hydro walk behind vrs. zero turn

[tcalb2]

I currently have a 36 belt drive lesco and I'm looking to get a larger mower for the big yards and i was wondering if anyone could tell me if i should get a hydro with a sulky or a zero turn. I'm not sure which one is a better purchase

[TNT LawnCare Inc.]

What size are your propertys and how many accounts.

[gobblet]

Go with Hydro walkbehind!

[tcalb2]

I only have five accounts right now,but one of them is pretty big about an acre or so and with the 36 it takes forever.

[TNT LawnCare Inc.]

I for one have always been a big fan of Hydro W.B. all around versatile machine can go just about anywhere...especialy on slopes ,most ZTR can be difficult to control on slopes. You can get a nice W.b in a 52 or even a 60 inch cut. Ztr's will cost you alot more. I know many who will use nothing else but a W.B. and vice versa.

[JKOOPERS]

Originally Posted by TNT LawnCare Inc.

I for one have always been a big fan of Hydro W.B. all around versatile machine can go just about anywhere...especialy on slopes ,most ZTR can be difficult to control on slopes. You can get a nice W.b in a 52 or even a 60 inch cut. Ztr's will cost you alot more. I know many who will use nothing else but a W.B. and vice versa.

my point exactly

[GreenN'Clean]

If you don't have properties an acre or more then you don't really need a ZTR a WB will do the job

[GreenN'Clean]

I started out with a W B a few years ago and didn't get a ZTR until I started landing bigger jobs that I couldn't handle with the W B

[tcalb2]

thanks for the help guys I always see guys with the zero turns and I just didn't know if their was a huge advantage to them that I just didn't understand.

[Roger]

I mowed for nine seasons with a 36" w/b, hydro. Each year I had 38-40 properties, at least six over 1.5 acres. I mowed one for a few years that was 3 acres.

Obviously, we have different ideas about "forever." I used my machine hard, it was well paid for, and it made lots of money for me.

Last May, I bought a 48" ZTR. I was able to add only a couple of more properties to my list. From an economics viewpoint, no way can I justify spending all that money for a ZTR. The added productivity is not enough to get the monetary return. I use the ZTR on about half of my properties - the w/b is needed on the others because of terrain, gates, etc.

Remember, the mowing is only part of the time spent on a property. No matter if you have a 36", a 48" or 60" mower on the trailer, you still have to do the trimming and cleanup afterward.

With only five properties, you have a long way to go before exhausting the capacity of your mower.