These Machines Were Made For Walking: Walk-behind Mowers

Even though Sam Burke refers to walk-behind mowers as ‘simple, low tech design’ machines, he doesn’t deny that they dominate his equipment fleet.

"Despite the popularity of compact riding machines, my crew likes walk-behind mowers," explained Burke, president, Landscape One, Hebron, Ky. "They like the feeling of being in control that walk-behind mowers give. Even though I would like to buy more riding mowers because I feel that the purchase would help employee fatigue, my employees tell me that fatigue isn’t even a factor – they love their walk-behinds."

Mower manufacturer sales echoed contractors’ propensity for walk-behind mowers. Bill Shea, vice president of sales and new product development, Ferris Industries, Munnsville, N.Y., which was recently sold to Simplicity Mfg., Port Washington, Wis. (See Breaking News, page 21), said walk-behind sales at Ferris are up 30 percent this year, while Encore Mfg. and Snapper also reported increased walk-behind sales.

Industry-wide statistics tell a different story, however. According to the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute, shipments of commercial walk-behind units increased only 2.4 percent from fiscal year 1998 to fiscal year 1999, while shipments of commercial riding units increased 35 percent, showing the growth and popularity of compact riders over walk-behind mowers.

While walk-behind mowers may be simplistic in design when compared to compact riding mowers and the newest in mower technology, they get the job done and are still an asset to contractors’ maintenance jobs.

NEW FEATURES. When a contractor shops for mowers, the first thing he or she should look at is the durability of the machine, suggested Shea.

"Contractors need to make sure that all of the components of the mower they are going to purchase are quality and will last," Shea said.

While durability and quality are a factor, manufacturers are adding features to enhance mower performance and operator comfort.

On Ferris Industries’ hydro walk-behind mowers, an easy height adjuster was added to the floating deck because contractors were looking for an easier way to adjust the height of cut, Shea remarked.

Because of the heightened awareness of environmental sensitivity in the industry, environmentally friendly gas tanks became a new feature on Encore mowers, according to Forrester.

"More friendly fuel systems are larger and mean less refueling out on a job," Forrester explained. "We’re manufacturing machines with a better fuel system early on because we feel that the industry bureaucracy will dictate that better fuel systems need to implemented industry wide."

Forrester said 7-gauge reinforced deck plates help make the deck spindles a level structure to support the wheel motors in hydrostatic walk-behind mowers.

"Reinforced top plates on decks are better than welded deck plates because the heat used to weld a piece on top of the deck adds additional stress and encourages cracking," Forrester explained. "And with hollow crash bars on the front of the mower instead of solid pieces, you can hit something and the bar will bend inward. With a solid crash bar, the deck tends to bend with the bar."

Another new feature in walk-behind mowers is a deck with a left cutter section that lifts up to allow the machine to change from a 52-inch deck to a 36-inch deck and fit through fence gates.

"Contractors have long complained about using a small mower in areas that are inside fences or tight, hard-to-access properties," said Rick Cuddihe, vice president of sales, Great Dane Power Equipment, Elm Grove, Wis. "The mower helps contractors increase productivity once they get inside the gate. Plus, it takes up less space on a trailer."

John Gabrielson, owner, John’s Custom Care, Keller, Texas, said he noticed that walk-behind mowers have easier access to parts that need extra maintenance and that the gas cap is larger so less gas is wasted from spillage.

HYDRO VS. BELT DRIVE. While some manufacturers claim to be selling more hydrostatic mowers than gear drives, Outdoor Power Equipment Institute 1999 figures tell a different story, according to Bob Walker, president, Walker Mfg., Ft. Collins, Colo.

"OPEI 1999 figures show that 32 percent of commercial intermediate walk-behind rotary turf mowers with 36-inch decks and larger sold are hydrostatic and 68 percent are gear driven," Walker pointed out. "Cost could be a contributing factor. Mowers with hydrostatic drives are $1,500 more than their belt-driven counterparts."

Brian Masterson, senior marketing manager, Toro, Bloomington, Minn., agreed.

"The industry prefers gear-drive over hydrostatic-drive now," Masterson said. "Gear-drive machines are more efficient and less expensive."

Gabrielson pointed to price as the reason he doesn’t own hydrostatic mowers.

"For the price, I don’t notice an increase in productivity with hydrostatic mowers," Gabrielson said. "If I want to increase productivity, I use a riding mower."

However, Bruce Tucker, president, Tucker Environmental Contractors, Boca Raton, Fla., stopped using gear-driven mowers a few years ago.

"We were always fixing something on our gear drive walk-behinds," Tucker said. "But we have had zero problems with our hydrostatic mowers."

"Gear-drive walk-behind mowers are too sloppy," agreed Burke. "The belts can slip, especially in bad weather, and they don’t have the immediate response hydrostatic drives offer."

Low-maintenance, longevity and durability are a few of the words Rick Lemcke, co-owner, R. M. Landscape Industries, Rochester, N.Y., used to describe hydrostatic-drive, walk-behind mowers.

"Our hydrostatic mowers run in all types of weather – they never fail us," Lemcke exclaimed. "Every year, we resell our mowers and we get more money back from our hydrostatic mowers every time. We’re averaging about 50 to 60 percent of our purchase price back on hydrostatic mowers. Reselling gear-drive mowers, we’d be lucky if we got 20 cents on the dollar."

THE FUTURE. The future, according to manufacturers and contractors, is all about increased productivity. One way manufacturers are improving their mowers for longer lives is by focusing on mower engines.

Offering more complete ranges of different brands and types of engines is important and will be in the future, according to Masterson.

"Contractors want productivity," Masterson stressed. "Anything can go fast, but a machine has to be able to process a certain quality of cut as well – productivity isn’t just a speed issue. Contractors also want more choices in other areas, such as the ability to bag, the ability to recycle or the ability to side discharge."

Just as he was turned on to hydrostatic-drive, walk-behind mowers, Tucker said he thinks he’ll feel the same way about water-cooled engines.

"Right now, we change the oil on our machines with air-cooled engines every 50 hours," Tucker explained. "I have heard that contractors using water-cooled engines change the oil even less frequently – maybe even up to every 100 hours. Water-cooled engines cost about $1,500 more than air-cooled engines, but I think with less down time spent maintaining the equipment, that extra cost could be made up quickly."

The future will also mean less noise, according to Peter Whurr, vice president of product management, Textron Turf Care & Specialty Products, Racine, Wis., and water-cooled engines may help contribute to that.

"A lot of contractors have been asking us to reduce the noise level on our new machines," Whurr said. "Water-cooled engines will have some form of noise deadening affect."

Other future improvements contractors would like to see include easier access to the deck and constructing a machine to make blade changing go more smoothly.

"We change our blades every morning," said Lemcke, "This process takes about 20 to 30 minutes per machine. If manufacturers could make blade changing a quicker process for me, that would save me some time in the morning."