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36 Stand On VS 30 Inch Walk Behind

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Utah Lawn Care

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Discussion starter · #1 · (Edited)
I live in an area where my average lawn is only 3200 square feet and the average lawn takes around 20 minutes solo to edge mow trim blow. I have been using Exmark 30's and they have been great, but at the end of a 7-8 hour day it is really tiring doing all that walking mowing 15-20+ per day. With lawns that small do you think there would be a significant fatigue or time savings by switching to a 36 stander? I measured several of my lawns square footage and they look like this. 5000, 2100, 2700, 4000, 3500, 7200, 5000, 5300, 3800, 1000, 2800, 1200, 4200, 2300, 2000, 1000, 500, 4600, 3800, 15000, 3800, 2700, 3200, 900, 1300, 3400, 1900, 550, 1900, 1200, 3500.

I appreciate any input on my specific situation, or anything else relevant to this topic.
 
#2 ·
Cedar Lawn Care said:
I live in an area where my average lawn is only 3200 square feet and the average lawn takes around 20 minutes solo to edge mow trim blow. I have been using Exmark 30's and they have been great, but at the end of a 7-8 hour day it is really tiring doing all that walking mowing 15-20+ per day. With lawns that small do you think there would be a significant fatigue or time savings by switching to a 36 stander? I measured several of my lawns square footage and they look like this. 5000, 2100, 2700, 4000, 3500, 7200, 5000, 5300, 3800, 1000, 2800, 1200, 4200, 2300, 2000, 1000, 500, 4600, 3800, 15000, 3800, 2700, 3200, 900, 1300, 3400, 1900, 550, 1900, 1200, 3500.

I appreciate any input on my specific situation, or anything else relevant to this topic.
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how close are any of the lawns to eachother?
same neighborhoods?

I never used standers much, at least not in my personal business. I favored walk behind with sulkies, but the concept is about the same.

The idea is you put a trimmer trap on your stander, it holds you trimmer, you wear the back pack blower on your back and scoot from where you are parked to the next lawn,
Mow trim blow, put the back pack back on and scoot to the next lawn.

Youre not reloading, restrapping down and finding a new place to park, youre hitting all of the ones in reasonable riding distance before you load up and move again.

That process saves a CONSIDERABLE amount of time.
Theres a small amount of time saved on little lawns, but the real gain is made in the transport from lawn to lawn.

you got to watch out turf wear tho.
with the larger machine on smaller lawns, its often hard to switch up the mowing pattern and you end up tunring in the same spots every week
which means divots.
this isnt as much of a problem if you have a good fert and aerate program going and the turf is healthy, but if you just mow...it will be a problem.
 
#3 ·
Not necessary to aerate if mulching and organics are incorporated in the management. Healthy soil will support worm populations that will turn the top 10 inches of soil over in a few years. If irrigation is managed and the 1000 pound mowers are kept off .......
 
Discussion starter · #4 · (Edited)
About once per day I mow a couple lawns that are next door or across the street from each other. Besides that I really do have to load up and drive 1-3 minutes.

I have a full-time job. I had a guy this year mow 80+ lawns solo for me about 7-8 hours per day. He did a good job, but once October rolled around he saw I didn't have work for him for 5 months so he quit. Next year I will have over 100 lawns which I would need 2 employees to take care of without expecting an employee to bust their butt 50 hours/week. It's pretty tough balancing a full time job with hiring the right people, training them, filling in when they are sick, doing estimates, doing billing, marketing, always answering my phone etc. I have thrown the idea around with my wife of quitting my job and going solo next year. I could NET 70k not including health insurance which I feel is a reasonable living for only working 7 months/year. I really don't want to go there though if it means busting my butt every day so hard I hate life. I am considering the stander option to make life easier and get a feel if it would make mowing more enjoyable/easier. I can always transition into having employees when I get big enough to support them + earn enough to live on comfortably. I'm at a stage where I have a big decision to make. I only earn 35k at my full-time job, but I do have a pension, the work is pretty easy and stress free, and I have good health insurance. It just takes 40 hours/week 52 weeks/year out of my life which would be nice to free up. Any input on this situation as well would be appreciated.
 
