Walk behinds.... good for??????

[eggy]

I am sure this will raise some debate..but myself and the help for the past two years have been running ztrs , we have a 36 inch walkbehind..its only use is a few gated yards....nobody likes it, including myself..and now that scag and others offer a ztr with a 40 inch deck, which will be great for gated yards, it seems pointless to use a walkbehind verse a ztr...production is higher and we feel better at the end of the day, just wondering what you guys see in walkbehinds, other then a lower price that is better then using a ztr? Granted we do cut larger properties but we still have several 1/2 acre resdientials in the mix. :rolleyes:

[LoneStarLawn]

Most of our accounts lots are less than 1/3 of an acre. This is the size of the lot..cutting service is much smaller. So yeah a walkbehind is usefull to many. Some things may seem pointless to some but for others it may make sense. What works for one company may not work for all.

[grassyfras]

ZTRs have more maintnance and seem to tear up te turf more but mainly i have small yards and just starting out

[eggy]

I can see that use Alan....

[bdemir]

Well walkbehinds are good for wet lawns where riders sink in and make ruts all over. I dont see why you would buy a rider just for back yards though.


Bedros

[milent]

I would keep your walk behind for nothing else then a back up.
I have found that in residential lawns a hydro w/b is faster than a ztr. Going around trees and fences etc.. the w/b cut all thses areas without having to trim. I own both a Lesco Viper 54 and a
Lesco 52 Hydro and I like each one for different jobs. Wayne

[ronslawncare]

just through a velke on if your lazy walk behind are nice for small property but you have a good point if you can fit a 40 inch ztr through most gates then im with you.the few smaller ones you gone need them or you can kiss your customers goodbye

[toroboy]

WALK BEHIDES ARE MORE MANUFERABLE. THEY CAN CUT IN TIGHT SPACES SO U DON'T END UP TAKING MORE TIME TRIMMING THAN MOWING. I ESPECIALY RECOMEND WALKBEHINDS FOR RESIDENTIAL AREAS MORE THAN ANYTHING , BUT THEIE STILL GOOD FOR DOING BIG COMMERIAL AREAS TOO, BUT I WOULD USE A RIDEING MOWER FOR THESE COMMERIAL LAWNS THAT IS IF THEY ARE BIG WHICH MOST OF THEM ARE. I HOPE THIS HELPS!!!!!!!!!111 :D

[Runner]

Personally, I'm a ztr man, myself, BUT I can tell you, some people use walk behinds probably because it is what is practicle to them at the time of purchase - and there is NOTHING wrong with that! Atleast they chose a commercial grade unit - good thinking, right choice. Another thing is, is that with a walk behind, you can do things in ditches and on steep slopes that you could only DREAM of doing with a ztr or any other rider. Yeah, I know, you can do ditches and slopes with a ztr, but you're not going to do the extremes you can with a wb. I've always said, especially for those starting out, if you are going to buy any ONE machine, buy a walk behind first.

[Mark]

I carry a 52" walkbehind and also my Toro Z Master,,and a 21" Proline and a chipvac. I have alot of lawns that are to hilly for the Z=rider and on some of my residental accounts i use the walkbehind just to cut in the yd like a painter cuts in the walls, this cuts down on alot of trim time for me and makes the job go faster. I have several commercial accounts that i only use the Z-Master. But my walkbehind is a must for some of the accounts i have. Marks Mowing Service

[danlawnser]

the walkbehinds are great for residentals. I see so many guys in my area who have a couple of mowers like 3 or more on their trailer. I wonder why they need so many machines for one guy. Don't buy more than you need. save your money. There is a good article in the Pro magazine from a couple of months ago about how one man crews are the best. There was a good line in there. When running a multi number crew always remember when your workers are getting paid to stare at the windshield. Always keep this in mind.

[Lawn-Scapes]

I have a property that is 1.4 acres. About a third of that is a bank that's about a 60 degree incline. I have to use my 50" walk behind and have a hard time keeping it from sliding all over the place. Other than that... it was the most cost effective way for me to have a back up.....

Now what I don't get... why do LCOs have a 21" mower?

[joshua]

i'm a lazer man myself, but you need a great w/b for in the spring, next summer, we will run a 60" lazer and 52" lazer, (have the 52" right now) but in the spring, the 52"lazer will stay at home unless we don't get rain for afew days. main resaon to get another ztr is to take on more accounts in the same ammount of time as we have this year. and because customers love how the ztr cuts, and they say its better. they all pay top dollar so it will be worth it.

[Richard Martin]

Originally posted by TSG
Now what I don't get... why do LCOs have a 21" mower?

I carry one for 3 properties that I do. One has a 20X20 area with a 30" gate, one has a ditch with very steep sides and one has a sharply rounded hill that even my 36" Exmark scalps.

[Russ]

WB's are necessary. We still use them weekly, both 48 & 21's. Two DC-60's do 99.99% of our mowing,but we still bag around pools and walk steep retention ponds.

[Scraper]

Why didn't you just add this to the other thread entitled "?" (http://www.lawnsite.com/showthread.php?threadid=14993)?

Aren't they practically the same?

[TGCummings]

When you're in an area where most lawns are under 2000 square, with another 1500 square in a backyard through a 30" gate, you understand quickly the need for walk-behinds and 21" commercial mowers. Many, many lawns in my area are much, much smaller.

Also, the walk-behinds keep me in shape. ;)

-TGC