Hey guys, thanks for watching! Hope you found this video helpful and a bunch of tips packed inside to help you decide on which is the best mower to buy when weighing out a stand on vs a sit down!
Another thing to consider, match mower blades for the two deck sizes. For example, Toro 36 and 52 grandstands share the same blades. This makes an effective pair of equipment for large and small yards.
Everyone forgets one of the most important things when making a comparison, you can’t feather the deck with a stand on like you can with a sit down. One of the main things for me but I’m stand on all day
I started with a homeowner tractor 38 inch still got it today ran that a few months then got the same thing in a 48 inch and bigger bagger put 300 hours on it and at the end of the year in the fall found a 60 inch toro grandstand for sale and picked it up best decision i’ve made so fast and powerful
I do not miss tractor mowing. I wish i bought a walk behind as first mower. I love my hydro 48 with caster wheel sulky for small/ medium lots. Debating a 60in stand or 60in ztr currently but potential for adding a collection system is weighing heavy. Walk behind and standers just have grass gobblers and fill in about 30-50 feet of mowing leaves
Hey Brian, We like our 36 inch Walker zero-turn (sit down), the design keeps the bagging system directly behind our seat and out of the way. Our best prices are on yards are under 5,000 square foot lawns and we rarely take properties over 11,000 sq ft anymore and we use our 42 inch Toro 8,000 series zero turn (sit down). Love the 42 inch Toro for spring Power Raking, TONS of power to suck up the debris the Ryan rakes out. Many lawns we maintain are fenced and gated up here and the small 36's can get everywhere we need them to go. plus many of our clients might freak out if they saw us side shooting as the spring can have heavy growth because of the perfect mix of rain, that sweet spot of temperatures, and high humidity (for Montana...if there is such a thing here) If the lawns are micro (under 4,000 sq ft) we just push mow with our 30 inch Toro Turf-Master's or our 21 inch Honda 190cc and mulch it up when the conditions allow. Keep those videos coming. We rake and can up leaves in the spring/fall because it is faster and we bill out at an hourly rate, then mow to put the final touches on the lawn. I'll run some footage so you can see how we do it. - Philip in Montana
I have both. I started with a sit down with bagger but came to realize a mulch kit works almost just as well as a bagger. Now for leaves use my sit-down to mulch then I go over again with my stander with grasd catcher.
I started my company last year and went with a 36 stand on. I have a few gates but the sit down would of been great for Leafs for me i am up in Connecticut. So I will get a sit down as my next mower. Thank you for another great video Brian
Man spot on. I jumped straight on the stand on wagon and had my mine set that was my next mower. Then while tripping over the cyclone rake in the garage I started to hate the thought of fall and having that huge pos junk behind my zero turn and remembering how together it was over 13ft long and near useless in heavy tree lawns. And went nope I need a zero turn with a bagger then a stand on and the cyclone rake is going up for sale. So my goal for the fall setup is zero turn with bagger dump trailer and debris loader. With the goal for the mowing setup 2021 zero turn 60” stand on and 32” stand on and upgrade the dodge mega cab to a 4 door 250 with long bed and dump insert and enclosed trailer. Ps just got the Hanes shirts in today. Gonna be high 90s all week. Can’t wait to try
Great video Brian, my first mower was a Toro zero turn! My Toro Grandstand multi-force I can put an actual bagger on my stander which is nice! My Toro Z-Master is a 60, my Toro Grandstand Multi-force is a 52 and my Gravely pro stance is a 52 also!
Stand on all the way!! My dad and I have a Z2 and 2 Z3x’s And we both love them. The Z2 is a 54 in deck which is good for more residentials and then the Z3x is a 61 in deck. With both Z3’s we cover a lot more ground when we are mowing our big commercial properties. Along with just the ride quality of the Z3 is outstanding. The stand on’s are just a whole lot more efficient when it comes to saving time and energy but still having good quality of work.
I like 50 inch because it fits on my trailer perfect, but that is based on your situation. I use a 50 in my little town here in Florida and it works great for commercial and residential properties. But then again... I don't have any acres to mow here lol. Love the videos Brian! Keep it up!
It wasn't until I started watching YT that I even thought of bagging leaves. It does make so much sense though. Dropping knowledge as always!! Hoping all is well, Dirty Jersey out!!
Just bought myself a Scag Liberty Z 36 inch. Absolutely love it, does surprising well for it being in a compact size. I choose the 36 inch because of gates like you said in the video, and it’s perfect for that!
Great advice!! I started with push mower got a gravely ztx42 paid it off and then got me a wright stander b 36 perfect little mower fits everywhere and makes me way more productive! Next year looking for a 52-60inch sit down to take on larger properties!
Love the fact you really hammer down the local dealer point. So important, & is what dictates wich mower i will eventually upgrade too. Highly considering a stander because sitting for too long gives me knee pains.
I run a 42inch gravely zero turn. I started mowing a yard or two on the side in my neighborhood. Now I’m up to 7, half are not fenced, half are. This video had some awesome points I had never thought of. Like bagging. I’m going to set up an llc at some point, and try to get more of a business built. I probably need a more commercial grade mower at some point.
