Home owner needs some advice on walk behind mower

15 years ago

I'm trying to decide on a walk behind mower for residential use and I sure could use some advice. I have a fairly large lawn so want something larger than the normal 21" walk behinds.

I've looked at some of the larger commercial walk behinds but three or four thousand dollars is a bit too much for me.

In my search I've come across two models that have peaked my interest. The first is a 33" made by Worldlawn (WY33N11BS) and 33" Cub Cadet (CC 760ES). They both seem similar and both sell for $1199. I know that both brands are not considered to be good "commercial" names but I will only be using the mower once a week for a couple of hours.

I'm wondering if anyone has opinions on either of these. I've included links to both mowers below. Any advice will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Brian

http://www.worldlawnpowerequip.com/products_33.asp

https://www.cubcadet.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=14101&productId=162710

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Comments (12)

davidcalhoun
15 years ago
Both units are considered residential.

There is nothing wrong with these 33" models and should provide a homeowner many years of use.

Their controls might take a little getting use to so I would recommend that you ask to demo the mowers first. Test out how you turn the mower while it is engaged. I believe these both require you to manhandle the turn instead of using a lever to brake one wheel.

Other small walk-behind mowers to look at might be Stelth, BillyGoat, Redhawk, and Better Outdoor Products

You might also do a search on ebay for 32" or 36" mowers under the "walk behind" section.
bear76
15 years ago
There is a post here about the sears version of these mowers. I goes on for while with ALOT of comments. I had a troybuilt version for a season and was happy with it. I only got rid of it because I was downsizing my lawn and went with a smaller mower.
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The three mowers you are looking at are probably equal in quality. All are light duty. The Husqvarna is equipped with ball bearing wheels. This would probably be easier to push than the troybilt and craftsman. The Kohler engine is actually a Chinese design that has some good features including a cast iron sleeve and double ball bearings on the crankshaft. On the negative side, the engine is designed with several layers of trim that make access the the engine more difficult and perhaps heavier. I worked on several of these for "will not start" conditions related to last year's fuel. When testing, I found the engine seemed to be under powered for a 21" Ariens mower. Consider this carefully, as the engine has only 149CC - a very small engine. None of the kohler dealers in my area carried any parts for the push mower engine. The other mowers have the regular plastic wheels without the ball bearings. This will probably require more effort to push. The engine on both is the 190cc Briggs quantum series with ready start. This engine has good power and is easy to start. Parts like carburetor kits are usually stocked at dealers and the parts are cheap. On the negative side, the automatic choke sometimes gets confused - resulting in a will not start condition. The condition goes away if the mower sits for a while - or the home owner can manually open the choke to start (provided he knows how to do this).
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colonel428
15 years ago
Brian....You might want to look at the Gravely WAM 1034 model as well. It's got a 10.5 hp B&S engine with a 34" cut. I've talked to a couple of dealers here in my area & both of them suggested this same model for homeowner use. The price I was quoted was around $1,400. I don't have any experience with either of the mowers you mentioned in your post, but I know Gravely has been making good machines for a long time. Just some food for thought....
brian_a
Original Author
15 years ago
Thanks to all for your advice. Wow, this is getting tough!

I just stumbled apon a Gravely Pro 1336G 36" mower with only 3 hours on it. The person is asking $1800 and is local to me.

Wondering what you might think?

Hi Colonel, the 1034 looks like a good option also.

Thanks
davidcalhoun
15 years ago
After testing it out (mowing and turning), offer $1400 and let him bump you to $1500 and then take it home.

This commercial Gravely will out cut those other models by far.
radcad
15 years ago
hey brian what area you in.... i would try craigslist.com and see if you can get a true commerical mower for cheaper....

look at snapper, gravely, bobcat/ransome, toro, scaggs, exmark,mtd pro,woods,john deere,
or even look at riders... ztr.. depending on the size of the lot ...i have a 48 IN SNAPPER COMMERCIAL WAlk behind and have had it since 2000 and love it our lot is 1.2 acres and it takes me 15-20 min to cut the lawn...

hope that helps out ..
brian_a
Original Author
15 years ago
Hey radcad,

See my previouse post, I'm looking at a Gravely Pro 1336G with a rackem aluminum bagger and only 3 hours on the machine. From all I've read this is a pretty good machine. He's asking $1800.

brian
radcad
15 years ago
yeah i seen thAT SOUNDS A LITTLE HIGH TO ME ...im sure you can get one cheaper.... if you look around you can find used lawn equipment cheap.. has not been abused.. i bought my snapper used from a good friend who used it 3 times ... he gave 5 k for it.. new i gave 1k .... he had it for a yr on most equipment they lose about 40% when used they are worse then cars.....lol

if i was you try craigs list to see if you cant find a used machine...
colonel428
15 years ago
Hey Brian....Man, I'd have to agree with Davidcalhoun on this one. I'd be some kind of pumped to get a basically brand new 1336G with an aluminum bagger in the $1,500-$1,800 price range. As I said before, dealers down here want $1,400 for the 1034 WAM plus another $400 for an aftermarket bagger. Does that 1336 have the Kawasaki engine? If it does, I'd be on it like flies on a rib roast. Really, if everything is in order with the mower & you like using it when you demo it that's a great deal on a commercial grade machine....
brian_a
Original Author
15 years ago
Hey colonel, I'm thinking it a pretty good deal too. The mower and bagger have to be close to $3000 new. BTW, it's a Kawasaki twin piston. I'm thinking I should make this machine mine.
davidcalhoun
15 years ago
The 13hp Kaw is a decent engine. It will easly handle a 36" belt drive walkbehind. It will mow through some tough grass if needed.

Just make sure you demo this belt drive mower long enough to get a good feel for how it steers and operates. The down side to a belt drive walkbehind mower is the reverse gear. You have to shift it into reverse or manhandle it some when you want to go backwards. Do this a few times during your demo.

Ask for the manuals also. If he does not have them, you can always download them.

One more thing that you may want to get is an extra set of blades to have on hand. If the current blades are the standard ones, get a set of Gators with a medium to high lift sail.

A commercial mower, that is only used as a residential mower, will hold it's value.
todd214
14 years ago
I have a Quick 36 by Better Outdoor Products and it is awesome.

Home owner needs some advice on walk behind mower

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