All good things must come to an end. Or, with the recent success of the commercial riding mower market, slow down a bit. While blessed with recent good fortune, the riding mower market is slated to enter a slight slowdown, according to the latest Outdoor Power Equipment Institute statistics.
Down sharply from its high of 35 percent growth in 1998, the commercial riding mower market is expected to slow to 10.7 percent growth in 2001 and then up slightly to 13.9 percent growth in 2002.
Especially in the case of the mid-mount zero-turn radius riding mower, a machine that took the landscape industry by storm a few years back and has been leading the growth the past several years, this slowdown was inevitable, noted Rick Cuddihe, executive vice president, Great Dane Power Equipment, Jeffersonville, Ind. “(The riding mower market) is turning into a mature market,” he pointed out. “And when you have mature products, the marketing curve tends to level off. Nothing can grow forever.”
“The slowdown had to come sooner or later,” added Dan Kilgus, product manager, residential and commercial mowing products, Kubota, Torrance, Calif.
As with any once-revolutionary product, the zero- turn radius riding mower had its introductory period of rapid growth, followed by continued growth, until eventually arriving at a mature phase, where the market levels off, Cuddihe explained.
Bob Walker, president, Walker Mfg., Ft. Collins, Colo., attributed the record growth and subsequent decline of mower shipments to manufacturer overproduction in both 1998 and 1999. “When manufacturers choose to produce more product, they can create a situation of overstocking,” he pointed out. “That’s what happened in those two years. Too much product was produced. Consequently, shipments will eventually slow down.”
Dick Tegtmeier, president, Encore Manufacturing, Beatrice, Neb., theorized that the riding mower market fluctuations are a reflection of the larger economic picture. “The economy is flat and the stock market is going down,” he noted. “Our industry reflects that. That’s just how it goes.”
| Decisions, Decisions |
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When to invest in a riding mower is always a big question for contractors. Generally speaking, the type of work done dictates whether a riding mower is necessary. For contractors primarily focused on larger residential and commercial properties, a riding mower can step up production, cutting mowing time in half, observed Dick Tegtmeier, president, Encore Manufacturing, Beatrice, Neb. If a contractor tends to smaller residential properties, however, a riding mower isn’t necessarily vital, noted Rick Curlett, director of market development, Exmark, Beatrice, Neb. When properties get larger, however, “a riding unit makes sense,” he said, adding that with space and slope problems almost always an issue, “you’re never going to totally eliminate the need for a walk behind of some sort.” Rick Cuddihe, executive vice president, Great Dane Power Equipment, Jeffersonville, Ind., urged contractors to buy a riding mower if it allows them to produce more income, by increasing productivity and, in turn, increasing income. If you can’t cut any more grass with your current equipment, then a riding mower might be a good idea, he said. Cuddihe also advised buying a riding mower if it can allow a company to do more work with less resources. “In a competitive market, by increasing the amount you can do, you can increase your competitive edge.” Curlett, however, advised any contractor to consider buying a riding mower the minute they go into business. “The best thing you can do is invest right away,” he said. “The return on the investment is very, very reasonable.” Contractors should keep in mind that a riding mower can yield substantial savings with labor costs, noted Bob Walker, president, Walker Manufacturing, Fort Collins, Colo., adding that riding mowers “show up for work every day.” - Cynthia Greenleaf |
HOLDING STEADY. The slight slowdown in commercial riding mower shipments is no real cause for concern, according to mower manufacturers. “The rate of growth may not be as great, but the market is still growing,” noted Rick Curlett, director of market development, Exmark, Beatrice, Neb., adding that while the percent of change has fluctuated, commercial riding mowers have seen a steady increase in shipments since 1994. “Our growth has been continual and has catapulted because of the Zs,” he pointed out.