#5 ·
Cedar....quit your job next spring. I worked for a large auto manufacturer making an average of 90k per year. Lost that job due to getting hurt on the job. And went into this line of work. Im 18 months into this and while I don't make what I did before, I love my new life. Freedom to do whatever and whenever I want. No idiot bosses to deal with. If you are in that good of a shape business wise, make the move. You will be so glad you did. That's my advice.
go for it
 
#6 ·
Oh yeah, I forgot. If the 36 stand on will fit the majority of your properties...then yes, buy the stand on mower. I have the 30 inch time master, a 36 walk behind hydro, and a 52 inch stand on. I would kill myself if I had to mow all my properties with the 30. Again....go for it
 
Discussion starter · #7 ·
jonnyz37 said:
Oh yeah, I forgot. If the 36 stand on will fit the majority of your properties...then yes, buy the stand on mower. I have the 30 inch time master, a 36 walk behind hydro, and a 52 inch stand on. I would kill myself if I had to mow all my properties with the 30. Again....go for it
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About 1/3 of my properties MUST be done with the 30 due to some wanting bagging, some having ledges and stairs to pull the mower up etc. On a 3500 square foot lawn is your 36 about the same speed as your 30? I imagine the 30 could turn faster and would be more agile. Is your walk behind any less tiring on small lawns? Being dead tired every day doesn't sound very appealing, so I am really getting a feel what other larger mowers are like to use since I literally have never used one larger than a 30.
 
#8 ·
I would think the 36 would turn considerably faster....and you can get a bagger for them, too!! I have read on here that rutting can be an issue. But I have NO idea if that would be the case with your accounts. I'd pick up a 36 stand on with a grass catcher, and keep the 30.
 
#9 ·
Cedar Lawn Care said:
About once per day I mow a couple lawns that are next door or across the street from each other. Besides that I really do have to load up and drive 1-3 minutes.

I have a full-time job. I had a guy this year mow 80+ lawns solo for me about 7-8 hours per day. He did a good job, but once October rolled around he saw I didn't have work for him for 5 months so he quit. Next year I will have over 100 lawns which I would need 2 employees to take care of without expecting an employee to bust their butt 50 hours/week. It's pretty tough balancing a full time job with hiring the right people, training them, filling in when they are sick, doing estimates, doing billing, marketing, always answering my phone etc. I have thrown the idea around with my wife of quitting my job and going solo next year. I could NET 70k not including health insurance which I feel is a reasonable living for only working 7 months/year. I really don't want to go there though if it means busting my butt every day so hard I hate life. I am considering the stander option to make life easier and get a feel if it would make mowing more enjoyable/easier. I can always transition into having employees when I get big enough to support them + earn enough to live on comfortably. I'm at a stage where I have a big decision to make. I only earn 35k at my full-time job, but I do have a pension, the work is pretty easy and stress free, and I have good health insurance. It just takes 40 hours/week 52 weeks/year out of my life which would be nice to free up. Any input on this situation as well would be appreciated.
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This is SUCH a no brainer.

Drop the full time job come spring.
USe obummercare for insurance (change of job opens enrollment)
and buy a walker MS or Mb ....one collects and the other doesnt, get a 36 GHS deck or a 36 mulcher.

My suggestion would be walker MSGHS 36 AND buy the extra mulching deck.
You still have the 30s when you need them and for back ups.

The machine will cost you around 10k plus 2.5k for the extra deck (approx)

One employee at $15/hr will cost you $14,700 with out OT, workers comp or any of that jazz.

Technically you could afford a walker MC unit which is tougher and more power, but its a little larger and less nimble (slightly)
 
#10 ·
TPendagast said:
This is SUCH a no brainer.

