Looking at Swivel Wheeled Sulkies

[Darryl G]

Nah, no problem loading or anything. And I just step off mine for steep slopes if I need to walk and sometimes the same for turning on really soft turf. They're pretty big/heavy units usually and not very suitable to chaining up to the bars like you can with a single wheel. I can just pull a pin on mine and take it off quickly and then just chain up the bracket. Mine is a Bullrider. I think they got rid of the caster/trailer option on the new ones and they are caster only now.

[weaver]

Originally Posted by Darryl G

Dual hydro just means you have independent control of each wheel, rather than a hydro transmissions that runs both with no control over each one individually. If you can turn the mower just using the controls it's a dual hydro.

I've been running a swivel (castering) sulky for 10+ years and really like it better than the trailering type ones. It is nice that the controls stay in front of you at all times and that you don't have to worrry about it jack-knifing on you when you go backwards. You can get 2 wheel trailering sulkies by the way that will stay in the same wheel tracks.

The downsides to the castering-type sulkies is that it can be difficult to keep them straight on undulating terrain and when traversing slopes...the weight of the operator influences the machine more than a trailering one does. Also you have to be careful when going from forward to backward and vice-versa if the wheels aren't kicked to the side at all...caster wheels have a hard time deciding what to do in those situations and can gouge the turf. What I do is turn just a little to get them spinning around or give a little hop to get my weight off of it for a second. It's really just straight forward and backwards that creates a problem, not that you couldn't gouge with them in soft turf in other conditions....usually not a problem though. They also swing wider than trailering type ones, and can whip you right off it if you spin around too fast. I can actually operate mine in either trailering or castering mode, but it's always in caster mode. Overall I think it's the way to go with a dual hydro mower, but some people hate them, I think mostly because they are harder to keep straight.

Hey Darryl, does weight play a role at all with the swivel wheel sulky? I always wanted one but thought i weighed to much, just thought it would be harder on the hydro system. With the trailer sulky when you turn you're just turning the machine and pulling the operator, and with a swivel you actually are turning the machine,and the person on the sulky.. Bye the way i'm 6ft 250lbs...

[LandFakers]

Originally Posted by Darryl G

Nah, no problem loading or anything. And I just step off mine for steep slopes if I need to walk and sometimes the same for turning on really soft turf. They're pretty big/heavy units usually and not very suitable to chaining up to the bars like you can with a single wheel. I can just pull a pin on mine and take it off quickly and then just chain up the bracket. Mine is a Bullrider. I think they got rid of the caster/trailer option on the new ones and they are caster only now.

Thanks a lot for the Info Darryl!

[Darryl G]

No problem. Here's the Trimmer Trap Bullrider. It is a bit diff from mine now. http://www.trimmertrap.com/the-jooml...a-articles/112

Video of it in action. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ok3XnWfsJfI

[LandFakers]

Is anybody using one of these???
http://www.havenerent.com/index.php?...id=9&Itemid=96

Im leaning pretty good towards this one as my dealer has one for sale.

[Darryl G]

I don't have any experience with it but it looks pretty decent and sturdy. They have a 7 day no questions asked return policy, which is nice. Just make sure your feet fit on it comfortably. My feet don't fit well on some of them in size 12 steel toed boots.

[LandFakers]

Originally Posted by Darryl G

I don't have any experience with it but it looks pretty decent and sturdy. They have a 7 day no questions asked return policy, which is nice. Just make sure your feet fit on it comfortably. My feet don't fit well on some of them in size 12 steel toed boots.

Im a size 12 as well. The sulky I have on my 36 barely fits my foot. Think I will email the manufacturer and try and get a measurement on the platform. Dealer wont take it out of the box

[Blade Runners]

I use the Havener caster wheel sulky on a Scag 36" hydro, 16hp. They are built very well and one thing I like is the quick release pin where it mounts to the mower. You can attach/detach the whole unit in 2 seconds if you want to mow very steep hills without it. It is also pretty easy to chain it up to the bars using the hole drilled in the platform but it is kind of heavy.

As far as maneuverability, one of my guys weighs about 190 or so and mowed a pretty steep decline using it with no issues turning.

[brc1989]

I used the swivel wheel sulky from these guys:

http://www.selbro.com/id3.html

Used it with a 60 turf tracer with a 20hp Kawasaki. Was a great sulky, quite heavy though but had convenient grease fittings and was very durable. Loved backing up with it a lot easier than pivot arm sulkies. If your mower has at least a 17-18 hp engine it should pull your weight being a hydro drive as well IMO.

[Blade Runners]

edit to my above post...Selbro is the one I have. Got the names mixed up.