Speaking of Demoing, my local Cub Cadet dealer is literally the best! They gave me the PRO Z 960S KW for a week so that I could really put it through the ringer (because no one else wanted to demo the unit)! Hopefully this week I’ll get the Pro Z 960 KW to see if the Lap-Bar model fits me better
Started with a 42" 22hp hustler raptor zeroturn (this thing has incredible value and power for $2700). Then we went to a scag 48" hydro walk behind + 52" 25hp V-ride. Best setup for my area. Walk behind for hills and small yards, V-ride for larger yards but still small enough to be utilized on smaller properties
I picked up an Exmark 52 Radius a couple years ago and have never regretting it. Down south in my area we dont usually bag leaves we mulch with Gater blades.
Good vid Brian , I thought about a stand on v ride but I don’t think that’s my style . I have a 61” scag turf tiger and I’m looking at a tiger cat 2 with a 52” deck . Here in south Louisiana it’s 50/50 zero turn and stand on that I see . I just think you standing all day cutting then u have to edge , weedeat and then blow , you on your feet all day . But I do agree with you about getting started by buying a zero turn . All my accounts I can use my 61” . A 52” or smaller , you could get into tighter places . And with a stand on even tighter places . Today, June 15th it was 95 . It was hot and really humid . I couldn’t be on my feet all day in this heat . But anyway keep up the good work and take care .
Love my 72" Ferris Z3x. Mows my properties with surprising ease. A very well designed unit. Obviously I don't do any gated properties. The Ferris rep was awesome about getting me a demo. Can't say enough about my dealer and their support.
Around here almost nobody uses a vac system to bag leaves. They usually got 3 guys with red maxes and 2 little wonders 18hp, nothing cleans a lawn better with a little wonder and backpack blower walking next to the little wonder. Bigger companies upgrade to stand on blowers and that’s just a game changer, we bought one last year and we’re buying another this year
I think a hydro walk behind 48 inch with caster wheel or pro slide sulky is a beast for starting up. I have a grass catcher on both my 36 belt and my 48 hydro. Both are 20+ years old and both in good condition still. I bought both of my walk behind for 600 to 800 with collectors and i bought a sulky for big one. Lets me mow hilly NY properties, get through gates, and i can do half to one acre lots if need be. I had a diesel 52 front deck ztr, it was great but so heavy. Best thing is on light days i put my 48 in my full sized pickup or Econoline van and my 36 fits nice in my 1991 4 cyl Nissan pickup getting 25mpg
Hey Brian I've got my brand, I have 52 and looking at 36 stander same brand. ZT I have a great bagger system. My area the back yard are typically bigger than front yard. I will stick with 52 zt and 36 strander of same brand mainly because they make great mower for my area and a 52 and 36 share same blades. Great video.
I still have and use regularly my first commercial mower mainly in gated yards and steep hillsides, A 36 inch Bunton walk behind. I bought it in 1996 new and it runs like a sowing machine still. But my primary mower is a Snapper Pro 61 inch now. I think it's good to have both!
Hey Brian just wanted to let you know that this video was recommended to me the day after I purchased my first mower, and it’s good to see that someone else has the same views as me. I went with a 36 stand on toro because 95% of my route is 1/4 acre lots and all have gated yards
I have a 2100 series Ferris 61. And 3100 series Ferris 61. Ferris evolution 52 and a 36 Ferris 36. Love the 36 for gated back lawns. A heck of a lot better than push mowing.
Beginning in the lawn care business I only knew about scag. My dealer sells Exmark, Toro, Scag, bobcat. Cub Cadet, and Honda. I bought a little Exmark Metro 48, I love it, runs great. I will consider a Lazer z down the road!!
I personally think that if you need to side discharge. Get a stander. But in in the fall, get a walker because not only can you switch out decks from a 36” to a 74”, but it also works great on landscaped properties.
Thanks for the video. Starting a lawn care business currently… I agree zero turn is more for the let it rip, pasture/acres cut… never had a stand on, but notice a lot of companies have them in various cutting sizes for “residential subdivision cutting”
My rockstar is my 48” Scag V-Ride 2, but I’m limited in what I can undertake because this is a side hustle.. I’m constantly in a race against time. I need the speed and efficiency to excel. I definitely am taking a risk, but it is a risk I’m willing to take.
Hey Brian! quick question. when you, Stanley Genadek, and Ed Wright demoed the stand-on mowers i saw that there was the 52" stander x and 52" vride 2 but i can not find the video that had them in it so could you possibly provide a link to the video, or if anyone knows of where i can find the video could you tell me in the comment below! Any input on the two mowers would also it would be much appreciated
I think they both have their place. The stand on in my opinion is a little more maneuverable and better for smaller residential yards especially with trees and playground equipment etc. But for the bigger yards 60 Exmark all the way. I have three Exmark. Two sit down 52 and 60 and a 52 stand on.
I have the Bradley 36 and the Bradley 52 stand on,s. I always wanted a 32 for the back yards and a 60 for the front yards your comments made me think of this.. I kind of like the 36 and the 52 though they take the same blades but sometimes the 36 is too big for the gates in the backyards. I’m in the north east near Philadelphia PA
My dealer sells about 10 brands of mowers but I choose exmark and scag! I can say I love my turf tiger and I don't think I won't get another mower unless it's a scag
36 Inch Wright Stander Intensity is a great purchase to get started. Great for everything but has its issues on hills. Other than that I can’t complain!
