Stand up commercial mowers... why?

[Dadnatron]

I have become tired of wondering...

What is the reason for the 'stand-up' riding lawnmowers? The large commercial mowers which you either walk behind or stand on. I've even seen the walk behind version with a little cart to ride upon.

What is the use of them vs a similar size Zero-turn?

Only thing I can think of is side-hill safety. But I KNOW someone out there not only knows... but is willing to impart this knowledge upon this poor questioning soul.

 

[George2615]

Here's one answer to stand on vs zero turn.
I think its a matter of preference myself. Landscape contractors where I used to work used both types of mowers.


Stand-on Lawn Mowers Benefits Advantages | Green Industry Pros

 

[oldballs]

They must be made for young fellas. I wouldn't want one for personal use. And a tall fella would be ducking a lot, seems to me. just sayin'

 

[George2615]

I agree with Mike. All the stand up mowers I've seen in use are driven by younger guys.

 

[Code54]

I had one in my early 40's so is that "younger"??? LOL
I had it because we have a few real steep hills and if it would go into a slide I could just step off of it and mostly get it under control. It was sort of fun to ride as you could do fast turns and sort of lean hard and bank corners. No one else in the family would use it because it would throw you off if you moved the controls a hair too quick but I must say I sort of thought it was fun.
It also had the advantage of getting under low trees and obstacles - you could sort of kneel down and the highest thing was the controls/handle bars so you could fit under a lot of stuff

 

[ShowroomShine]

The productivity of a zero turn, while only taking up as much space as a walk behind on the trailer. Often times the platforms are suspended, so they are comfortable. Side hill stability is excellent. Lower cost than a zero turn.

Honestly, if you arent attached to sitting down, a stand on is the way to go for the professional user.

 

[Dadnatron]

I had one in my early 40's so is that "younger"??? LOL
I had it because we have a few real steep hills and if it would go into a slide I could just step off of it and mostly get it under control. It was sort of fun to ride as you could do fast turns and sort of lean hard and bank corners. No one else in the family would use it because it would throw you off if you moved the controls a hair too quick but I must say I sort of thought it was fun.
It also had the advantage of getting under low trees and obstacles - you could sort of kneel down and the highest thing was the controls/handle bars so you could fit under a lot of stuff

Code... that's a lot of 'use-ta' and not a lot of 'do'... heh... what changed.

 

[Poopdeck Pappy]

I recently bought a Scag V-Ride stand-on mower with a 61" Velocity+ deck and a Kohler 26hp EFI motor. It is a 2015 model with about 220 hours on it and was in excellent condition. It is a full blown commercial mower and I got it for the same price as a residential grade Scag, Exmark, Deere, Toro, etc. mower.

Here are the advantages:

1. They are shorter in overall length, so are more nimble and fit into tighter spaces than a ride-on zero turn or lawn tractor. So, there's less trimming to do with a string trimmer.
2. They are shorter, so take up much less room on a trailer or in the garage.
3. If you get into trouble, such as a loss of control on a steep hill, you can just step off of it rather than having to hang on and ride it out like you would have to do with a ride-on.
4. On some of them, such as the Scag, the standing platform flips up and latches to the unit, so you can instantly turn it into a walk-behind to get under low hanging tree branches or to tackle a steep hill.
5. Most importantly for some people, you stand up and use your knees for shock absorbers rather than sitting on a ride-on and forcing your back to absorb every jolt and bump.
6. It is MUCH easier and quicker to step off the mower and pick up sticks and trash, and then hop on and go, than it is with a ride-on mower.
7. The deck is sitting out in front, rather than under you, so it provides better visibility, and it's easier to see what your'e doing to trim next to, and maneuver around, obstacles such as fences and shrubs.
8. Stand-on mowers have a lower center of gravity.
9. When operating on a side-hill, the operator can lean to the uphill side to shift the center gravity to the uphill side, which you can't do on a ride-on.
10. Finally, standers are typically a little cheaper than their ride-on counterparts.


The negatives that I can think of (so far, based on my limited use of mine) are:

1. The controls (at least on mine) are more touchy than my Grasshopper sit-down ZTR, so mastering fine control and making straight lines takes a little longer to accomplish.
2. During the initial learning curve, you have to be careful when you back up. If you back up quickly and let go of the controls to stop quickly, you can throw yourself off backwards. But you learn quickly not to do that.
3. The deck lift is via a lever rather than a foot pedal, so it's harder to feather the deck over tree roots or other obstacles.

 

[oosik]

I'm sure Pappy has hit most all the points but from what I've seen - the operators have a lot of fun "riding the board". They look like they are on a skate board or similar device. And they DO have great mobility on the units.