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Wright stander x or zk

#1

L

Larson Lawn Care

I work solo with around 75 lawns. I have a 61" ferris walk behind and a 36" snapper pro walk behind for backyards. My ferris has 800-900 hours on it, I do take good care of it, but I have had it for four to five years. The only problems I've had with it were: the deck was scalping on hills on one side. Somehow the floating deck got out of wack. Then recently, the coils went bad and the mower would take a long time to shut off so it needed to be replaced.

I am now considering a new primary mower to relieve the aging ferris. After meticulous research (although no demo's as of yet) I get another ferris 61". I know the machine, I know I can do my jobs with it.

A snapper pro 61". Basically the same machine, different hydro/transmission, and bigger tires. They run about a grand cheaper than ferris.

Exmark 61wb has good features but isn't gonna happen. Deck height adjustment and not being able to pop the front end up quickly to avoid hitting something and the cost compared to ferris are gonna hold me back from purchase.

I bought a 36" v-ride 2 yrs ago for my back yards. I was told they can mow hills, just nothing extreme. I was mislead and I couldn't mow many of my backyards that had hills. So for $1,000 and many months after purchase, I was able to return it (even though I brought it back to the shop 2 weeks after purchase).

My biggest debate is buying a stander to be my primary mower but still have my ferris for hills that the stander can't mow, and of course my 36 snapper pro still for backyards. The wright stander x or the zk 61" models are likely candidates. Being wider than the 36 v-ride it should hold hills fairly well. I never thought I would consider a stander after my experience but since I work solo, I am looking for something more productive. I will demo one in the coming weeks when it dries out here. Have you had experience with these standers, if so, can you give me a review. Especially if you switched from a walk behind to stander and you have hills to mow that you pull out a walk behind for. I feel that at 13-14 mph, I can be much more productive than 4-6mph on a walk behind, but I am also curious about cut quality in all conditions, will the 1,000-1,250 lb machine cause more damage to a wet lawn than a walk behind? Will it rut more in turns when the grass is wet or is it operator error most of the time? Amount of fuel used compared to a walk? Ease of maintenance? I will also need a bigger trailer if I want to use my ferris as back up as I only have a 12 ft trailer.

All hassle aside, again my point is to be more productive because I am not ready to hire anyone. So if I am more productive, I could add to my client base of 75 and make up for any extra costs incurred with a new mower purchase. Sorry for the long post. Thanks for your time. I look forward to some good feedback.


#2

Ric

Ric

Larson Lawn Care said:
I work solo with around 75 lawns. I have a 61" ferris walk behind and a 36" snapper pro walk behind for backyards. My ferris has 800-900 hours on it, I do take good care of it, but I have had it for four to five years. The only problems I've had with it were: the deck was scalping on hills on one side. Somehow the floating deck got out of wack. Then recently, the coils went bad and the mower would take a long time to shut off so it needed to be replaced.

I am now considering a new primary mower to relieve the aging ferris. After meticulous research (although no demo's as of yet) I get another ferris 61". I know the machine, I know I can do my jobs with it.

A snapper pro 61". Basically the same machine, different hydro/transmission, and bigger tires. They run about a grand cheaper than ferris.

Exmark 61wb has good features but isn't gonna happen. Deck height adjustment and not being able to pop the front end up quickly to avoid hitting something and the cost compared to ferris are gonna hold me back from purchase.

I bought a 36" v-ride 2 yrs ago for my back yards. I was told they can mow hills, just nothing extreme. I was mislead and I couldn't mow many of my backyards that had hills. So for $1,000 and many months after purchase, I was able to return it (even though I brought it back to the shop 2 weeks after purchase).

My biggest debate is buying a stander to be my primary mower but still have my ferris for hills that the stander can't mow, and of course my 36 snapper pro still for backyards. The wright stander x or the zk 61" models are likely candidates. Being wider than the 36 v-ride it should hold hills fairly well. I never thought I would consider a stander after my experience but since I work solo, I am looking for something more productive. I will demo one in the coming weeks when it dries out here. Have you had experience with these standers, if so, can you give me a review. Especially if you switched from a walk behind to stander and you have hills to mow that you pull out a walk behind for. I feel that at 13-14 mph, I can be much more productive than 4-6mph on a walk behind, but I am also curious about cut quality in all conditions, will the 1,000-1,250 lb machine cause more damage to a wet lawn than a walk behind? Will it rut more in turns when the grass is wet or is it operator error most of the time? Amount of fuel used compared to a walk? Ease of maintenance? I will also need a bigger trailer if I want to use my ferris as back up as I only have a 12 ft trailer.

