Don't call it a comeback
1 Feb, 2006 By: Michael Seuffert Landscape ManagementThe evolution of walk-behinds mowers is being driven by innovations in zero-turns.
Sometimes it seems that zero-turn mowers get all the attention. They're young, they're fast and they're sexy. They are the Paris Hiltons of the lawn care world, though probably more deserving of their fame since they do actually, you know, work.
 |
But while zero-turns have gotten all the attention, the steady walk-behind mowers did not disappear. In fact, they have rather quietly grown into stars in their own right. They are faster, more productive and give a better cut than ever. And while the zero-turns may still grab all the headlines, walk-behinds will always remain an integral piece of equipment for any lawn care operator.
Evolution
"The evolution of the walk-behind is driven by the evolution of the ride-on," says Gilbert Pena, commercial segment strategy manager for John Deere. "Everybody was on a productivity kick, about how ride-ons were more productive than walk-behinds, until the landscape started to change from a construction standpoint.
"When real estate prices went up, lots became smaller. With the smaller lots, you couldn't use ride-ons, so you had to go back to the walk. Even for sites like office buildings and subdivisions, they are being designed with long berms in front, landscaped with trees and bushes. Somebody has to mow that and there's no way you can do that effectively with a ride-on," he continues.
 Industry Shipments |
But after experiencing the improvements and innovations in the line of zero-turns, operators didn't want to go back to the same old gear-driven walk-behinds. They wanted a mower just as productive as the ride-ons.
"Once you put a hydrostatic transmission on the walk-behind and you put on an engine with sufficient horsepower, you allow the operator to walk when he has to walk or attach a riding attachment when he's in wide-open spaces," Pena says.
Combined with the innovations made in mowing decks over the years, such as John Deere's stamped 7-iron deck, also first introduced on the zero-turns, Pena says today's walk-behinds can match the productivity of the zero-turns.
Advantages
Walk-behinds offer operators a number of advantages over ride-ons, including a lower weight, easier maneuverability and better trim ability. They can be gentler on turf and fit through gates and into other restrictive areas. Plus they are easier to load and unload from trucks. There's also some fuel efficiencies on the walk-behinds as well, but that's not a primary reason for going back to them.
 Exmark's hydro-powered Turf Tracer reaches 6.75 mph with a 60-in. cutting deck. |
"Walk-behinds have always been a staple for landscape contractors," says Edric Funk, landscape contractor product manager for The Toro Co. "Some customers may have gotten caught up with the speed and novelty of the zero-turns, but later found that for a lot of their properties, walk-behinds were a better fit. Especially on residential lots and smaller properties, there's places where walk-behinds make more sense."
Funk says safety is also a concern, which is driving the growth of walk-behinds, since there are places, such as around lakes and ponds, where zero-turn riders should not be used. So even if a contractor is primarily using a zero turn, that contractor still needs to have a walk-behind handy to finish up any problem areas.
1 2
Please send any technical comments or questions to our webmaster.