Drop the full time job come spring.
USe obummercare for insurance (change of job opens enrollment)
and buy a walker MS or Mb ....one collects and the other doesnt, get a 36 GHS deck or a 36 mulcher.

My suggestion would be walker MSGHS 36 AND buy the extra mulching deck.
You still have the 30s when you need them and for back ups.

The machine will cost you around 10k plus 2.5k for the extra deck (approx)

One employee at $15/hr will cost you $14,700 with out OT, workers comp or any of that jazz.

Technically you could afford a walker MC unit which is tougher and more power, but its a little larger and less nimble (slightly)
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That's my set up, I have a mb 18 with a 42 mulch and a ms with a 42R. I also carry a pro line 21 that I modded the deck for improved mulching and carry three blades for different conditions. A gator with most of the lift cut off, a stock toro blade and a vacu blade.
 
#11 ·
Drop the job and drop the employee perhaps? Can you do 80 lawns a wk by yourself? I do 65 in 4 days using a 30 and 36. 20 lawns a day is doable solo if they're the right size and especially if you're using a faster machine.
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Discussion starter · #12 ·
So you're suggesting getting something like the s14 series 36 inch walker, and also getting a mulching deck that could be put on it as well? Is anyone aware of the c series having a 36 inch option? Also, does it take a significant amount of time to switch between decks? It would be nice if there was a way to put some kind of blocker on so it just didn't bag when you didn't want to collect because frankly I only collect 10% of my lawns. I don't think that exists thought without making some kind of redneck contraption. Have you seen the s14 in action? Is it really agile and does it leave an awesome cut? Do you know anything about the gallons per hour, or the power coming from the 14hp engine? Could I realistically expect 3000+ hours out of it? Any input on the smaller walkers would be great.

I should hit 100-110 clients next year. I can do them all myself but it would mean 8-10 hour days, being super tired and working quickly all day. If I got overwhelmed I could always hire someone to help and still earn decent money. My market is only 30,000 people without driving 45 minutes to another city so my growth is limited, but i am sure I could get to the point I had 150-170 clients and kept 1 truck with 2-3 employees busy all day.

Part of the problem is convincing the wife this is a good idea. I am sure people with wives will know they like a consistent paycheck, benefits, safe secure job, etc. I have laid all the numbers out for her and she is still super nervous I will start hating the industry, get burned out etc. They are valid points so I am weighing all the pros and cons.
 
#14 · (Edited)
She has every reason to be concerned/nervous...it sounds like a big decision. Everyone's house is different, but I would never make that sort of decision without having my wife on board. I'd say have a contingency for if you get sick/hurt, etc. Can you pick up snow plowing in the winter?

Good luck with your decision!! Takes some guts!!
 
#16 · (Edited)
Cedar Lawn Care said:
So you're suggesting getting something like the s14 series 36 inch walker, and also getting a mulching deck that could be put on it as well? Is anyone aware of the c series having a 36 inch option? Also, does it take a significant amount of time to switch between decks? It would be nice if there was a way to put some kind of blocker on so it just didn't bag when you didn't want to collect because frankly I only collect 10% of my lawns. I don't think that exists thought without making some kind of redneck contraption. Have you seen the s14 in action? Is it really agile and does it leave an awesome cut? Do you know anything about the gallons per hour, or the power coming from the 14hp engine? Could I realistically expect 3000+ hours out of it? Any input on the smaller walkers would be great.

I should hit 100-110 clients next year. I can do them all myself but it would mean 8-10 hour days, being super tired and working quickly all day. If I got overwhelmed I could always hire someone to help and still earn decent money. My market is only 30,000 people without driving 45 minutes to another city so my growth is limited, but i am sure I could get to the point I had 150-170 clients and kept 1 truck with 2-3 employees busy all day.

