Mower opinions please

[snowjeep]

I have a 33" cub that i used 60 hrs last summer. This year looking at using it 80-100hrs. So I found a gravely pro 36" belt with the 13hp kawi for $1200 and its a mint 2009. Would I benefit much from this mower over the cub? I hate fixing whats not broken but seems like a deal and would speed up things a little.

[dstifel]

A lot more reliable and much better cut. Production wise not a ton faster.

[snowjeep]

Only one opinion?

[Valk]

Your quality of cut (QOC) is your signature left behind for your customer's, their neighbors and other passerby'ers to admire. You'll also have a more dependable machine and will be able to replace worn/broken parts with superior parts - compared to the Cub. Pretty sure you'll be amazed and wonder why you ever used that resi-Cub.
.02

[ric1]

Originally Posted by snowjeep

I have a 33" cub that i used 60 hrs last summer. This year looking at using it 80-100hrs. So I found a gravely pro 36" belt with the 13hp kawi for $1200 and its a mint 2009. Would I benefit much from this mower over the cub? I hate fixing whats not broken but seems like a deal and would speed up things a little.

Is your Cub the 33" 760??

[GreenUtah]

We'll assume that your intention is to continue to expand the hours you cut. Working with that, a commercial grade mower (that you can get parts and service for locally...CRITICAL) will allow you to leverage your machine far more effectively with a longer service life, better quality of cut (most of the time), more power for situations like wet or extremely long grass, etc.

You'll find those machines designed for residential use to have a very short life before things like cracked frames and decks, worn out bearings and drive systems end up making the machine far more costly to own for commercial type hours.

Your immediate comparison will probably involve fatigue and productivity, but don't discount cost of ownership anytime you evaluate equipment.

[zackvbra]

Yes. Gravely puts other mowers in the GRAVE. It gives a super cut! and those kawasaki engines aint no slackers!

[Kurt6845]

Everything everyone here has said is absolutely true. The Gravely will give you a much better finish product and you will get more life out out it. My first mower when I ran a business pre-military was a Gravely 50" and it was a great mower, spent many hours behind it and only ever had to sharpen the blades and change the oil. Not to mention, I reckon that you could sell the Cub for not too much less than what you are looking to pay for the Gravely. Good Luck!

[32vld]

Originally Posted by snowjeep

I have a 33" cub that i used 60 hrs last summer. This year looking at using it 80-100hrs. So I found a gravely pro 36" belt with the 13hp kawi for $1200 and its a mint 2009. Would I benefit much from this mower over the cub? I hate fixing whats not broken but seems like a deal and would speed up things a little.

60 hrs at most is 2 hours a week for 30 weeks.

That is 2 to 4 lawns a week.

Your mower spends 2 hrs producing income and 38 hrs just sitting in your garage.

Your mower is being operated at 5% of its capacity and you want to replaced it?

You buying another mower is not a sound business decision. All you would do is then be using your mowers at 2.5% of their capacity.

Yes I read that you may go to 80 to 100 hours for the season. That means going from 2 hrs a week to 2.6 - 3.3 hours a week. That means just with one mower you will be 6.5% to 8.25% of production capacity with just your current mower.

Do you have a pick up, 6x12 trailer, hand held blower, hedge trimmer, chain saw, line trimmer, stick edger, back pack blower, spreader, loper, pruning shear, hand tools: rakes, shovels, dust pan, broom, etc?

What ever you do not have in the paragraph above you would be better off getting all of those before you get a second mower.

When the work is there you will be better of then moving up to a 48".