All hassle aside, again my point is to be more productive because I am not ready to hire anyone. So if I am more productive, I could add to my client base of 75 and make up for any extra costs incurred with a new mower purchase. Sorry for the long post. Thanks for your time. I look forward to some good feedback.
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I run the Toro Grandstand 36" so I can't tell you about those others but have you considered a Toro Grandstand 60" your only at about 899lbs with the 27hp engine. I know everyone talks about wright but IMO The Toro Grandstand has those beat hands down. I'm like you and working 70 plus lawns a week and and used the walk behind, the ztr and since I purchased my GS 36" I've cut my time by a third if not more, check this site. Toro GrandStand Commercial Stand-on Mower

The other thing that mite interest you if you have hills is the Toro grandstand is rated to do 20 degree slopes.


#3

L

Larson Lawn Care

Cutting work time down by a third would be awesome for me. How does the toro handle in wet conditions compared to walk behinds or riders, do they rut on turns etc?


#4

lawn mower fanatic

lawn mower fanatic

Larson Lawn Care said:
Cutting work time down by a third would be awesome for me. How does the toro handle in wet conditions compared to walk behinds or riders, do they rut on turns etc?
Click to expand...



#5

L

Larson Lawn Care

Thanks for the video. I haven't quite given toro a chance, just their snow machines. I will take one out for a demo hopefully.


#6

Ric

Ric

Larson Lawn Care said:
Cutting work time down by a third would be awesome for me. How does the toro handle in wet conditions compared to walk behinds or riders, do they rut on turns etc?
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The Grandstand handles the wet conditions better than any ZTR I've ever run, with the adjustable baffle I get good discharge and I use gator Blades. As far as turns go when its wet, if you're doing your Y or T turns as people say you don't tear up the grass and they rut less than the ZTR's. The Grandstand is like any Zero Turn mower, it has its learning curve but it doesn't take long before it becomes second nature.

The biggest compliant I here about the Grandstand is its speed, everybody thinks at 8 mph it's slow and as far as I'm concerned it plenty fast. Scag and Wright both claim 11 to 13 mph but as of yet I haven't seen any residential lawns that I could even attempt to do that on. I mean really what good is 11 to 13 mph on a quarter acre lot with flower beds and trees when you can only mow 4 to 5 mph. I guess if you have large open lots, commercial accounts, 11 to 13 mph mite be good but not for residential.


#7

L

Larson Lawn Care

I agree, I do not have too many lawns that I can go full speed except when on open ground. I feel even with short bursts of high speed, if much faster, that added up can save time. Then back to the truck in pavement , at 11-14mph would be good. Every time I mow I wish my ferris was faster, especially when a storm is coming. With a faster machine I could fly thru... Hopefully?


#8

Ric

Ric

Larson Lawn Care said:
I agree, I do not have too many lawns that I can go full speed except when on open ground. I feel even with short bursts of high speed, if much faster, that added up can save time. Then back to the truck in pavement , at 11-14mph would be good. Every time I mow I wish my ferris was faster, especially when a storm is coming. With a faster machine I could fly thru... Hopefully?
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Well I can tell you that lawns that took me thirty minutes to cut with my ZTR I do in twenty with the Grandstand so I look at it this way, the time I save cutting with a Grandstand or a Stander more than compensates for the short bursts of high speed or transport that I would have. Now this may sound off the wall and I'm not trying to say these mowers aren't good mowers but the guys that run Walk behinds or ZTR's for some reason can't understand the the productivity level on the Grandstand, the Wright, Gravely and others is so much greater than the others it's just unbelievable. I mention the time difference in the beginning of my reply that lawns that took me thirty minutes to cut with my ZTR I do in twenty with the Grandstand and it's true but let me add my ztr I use is a 48" cut the Grandstand is a 36" cut (think about that) Oh and the other advice if you buy the stander I can give you, Is make Craigslist You friend.


#9

lawn mower fanatic

lawn mower fanatic

Ric said:
.....lawns that took me thirty minutes to cut with my ZTR I do in twenty with the Grandstand and it's true but let me add my ztr I use is a 48" cut the Grandstand is a 36" cut (think about that)
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Hmmmm...that is definitely something to think about! :thumbsup:


#10

lawn mower fanatic

lawn mower fanatic

Larson Lawn Care said:
I agree, I do not have too many lawns that I can go full speed except when on open ground. I feel even with short bursts of high speed, if much faster, that added up can save time. Then back to the truck in pavement , at 11-14mph would be good. Every time I mow I wish my ferris was faster, especially when a storm is coming. With a faster machine I could fly thru... Hopefully?
Click to expand...