I encourage everyone to get a 60’ deck with the yards in my area. Mostly zeros due to rougher terrain, only drawback for me on a stander is the fixed deck
Pushmower then to a rider tractor. 6 years in got into the sit down zero turn world.. 48 and 52 snapper.. last 7 years I have only been only grandstand exmark Vantages.. I have two 48 and two 52 vantage mowers. One 48 and 52 are kept as back ups at all times. 22 years total in the biz...
My first mower was a 48" gear drive walk behind. Getting back into it i am going with a 52" stand on for weekly mowing and a 52" sit down zero turn for leaf clean up
Thanks Brian, still debating this myself because of all these reasons you've pointed out. Bagging issues, backyards with gates, etc...very helpful video's!
Jamin Thompson zero turn is the answer....I disagree with brian in the soze dept tho a little. Id personally get a 52” Zero Turn as my first mower if I had to do it all over again.....lighter, every bit as fast, and the size difference wont cost you much more time when compared to the 60” especially in sub division lawns....if you are cutting acre yards or large properties mostly then start with the 60”
They do make big bagging systems for standers now...btw. My Z3X Ferris with a 33hp Vanguard and the bagging system behind where you stand can do as well as yours.
I agree. I have 2 standers now both 60. My yards dont have a ton of leaves so i mulch them or have an accelerator bagger. My buddy, same town, does has a ton more leaves and could use a bagger like yours. Side note im seeing a lot more 72s. If u have a lot of 1/2 and up 72 isnt too big in my opinion.
You have to have a mower for every application unless your going to specialize into a certain nitch. most nubies tend to start out with the smaller yards with gates etc because equipment costs are less. We have 2 60" sitdowns and 4 52" Wright standers. I do find that standing all day does not beat up your body as bad as sitting. I know thats contrary to what most people think but sitting and bouncing is brutal on your lower back especially as you get some years behind you in this field. We do not bag leaves.
I think it’s pretty funny that you say go with your local dealer. Our dealer sells Exmark ,Toro,and scag. They are also our stihl dealer also. They also sell some other brands but those are the bigger ones they sell.
First commercial mower SCAG VRIDE II 48” deck aka the golden size for the new guy in my area and a 22hp Kawasaki run a grass catcher and mulch blades all I need but I’d love a new scag with a 60” and a bagger system.
I live in a town of 25,000 people, we have a big deere dealer here in town, and consequently almost everyone in town runs john deere zero turns, couple of guys run john deere standers, and grasshoppers are very popular with the rental property companies in town for my home property I use a 36" walk behind, and for my family's acreage I have 2 50" zero turns (a cub cadet and a dixon) and a lawn tractor (john deere 185 with an eaton trans) for pulling trailers and trees my goal is to get rid of those residential-esque zero turns and get a John Deere 757 so I have easier access to parts
My Scag Tiger Cub is a 48 with a 26 hp engine and a bagger. I will probably stick with riders. I have trees and whatnot that are too short for a stand on. I am wanting to get somethings like Scag’s Hurricane mulching system for my next mower. I tried a friends mulching kit on their new Scag and it works so well that most of the time you don’t even need a bagger. Some of my fenced in back yards only have gates large enough for a 21 in.
I have a 61 inch bad boy outlaw with the fx Kawasaki engine as my main mower, I also have a husqvarna 52 inch that I keep in the storage. I am going to be buying a Wright 36 intensity very soon because I push mow wayyyy too many lawns.
I suggest a 32" stand on rather than a 36". Still a lot of gated backyards that measure 36" on the nose and you will damage their gates/fences trying to squeeze in. 99% of our gated backyards we get into with our 32" wright. 75-80% for our jd 36 walkbehind. We have 3 crews with a wide variety of equipment types and brands.
Ive used from pushmowers, walkbehinds, zeroturn, to stander. Just picked up 2 new mowers upgraded from my husqvarna mzt 52 to a is2100 61 and a z3x 61. Was demoing the exmarks and ferris mowers wanted scag too but the dealer wouldn't let me so i walked out not about to spend 20+k on 2 new mowers and not know how it cuts. But i didnt like the lazer z as much cut seemed a little cleaner but scalped more then ferris and ferris was more productive as well country yards very bumpy so the suspension helps. Picking up the bagger in fall and have a catcher for the stander.
Red Magic Performance MAXFILL makes a bagger for Vantages and Staris. They are great. We have them for our vantages. We also have UltraVac's for our Lazer's and I prefer the the MAXFILL for the vantage over the UltraVac.
Well I have a Toro 2000 with a cracked back bagger on it I do believe the horsepower is 23 possible 24 and it's super great for leaves after cutting grass and I'm going to get the Toro 4000 series The I-beam front in Bulldog nose happy and that they'll encounter the car
My personal Husqvarna riding mower had some problems today, so my neighbor let me borrow his mower, I decided to see how many hours he had on it so I could see the best way to pay him (gas, parts, ECT) and I was astonished at the work hours, had over 1600 on that Deere, I was genuinely thinking about fixing mine and seeing if he wanted to trade for a week or so😂
If you want to go outside of the box. Don't just assume that a bagger unit had to be attached to the mower. Go with a trac vac....mount it to the stand on and it would work really well. Probably cost less than the commercial bagger system too. Ideal set up would be a Rider 72 Diesel, 52 Stander, 32 Walk behind/Stander.
