have a wide, flat lawn without many obstacles, then he turning radius should be quite manageable; if not, this mower may prove to be frustrating to operate.
5. The mower is not particularly durable : Like every other budget lawn mower on the market today, the Weed Eater WE-ONE is made of stamped parts, down to the axle. More expensive mowers are typically made of fabricated and welded steel parts, which are consistently much more durable and last a lot longer. The fact that this one is made of stamped parts means that it will be prone to breaking down or getting worn out sooner than more expensive mowers. This is especially true if you are using it on a regular basis to cut tougher or denser strains of grass such as St Augustine’s or Bermuda grass. If you are using it instead to occasionally cut finer grasses like fine fescue or Kentucky bluegrass, then its craftsmanship will not be as much as an issue.

Now, taking all of that into consideration, it is best to look at the limitations of this mower in terms of what it is designed to do. This is not designed to be used professionally or on residential properties that have more than a half an acre of grass to cut. It also is not designed to be put through lots of wear and tear, or used on hilly or uneven terrain. What it is designed to do is provide an affordable upgrade from a simple walk behind mower to a riding mower. It is best for small or medium sized lawns that are flat and do not have too many obstacles such as trees or garden beds. If you are simply looking for a basic, small riding mower so that you can cut the grass in relative comfort, then none of the cons are egregious enough that this mower wouldn’t get my recommendation. But if you are looking for a mower that can cut a bigger lawn or do tougher jobs, you may need something different.

Product Comparison

To help you get a good idea of how the Weed Eater WE-ONE stacks up to its competition, I have provided a product comparison chart. In it, you can see how a compact riding mower like this one compares to bigger, more expensive lawn tractors. The Husqvarna YTH2042 and the Poulan PO17542LT are typically sized lawn tractors that fall into a slightly higher range of pricing than the WE-ONE does, but they also offer considerably more power and much larger cutting deck widths. They are both several hundred dollars more expensive than the WE-ONE, and they are also designed to handle bigger properties. Let’s take a look and see how they compare to one another.

	Weed Eater WE-ONE	Husqvarna YTH2042	Poulan PO17542LT
Dimensions	60.8 x 31.0 x 35.2 inches	69.2 x 49.0 x 41.4 inches	72.8 x 34.5 x 45.1 inches
Power	Gas	Gas	Gas
Engine Manufacturer	Briggs & Stratton	Briggs & Stratton	Briggs & Stratton
Engine Specs	875 OHV 190-cc Engine	Intek 540-cc Engine	PowerBuilt 500-cc Engine
Transmission	N/A	Tuff Torq	Peerless
Transmission Type	N/A	Hydrostatic	Manual
Gas Tank	0.30 Galons	2.50 Galons	1.50 Galons
Starter	Key	Key	Key
Deck Size (cutting swath)	26-inch	42-inch	42-inch
Number of Blades	1	2	2
Mulch/Bag/Discharge	Side discharge	Mulch, bag, and discharge	Side discharge
Drive System	Lever-operated	Lever-operated	Lever-operated
Max Speed	3.8 mph forward 1.1 mph reverse	5.2 mph forward 2.9 mph reverse	5.5 mph forward 1.7 mph reverse
Height Adjustment	Single lever (4 positions)	Single lever (6 positions)	Single lever (6 positions)
Height Settings	1-1/2- to 4-inch	1-1/2- to 4-inch	1-1/2- to 4-inch
Wheel Size	10-inch front 13-inch rear	15×6-inch front 20×8-inch rear	15×6-inch front 20×8-inch rear
Weight	196 pounds	419 pounds	385 pounds
Warranty	2 years	3 years	2 years

As you can see, the Weed Eater WE-ONE is the smallest of the three mowers, with dimensions of 60.8 x 31.0 x 35.2 inches. That means it will be much easier to store in your garage or tool shed than the other two mowers. All three models have a Briggs & Stratton engine, but the WE-ONE’s is the smallest, at only 190 cubic centimeters, whereas both the Poulan and the Husqvarna are at least 500ccs. The other mowers are superior to the WE-ONE in almost every other category. They have cutting deck widths that are sixteen inches wider than the WE-ONE’s; they both go faster in forward and reverse; they have bigger wheels; and they have more cutting height options. The main area where the Weed Eater outshines the other two mowers is in price: it is about three to four hundred dollars cheaper than either of them. Of course, you may not want all of that extra size and power if you are just looking for an introductory riding mower for a relatively small yard, in which case the extra money in your pocket is definitely a good thing.

