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I am ready to upgrade from my 42" lawn tractor to something faster/bigger. I don't use it with any attachments. I know 99% of homeowners have zero turns and I have used one before, never used a walk behind with or without a stand on velke but I like that they are cheaper and easier to maintain, better on hills, and I would prefer to stand vs sit. I would obviously need to try a walk behind before buying. I have read the z or bar style grips are easier on hands than pistol grips.... if anyone has used one and has any opinions one way or the other, thanks

99% of homeowners have zero turns

That's a VAST overstatement. ZTRs are pricey, lots are not that actually that big, mostly, to warrant such expense, most use good ol push mower. Or rider, if you get into acreage. I'd say, ZTRs step in somewhere around 3 acre and up. Good rider will do 2 acre in just over an hour, terrain depends.
Only walk behind ZTRs I saw are very expensive. It is cheaper to buy a lower end ZTR, like Hustler.
Question is, do you need one? Outside of being marked for Georgia, we don't know how big your lot is, hills, and such. Yes, ZTRs are very stable on slopes, I go sidewise on closing on 40 degrees.

Oh, and many dealers will trial a mower for you. It's no big deal to bring one into your property to let you "have it".

ugabulldog said:

I am ready to upgrade from my 42" lawn tractor to something faster/bigger. I don't use it with any attachments. I know 99% of homeowners have zero turns and I have used one before, never used a walk behind with or without a stand on velke but I like that they are cheaper and easier to maintain, better on hills, and I would prefer to stand vs sit. I would obviously need to try a walk behind before buying. I have read the z or bar style grips are easier on hands than pistol grips.... if anyone has used one and has any opinions one way or the other, thanks

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I've been running a 48 inch Exmark Turf Tracer HP hydro walk-behind commercially since 2002 with a Bullrider 2 wheel sulky and it's the star of my show. I use it more than my Z riders. The Z's are only used for large lawn areas, usually after cutting in with the Turf Tracer, and for bagging, which I try to avoid. It's way easier on turf. Just more versatile overall. If I had to have only one mower it would be a walk-behind.

Gonna say What the hell is a Velke???:laughing:

Sounds like a disease. Got a bad case of the velke...lol

When I was a kid, I made a sulky for my dad;s old Toro gas powered reel mower. Sure made mowing the lawn more pleasant.

ugabulldog said:

I am ready to upgrade from my 42" lawn tractor to something faster/bigger. I don't use it with any attachments. I know 99% of homeowners have zero turns and I have used one before, never used a walk behind with or without a stand on velke but I like that they are cheaper and easier to maintain, better on hills, and I would prefer to stand vs sit. I would obviously need to try a walk behind before buying. I have read the z or bar style grips are easier on hands than pistol grips.... if anyone has used one and has any opinions one way or the other, thanks

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Where did you get that at because it's just not true, you dream it per chance? A good walk behind like an Exmark is just as expensive or more so than an entry ZTR and usually the 'velke' is an additional cost.

SidecarFlip said:

Gonna say What the hell is a Velke???:laughing:

Sounds like a disease. Got a bad case of the velke...lol

When I was a kid, I made a sulky for my dad;s old Toro gas powered reel mower. Sure made mowing the lawn more pleasant.

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Velke is a sulky brand and the term Velke is often used to mean sulky in the same way that Kleenex is used for facial tissues. I bet you knew that...

SidecarFlip said:

Where did you get that at because it's just not true, you dream it per chance? A good walk behind like an Exmark is just as expensive or more so than an entry ZTR and usually the 'velke' is an additional cost.

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He said they are cheaper and easier to maintain. I concur with that statement. Don't you have anything better to do than to troll this forum?!?

Darryl G said:

Velke is a sulky brand and the term Velke is often used to mean sulky in the same way that Kleenex is used for facial tissues. I bet you knew that...

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Actually, I didn't. If I did, I wouldn't have made a snarky comment. Far as trolling, I come here for entertainment only.. Not much on here pertains to what I do anyway and far as fixing stuff like mowers and such, I've never needed anything but my skill and a parts manual.

Just rebuilt 3 quads for a customer. One required an engine rebuild. The other 2 were just from neglect, bad gas and ran the bags out of them. I charge accordingly. Just a hobby tough and all my work is from word of mouth. Don't advertise, they just come.

thanks for the response, I might go demo one this weekend. The steering is controlled by applying brake to one wheel, right?

ugabulldog said:

thanks for the response, I might go demo one this weekend. The steering is controlled by applying brake to one wheel, right?

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Not exactly. Mine is a hydro unit that operates the same as a zero-turn riding mower, with infinitely variable forward and reverse on each wheel. Technically it is a zero-turn mower. Mine also has a floating deck for easy height adjustment. A more economical solution would be a belt-drive unit which provides power via belts connected to each wheel via tensioners and a multi-gear transmission. You turn by reducing power to one wheel with the handlebar lever. Reverse is really just a reverse assist. Personally I can't stand belt-drive units having been spoiled with a hydro one. I don't know if they still make units with a direct drivetransmisdions with turning brakes. My uncle had an old Deere set up that way.