Down here in Charlotte NC, I never bag lawns. So I have all standers, for my clean ups i have a leaf vacuum (Billy Goat)and a leaf trailer. Usually I start at the back, blowing all the leaves to the front, to the truck. Then just suck them up with the Billy Goat
I'm not a professional. I'm a guy that has 6 acres and very little time on the weekends. I don't do leaves. Rolling hills. Still not sure which one would be best.
We run 2 cub cadet 60", 60" exmark walk behind, 52" exmark walk behind, 32" toro walk behind, 2 push mowers. And for leaves we blow to street and use a 2 ton dumptruck with a truckloader/vacuum. We dont bag anything.
We run a exmark turf tracer with a trac vac 470 its does well. Also considering either a lazer z with an ultra vac or putting a red magic performance max fill 2 bagger on the exmark vantage we currently own.
Personally I have used both. In my honest opinion i would say if most of your yards are less than an acre get a stand on, larger than 1 acre get a sitdown.
Exmark Pioneer S series Ultra cut 60 inch Zero turn mower Used 14 hours..never cut a blade. Wright Stander B 36 inch grass gobbler. Used 8 hours getting oil and filter tomorrow. I like stand on.... but i want to use Exmark Pioneer
Toro actually has a bagging system similar to the zero turn baggers for their grandstands and it looks to hold similar amounts to a zero turn. 🤷♂️ probably a game changer I’ve never used one but it’s a toro so it can’t be horrible something to check out. Spencer’s lawn care has a grandstand with that setup maybe check it out
sit down and stand on both have pros and cons. just depends on what you are actually cutting. wide open acres or small residential yards with gates. sit down will out bag a stand on.
I would love to be able to run a stand on mower especially on my small lawn days, but I have to bag most of my accounts so I am forced to run a zero turn all year so I can be efficient.
Thank you for all your informational video I really do enjoy watching your videos. I was wondering if you would do a video on blade sharpening and how often you think someone should sharpen their mower blades. I just purchased the American Sharpener 5005 Gen 2 from @t and I absolutely love it. If you could do some reviews on the different ways to sharpen your blades and the angle you think is best I appreciate it.
I’m going to hopefully get the 32” stand on Starris next year for backyards and small properties and then a bagger for it for leaves in the fall for not being so heavy
One of the best videos i've seen on this subject. Couldn't agree more! Have you got anything on baggers? I'm debating on a hook on like ballard or a actual bag system. Thanks
Hey guys, thanks for watching! Hope you found this video helpful and a bunch of tips packed inside to help you decide on which is the best mower to buy when weighing out a stand on vs a sit down!
We run 60" Lazer and 48" walk behind. Looking at the Stand on.
Get a cyclone rake it hooks to your zero turn lawn mower it has its own engine for sucking up leves and it's good for flower beds
Uh Brian, you kind of hit uhh 100K subs
Thanks for this 1 bro
We mow several schools, have 4- 72 zero turn sit down, a 61 stand on, a 60 inch walk behind and a 48 walk behind.
Another thing to consider, match mower blades for the two deck sizes. For example, Toro 36 and 52 grandstands share the same blades. This makes an effective pair of equipment for large and small yards.
Don’t make the same mistake I made when I bought my first mower. Make sure your trailer is wide enough to fit your mower before you buy it lol!
Everyone forgets one of the most important things when making a comparison, you can’t feather the deck with a stand on like you can with a sit down. One of the main things for me but I’m stand on all day
That’s one drawback for me due to mowing a lot of yards on a mountain. LOTS of rocks and nothing worse then sharpening blades and nailing a rock
Gravely has a feathering pedal from what I've heard on their stander mowers. Its one of their points of difference.
I started with a homeowner tractor 38 inch still got it today ran that a few months then got the same thing in a 48 inch and bigger bagger put 300 hours on it and at the end of the year in the fall found a 60 inch toro grandstand for sale and picked it up best decision i’ve made so fast and powerful
I do not miss tractor mowing. I wish i bought a walk behind as first mower. I love my hydro 48 with caster wheel sulky for small/ medium lots. Debating a 60in stand or 60in ztr currently but potential for adding a collection system is weighing heavy. Walk behind and standers just have grass gobblers and fill in about 30-50 feet of mowing leaves
I've always said, to have one of each! A zero turn, a stand on and a walk behind!