Conclusion

If you no longer want to deal with the hassle of a walk behind mower, and you are looking to upgrade slightly to a riding mower, but you are not interested in spending a lot of money or getting a huge lawn tractor, the Weed Eater WE-ONE may be just the thing you are looking for. This mini riding mower is only 31 inches wide, which means it will be easy to store, and it has an adequately sized cutting deck to deal efficiently with lawns up to 1/2 an acre in size. It has a number of great features that make it an attractive beginner riding mower, and if what it has to offer suits your needs, it could be the perfect riding mower at a great price. Let’s take another look at the pros and cons of this mower.

Conclusion Pros

1. Provides good cutting performance.
2. Compact and lightweight for easy storage and transport.
3. High quality Briggs & Stratton engine.
4. Easy for anyone to operate.
5. Affordable price tag.

Each of these features help to make the Weed Eater WE-ONE a great riding mower for the homeowner with a moderately sized lawn. It consistently provides good cutting performance, thanks in part to the deep cutting deck. This allows for better air circulation around the cutting blades for a more even, professional looking cut. It is compact and weighs a mere 196 pounds, which means it will be easy to store and transport. It boasts an engine designed by Briggs & Stratton, one of the leaders in the industry, so you can count on its performance. This riding mower is very easy to operate and even someone who has never used a riding mower will quickly get the hang of it. And above all, it has an extremely affordable price tag.

Conclusion Cons

1. Not suited for large lawns or uneven, hilly terrain.
2. Only one grass clippings management option.
3. No tow hitch or other garden accessories.
4. It has a wide turning radius.
5. Not the most durable riding mower on the market.

It is important to understand that this mower is not designed to handle very big jobs or do the kind of work that is often associated with other lawn tractors. Some may see these as drawbacks to this mower, especially because taking care of big jobs and providing lots of accessories is something riding mowers are often known for. But the Weed Eater WE-ONE is designed with one thing in mind: making the chore of cutting a moderately sized lawn easier and more comfortable. If that is all you are looking for in a new riding mower, then this may still be the one for you. The fact that it does not have a lot of bells and whistles helps keep the price of this mower low, and if you are looking to save money and do not need a very powerful lawn tractor, then I do not think any of these cons are a good reason to walk away altogether.

Final Word

You may be at the point in your lawn care life where you no longer want to wrangle a walk behind mower all over your lawn, but at the same time you do not want to spend a lot of money on a riding mower that will have a huge deck size but also take up a lot of extra space in your garage. If that is the case, then the Weed Eater WE-ONE may be just the mower for you. While it does not have a cutting deck that is much wider than what you would find on your typical walk behind mower, it is compact, lightweight and affordably priced. This is a great riding mower for homeowners who have lawns smaller than 1/2 an acre but who do not want to use a walk behind mower to cut them.

The Weed Eater WE-ONE provides many of the advantages of a bigger riding tractor, and first among these is comfort. It is ergonomically designed to make sure the user is enjoying the most comfortable experience possible. This mower takes all of the hassle and discomfort of pushing a walk behind mower around the yard. And it does so at a price that is very competitive. All things considered, this is a great mower for people with smaller lawns who want to sit while they mow, and do so in comfort.

Best Price

As I have mentioned several times in this review, the Weed Eater WE-ONE is a budget riding mower. That means, on the one hand, that it will not have some of the features more expensive riding mowers offer: for example it has a rather small deck size, it can’t handle jobs bigger than 1/2 an acre, and it does not have a powerful enough engine to support towing cargo. But on the other hand, it is designed to be extremely affordable. And it is. This is one of the few riding mowers you can find on the market today that is priced at less than $1200. That is an extremely low price range for riding mowers, and you can be sure if you buy this one that you won’t have to worry about killing your wallet or your gardening budget for the year.