Question about walking speed

[slippednfell]

I'm getting ready to start a solo lawn service, and thanks to some very good advice here, I've decided to purchase a 36" WB mower. I've noticed that some manufacturers list the ground speed of their WBs, and some are about 7 mph. I've never measured my own walking speed, but it seems like I've read that an average walking speed is about 3.5 mph. My question is this -- Assuming that I'm in fairly good physical condition, is it also reasonable to assume that I can crank out a full day's worth of 7 mph WB mowing? Also, I think that Toro WBs have an optional standing platform. Do these things work?

 

[Rhett]

You would have to be an olympic athelete to keep that pace up. If you mowed 4 hours a day at 7 mph that would be 28 miles at a good jog.Don't forget all of the trimming, edging and blowing. There are several sulkys on the market. Can't really comment on most of them. If you search there are plenty of posts listing the pros and cons of most of them.

Good Luck

Rhett

 

[slippednfell]

You're of course right about the 28 miles of walking at just 4 hours of mowing. I should have thought a bit more about my question before asking it. Also, I didn't know that the optional riding platforms were called sulkys, but now I do, so thanks for that help. I'm wondering why WB ground speed is even an issue to manufacturers if a person can't keep up with the machine. Maybe it has to do with sulky compatibility?

 

[chevyman1]

Yeah get the sulky dude, about $300 for a good one

 

[Rhett]

Actually a good question. Depending on the grass type and your equipment at that speed allot of times the cut will suffer. I would just as soon slow down and cut it just once. I know when I first started out it took a while before I even got out of second gear. I would start walking and then add a sulky after I got some expierence and enough work. I have 30 some and still walk.

Happy Mowing

 

[Doc Pete]

Originally posted by slippednfell
I'm getting ready to start a solo lawn service, and thanks to some very good advice here, I've decided to purchase a 36" WB mower.

You "must" get a velky/sulky, otherwise you won't able to do the work. I didn't think a velky helped that much.... They do.
DP

 

[pushmower]

How many gates will you be able to fit thru with that 36"? If the gates to small the w/b is not as useful.

 

[FFMED74]

I have a couple I walk, but must I ride the sulky. www.Landscapersupply.com has a nice one I use that is built like jungle wheels for $200. The two wheeled sulky are the why to go imo.

 

[hole in one lco]

I run my mower in third gear its a normal walk. I got a sulky so i could run my mower in forth gear. If you run your mower at 7mph the cut quality will suffer

 

[charlies]

the speed slows down a bit when you add the sulky b/c of your body weight.

have you ever used one before? make a new post when you use one, tell us how you like reverse w/ a sulky

seriously though, if you have or intend to have many lawns bigger than a 1/4 acre, you will probably want a sulky. and if you're concerned about your image at all, you'll want to practice ALOT in your own back yard. and if you get a sulky/velke, absolutely do not forget to grease it every single morning.

about the mower, if your going to have the w/b as your primary mower and want to use it alot, try to find one that is hydro driven, not gear driven.
also, 36" does not mean that that is the actual width of the deck, it is the width of the cut. so a 36" mower will not fit through a 3' gate.