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Is stander or sit down harder on spine?

3K views 12 replies 4 participants last post by  edensgate7 
#1 ·
Lots of variables, I know. Looking for overall opinions and facts. I need to make a buying decision ASAP. I've demoed the vantage 48 and am not sure about it. I'm leaning to the lazer z S 48.
 
#2 ·
Both chiros I have been to say that standing is better than sitting. Yes it is more tiring. The first 6 yrs I was in business I rand a walkbehind with a velke and had no back problems. Then I bought a lazer Z and after one season I had back pain. I am 29 yrs old 5'10 and 150 so I am not big by any means. After four seaons of worsening back pain I started going to a chiropractor. They suggested that I look into buying a stand-on mower again because of the reasons mentioned in the other thread. After 8 seasons of running the lazer z sitting down, going over really rough terrain, trying the fancy seats (which helped a little bit but not worth the 600 bucks ....sorry to those who worship the exmark mower as the god of all mowers in this forum..... I had to give a bad opinion on a part of an exmark mower but I think 8 seasons and exrays are proof enough that I am not making up lies) and seeing the exrays of my lower three disks in my back slowly getting squished into pancakes, I bought two grandstands last year. I now have little to no back pain and can go the chiro once a month instead of once a week:) Get the stander man! You don't want to ever have back surgery cause it never ends well. I would rather have a knee replacement or two than have my spine screwed up and be crippled from the waist down. Just my informed and fact-based opinion:)
 
#3 ·
Both chiros I have been to say that standing is better than sitting. Yes it is more tiring. The first 6 yrs I was in business I rand a walkbehind with a velke and had no back problems. Then I bought a lazer Z and after one season I had back pain. I am 29 yrs old 5'10 and 150 so I am not big by any means. After four seaons of worsening back pain I started going to a chiropractor. They suggested that I look into buying a stand-on mower again because of the reasons mentioned in the other thread. After 8 seasons of running the lazer z sitting down, going over really rough terrain, trying the fancy seats (which helped a little bit but not worth the 600 bucks ....sorry to those who worship the exmark mower as the god of all mowers in this forum..... I had to give a bad opinion on a part of an exmark mower but I think 8 seasons and exrays are proof enough that I am not making up lies) and seeing the exrays of my lower three disks in my back slowly getting squished into pancakes, I bought two grandstands last year. I now have little to no back pain and can go the chiro once a month instead of once a week:) Get the stander man! You don't want to ever have back surgery cause it never ends well. I would rather have a knee replacement or two than have my spine screwed up and be crippled from the waist down. Just my informed and fact-based opinion:)
Problem is I've already had one back surgery in 07 for ruptured L4 L5 ( lower lumbar) and its getting bad again.
 
#6 · (Edited)
i find that how you sit on the mower has alot to do with it as well. if you lean way back then your spine takes all of the abuse. (supposedly sitting with good posture?) if you lean forward slightly then your spine doesn't take the bumps so much. i have no pain from sitting but i can feel it if i lean back with my back flat against the seat going over bumpy spots in a yard. my normal tendency is to lean forward slightly and in that position i don't feel it in my back at all. i have no suspension seat either. doing this allows your upper torso to bend and flex when going over bumps rather than putting all that pressure straight on the discs in your back. good posture is good when sitting in a chair that doesn't move but it's bad when bouncing up and down. :laugh:
 
#9 ·
if you've had back surgery your back is gonna hurt no matter what for the rest of your life. that's just how it goes and it does suck. do whatever makes you feel the best since the damage has already been done. that's all you can do. you can't undo what's already been done. you just have to cope with it the best you can.
 
#10 ·
if you've had back surgery your back is gonna hurt no matter what for the rest of your life. that's just how it goes and it does suck. do whatever makes you feel the best since the damage has already been done. that's all you can do. you can't undo what's already been done. you just have to cope with it the best you can.
True. Daily struggle from here to death. I'm only 35 too....
 
#11 ·
Thats interesting post jason cause I actually leaned forward allot because I always watched the grass edge go under the front corner of the deck in order to maximize my cut width each pass. I actually felt better sitting back because I could prop myself up on the armrest with my elbows and take my butt off the seat once in awhile till my arms got tired. I went through 2 sets of armrests but at least I haven't had to have surgery. Funny how different experiences show up on these threads but I do see the logic in your reasoning though.
 
#12 ·
well every person is different. we aren't all made the same. it may have something to do with height/weight/etc. i'm 5'9" so the way my body bends is gonna be different from someone that is 6'4". when i mow my elbows never even touch the armrests. if i extend the levers to full forward my arms are almost totally straight so they aren't even close to the armrests. best thing if you get a sit down mower is to get a suspension seat or whatever. i don't think a stander would be bad on your spine but it would probably make your knees hurt after a long day. i guess it depends on your business. i'm solo so i sit on the mower and then stand trimming, edging, and blowing. it kindof balances it out. i'm not standing all day and i'm not sitting all day either. neither one is good for you to do all day long. perhaps demo one sit down mower for a day and then demo a stander for a day and see how your back feels at the end of each day and then decide.
 
#13 ·
"i'm not standing all day and i'm not sitting all day either. neither one is good for you to do all day long. definitely agreed....My employees love to switch off and I do to. I don't know how the crewleaders I have heard of that make their laborers do all the trimming and blowing tolerate being on a mower all day either stand or sit.
 
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