Walker predicted a continued demand for riding mowers, especially with the landscape industry still in a state of expansion. He noted that there was a crossover point in the mid 1990s when, for the first time ever, more riding mowers were produced than walk behinds. “Twice more riders were produced than walk behinds,” he described. “We expect that to moderate, but it’s not going to go back the other way.”
| Anything Goes |
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Unlike the bigger, less maneuverable riding mowers of the past, today’s models pretty much can go anywhere and do anything. With the advent of zero-turn technology and compact construction, in particular, riding mowers can now be used where only walk behinds once dared to go, according to Bob Walker, president, Walker Manufacturing, Fort Collins, Colo. While riding mowers were once only used for large commercial areas, they now are finding their way around small- to medium-sized properties with ease, he said. The modern riding mower allows contractors versatility, pointed out Rick Cuddihe, executive vice president, Great Dane Power Equipment, Jeffersonville, Ind. The best applications for these mowers are multiple uses, from mowing a football field to navigating a property with pine trees, bushes and flower beds, he described. A few exceptions remain, of course. Walk behinds will almost always be better for extremely steep, tight or highly-contoured areas, Walker warned. “Even with the most compact riders, there are some places where you need to go with a smaller cutting deck,” he said. “Some landscapes, for example, have such sharp contours that the riding mower will scalp or skip the lawn.” - Cynthia Greenleaf |
A LITTLE FINE TUNING. Riding mower manufacturers generally agree that there are no technological advancements in the pipeline poised to replace zero-turn technology any time soon. “I don’t foresee another phenomenon like the zero turn in the immediate future,” Curlett noted.
Walker agreed. “As far as the future, the Z turn will continue to be the dominant piece of equipment,” he said. “We don’t see anything else on the horizon.”
There’s plenty of room to improve existing riding mower technology, however. Curlett compared the modern riding mower’s evolution with that of Chrysler’s minivan, a once revolutionary vehicle that is now an automotive mainstay in suburban garages across the country. Much like the riding mower, the minivan underwent improvements throughout the years, but still performs its initial function, Curlett pointed out.
In terms of future fine tuning for riding mowers, Curlett predicted increased fuel efficiency and reduced emissions. With contractors always focused on increasing their productivity, a desire for more powerful machines will also direct the future development of riding mowers, he added. “More power is really a driving force,” he said.
| Tending To Tires |
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When it comes to maintenance, a riding mower generally requires the same attention as any other mower, with one major exception: proper tire pressure. This is a critical and often overlooked maintenance issue, pointed out Bob Walker, president, Walker Manufacturing, Ft. Collins, Colo. Because of a riding mower’s weight, its tires are prone to improper inflation, which can directly affect performance, Walker said. Checking pressure should be a weekly maintenance item, he stressed. Improper tire pressure can cause an uneven cut, resulting in an unsightly lawn and even unhappy customers, added Rick Curlett, director of market development, Exmark, Beatrice, Neb. To properly take care of tires, which are prone to expanding and contracting, Curlett recommends checking the circumference of each tire with a tape measure at least once a week, to ensure that they are evenly inflated. - Cynthia Greenleaf |
Cuddihe agreed. “Contractors want more power,” he observed. “They will not buy lower horsepower if you have higher horsepower.”
Mower manufacturers also are looking at ways to provide products that require less maintenance, Curlett said. “If someone overgreases field bearings, you wind up breaking seals,” he noted, pointing out an example of an area open to improvement. “If they don’t need to be greased, however, that reduces the chance for human error.”
Increasing operator comfort is also a priority for riding mower manufacturers, according to Cuddihe. “With guys riding faster, they’ll get their bottom beat up if they don’t have deluxe, suspension seats.” He added that riding mowers will continue to become lighter, since contractors don’t want to encourage soil compaction or leave large tracks on lawns.
Kilgus predicted that riding mowers will be increasingly technology driven, especially in terms of tracking maintenance and other vital operating information. For example, a mower might be able to readily tell when maintenance was last done through an on-board computer, he described.
Within the next five years, Kilgus said that technology will result in primary mulching being done under the deck in a secondary processing chamber, which would allow for increased productivity and speed. “Commercial guys want to be able to get the job done faster and don’t want to bag grass,” he pointed out.
The author is Associate Editor of Lawn & Landscape magazine
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