36" zero turn or walkbehind 36"?

[shrekwhatley]

Hey Guys this site is awesome. I am in the planning stage of my business and looking to get the best equipment without getting more than I really need. I am considering the new z-cat 36 from Scag as well as a Gravely 36. These are both zero turn riders. I also am considering quick 36 or ex mark walk-behind. I have used only homeowner equip. in the past but this time I plan on getting equip. that will last. I am currently driving trucks in Iraq so I can make some good money to get my business started out without debt in equip. Please give some advise on the best option for me. Oh yeah this is a part-time business with about 10-15 clients.

[Trinity Lawn Care, LLC]

Part time with 10-15 accounts. Really depends on the size of the accounts. Even still I would reccommend a good wb. I am partial to Exmark. Heck, I know that I am full time, but we have 60+ accounts and most of them are done with wb's. Keep safe and good luck.

[SouthernYankee]

Welcome to the site,

There isnt a Gravely 36"ztr, rather its a 34" which will be very usefull if you have 36" gates , as most 36" mowers will not fit through 36" gates.

If gates arent an issue, I would look at maybe a 44"ztr or a 48" ztr.I have the gravely and I love it, perfect for what I do and its priced a lot less than the scag and probally less than the new exmark phazer.If you want to know more about the 34z Grav, do a search or ask me, glad to help.

[Trinity Lawn Care, LLC]

btw- welcome to LS.

[Signature Landscaping1]

Id rather get a 36'' w/b than ztr because your spending a lot less money/ it doesnt make sense spending 5-6 grand on a 34''. or 36'' ztr, when u can buy a w/b for 1500 new. Then when you start growing get a bigger ztr, like 48 or 52 Just my opinon.
Welcome

[uspw]

Id rather get a 36'' w/b than ztr because your spending a lot less money/ it doesnt make sense spending 5-6 grand on a 34''. or 36'' ztr, when u can buy a w/b for 1500 new.


Totally agree. Of course we wanted a brand new Stander when we started, but it is not cost effective spending. If you plan on keeping only 10-15 accounts for a while, then a wb is a fine choice. Besides we all know we can use the excercise every once in a while:p . Just my .02.

[SouthernYankee]

Totally agree. Of course we wanted a brand new Stander when we started, but it is not cost effective spending. If you plan on keeping only 10-15 accounts for a while, then a wb is a fine choice. Besides we all know we can use the excercise every once in a while:p . Just my .02.

You guys are forgetting something very important that doesnt happen in Ma( I grew up on the Cape) it gets very very hot down in the south, I lived in Alabama for 4 years while at college and the last thing I would want to do is follow a behind a wb all day. I couldnt imagine using a wb down here in Texas, its just too hot in the summer

I can do a yard in half the time of a wb with my 34"ztr, plus it gets into tight areas. In ma, I ran a wb, but once I came down south and now Texas, I would want to ride or have a stander.

[TURF DOCTOR]

matching equipment with jobs if gates are issue then go with a 36 or a 42 a 48 inch and 52inch ztr or wb you can use these on all your properties if you stay in ths biz.

[cwlawley]

I too would go with the wb...less money starting out.

[jtkplc]

i would get a exmark or gravely hydro 36 walkbehind and a proslide. i would spend the extra money for hydro not only for the added productivity, but for planning for the future. if you plan on getting larger and adding more customers then i think go hydro, if not then a belt driven one might be better because it's much cheaper. for just a few accounts, a hydro might be overkill and unjustifiable.

[Signature Landscaping1]

Lesco has a 36in belt drive for 2100 "new", thats a great price, compared to blowing 5grand on a ztr. check out their site:

http://www.lesco.com/ProdCatalog/ProdCatalogNav.aspx?ProdGroupID=31

[JWinFL]

Hey Guys this site is awesome. I am in the planning stage of my business and looking to get the best equipment without getting more than I really need. I am considering the new z-cat 36 from Scag as well as a Gravely 36. These are both zero turn riders. I also am considering quick 36 or ex mark walk-behind. I have used only homeowner equip. in the past but this time I plan on getting equip. that will last. I am currently driving trucks in Iraq so I can make some good money to get my business started out without debt in equip. Please give some advise on the best option for me. Oh yeah this is a part-time business with about 10-15 clients.