This doesn't apply to stand-on or ZTR mowers as much as push mowers like I use, but I will tell you anyway. My Honda HRX can go up to 4 mph, and that is the speed I cut at almost all of the time. Since it can't go any faster than that, I have found my biggest time savings is when I turn around at the edge of the yard. If I need to hurry up and finish, I just turn around at the end of each pass VERY quickly, and it can save a LOT of time! There is this one yard that usually takes 45-50 minutes to mow, and I got it done in 30-35! :thumbsup:


#11

L

Larson Lawn Care

I agree that technique can save time. My Ferris and I have the most efficient techniques implemented for time purposes. Where I save the most time right now is with my detail work. I can nearly run with a trimmer.


#12

lawn mower fanatic

lawn mower fanatic

Larson Lawn Care said:
Where I save the most time right now is with my detail work. I can nearly run with a trimmer.
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Yes, depending on how skilled you are with your equipment can save time, also! :thumbsup:


#13

L

Larson Lawn Care

The standers I'd like to demo are wright, toro, exmark?, and I may give scag another go. My main issues with a stander are: will they save me time compared to my 61" ferris walk behind, wet lawns and hills.


#14

lawn mower fanatic

lawn mower fanatic

Larson Lawn Care said:
The standers I'd like to demo are wright, toro, exmark?, and I may give scag another go. My main issues with a stander are: will they save me time compared to my 61" ferris walk behind, wet lawns and hills.
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Yeah, the Exmark Vantage would be good to look into, also. Yes, I think a stander will save time, because they are more agile. And I know this for certain with the Toro, but I am not sure with the other brands, that you can put the platform up and use it as a walk-behind.
toro grandstand 2.jpg


#15

Ric

Ric

Larson Lawn Care said:
The standers I'd like to demo are wright, toro, exmark?, and I may give scag another go. My main issues with a stander are: will they save me time compared to my 61" ferris walk behind, wet lawns and hills.
Click to expand...

The big difference between the Exmark Vantage and the Grandstand is the Deck. Exmark uses there own deck, Toro uses the Toro Turbo Force Deck and I think there speed control is in a different location.


#16

lawn mower fanatic

lawn mower fanatic

Ric said:
The big difference between the Exmark Vantage and the Grandstand is the Deck. Exmark uses there own deck, Toro uses the Toro Turbo Force Deck and I think there speed control is in a different location.
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The 2013 Exmark Vantage X-Series has changed a lot since 2012. It now has the Enhanced Control System (ECS) like the Turf Tracer does! I don't know if that's good or bad! :rolleyes: But you can still get the S-Series without that.
Exmark Vantage X-Series (2013 Model): 2013 Vantage.jpg http://www.tractorbynet.com/content/lawn-garden/mowing/2013-exmark-vantage-x-series-stand-on-rider/
Toro Grandstand: GS.jpg


#17

Ric

Ric

lawn mower fanatic said:
The 2013 Exmark Vantage X-Series has changed a lot since 2012. It now has the Enhanced Control System (ECS) like the Turf Tracer does! I don't know if that's good or bad! :rolleyes: But you can still get the S-Series without that.
Click to expand...

Now I may be wrong but I think Exmarks ECS is the same thing Toro's Innovative speed control system which they have had for a while, just how long I don't know but my 2012 is equipped with it.

[h=3]Innovative Speed Control[/h]
Patent-pending variable speed control changes drive tire response without limiting the travel of the controls, or slowing down the engine and blades. From precise maneuvers in delicate areas to training new users, the GrandStand's easy-to-use controls make operation a breeze.​


#18

G

ghessler26

I'd recommend the NEW Gravely Pro Stance series.


#19

Ric

Ric

ghessler26 said:
I'd recommend the NEW Gravely Pro Stance series.
Click to expand...


The Problem for me with the Pro Stance is the setup. I don't like the fact that you're standing between the wheels and the size of the platform and the controls are real awkward. The real big problem again for me was or is they only offer the 48" and up in deck size. I looked at the Pro Stance before I purchased the Toro and for me there was no comparison between the two.


#20

L

Larson Lawn Care

There are more stand on mowers than I thought. My top contenders are wright, scag, toro and exmark. I know the dealers around here sell them. As far as gravely, and a few others I haven't seen the brand around.


