Hydro or Belt

[Alpine]

Ok this sounds like an easy question but,,,,, I only do lawn care part time and would like to keep my overhead down. I would like to purchase a walkbehind mower and would like to know what the pros feel about Single Hydro verses belt driven mowers. Most of my properties are small and are alot of back and forth. But I do have a few properties with smal hills that I would have to cut parallel with. I gues part of my question is how easy is it to go back and forth with a belt driven mower? How much control on a hill do I have with a single hydro mower? Please do not even suggest a dual hydro it is out of my budget. (Ferris Hydrocut verses Ultrabelt.)

[Lynden-Jeff]

Hydro Hydro Hydro. I made the mistake of getting a belt and I have never really used it.

Cheers
Jeff

[TXNSLighting]

I have belt now, and will go with hydro next time.

[TNT LawnCare Inc.]

Hustler Hydro IMOP Best on slopes. Belt drives are OK but when its wet forget it.:waving:

[Alpine]

Thanks guys. I do enjoy getting feedback weather good or bad. I have just puchased a small inclosed trailer so my pocket book is tight. Thats why I like help when squeezing out another purchase. THANKS AGAIN!

[Mow2nd-2]

i prefer belt because they are easier and cheaper to fix when something breaks. belt drives are also cheaper. but with belt drive if you get the belts wet it won't pull good or at all till you dry 'em off

[Ed Ryder]

Besides riders, I use belt drive walk-behinds. They work good enough if money is a constraint.

The problem with those pistol grips is they can screw up your hands from too much repetitive use. When I used only walk-behinds, I remember days when I came home with hands of agony, and soaked my hands in ice water. It was pain down to the bone, not muscular. If it weren't for hydro riders, I would not have lasted in this business.

[Mow2nd-2]

my walk behind has the "easy touch system" where the brakes and hadles are on top. they save your knuckles and are not quite as bad on your hands as the pistol grips are, but your hands will still get sore and stiff.

[supercuts]

i dont really use wb's except in pool/fenced areas so i use a belt drive because its so much cheaper. the only drawbacks are i dont really have reverse and if it gets wet the belts slip. if you hvae a p/u with ramps this could be an issure, but if you use a blower on it,it dries quickly