I started 3 months ago with new scag 36 inch z cat, I liked it in the showroom,its built like a tank and took it for a demo in the parking lot and listend to the advice of the lawn mower shop owner "you don't want to have to follow a walkbehind all day and it fits thru all of my customer gates so far..but the machine was $6000. if I had it to do over I would have started with the under $3000 36 inch walk behind, further down the road spend when things get busy next year to get a bigger deck Z turn scag or a dixie chopper, I see alot of Lawn services using them around here in fort lauderdale

[brighteyeskiller]

i want to say get a belt drive because its cheaper and your client list is small. however, if you think you want to grow, even just a little, go ahead and get the hydro. you'll be happy later i promise. i have used a belt drive for 2 years and i wish i had the hydro since i mow 50+. wet grass makes the mower too heavy and stretches the belts. if you have to stick to a tight schedule, you will probably cut on rainy days/early in the morning with dew/when wet after a rain. it won't go. heat in the summer, hills, rain, cold, etc. really affect the performance of the belts too. it can be a real pain. cover the mower when it rains. that helps with the wear and tear too. my belts have lasted 2 years, but i do walk a lot.

keep it simple and as stress free as you can. it's a long season, even part time

[brucec32]

With just 10-15 accounts you can make do with any mower, but then again you may be working under very strict time constraints too, so a mower that gets the job done fastest matters.

For max versatility in the lawns you can take on (hilly/flat, large/small, gated, etc) a 36 hydro wb or stander would be best. The Gravely 34z saves energy, but won't go as many places. But, it costs about the same as a 36" hydro wb w/ velke. A stander would be a little more and the pricier small ztr's (Scag, Exmark) may not make sense since you may want to put the money towards a bigger ztr down the line, rather than tie so much up in one small unit.

I'm looking for a second ride-on unit myself and can't decide either.

[CutInEdge Lawn Care]

Something to think about is whether you want a fixed deck or floating. I have an 05 Z-Cat, made a massive diff in fatigue, stress, time restraints, only for me to increase the # of yards from 80 accounts to 111 this yr. The only down side to the smaller Z's is the weight distribution. Ex. I have a few yrds that I will not put Z on, due to the footprint, ruts that it will make. I believe the reason it does this in the more soft yards is due to the weight + rider is not distributed over as wide of area as the larger Z's.

I also have a 97 Scag Belt WB, I use belt dressing on belts every spring and have never replaced. The only thing I do to this mower is change oil and filter. This may just be the yr that tranny belt gets changed. It has mowed everything from the sun to the moon and back. If I could get it to mow upside down I would do that too. The thing just wont die. More $$ in my pocket.

Personally, I would go with a WB either belt or hydro the first yr or 2. Why?
Starting out you will want to take every possible job you can. Yes, this means ones with hills, slopes, etc... As you become more experienced at where and where not to take the Z you will be ahead of the game. Are most of your yards single gated or more. Take all into account before purchasing mower. I think this yr I will be buying a SCAG floating deck 52".

Check out my website at www.cutinedge.com

[Precision]

since you only have 10-15 accts and it sounds like they are relatively small (only considering 36" Mowers) I would get a walkbehind. Most likely a new belt drive or used hydro WB. this purchase will always be useful as a backyard mower when and if you move up to a bigger mower as your primary.

basic cost analysis of the scag at $5500.
15 accts with income of $150 monthly
gross income $2500 monthly.
you work just over 2 months to gross the cost of the mower.
Or realistically work 20 months worth of profit to pay off the mower.

$1500 WB
less than 3 weeks of gross
or 6 months of profit to pay for it.

to me that is easy math. The idea is to make money and buying the ZTR just meant you work for 20 months for "free".

Obviously a very basic sketch but hopefully you get the idea.

[CutInEdge Lawn Care]

and dont forget the depreciation on your investment. Well stated Precision.

[shrekwhatley]

Wow it's been a few days since I checked back to this site and the results to my post were awesome.O.K I think its gonna be the 36 walk behind hydro. Now next question, You say the 36 won't fit through 36 gates what about going in back-wards at an angle to get one wheel in at a time. I've not tried this but it sounds to me like it should work.Also Precision stated $150 per month on each account that sounds a little high considering most of my yards are less than 1/2 acre lots . But hey if I can charge that much than great. Last year I was getting $35 - $40 for these yards every 2 weeks.