Part of the problem is convincing the wife this is a good idea. I am sure people with wives will know they like a consistent paycheck, benefits, safe secure job, etc. I have laid all the numbers out for her and she is still super nervous I will start hating the industry, get burned out etc. They are valid points so I am weighing all the pros and cons.
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I see you are in Utah. Irrigated lawns. The only complaint you will ever get from a Walker is RUTTING. When I talked to a guy who had a S with a 36 , he said he was getting complaints from rutting. Weight and lack of flotation are your enemies here. The Walker is the only riding mower that does not get complaints when people transition from small walks to a rider. It's finish cut , especially with the R deck is amazing. For this reason look real hard on your gate situations as you really want a 42" deck so you can run larger tires. Look at your accounts and buy the machine that benefits the majority of your accounts. For residential I would also say model S or B as it is 125-150 pound lighter. The price difference between models will more than be made up for even a major engine or transaxle replacement on the life of that machine. The S and B are their latest models making use of the latest hydro gear trannies, and the latest decks. Walker does not bring new stuff online unless it is better. For what it's worth I have a model B with a 42"mulch deck with 405 hours on it for sale as I have two of them and with the new S I have back up covered so I don't need three. I'm in Boise if you want to demo any of those models , although you can easily demo locally.
 
Discussion starter · #17 ·
Thank you for your input. I am 6 foot 8 260 pounds so my added body weight could be a factor as well. If I happen to be up your way in the next few months I may get in contact with you to check out your machines. Do you feel your 42 inch mulcher does a good job for residential lawns? If the grass is pretty thick does it leave a clumpy mess, or are you happy with it overall? What was the price tag on your 42 mulcher new, what year, and what do you want for it?
 
#18 · (Edited)
Cedar Lawn Care said:
Thank you for your input. I am 6 foot 8 260 pounds so my added body weight could be a factor as well. If I happen to be up your way in the next few months I may get in contact with you to check out your machines. Do you feel your 42 inch mulcher does a good job for residential lawns? If the grass is pretty thick does it leave a clumpy mess, or are you happy with it overall? What was the price tag on your 42 mulcher new, what year, and what do you want for it?
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The mulch deck is excellent but it does have it's limitations. If your main gig is mulching you have to have control of the fertilization. If you have a bunch of Chemlawn customers or overzealous homeowners in the green wars who like to water it is not the mower for that application. I use slow release organic ferts and won't mow unless they let me control the fert. Even with me fertilizing I have had growth issues as mulching -organics builds really healthy turf that will grow a lot and hold water when customers insist on over watering. Rain and early mornings are a issue, but the flip up deck, high ground speed and learning mulching techniques helps equalize things. If you can't control fert , buy the GHS first and ad a model b later.If you have as many as accounts as you have , IMO you have to have two machines available at all time anyways, unless you like walking or giving up your weekends. When I list my B on CL I will let you know. I have to buy a electronic module and deck arm for my other machine before I let this one go. Coates , the Walker distributer says my machine with the hours it has on is worth L-H $3200-$4500
 
#19 ·
3200 sq ft? Get a 48" Scag V Ride. I cut lawns ranging from 1-11?k sq ft with it, and it does great. Standing is so much better that :walking: Use the 21 for the rare instance you have a get it can't get through.
 
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Discussion starter · #20 ·
kawasaki guy said:
3200 sq ft? Get a 48" Scag V Ride. I cut lawns ranging from 1-11?k sq ft with it, and it does great. Standing is so much better that :walking: Use the 21 for the rare instance you have a get it can't get through.
Click to expand...
Thanks for your input. My goal is to really limit my walking so it's realistic to work a 8-10 hour day without hating life. I only have Husqvarna, Exmark, Toro, and Snapper Pro dealers in my city. If I got a stand on it would be an Exmark Vantage. Quite a few of my yards have gates that can't be more than 40 inches. Some of them I doubt I will even get a 36 into. I will have to swing by a dozen of my larger properties to see what size makes the most sense.
 
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