#21

Ric

Ric

Larson Lawn Care said:
There are more stand on mowers than I thought. My top contenders are wright, scag, toro and exmark. I know the dealers around here sell them. As far as gravely, and a few others I haven't seen the brand around.
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The thing to watch out for is price, Toro and Exmark are basically the same mower as there both made by Toro but the price tag is some what cheaper on the Toro. The same with Wright and John Deere.


#22

L

Larson Lawn Care

I will definitely consider that thanks


#23

lawn mower fanatic

lawn mower fanatic

Ric said:
The same with Wright and John Deere.
Click to expand...

Here is an article on it: Deere to sell stand-on mowers from Wright Manufacturing - TodaysMower.com
john deere stander.jpgwright stander.jpg


#24

djdicetn

djdicetn

lawn mower fanatic said:
Here is an article on it: Deere to sell stand-on mowers from Wright Manufacturing - TodaysMower.com
View attachment 12742View attachment 12743
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lmf,
That's an interesting article and it's no surprise that JD would jump on the "stander bandwagon" as obviously their popularity is on the increase. User ric has been telling users for some time how well his Toro Grandstand performs and the benefits that his lawn service realizes from having it. If I didn't have the 'polio thing" where sitting is preferable to standing I would be second-guessing my Gravely ZTR investment as we speak:0)
But, as I have stated, my purchase was a "retirement investment"(hurry, October 2013...........retirement I need you now:0) and the only reason I bought a Commercial ZTR is so that it would outlive me!!!


#25

lawn mower fanatic

lawn mower fanatic

djdicetn said:
lmf,
That's an interesting article and it's no surprise that JD would jump on the "stander bandwagon" as obviously their popularity is on the increase. User ric has been telling users for some time how well his Toro Grandstand performs and the benefits that his lawn service realizes from having it. If I didn't have the 'polio thing" where sitting is preferable to standing I would be second-guessing my Gravely ZTR investment as we speak:0)
But, as I have stated, my purchase was a "retirement investment"(hurry, October 2013...........retirement I need you now:0) and the only reason I bought a Commercial ZTR is so that it would outlive me!!!
Click to expand...

Yeah I would love a stand-on mower! :cloud9:


#26

Ric

Ric

djdicetn said:
lmf,
That's an interesting article and it's no surprise that JD would jump on the "stander bandwagon" as obviously their popularity is on the increase. User ric has been telling users for some time how well his Toro Grandstand performs and the benefits that his lawn service realizes from having it. If I didn't have the 'polio thing" where sitting is preferable to standing I would be second-guessing my Gravely ZTR investment as we speak:0)
But, as I have stated, my purchase was a "retirement investment"(hurry, October 2013...........retirement I need you now:0) and the only reason I bought a Commercial ZTR is so that it would outlive me!!!
Click to expand...

The problem that the stand up mower has is people themselves and I have to admit I was one of those people. People have been brain washed with the Zero Turn Mower. I don't know anyone that hasn't been told the ZTR is the only mower to have and it's been that way for years. Until you use a stander you don't realize the benefits that go along with it. There productivity alone far surpasses any ZTR.


#27

L

Larson Lawn Care

I've never run a ztr, just walk behinds. I am hoping the productivity far out ways the cons.


#28

W

WS6125KAWE

Hi, don't know if this will help but I've lived on acreage for 20 plus years now and have kept about a three acre yard the whole time. I started with a John Deere 5300 with a 72" brush hog on the back to get it into shape. Then wanted a more finished look an went to a John Deere 14se 21" walk behind. Using that took 12 hours and I used that for 15 plus years. A niehbor brought me a Great Dane Super Surfer one day and I used that for about 3 years. That mower could not hold a hill, but cut the time down to five hours. I then switched to a Wright Stander 61" with a replacement 23 hp Kawasaki. I highly recommend that mower. Mine is an 04 and the only thing that has really gone wrong is a cracked wheel motor mount that bolts to the frame. Other than that just normal maintenance. Belts, batteries, blades, fluid changes, filters and good gas. This mower has held any hill I've put it on and I've got some steep ones out here. It's easy to work on and durable. I've also put some rear tires on it and spark plugs of course. Other than that it's really been a great mower. It takes me about three hours now to mow. I'm looking for a fuel injected ZK now because the guy that sold it to me wants to buy it back. I'd like something with more power anyway and newer. Hope this helps. :cool2:


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