Couldn’t agree more! Buy with future plans in mind! Good to have flexibility with different kinds of equipment
Hey Brian, We like our 36 inch Walker zero-turn (sit down), the design keeps the bagging system directly behind our seat and out of the way. Our best prices are on yards are under 5,000 square foot lawns and we rarely take properties over 11,000 sq ft anymore and we use our 42 inch Toro 8,000 series zero turn (sit down). Love the 42 inch Toro for spring Power Raking, TONS of power to suck up the debris the Ryan rakes out. Many lawns we maintain are fenced and gated up here and the small 36's can get everywhere we need them to go. plus many of our clients might freak out if they saw us side shooting as the spring can have heavy growth because of the perfect mix of rain, that sweet spot of temperatures, and high humidity (for Montana...if there is such a thing here) If the lawns are micro (under 4,000 sq ft) we just push mow with our 30 inch Toro Turf-Master's or our 21 inch Honda 190cc and mulch it up when the conditions allow. Keep those videos coming. We rake and can up leaves in the spring/fall because it is faster and we bill out at an hourly rate, then mow to put the final touches on the lawn. I'll run some footage so you can see how we do it. - Philip in Montana
I have both. I started with a sit down with bagger but came to realize a mulch kit works almost just as well as a bagger. Now for leaves use my sit-down to mulch then I go over again with my stander with grasd catcher.
I started my company last year and went with a 36 stand on. I have a few gates but the sit down would of been great for Leafs for me i am up in Connecticut. So I will get a sit down as my next mower. Thank you for another great video Brian
Man spot on. I jumped straight on the stand on wagon and had my mine set that was my next mower. Then while tripping over the cyclone rake in the garage I started to hate the thought of fall and having that huge pos junk behind my zero turn and remembering how together it was over 13ft long and near useless in heavy tree lawns. And went nope I need a zero turn with a bagger then a stand on and the cyclone rake is going up for sale. So my goal for the fall setup is zero turn with bagger dump trailer and debris loader. With the goal for the mowing setup 2021 zero turn 60” stand on and 32” stand on and upgrade the dodge mega cab to a 4 door 250 with long bed and dump insert and enclosed trailer. Ps just got the Hanes shirts in today. Gonna be high 90s all week. Can’t wait to try
Nice dude! And lmk how you like them 💪
Thank you for the info that the cyclone rake isn't worth it with a stander.
Great video Brian, my first mower was a Toro zero turn! My Toro Grandstand multi-force I can put an actual bagger on my stander which is nice! My Toro Z-Master is a 60, my Toro Grandstand Multi-force is a 52 and my Gravely pro stance is a 52 also!
Stand on all the way!! My dad and I have a Z2 and 2 Z3x’s And we both love them. The Z2 is a 54 in deck which is good for more residentials and then the Z3x is a 61 in deck. With both Z3’s we cover a lot more ground when we are mowing our big commercial properties. Along with just the ride quality of the Z3 is outstanding. The stand on’s are just a whole lot more efficient when it comes to saving time and energy but still having good quality of work.
Love the John deere 997 72" diesel! However, all we mow are large open properties all commercial. Different situations call for different tools!
I like 50 inch because it fits on my trailer perfect, but that is based on your situation. I use a 50 in my little town here in Florida and it works great for commercial and residential properties. But then again... I don't have any acres to mow here lol. Love the videos Brian! Keep it up!
It wasn't until I started watching YT that I even thought of bagging leaves. It does make so much sense though. Dropping knowledge as always!! Hoping all is well, Dirty Jersey out!!
Glad it was helpful!
Just bought myself a Scag Liberty Z 36 inch. Absolutely love it, does surprising well for it being in a compact size.
I choose the 36 inch because of gates like you said in the video, and it’s perfect for that!
You will love that mower. I have 215 hours on mine and it's still running like a champ!
A bonus with the stand on is you can mulch leaves instead of bagging them and taking them away
Great tip!
You can do that with a sit down as well
Leaf plow on a stander is the way to go
But we have big lawns up here.
Either way it saves time and money vs bagging
Great advice!! I started with push mower got a gravely ztx42 paid it off and then got me a wright stander b 36 perfect little mower fits everywhere and makes me way more productive! Next year looking for a 52-60inch sit down to take on larger properties!
My first commercial mower I bought was a 48 inch toro grandstand and then I bought a walk behind Gravely 36
The best observation/piece of advice/argument here was the bagger system for a sit down. Good job.
Love the fact you really hammer down the local dealer point. So important, & is what dictates wich mower i will eventually upgrade too. Highly considering a stander because sitting for too long gives me knee pains.
The Scag standers have a huge bagger system now maybe not as big as the sit down but close
I saw those, they look dope!
I'm really hoping that the gravely gets one soon. That's all I run. But probably be a few years.
I run a 42inch gravely zero turn. I started mowing a yard or two on the side in my neighborhood. Now I’m up to 7, half are not fenced, half are. This video had some awesome points I had never thought of. Like bagging. I’m going to set up an llc at some point, and try to get more of a business built. I probably need a more commercial grade mower at some point.
We have to bag most of the year love the Walker 42"
Speaking of Demoing, my local Cub Cadet dealer is literally the best! They gave me the PRO Z 960S KW for a week so that I could really put it through the ringer (because no one else wanted to demo the unit)! Hopefully this week I’ll get the Pro Z 960 KW to see if the Lap-Bar model fits me better
Nice!
