Hydro vs. Gear Drive

[dmk395]

I have been using gear or belt drive walk behind mowers for a few years now, and find them to be nice machines. Whats the difference between what i use and a Hydro machine, are they just that much faster, turn better, I know for one thing that they are much more expensive? How bout maintaining a hydro?

[sunrise]

day and night hydro has no slip were belt get wet.
Reverse in at your finger tips,no more putting in reverse and pulling mower back.
yes more money but worth it unless you are mowing flat open grass for mile then maybe a belt is ok

[Greenkeepers]

It all depends on your application. If you are mowing flat land then gears are fine but if you have some hills then the hydro is the way to go. Also with the hydro, you can cut when it's raining or when it's wet out. In that instance the gear would be slipping and wouldn't want to get out of it's own way. As for repairs the only difference is the hydro pumps, havn't had one go but I would bet they're more expensive than belts.

[UrbanEarth]

One of the big advantages to a hydro is the variable speed. Have you been cutting grass that is a bit too long for third gear but second is way too slow? A hydro has much more adjustment in a situation like that.
Another advantage (on the ones I have seen) is that you do not have to stop, take it out of gear, put it into reverse gear and hold it there while steering with one hand, to go backwards.
My next walkbehind will be a hydro.

Alan

[MOW ED]

Your productivity will go up greatly with a hydro. The maintenance is no big deal. I have a Toro Proline and I change the hydro oil and filter every 100 to 150 hrs if real dusty but the system is great. I personally like the T-bar and I also have a Pro-Slide that makes me slide along at about 6mph - ya can't walk behind yours that fast.

Give one a try its worth the money and the mower keeps its value longer.Good Luck

[sunrise]

Greenskeeper. you statedthat one problem with hydro was if a pumb let go it would be expensive IYou can rebuild the pumps for 14.00 for the kit and about 1 hour to do it
easy todo,and no belts or jackshafts todeal with

[rdh]

i have a gear drive and if the tires get wet so do the belts
makes it almost impossible to put nice strait stripes on a
hill side the mower gets a mind of its own .

[geogunn]

I use a belt drive and mine does very well, even when wet. however, I hear that most do not.

my next WB will be a hydro, unless of course I get another killer deal on a belt!

GEO

[Skookum]

Most crews around here run gear drives I believe for economic reasons. Those hydros are salty if you have to buy five or six mowers. I used a friends Toro hydro for just a few minutes and I know my next walk behind will be a hydro unit. I never use reverse on my Toro 44, so I never thought it was that big of a deal to just be able to slide right back into reverse until I used his for just a few minutes. Now everytime I do the old turn and tug to get a quicker turn without tearing the turf, I dream of the day when my gear drive gives out (will likely be a while since it's a Toro) and I can justify to my wife that I need a new mower!

[LWNMWRMN]

If you go with an Exmark hydro you gain a few more things...

1.the exmark uses mobil1 synthetic oil, so after your initial 200 hour oil change you dont have to change the oil but every 1000 hour or so.

2.the exmarks also have a tracking control knob so you can instantly change your tracking.

[Scraper]

Scag Hydros are just the same. Their on-the-fly tracking adjustment is great!

[double e]

I have a toro 44" proline, gear drive, and like it. I hardly never put in reverse, I just throw it in neutral and pull back. I would rather have a hydro, but only use it on 5 or 6 yards and can't justify.

[Ocutter]

I use both. The belts do get wet so I just sprayed automotive belt dressing on them and they worked great. The hydros are more expensive to fix. Sunrise I dont know what type of mower you had but my snapper 52" blew a pump an cost me 700 to ge a new one. If I were to go with cost go with the belts. Turning seems to be the best on the hydros with less effort. Go with what works best for you

[sunrise]

Ocutter, I use Scag wb someone who knows that you have little understanding of hydro units then they will charge the crap out of you.
3 friends and myself made a wood spliter in high school for a machine class and won the national title for best unit.
Sold pattent to Durr in Washington State and school received 250,000.00 worth tools. My friend and my self a spliter and a patent for upright spliter. Which has elopsed.

[Mark]

Ocutter how many hrs did you have on that snapper? They a buy far my favorit walkbehinds. IVe got a 52" 16hp Vanguard i purchased new in 93 Ive replaced 1 belt, and i run the heck out this machine, I can cut 10"closer to sticker bushes and such. The loop steering is my favorit. And they to have drive-control. My scag is ok to but reverse is so slow and i so use to that 4mph on my Snapper, Ill have to demo a Toro just to see if the steeing and adjustments are as easy to fix. But as far as Belts vs Hydros Hydros anyday Marks Mowing Service

[bababooie]

i just put new pulleys on every year in may and i never have a problem with slipping,besides what customers want you to cut in the rain,so who needs the hydros

[kutnkru]

Mr. Booie, (lol)

If you have to maintain over 150 cuts per week there is no time for rain delays. This is why we choose to use hydros.

Hope you can understand why they are so important to us now.
Kris

[LWNMWRMN]

As kutnkru said, sometimes you have to cut in the rain. Here in upstate ny you don't have a choice, it rains every other day.

[bababooie]

i understand,but what does the yard look like when your done? i can see if its a commercial property.i like to build trust i dont want them to think that i dont care what it looks like ,just get it cut.

[Ocutter]

Sunrise - where can you get the rebuild kits for the hydros. Any catalogs?
Mark - Im not sure how many hrs were on it. (no meter) It was a little more than 2 yrs though. No problems since.