[K.F.Cuts]

I was told to get a walk behind when I was new here but I thought a stander would get more chicks. I just went and bought a walk last winter and my brand new stander has been sitting for months. My situation is unique with properties on the marsh and sandy soft soil overall but I wish I took the advice that a walk is the best first mower.

I was leaning towards a walk. I ideally would like a hydro with either the ecs style controls or the zero turn bar style, no pistol grips. I can find good used ones that are affordable, but they seem to go fast, and the new ones are about the same as some zero turns.

 

[K.F.Cuts]

I wanted to see people's opinions on brand and style along with size. I also wanted to know what holds up with time and what is considered too many hours in terms of buying used. I have seen a lot with 1000 to 1500 hours all the way up to 2700 to 3000 hours.

 

[Hurryupelectric]

Hydro walk with a sulky or similar person tow device is working great for me so far this year.

 

[Hurryupelectric]

I wanted to see people's opinions on brand and style along with size. I also wanted to know what holds up with time and what is considered too many hours in terms of buying used. I have seen a lot with 1000 to 1500 hours all the way up to 2700 to 3000 hours.

I’ve read the turftracer is super overbuilt and over engineered. This is good and bad because other mowers use much simpler and more available parts. Just sounds like many parts are unnecessarily unique and specific. Maybe I’ll spark some discussion on this.

 

[Jashley73]

If you're going to get a walk behind as your main mower, definitely get a Hydro if you can. Again - as your main...

I just bought a 32" belt-drive walk behind for narrow gates. While it is a well built machine, and I think I got it for a fair price, holy crap did it beat me up the first time out. I am questioning the decision - enough so to consider @Hurryupelectric 's advise to look at the Ferris FW15.


And BTW - @Hurryupelectric did you keep the Deere stander? I know that you have the SW15 and the Toro WB now. If you still have the Deere, are you going to keep it?

 

[Hurryupelectric]

If you're going to get a walk behind as your main mower, definitely get a Hydro if you can. Again - as your main...

I just bought a 32" belt-drive walk behind for narrow gates. While it is a well built machine, and I think I got it for a fair price, holy crap did it beat me up the first time out. I am questioning the decision - enough so to consider @Hurryupelectric 's advise to look at the Ferris FW15.


And BTW - @Hurryupelectric did you keep the Deere stander? I know that you have the SW15 and the Toro WB now. If you still have the Deere, are you going to keep it?

It didn’t sell at the high asking price and I wasn’t going to sell it as a major loss, yes I have it sitting in the shop. I bought my mowers before the great inflation (kinda kidding but kinda serious) and I will probably never be able to buy anything like a John Deere stander for anything near what I bought it for just last March. I decided to absorb the stander cost as a hard hitting backup mower or to start my first crew, or sell if someone is really wanting a 636m. Instead of making a brash decision, I made none.

 

[Crazy 4 grass]

Hell, I’m posting on lawnsite between edger and string trimmer attachment changes. Time to get the blowers? I’m wondering what @Crazy 4 grass is doing 😉

I was out mowing my grass. Storm rollin in had to beat it. Got it done!

 

[sidemouse]

I am really mechanically inclined.

Ok so, one thing I have found helpful is to take a look at the ads and keep looking...
Get a feel for prices that way, search also for completed sales / sold listings.
I would do that for some time, until you get a good idea...

Also you need the money, all of it.
Because if you find a good deal you're not going to want to try and haggle with the person selling it... Seriously, we're looking for deals and deals only. Everything else is a pass.
No bargaining at the point of sale, do all that before heading out, get it out of the way before wasting a trip.
Once I get in my vehicle to head out, I am 90% sure I'm buying what it is, for how much they asking or what we already agreed on.
The only way I won't buy it is if something serious comes up that I didn't see in the ad (whether it was there or not), the machine isn't what I was looking for, it's not what was in the pictures, or "we sold that one but here's another"

Last but not least you need something to transport it back with.
If you show up at my house in a Honda Civic and I'm selling a Dixie Chopper the first thing I'm going to ask is how you plan on getting it home? Because if you have no way of getting it home ...
So, have a trailer and make sure it's wide and big enough, this also needs to happen before even responding to the ad.