Started with a 42" 22hp hustler raptor zeroturn (this thing has incredible value and power for $2700). Then we went to a scag 48" hydro walk behind + 52" 25hp V-ride. Best setup for my area. Walk behind for hills and small yards, V-ride for larger yards but still small enough to be utilized on smaller properties
I picked up an Exmark 52 Radius a couple years ago and have never regretting it. Down south in my area we dont usually bag leaves we mulch with Gater blades.
Absolutely correct on your mowers 👍
Good vid Brian , I thought about a stand on v ride but I don’t think that’s my style . I have a 61” scag turf tiger and I’m looking at a tiger cat 2 with a 52” deck . Here in south Louisiana it’s 50/50 zero turn and stand on that I see . I just think you standing all day cutting then u have to edge , weedeat and then blow , you on your feet all day . But I do agree with you about getting started by buying a zero turn . All my accounts I can use my 61” . A 52” or smaller , you could get into tighter places . And with a stand on even tighter places . Today, June 15th it was 95 . It was hot and really humid . I couldn’t be on my feet all day in this heat . But anyway keep up the good work and take care .
Love my 72" Ferris Z3x. Mows my properties with surprising ease. A very well designed unit. Obviously I don't do any gated properties. The Ferris rep was awesome about getting me a demo. Can't say enough about my dealer and their support.
Should also consider what type of terrain your gonna be mowing
Around here almost nobody uses a vac system to bag leaves. They usually got 3 guys with red maxes and 2 little wonders 18hp, nothing cleans a lawn better with a little wonder and backpack blower walking next to the little wonder. Bigger companies upgrade to stand on blowers and that’s just a game changer, we bought one last year and we’re buying another this year
I think a hydro walk behind 48 inch with caster wheel or pro slide sulky is a beast for starting up. I have a grass catcher on both my 36 belt and my 48 hydro. Both are 20+ years old and both in good condition still. I bought both of my walk behind for 600 to 800 with collectors and i bought a sulky for big one. Lets me mow hilly NY properties, get through gates, and i can do half to one acre lots if need be. I had a diesel 52 front deck ztr, it was great but so heavy. Best thing is on light days i put my 48 in my full sized pickup or Econoline van and my 36 fits nice in my 1991 4 cyl Nissan pickup getting 25mpg
Hey Brian
I've got my brand, I have 52 and looking at 36 stander same brand. ZT I have a great bagger system. My area the back yard are typically bigger than front yard. I will stick with 52 zt and 36 strander of same brand mainly because they make great mower for my area and a 52 and 36 share same blades. Great video.
I still have and use regularly my first commercial mower mainly in gated yards and steep hillsides, A 36 inch Bunton walk behind. I bought it in 1996 new and it runs like a sowing machine still. But my primary mower is a Snapper Pro 61 inch now. I think it's good to have both!
Hey Brian just wanted to let you know that this video was recommended to me the day after I purchased my first mower, and it’s good to see that someone else has the same views as me. I went with a 36 stand on toro because 95% of my route is 1/4 acre lots and all have gated yards
Awesome buddy. Wish you all the best this year!
Great content, like the honest comparison. Your points are solid and firsthand. I'm diffidently torn on my next purchase.
I have a 2100 series Ferris 61. And 3100 series Ferris 61. Ferris evolution 52 and a 36 Ferris 36. Love the 36 for gated back lawns. A heck of a lot better than push mowing.
Beginning in the lawn care business I only knew about scag. My dealer sells Exmark, Toro, Scag, bobcat. Cub Cadet, and Honda. I bought a little Exmark Metro 48, I love it, runs great. I will consider a Lazer z down the road!!
I personally think that if you need to side discharge. Get a stander. But in in the fall, get a walker because not only can you switch out decks from a 36” to a 74”, but it also works great on landscaped properties.
Your so right not all mowers cut the all types of grass
Thanks for the video. Starting a lawn care business currently… I agree zero turn is more for the let it rip, pasture/acres cut… never had a stand on, but notice a lot of companies have them in various cutting sizes for “residential subdivision cutting”
Love it! Check out our book on Amazon and Audible, Zero To $100k! Great place to start!
My rockstar is my 48” Scag V-Ride 2, but I’m limited in what I can undertake because this is a side hustle.. I’m constantly in a race against time. I need the speed and efficiency to excel. I definitely am taking a risk, but it is a risk I’m willing to take.
Hey Brian! quick question. when you, Stanley Genadek, and Ed Wright demoed the stand-on mowers i saw that there was the 52" stander x and 52" vride 2 but i can not find the video that had them in it so could you possibly provide a link to the video, or if anyone knows of where i can find the video could you tell me in the comment below! Any input on the two mowers would also it would be much appreciated
I think they both have their place. The stand on in my opinion is a little more maneuverable and better for smaller residential yards especially with trees and playground equipment etc. But for the bigger yards 60 Exmark all the way. I have three Exmark. Two sit down 52 and 60 and a 52 stand on.
I have the Bradley 36 and the Bradley 52 stand on,s. I always wanted a 32 for the back yards and a 60 for the front yards your comments made me think of this.. I kind of like the 36 and the 52 though they take the same blades but sometimes the 36 is too big for the gates in the backyards. I’m in the north east near Philadelphia PA
My dealer sells about 10 brands of mowers but I choose exmark and scag! I can say I love my turf tiger and I don't think I won't get another mower unless it's a scag
I did like that TT2, it was a solid mower.
