NEW MOWERS: Mowing into 2005

For 2005, landscape contractors can expect faster, more powerful mowers with innovative deck designs that provide wider clearance on trailers and more affordable options. In response to contractors’ desire to replace their walk-behind units with riding mowers, several manufacturers are now offering smaller, less-expensive riders.

"Your bigger walk-behinds are being replaced by smaller zero-turn riders," says Roy Dust, product specialist, Ferris Industries, Munnsville, N.Y. "Even though these machines have smaller decks, they’re quicker than walk-behinds, so contractors are replacing the 60-inch walk-behind with the 52-inch or 48-inch zero-turn rider. I think there are as many walk-behinds being bought, but the size range they’re being bought in has dramatically changed in the last three or four years."

The walk-behind market isn’t dead, but contractors are seeking smaller units – from 32- to 36-inch cutting widths – that will fit through tighter areas, according to Dust. For areas that contractors can’t reach with these mowers, they’re managing with string trimmers, Dust says.

Industry-wide demand for walk-behind mowers has decreased by approximately 36,000 units annually in the last five years, according to Kurt Hayes, project manager, Cub Cadet Commercial, Valley City, Ohio. "People don’t want to walk anymore," Hayes says. "As far as volume, we don’t see any increase in any shape, form or fashion."

Brett Linden, equipment product manager for Cleveland-based LESCO, agrees that the trend is shifting toward riding mowers. "We’re seeing an increase in riders throughout the last several years because of efficiency and ease of operation," Linden says.

FLIP-UP FRENZY. One way manufacturers are making riding mowers more attractive to contractors is by modifying decks so more mowers will fit on standard-sized trailers. One advancement manufacturers have made to zero-turn riding mowers is an electrical lift that raises the deck 90 degrees. With the flip of a switch, a 48-inch mower can be reduced to 35.5 inches and fit into a 36-inch trailer, Hayes says.

But these flip-up decks aren’t limited to just mid-mount riding mowers. Some front-mount mower and walk-behind mower manufacturers have adopted space-saving decks that can be raised by hand. A front-mount mower deck can weigh as much as 175 pounds but in some cases can be easily raised upward by making a few adjustments, says Tim Cromley, marketing manager, Walker Manufacturing, Fort Collins, Colo. Flip-up decks on some walk-behind mowers can add about $1,000 to the machine’s cost, but contractors should easily make up for that in productivity, according to Ken Raney, advertising manager, Hustler Turf Equipment, Hesston, Kan.

Manufacturers are also designing decks to improve cutting performance. One deck style features a 7.5-inch air space in the front that helps move wet or thick grass through quicker, says Robert Ayers, commercial turf technical support technician, Husqvarna, Charlotte, N.C. These decks can increase efficiency by 26 percent, Ayers says. Another upgrade to these "open-tunnel" decks includes raising the vacuum at each spindle point to increase airflow, which also helps pick up grass faster.

New mulching decks will also be available to contractors this year. Some of these new mulching decks are designed to eliminate the potential danger caused by discharged debris and the hassle of cleaning landscape beds littered with grass clippings, says Wes Freeman, brand manager, John Deere Commercial Mowing, Cary, N.C. The decks allow operators to switch between mulching and side discharge simply by moving a lever, Freeman says.

Some decks now have adjustable baffles that allow operators to change the mower’s performance based on lawn conditions, says Randy Harris, senior marketing manager, The Toro Co., Bloomington, Minn. Operators can adjust the baffle to cut clippings into tiny particles, resulting in better dispersion. "That’s great when in the spring the grass grows like crazy and you need to be able to get that lush lawn out as fast as you can," Harris says. "The baffle allows you to cut that grass and push the grass out instead of moving it chamber to chamber, and it takes less horsepower off the engine, allowing you to cut faster."

Decks are also becoming more durable with additional steel support. The triple-plated deck design features a 10-gauge steel top with a seven-gauge support plate and a layer of 11-gauge steel that reinforces the spindle mounting area, Raney says. The spindles feature tapered roller bearings, which add 50 percent more load carrying capacity than ball bearings.

But there are advantages to decks made from one layer of steel. One new deck on the market now is stamped from one sheet of seven-gauge steel, which eliminates the possibility of welds breaking, Freeman says.

With all these changes manufactures are making on decks, affordability can come into question. That’s why some decks that were once only hydraulically adjustable are now available as manual lifts. Manual lifts may require slightly more effort on the operator’s part, but they can reduce the machine’s cost by $1,000, says Carol Dilger, corporate marketing services manager, Ariens Co., Brillion, Wis. "Contractors were requesting something that was a little lower in price, but they still wanted the heavy-duty commercial unit with the 60-inch cutting deck," Dilger says.