 

[handsome_scythe99]

ferris will give you the best ride, however a good Z will cost you more than 4k

 

[kbik]

i can tell you from personal experience if she’s got a Problem nerve and lack of use of her left foot she’s not gonna want a zero turn with a left pedal emergency brake. Something to think about. I talk from experience as I have right foot problems and left hand problems I actually use my zero turn to help build back my strength. It’s a Scagg cheetah 2, out of your budget, but I worked my way up to it by fixing up old lawnmowers and selling them. I would recommend getting a Gravely I really liked the two I had in the past, strong mowers with good thick steel and easy to use hand brake. you can lighten up the springs for your mom on the brake…. I think ZTRs are more comfortable with back problems as they are more seated more backwards which’s rests your back, unlike a tractor.

 

[Aelzscaper]

I bought a Toro Grandstand 48''. 5 year warranty. I notice a lot of landscapers this year not bagging lawns.

 

[MowDaddy]

Why does the pole show 16 votes, but when I count all the votes it adds up to 30 ?

 

[Brucey]

I feel that for me doing the 60 hours a week speaking a foreign language while trying to produce and care for a crop is not something that is good for me mentally or physically because of the physical labor. I am still a kid at the end of the day and I should get vacation time rather than spending 9 weeks of my summer working like i did last year..... though on the bright side i did make 4000 dollars. that is why I want to get into lawn care and landscaping is because I can have control over jobs i take vs jobs I turn down. Yes at the end of the day I still need to make money, but I don't need to take every single job I am offered as a kid, because I don't have all the same costs as a fully independent adult.

60 hours per week, 9 weeks, 540 hours.

4000÷540=$7.41 per hour.

 

[K.F.Cuts]

60 hours per week, 9 weeks, 540 hours.

4000÷540=$7.41 per hour.

it was full payroll so there were taxes and healthcare and stuff like that, also I rounded the number to the best that i could remember without my final paycheck or w2 in front of me.

 

[K.F.Cuts]

i can tell you from personal experience if she’s got a Problem nerve and lack of use of her left foot she’s not gonna want a zero turn with a left pedal emergency brake. Something to think about. I talk from experience as I have right foot problems and left hand problems I actually use my zero turn to help build back my strength. It’s a Scagg cheetah 2, out of your budget, but I worked my way up to it by fixing up old lawnmowers and selling them. I would recommend getting a Gravely I really liked the two I had in the past, strong mowers with good thick steel and easy to use hand brake. you can lighten up the springs for your mom on the brake…. I think ZTRs are more comfortable with back problems as they are more seated more backwards which’s rests your back, unlike a tractor.

okay I will look into gravely mowers. that is the closest dealer to me any way. I was also looking at the simplicity courrier and hustler dash xd.

 

[lawnman08]

I was leaning towards a walk. I ideally would like a hydro with either the ecs style controls or the zero turn bar style, no pistol grips. I can find good used ones that are affordable, but they seem to go fast, and the new ones are about the same as some zero turns.

 

[lawnman08]

I have a used 36” Husqvarna for sale $700. It has a new belt drive oh belt and the transmission go’s from 1-5 speed I live in Madison heights if interested texts me back

 

[K.F.Cuts]

I have a used 36” Husqvarna for sale $700. It has a new belt drive oh belt and the transmission go’s from 1-5 speed I live in Madison heights if interested texts me back

thanks for the offer. where you are is a long drive. It is about 10 hours, that is without traffic and without a trailer for the machine and that is only one way. I don't thing it is a good move to travel all that way for a 700 dollar mower.

 

[lawnman08]

thanks for the offer. where you are is a long drive. It is about 10 hours, that is without traffic and without a trailer for the machine and that is only one way. I don't thing it is a good move to travel all that way for a 700 dollar mower.

Hopefully I will get rid of it and I have a bounce of blades that go’s with it