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Anyone out there still use walk behind mowers?

5K views 80 replies 27 participants last post by  Turf Tracer 
#1 ·
Anyone still use walk behind mowers or have you gone over to stand on mowers? I am looking to buy a Scag 36" SWZT but everyone tells me to get a stand on. Am I making the wrong move getting a walk behind? I will be using it mainly for backyards. I feel the price difference is not worth it. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks
 
#5 ·
I have a JD 636m (36" standon) and a Ferris Comfort Control DD 48" walk behind. I much prefer the standon. But I have some properties with hills that require the walk behind. I'd look into a lightly used standon if you don't have hills.
Courage
 
#7 ·
We have one that we use for a couple small backyards and some hills that the stander won't hold. I've actually been contemplating buying a couple 48 ex marks especially for the spring when its wet out. They are a lot lighter than standers are and won't leave the heavy tire marks.
 
#10 ·
With my old company, we bought 1-2 new Ex Mark walk-behinds each season; those were our primary mowers.

Never. Had. The. Opportunity. To. Operate. One. However. 🤣

They looked nimble, and the crews created beautiful stripes with the machines. In my 4 seasons, we had to go out and fix ruts on only 2 properties…that was just a matter of a Crew Member using poor judgment, and a lack of oversight from the Crew Leader - not because the machine is super weighty.
 
#12 ·
Still have one...doesn't get used a ton but there are some slopes that just can't be done with a stander or Z.

Ironically, it stripes as good if not better than a VRide.
 
#29 ·
Still have one...doesn't get used a ton but there are some slopes that just can't be done with a stander or Z.

Ironically, it stripes as good if not better than a VRide.
I think that’s why customers think you do a better job with them
I prefer a 48” wb on mist residential lawns myself
If I were to own a personal lawn mower for my suburban lawn it’d probably be a 48 belt drive wb
 
#15 ·
Knowing what I know now, I would have tried getting a stand on all those years ago when I bought my walk behind.



That said, I would have also gotten something bigger than a 36, but at the time, the 30 inch mowers didn't exist, and I needed to get through gates.
I do need to mow quite a few steep hills though, so I'm thinking a stand on would not be ideal - but I guess if that's the mower I had, I wouldn't be taking on lawns with steep hills.
Sometimes you choose your work based on your machine and sometimes you choose your machine based on your work.
 
#17 ·
Knowing what I know now, I would have tried getting a stand on all those years ago when I bought my walk behind.



That said, I would have also gotten something bigger than a 36, but at the time, the 30 inch mowers didn't exist, and I needed to get through gates.
I do need to mow quite a few steep hills though, so I'm thinking a stand on would not be ideal - but I guess if that's the mower I had, I wouldn't be taking on lawns with steep hills.
Sometimes you choose your work based on your machine and sometimes you choose your machine based on your work.
Whoa Nellie...that's looking close to 18°...you sure you can do that?
 
#22 · (Edited)
Ummmm... ok.
I have no idea what you all are going on about.
I didn't make any moronic claims about the "hill" in that photo being "too steep" - it's just a pic of my mower that I had handy.

I guess since I made mention of "hills" the assumption was made that I was posting a pic if a "hill".

I was actually thinking more along the lines of that lawn being an example of why I wish I had gotten a larger walk behind.
 
#27 ·
Run multiple Walks. High end res here is over irrigated and has very soft turf. Tried standers. They tear turf too easy and need make slow K turns instead of Z turn on every pass. Also lots slopes. With standers we had use push mowers for most slopes.

To the guy complaining about FW controls, you are nuts. FW CC controls are best in business. Slam that speed bar to the top and control speed using the hand levers. Almost no spring tension so you can completely control mower with fingertips.
 
#33 ·
CC work better if you permanently unhook the thing that shows speed in the cruise control bar. Then just push the bar to max speed when starting out and use the hand levers to control.

the benefit of the joined hydros trans on the Ferris is much lighter spring tension than pump/wheel motor set ups. You can control everything with fingertips and zero strain.
 
#38 ·
i own 2 exmark ztr,s but much prefer to still use the 36 or 48 wb,s . much better control and less damage to turf. as for backing up? easy dont get into a situation where you need to reverse. lol. you just step off the sulkie and back up a little till you can go foward again. a really good sulkie makes a huge difference. by far the best thing about wb,s is the ease of ownership vs a ztr of stander. very little to go wrong
 
#41 ·
We carry a 36” Scag belt drive for backyards. Literally gets used on 2 yards on our biweekly route… backing with a sulky depends on the style sulky, mine has an original single wheel and is impossible. A bull rider, or similar with swivel casters not bad at all. Great machine, cuts great, and they’re versatile machines. I’ve thought of adding a 48 or 52 for productivity. The 36 is about to go though, just had several customers move that we used it for and not looking to replace with yards that size anymore

mine will be on the marketplace section soon…
 
#43 ·
I've never used a belt drive. I went straight for hydro for my first mower based on talk I head of how they both work.
Gotta say that driving with my fingertips is nice - I can't imagine why anyone would want to work harder than they have to.

I also don't thing a velke/sulkie/whatever would work out very well for my particular application.
I think about it from time to time, but when I pay attention to how I actually use my mower on the different properties, I think it would be more of a hindrance than a help. Also, I know they can flip up so you can walk behind the mower, but I'm short, and I think I would be banging my knees into it as I walk. (short arms mean I am pretty close to the mower)
Not to mention that I would need to buy a longer trailer since I only have room for what I have right now.

Yeah. I'm good - I'll walk.
 
#45 ·
I also don't thing a velke/sulkie/whatever would work out very well for my partz,icular application.
I think about it from time to time, but when I pay attention to how I actually use my mower on the different properties, I think it would be more of a hindrance than a help. Also, I know they can flip up so you can walk behind the mower, but I'm short, and I think I would be banging my knees into it as I walk. (short arms mean I am pretty close to the mower)
Not to mention that I would nee Xd to buy a longer trailer since I only have room for what I have right now.

Yeah. I'm good - I'll walk.
While It has its limitations, after a few years on it I'm a big Proslide fan.
 
#50 ·
I'll put in my ¢2 36" and I'd do a WB with a mulching kit if used as a secondary trim/backyard mower. I'd run it as a WB with no velky if used on tight spaces. I'd also run a 52" stander as a primary mower.
 
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