Thank you for your business!
I love my 60 inch Exmark Lazer Z
36 Inch Wright Stander Intensity is a great purchase to get started. Great for everything but has its issues on hills. Other than that I can’t complain!
I encourage everyone to get a 60’ deck with the yards in my area. Mostly zeros due to rougher terrain, only drawback for me on a stander is the fixed deck
Pushmower then to a rider tractor. 6 years in got into the sit down zero turn world.. 48 and 52 snapper.. last 7 years I have only been only grandstand exmark Vantages.. I have two 48 and two 52 vantage mowers. One 48 and 52 are kept as back ups at all times. 22 years total in the biz...
My first mower was a 48" gear drive walk behind. Getting back into it i am going with a 52" stand on for weekly mowing and a 52" sit down zero turn for leaf clean up
Get a cyclone rake it hooks to your zero turn lawn mower it has its own engine for sucking up leves and it's good for flower beds
Is it a professional? Doing 70-150 yards??
@@ehexzs10 yes
Thanks Brian, still debating this myself because of all these reasons you've pointed out. Bagging issues, backyards with gates, etc...very helpful video's!
Jamin Thompson zero turn is the answer....I disagree with brian in the soze dept tho a little. Id personally get a 52” Zero Turn as my first mower if I had to do it all over again.....lighter, every bit as fast, and the size difference wont cost you much more time when compared to the 60” especially in sub division lawns....if you are cutting acre yards or large properties mostly then start with the 60”
They do make big bagging systems for standers now...btw. My Z3X Ferris with a 33hp Vanguard and the bagging system behind where you stand can do as well as yours.
Who makes the bagging systems for those?
I agree. I have 2 standers now both 60. My yards dont have a ton of leaves so i mulch them or have an accelerator bagger. My buddy, same town, does has a ton more leaves and could use a bagger like yours. Side note im seeing a lot more 72s. If u have a lot of 1/2 and up 72 isnt too big in my opinion.
You have to have a mower for every application unless your going to specialize into a certain nitch. most nubies tend to start out with the smaller yards with gates etc because equipment costs are less. We have 2 60" sitdowns and 4 52" Wright standers. I do find that standing all day does not beat up your body as bad as sitting. I know thats contrary to what most people think but sitting and bouncing is brutal on your lower back especially as you get some years behind you in this field.
We do not bag leaves.
I think it’s pretty funny that you say go with your local dealer. Our dealer sells Exmark ,Toro,and scag. They are also our stihl dealer also. They also sell some other brands but those are the bigger ones they sell.
First commercial mower SCAG VRIDE II 48” deck aka the golden size for the new guy in my area and a 22hp Kawasaki run a grass catcher and mulch blades all I need but I’d love a new scag with a 60” and a bagger system.
Thank you for your business!
Nice work, Brian! Always enjoy these educational and helpful videos.
I live in a town of 25,000 people, we have a big deere dealer here in town, and consequently almost everyone in town runs john deere zero turns, couple of guys run john deere standers, and grasshoppers are very popular with the rental property companies in town
for my home property I use a 36" walk behind, and for my family's acreage I have 2 50" zero turns (a cub cadet and a dixon) and a lawn tractor (john deere 185 with an eaton trans) for pulling trailers and trees
my goal is to get rid of those residential-esque zero turns and get a John Deere 757 so I have easier access to parts
CONGRATS ON 100K!! THATS HUGE! KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!
My Scag Tiger Cub is a 48 with a 26 hp engine and a bagger. I will probably stick with riders. I have trees and whatnot that are too short for a stand on. I am wanting to get somethings like Scag’s Hurricane mulching system for my next mower. I tried a friends mulching kit on their new Scag and it works so well that most of the time you don’t even need a bagger. Some of my fenced in back yards only have gates large enough for a 21 in.
I have a 61 inch bad boy outlaw with the fx Kawasaki engine as my main mower, I also have a husqvarna 52 inch that I keep in the storage. I am going to be buying a Wright 36 intensity very soon because I push mow wayyyy too many lawns.
my first is a 36 inch bunton bullet walk behind. its 25 years old and starts on the first pull :)
I suggest a 32" stand on rather than a 36". Still a lot of gated backyards that measure 36" on the nose and you will damage their gates/fences trying to squeeze in. 99% of our gated backyards we get into with our 32" wright. 75-80% for our jd 36 walkbehind. We have 3 crews with a wide variety of equipment types and brands.
Great tip
Wonder if anyone makes a 34". Would be the maximum perfect size width for gates.
Derek gravely makes a 34 inch sit down zero turn
Ive used from pushmowers, walkbehinds, zeroturn, to stander. Just picked up 2 new mowers upgraded from my husqvarna mzt 52 to a is2100 61 and a z3x 61. Was demoing the exmarks and ferris mowers wanted scag too but the dealer wouldn't let me so i walked out not about to spend 20+k on 2 new mowers and not know how it cuts. But i didnt like the lazer z as much cut seemed a little cleaner but scalped more then ferris and ferris was more productive as well country yards very bumpy so the suspension helps. Picking up the bagger in fall and have a catcher for the stander.
