Hydro inventor?

[lawnsurfer]

I came across an article online about the inventor of the hydrostatic drive. Joseph Berrios got sick and tired of his belt drive ( kind of like me except 10 years later) So he did something about it and showed it to Dane Scag, who put it on the market, I guess in 1990.(grammer?:)I remember when those came out I wasn't in the business, but liked to check out the equiptment arrrr arrrr. I thought they were so overpriced. After demoing several hydro setups I would pay few thousand more,my back is worth it;). I don't know how to put up a link to the article(I typed Lawn and Landscape and mowers in the yahoo sight)in Lawn and Landscape. Today I was wondering what will be the next inovation that will make our lives easier as I blew off the walks of some of my customers. Maybe a automated Blower that could help you blow off the lawn,(kinda of like a robomower but I think more doable) I don't know, what would you like to invent? just curious and like I said , something to read.

[KirbysLawn]

To add a link just type url with [ ]on each side and put in at the front of the link.<p>Paste the link, then put [/url] on the other end, that's it. What a pain it was to type that without making a link!<p>Ray<br><p><font size="1">Edited by: KirbysLawn

[Richard Martin]

Just a slight clarifacation. Berrios did not invent the hydro drive and Scag did not build it. They can lay claim to the &lt;i&gt;dual-hydro&lt;/i&gt; drive. Ferris claims to have introduced the world to hydro drive commercial walkbehinds.

[thelawnguy]

Hydrostatic drive has been around for 50+ years. I remember as a kid 30+ years ago playing on my grampas hydro drive roller (and it was old then) Just took a genius to figure out it would work as well on lawn equipment.<p>Bill

[Lazer]

The article said all 14 manufacturers of dual hydro mowers built them under license from this guy.<p>Wow, I wonder what kind of cash this guy's knocking down?<p>What about Riders? Didn't Dixie have a dual hydro type system for their mowers in the 80's? What about today's riders, are they built under license as well.

[Lee Homan]

As far as new innovations, I would like to see a mower that has less mechanical parts.<br>Seems like they could build something that didn't have so many belts, springs, pulleys, bushings, spacers etc.,etc. Always something to be replaced.

[Evan528]

i have wanderd for a while why on belt driven walkbehinds they dont make the drive wheels directly connected to the transmission instaed of a belt going to the transmission to each drive wheel. It seems all they would have to do it put the tranmission on the bottom of the platform its on now and it would be at the right height toi drive the wheels directly... there would be no more belts slippin! wouldnt that be great!

[Keith]

Evan, the problem with that is that it would require two transmissions, since both shafts turn the same direction and speed.

[thelawnguy]

Evan my 1994 John Deere WB is set up this way. The transmission is beneath the tractor deck and the wheels are mounted directly to the axle shafts. The shaft is split inside the transmission and are powered via two wet disk clutches, similar to whats in a motorcycle. By squeezing the hand grips you disengage the clutch to each wheel, squeezing further activates the brake which is integral with the clutch, like a coaster brake on your old schwinn.<p>No belts to the wheels, only a engine to trans belt and an engine to deck-and-blades belt.<p>Bill

[steve]

I know Ferris had a hydrostatic Commercial WB back in 1985 or 86 or 87. Well I know for a fact they had them in 1987 When my dealer tok them on. Accually they had hydro's before belt drives!!!

[mowerconsultant]

ferris invented the hydro &quot;single drive&quot; walk behind<br>it was a horizontal 12hp kohler engine with a belt that ran to a eaton pump on a peerless transaxle, you would steer the unit by using disc brakes that were on either wheel, like a belt drive walk behind, very similar setup you would find in a quality garden tractor.<br>these machines were built like a brick **** house, and were very popular here in the northern states. in fact i know a few people that still use them.<br>now for the dual drive hydro mowers, dane scag patended that design, 2 pumps and 2 wheel motors design and still to this day makes money off every one put out on the market...<br>not to shabby huh ????<br><p><font size="1">Edited by: mowerconsultant

[Lazer]

Joe Berrios has the patent on the dual hydro and all (Including Scag & Great Dane) are built under a license from Mr. Berrios.<p>--July, 2000 Lawn & Landscape, page 94.<p>(Dane Scag was the first to negotiate a license and manufacture the first dual hydros.)

[Jason]

Surfing the net, I stumbled across Dyna-mow. They build an interesting mower. Been awhile since I was to their site, but if I remember right their mowers are all hydro's. No belts at all. They had two models. An out front ZTR, and a midmount ZTR. Both had sleek looking fiberglass bodies. Seems like they were both very heavy as well. Wish I could remember the website. Maybe they are listed on Yetmans.