MOWERS & POWER EQUIPMENT: Still Standing

When most contractors talk about mowers, they talk about riders. The productivity and power of riders often leave walk-behinds in the shadows. But even though they’re not the lead actor any more, walk-behind mowers still play a pivotal role.

The sales of walk-behinds aren’t as high as they were 10 to 15 years ago, but the machines are in no danger of becoming extinct. Referencing numbers from the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI), Luke Prussa, senior marketing manager, Exmark Mfg., Beatrice, Neb., says there has been a steady market for midsize walk-behind mowers. “Total shipments are about 15 percent less than they were 10 years ago,” he says. “But the market has been fairly steady in terms of volume since 2000.”

The numbers seem to show that despite advancements in riders, contractors still find walk-behinds a valuable and necessary component in their equipment lineup.
 
WHEN TO WALK. So when is a walk-behind better than a rider? For one, the compact size of walk-behinds makes them a better – and more efficient – choice for small properties. “Residential sites are usually smaller areas so you’ll see walk-behinds more often than not on residential job sites,” says Gilbert Pena, commercial segment strategy manager, John Deere, Cary, N.C.

Their small size also means walk-behinds are more gate-accessible, as well as more adept at maneuvering around highly landscaped areas, such as flowerbeds and shrubs. These areas can be found on residential, as well as commercial, properties. “You need walk-behinds on commercial properties with islands or courtyards,” says Frank Nuss, northeast territory sales manager, Hustler Turf Equipment, Hesston, Kan. “You need them to maneuver around ornamental trees on the island.”

This also makes walk-behinds a good choice for trim work. Large, open properties can be mowed more efficiently with a rider, but many contractors will finish by trimming with a walk-behind. “You can get closer and be more careful and not damage the landscaping, such as shrubbery and flowers,” Pena says.

Walk-behinds are also better at mowing on slopes. Limitations for riders will vary by manufacturer, but in general, most riders shouldn’t be used on slopes of more than 10 to 15 degrees. For example, walk-behinds are proving to be an asset on berms, or man-made hills, designed to reduce street noise in subdivisions.

Riders may be getting smaller and lighter each year, but because walk-behinds don’t have the operator’s weight, they’ll always win in the weight category. One benefit to their light weight is the reduced tracking. When turf is mowed often with a heavy machine, visible tracking marks will stay on the landscape. On areas that are highly landscaped and visible to the public, such as berms, tracking can be avoided with walk-behinds. “The lighter the unit, the lower the pounds per square inch,” Pena says. “Therefore, the less likely you’ll have the tracking effect. Weight is sometimes an issue that dictates you don’t use anything but a walk-behind.”

In addition, if contractors usually mow a property with a rider, they may want to consider using a walk-behind on rainy days. “On a wet day or when you have a rainy week and you still have to keep up with the mowing, you would switch over to a walk-behind to avoid tracking,” Pena says. “When wet, riders will track more.”

There is also an economical reason contractors turn to walk-behind mowers. “Walk-behinds are the lowest investment you can get away with and still make a living in the landscaping business,” Pena says.

The cost for walk-behind mowers depends on the type, Prussa says. Midsize gear-drive units range from a retail price of $2,000 to $3,000 and hydrostatic-drive mowers range from about $4,000 to $7,000.

DIFFERENT WALKS OF LIFE. Walk-behinds may be the workhorse of the maintenance sector, but that doesn’t mean they’re all the same. Contractors have a choice of hydrostatic or gear drive, as well as various controls, horsepower and deck size.

2005 OPEI numbers show the market for midsize walk-behinds is about 57 percent gear drive and 43 percent hydrostatic. “The trend is slowly switching from gear drive to hydro,” Prussa says.

The main advantage to hydrostatic walk-behinds is they are easier to operate. “The hydro drive lets operators reverse quickly,” Prussa says. “The gear drive is more laborious to turn and move.”

In short, hydrostatic units are more productive. Sean Dwyer, associate product manager for turf care products, Husqvarna, Charlotte, N.C. says at one time, hydrostatic units were said to offer as much as a 40 percent increase in productivity.

With that higher productivity comes a higher price tag. Prussa estimates gear-drive walk-behinds with 32 to 48-inch decks cost about $2,000 to $3,000 retail, whereas hydrostatic units with 36 to 60-inch decks cost $4,000 to $7,000. When comparing a 48-inch gear drive with a 48-inch hydrostatic walk-behind with the same engine, Prussa estimates the hydro would cost about $1,000 more. If the hydro has extra features, it could cost $1,500 more.

