Walk behind buying help

[B&E Turf Care]

I was looking at getting a walk behind for my small accounts and was wonder what some of you guys are using and why. We currently have two zero turns, a 61” Scag and 60”Encore along with an old 50”Gravely walk behind and of course 21” push mowers. I was leaning towards a 36” Scag for around $2500. Is $2500 a lot to invest into a small walk behind. I am thinking it will almost replace the 21” push mowers and get the job done in half the time. Anywhere the 36” is to big for we can just wack it, or should I still count on having to use the push mower? The other option is to get a 32” Scag walk behind for around $2300. I think I would rather pay the extra $200 and have the bigger engine with wider cut and what looks to be a more solid frame. Thanks in advance for everyone’s opinions.

[rickpilgrim]

I was looking at getting a walk behind for my small accounts and was wonder what some of you guys are using and why. We currently have two zero turns, a 61” Scag and 60”Encore along with an old 50”Gravely walk behind and of course 21” push mowers. I was leaning towards a 36” Scag for around $2500. Is $2500 a lot to invest into a small walk behind. I am thinking it will almost replace the 21” push mowers and get the job done in half the time. Anywhere the 36” is to big for we can just wack it, or should I still count on having to use the push mower? The other option is to get a 32” Scag walk behind for around $2300. I think I would rather pay the extra $200 and have the bigger engine with wider cut and what looks to be a more solid frame. Thanks in advance for everyone’s opinions.

We run the pre 2008 Hustler hydrowalks, a 36" and a 54", plus 2 older Ferris walkbehinds, a 36" and a 48". We like hydro in walkbehinds as changing direction and speed is effortless and quick, they work wet or dry, require very little maintainence and have never killed a hydro in any walkbehind.
We bought the Ferris units in 1999 and did so as the company had a good rep, a local dealer, good parts and support here and have a fairly easy to learn control system(not pistol grip style). They have a decent quality of cut and have been fairly durable.
The Hustler units were bought in 2005(36") and 2006(54") and I wish they were still made. The H-Bar control system is so easy to learn everyone gets it in 5 min or less. They are very durable, the 54" went off the trailer @ 25 mph(accident- t-boned the trailer) with no damage whatsoever, the 36" rolled twice on a sidehill and only needed a fuel cap. We have a protero sulky on the 48" Ferris and the 36" Hustler and bullrider sulky on the 54". The sulky's require more parts and repair than the Hustlers and the only thing we don't like about them is that they are both very long and take trailer space.
$2500 is not a bad price but a Quik36 dual hydro should be great as a trim mower. You CAN wack the small areas but there is always a 21" mower on our trailers and our higher end customers like that as most LCO's here do not have one. We paid more than double that for either Hustler and the Ferris units were around $3500 small and $4200 larger oneand that was 1999.
Anyway- when the crew loads upthe walkbehinds the Hustlers get taken first and the Ferris units get used far less, and that is by thier choice.
The Hustler Trimstar has evoled into a good machine but compared to the previous they are just OK.

[rickpilgrim]

I got a 32" Emark Metro to reduce the amount of time I spend pushing a 21". A lot of folks will cry that a 36" will fit through any gate, but I've got 4 customers right now with back gates that a 36" won't fit through. I haven't found one yet I can't get the 32" into. Also, since you are not using this as a main mower then unless you get a really good deal then I wouldn't bother with the extra cost of hydro units. Belt drive is fine for the occasional type of use you want.

$2500 is a good price. After taxes and a sulky my 32" Metro wound up right around $2700.

Don't plan on getting rid of the 21". There will always be a situation where you just need one sooner or later. In my case I have one yard that has so many obstacles (Asian people and their overcrowded yards) that it's just easier to manuever the 21" in there than the WB. Got another guy who's soil is so spongy that if you put anything heavier than a 21" on it then it ruts, so even with the 32 I still wind up using the 21 every so often, but it has cut down the use of it by a great deal. I used to use the 21" at least 6 times a week, and now I use it about 4-6 times a month.

When we bought the first walkbehind we thought belt and almost bought a toro belt 36 but after using a freinds on a wet morning we went hydro. Yes, it costs more but I would take the Hustler 36 or the Ferris 36 against ANY belt drive 36 in walk or sulkie mode and the difference in speed and fatiuge at the end of the day is huge. And isn't it strange how you get a new mower to use every now and then and suddenly it's a yr or two later and you use it so much that the thought of not having that mower puts you in a panic?