Coincidentally, I just decided today to add a 32” Scag V-Ride 2 to my business.
Red Magic Performance MAXFILL makes a bagger for Vantages and Staris. They are great. We have them for our vantages. We also have UltraVac's for our Lazer's and I prefer the the MAXFILL for the vantage over the UltraVac.
That’s good to know!
Well I have a Toro 2000 with a cracked back bagger on it I do believe the horsepower is 23 possible 24 and it's super great for leaves after cutting grass and I'm going to get the Toro 4000 series The I-beam front in Bulldog nose happy and that they'll encounter the car
My personal Husqvarna riding mower had some problems today, so my neighbor let me borrow his mower, I decided to see how many hours he had on it so I could see the best way to pay him (gas, parts, ECT) and I was astonished at the work hours, had over 1600 on that Deere, I was genuinely thinking about fixing mine and seeing if he wanted to trade for a week or so😂
If you want to go outside of the box. Don't just assume that a bagger unit had to be attached to the mower.
Go with a trac vac....mount it to the stand on and it would work really well. Probably cost less than the commercial bagger system too. Ideal set up would be a Rider 72 Diesel, 52 Stander, 32 Walk behind/Stander.
Forgot to say most also come with their own motor so no need for a super beefy mower either
I add a tarp to my side bagger of my stander it works great for leafs.
I have a 36" gravely walk behind 48 exmark and a 52" scag turf tiger and 21" commercial toro !
Down here in Charlotte NC, I never bag lawns. So I have all standers, for my clean ups i have a leaf vacuum (Billy Goat)and a leaf trailer. Usually I start at the back, blowing all the leaves to the front, to the truck. Then just suck them up with the Billy Goat
Michael Mcclure . What’s the name of your company I live really close to Charlotte
I'm not a professional. I'm a guy that has 6 acres and very little time on the weekends. I don't do leaves. Rolling hills. Still not sure which one would be best.
You the man Brian. Love the channel and the podcast for sure!! Keep kickin ass.
Hey thanks pal 👊
Just bought a scag V ride 2 and got the bagger on it. Interested to see the volume it can hold compared to my wright ZTO with its bagger system
What is better for rougher terrain? Zero turn or lawn tractor? Not interested in the cut quality just what type will be better suited for tough grass.
We run 2 cub cadet 60", 60" exmark walk behind, 52" exmark walk behind, 32" toro walk behind, 2 push mowers.
And for leaves we blow to street and use a 2 ton dumptruck with a truckloader/vacuum. We dont bag anything.
Hey thanks for the great info. I needed this info I am too a Michigan company (Southfield)
We run a exmark turf tracer with a trac vac 470 its does well. Also considering either a lazer z with an ultra vac or putting a red magic performance max fill 2 bagger on the exmark vantage we currently own.
Here in the Pacific Northwest with all the rain and moisture blower system are not as effective as aluminum catchers so standers are top around here.
Personally I have used both. In my honest opinion i would say if most of your yards are less than an acre get a stand on, larger than 1 acre get a sitdown.
Great video! I’m trying my make the decision right now myself
Exmark Pioneer S series Ultra cut 60 inch Zero turn mower Used 14 hours..never cut a blade.
Wright Stander B 36 inch grass gobbler. Used 8 hours getting oil and filter tomorrow. I like stand on.... but i want to use Exmark Pioneer
Toro actually has a bagging system similar to the zero turn baggers for their grandstands and it looks to hold similar amounts to a zero turn. 🤷♂️ probably a game changer I’ve never used one but it’s a toro so it can’t be horrible something to check out. Spencer’s lawn care has a grandstand with that setup maybe check it out
Walker Mowers are the biggest bought mowers I see. They’re worth their weight in gold for leaf clean ups
How do they do on hilly yards?
I started with crftsman 42 an toro 21
Great video and Great advice as always!much appreciated!Rock on!
sit down and stand on both have pros and cons. just depends on what you are actually cutting. wide open acres or small residential yards with gates. sit down will out bag a stand on.
I would love to be able to run a stand on mower especially on my small lawn days, but I have to bag most of my accounts so I am forced to run a zero turn all year so I can be efficient.
Thank you for all your informational video I really do enjoy watching your videos. I was wondering if you would do a video on blade sharpening and how often you think someone should sharpen their mower blades. I just purchased the American Sharpener 5005 Gen 2 from @t and I absolutely love it. If you could do some reviews on the different ways to sharpen your blades and the angle you think is best I appreciate it.
I’m going to hopefully get the 32” stand on Starris next year for backyards and small properties and then a bagger for it for leaves in the fall for not being so heavy
Sweet
Than you for your opinion Brian. Well said. 👍
I’ve got a 52” zero turn and I’m about to buy a 36” stander.
As a backup mower right?
Attack Roflchopter for back yards. I hate push mowing.
Don't. Trust me.... or just buy mine
I have a 61 inch sit down and a 36 inch walk behind and this set up works great for what we do!
Great video. I love both mowers
One of the best videos i've seen on this subject. Couldn't agree more!
Have you got anything on baggers? I'm debating on a hook on like ballard or a actual bag system.
Thanks