Mowing in Style

June 15, 2007 — -- If you haven't decided what to get Dad for Father's Day, here's a thought: How about a brand, spanking, new lawn mower?

In many ways a lawn mower is the perfect gift for the "manly" man. You can see him striding purposefully -- and often shirtlessly -- across the lawn, pushing his way toward the goal of a perfect yard. It's exhilarating. It's enlivening.

It's exhausting.

So you say Dad has been pushing that mower for decades and he seems less and less excited about it? How about a mower of the sit-down, ride-on variety?

There is no better place to peruse the lawn mower landscape than your local John Deere store, where all manner of sit-down mowers can be had -- for a price.

"Nightline" went to the John Deere proving ground and assembly plant in Horicon, Wis., by the majestic Rock River to try out some of the very best of the best. There, on a rolling greensward, Joe McDonald pointed us toward a shiny green and yellow X728.

"The list price is going to be in the mid-13s," he said. Mid-13s? "$13,500," he answered. And what do you get for such a handsome investment? In no particular order, the features include:

Tilt-steering, cruise control, a parking break, four-wheel drive, a hydraulic lift, an electronic fuel-injected engine, lights (front and back), an adjustable seat, a battery charger, heavy duty tires, a cupholder and a storage compartment.

There are probably a few more, but you get the idea.

The X728 can zip along at about eight and a half miles per hour. We tried out a couple with the company's Greg Weekes over the gently rolling landscape.

"Notice how even on these hills how comfortable this is?" he asked. Indeed it was easy riding. And Weekes conceded that part of the appeal is a "macho thing." "It's great to be the biggest, baddest guy on the block," he said with a laugh.

John Deere, which will sell its 5 millionth mower of any kind this year, says these luxury versions work best if you have a yard of about an acre and a half. Apartment dwellers eat your hearts out.