Contractors will also find more smaller deck sizes available in 2005. By purchasing a mower with a 48-inch deck rather than a 60-inch deck, contractors can save about $1,000, says Roy Van Voorhis, sales manager, Everride, Auburn Neb. These decks are popular in certain regions such as the Northeast where contractors have smaller lots to mow, according to Van Voorhis.

Contractors can also save money with more adjustable deck options being offered on smaller mowers, says Hal White, director of sales and marketing, Wright Manufacturing, Frederick, Md. Contractors have been requesting smaller 36-inch and 52-inch adjustable decks instead of the larger and more expensive 61-inch decks, White says. As a result, contractors can now purchase mowers that are more compact and about $2,000 less than the larger models, according to White.

TREND SETTERS. Mower manufacturers aren’t just focusing on deck enhancements. They’re building bigger tires, producing more fuel-efficient options and, of course, adding horsepower. Contractors who bag or mulch grass can lose power, so manufacturers have added horsepower to certain engines to compensate for that loss. This year, contractors will be able to find zero-turn mowers that were once only offered with a 19-horsepower engine now equipped with a 23-horsepower engine, according to Harris. Each additional unit of horsepower generally raises the cost of the mower by $100.

Whether contractors really need so much horsepower is debatable, but they’re still asking for the extra boost. "I don’t need 380 horsepower in my car, but I’ve got it," says Jim Forrester, distributor manager, Encore Manufacturing Co., Beatrice, Neb. For contractors who can’t afford high-powered riding mowers, manufacturers are producing walk-behinds that feature the speed of a rider without losing the control associated with walk-behind mowers, says Jeff Haltom, vice president/general manager, Dixie Chopper, Coatesville, Ind.

Horsepower is also increasing as manufacturers add more liquid-cooled engines to their mower product lines. The demand for liquid-cooled engines has increased by approximately 20 percent in the last several years, according to Bill Bower, director of marketing for Ferris. Rising fuel costs have pushed manufacturers to equip more mowers with liquid-cooled and diesel engines.

Liquid-cooled engines can save an estimated 20 percent in fuel. Diesel engines are also more fuel efficient and increase engine life. A liquid-cooled diesel engine costs about $500 to $600 more than an air-cooled gas engine. "With gas prices so high now, fuel efficiency is a big thing," Bower says. "It’s got more torque and power than a gas engine or an air-cooled, and it’s a lot quieter."

Manufacturers have also modified tire sizes for smoother rides, with some increasing from 20 inches to 23 inches, according to Forrester. More seats are being built for comfort this year with adjustable tension features that can be adjusted based on the operator’s weight, says Pat Penner, marketing coordinator, The Grasshopper Co., Moundridge, Kan.

Ease of operation is also being addressed through front-wheel steering on a select number of mid-mount zero-turn mowers, says Jeff Huncilman, president, Gizmow, New Albany, Ind. These mowers, which are currently being test marketed, are designed to increase hillside control and allow operators to mow closer around trees and plantings.

Riding tractors are being equipped with all-wheel drive to help maneuver around tight areas, according to Tamara Youdbulis, product manager for the Kubota Tractor Corp., Torrance, Calif. When starting a turn, the rear wheel of these tractors begins to track freely, enabling a tight turn while preventing damage to the turf.

One other trend, which has been steadily continuing throughout the last several years, is the movement away from front mowers to mid-mount machines. Front-mount mowers have declined by 4 percent to 6 percent annually, according to Gilbert Pena, brand marketing manager, John Deere Commercial Mowing. But front mowers still offer some advantages over mid-mounts.

"The trend is going away from front cut, but we think overall the front cut is a much better design, causing you to sit lower to the ground with a lower center of gravity," Cromley says. "When you have a low center of gravity, you can pull the hill a lot better. When the mower sits out in front of you, you can see what you’re trimming. You’re not looking out over the edge."

Front mowers also have more grass-collection capabilities than mid-mounts. Residents who live in high-end communities often request grass collection as part of their lawn care service, says John Cloutier, marketing communications manager, Exmark Manufacturing, Beatrice, Neb. In response, some manufacturers are adding bagging capabilities to their front-mount mowers to fill this market niche. "There’s a lot of homeowners that do like the finished-quality look that a dedicated bagging machine will give them," Cloutier says. "I do think what a lot of property owners like about that type of machine vs. a mid-mount zero-turn, for example, is that it is a much smaller and more compact machine, so it looks less obtrusive on the property." Cloutier adds that because front mowers cut slower than mid-mount mowers, some homeowners appreciate the appearance that contractors spent more time on their lawns and that they got the most value for their service.