For contractors whose properties dictate they use a walk-behind a lot, the extra price for a hydrostatic unit is worth it because they want the most productive machine possible. For example, in areas of the country that have a high number of small properties requiring walk-behinds, there will likely be more hydrostatic than gear-drive units, Pena says.

Walk-behinds are also available with a choice of deck widths to handle a variety of tasks. For example, the 21-inch mower, one of the smallest commercial walk-behinds, is especially good for trimming work, Prussa says. But contractors in coastal areas such as Texas and California also use the 21-inch machines to mow the smaller lawns commonly found in the area.

T.J. Justice, partner, Just Mowing, Houston, uses only 21-inch mowers. Working on small residential tract homes – with only 3,000 to 6,000 square feet of turf – he says the mowers just make sense. “We think it takes longer to load and unload larger walk-behinds and riders,” he says. “And there is more liability if you try to squeeze one of them through a gate.”

The mowers are also faster, considering his customers’ property size, noting that it only takes 8 to 12 minutes for them to cut a lawn, Justice says. The other benefit is the resell value. Justice resells 100 percent of his equipment at the year’s end, and buys all new. He resells the mowers for about 40 to 45 percent of the original cost, adding that the retail price for a 21-inch mower is about $1,300.

A step above the 21-inch mower are the 32 and 36-inch walk-behinds. These are best for contractors who mow smaller properties or need to fit through gates. Above that are 48 to 60-inch mowers. “The 48-inch from a volume standpoint is the largest in the industry in terms of units,” Prussa says. “It’s large enough to bring with it productivity, but small enough to fit in most properties.”

Seeing the benefits of walk-behinds and riders, many contractors send their crews out with both types of equipment. Outside Unlimited in Hampstead, Md., owns six walk-behinds and three riders. Grounds Maintenance Manager Cary Doyle sends crews out with both types of mowers, and then the crews determine which they’ll need. “Open areas are done more efficiently with a rider, but some areas need a walk-behind,” Doyle says. “Walk-behinds are used where the riders can’t be, such as smaller areas or on hills.”

WALKING AHEAD. Most mower advancements in recent years have been focused on riders, but manufacturers aren’t ignoring the walk-behind. The three areas seeing the most development are horsepower, attachments and ergonomics.

When it comes to advancements, walk-behinds generally pick up the qualities of riders. When operators saw the benefit to electric starts on their riders, they started requesting it on walk-behinds. Likewise, contractors who like the high horsepower of their riding mowers are asking for higher horsepower on their walk-behinds. The demand has been met, with some manufacturers offering walk-behinds with horsepower as high as 23 hp. “Some contractors even want a walk-behind with a 60-inch deck and 25 hp,” says Ken Raney, advertising manager, Hustler Turf Equipment, Hesston, Kan.

“For the price, which is moderate, many contractors like the extra horsepower,” Prussa says, adding extra horsepower usually costs $100 to $200 more.

Why the demand for higher horsepower? Some contractors find these larger walk-behinds very productive on large commercial properties, such as corporate campuses, banks and shopping centers. “A lot of times these properties have a lot of sloped areas between the road and parking lot,” Prussa says. “The area is open, but a lot of times they have a pretty significant slope.”

Large landscaping companies will buy the bigger walk-behinds because they’re even more productive than riders in certain cases, Prussa says. “They have found in their own studies that they can be more productive than riders on certain properties, based on if it has significant slope or lots of obstacles to mow around,” he says.

Listening to contractors’ demands, manufacturers are also coming out with more attachments. Contractors want to use a walk-behind when the have to, but there are also times when they’d like to ride. Ride-on attachments let them do just that. “One of the most popular attachments is the stand-on sulky,” Prussa says, explaining they have one or two tires and are similar to riding, but the operator is standing up. “It allows operators to go faster than they would walking. Plus, it saves a lot of wear and tear on the operator not having to walk all day.”

Walk-behind mower design may not be changing as quickly as the rider, and the product may not be as glamorous, but the walk-behind mower has definitely earned its place on the landscape trailer. Not many contractors can be found who don’t own at least one. “No way is the walk-behind going to be phased out,” Nuss says. “You can look at the biggest contractor and you will always find a walk-behind on their truck. There are just too many places where you can’t use a rider.”