Toro Proline Walk behind

[jcaledon]

Looking for some advice. I just bought a B2620 earlier this year with a 60" mmm, and have a lot of trees, some on steep slopes, to mow around. The Kubota does of good job of mowing, but is difficult to get into tight spots, especially on the hills. I am considering a used Toro Proline mid-size walk behind.

Some of the mowers that I've seen for sale have the Kohler engine, while others have the Kawasaki. Most of the used ones I've seen are gear driven - not HST, with the T bar steering system. Also, there seems to be a big difference in deck sizes, from 32 to 52 inches.

I'm only going to be using it to trim around trees etc. at my home. Is one engine better than the other, are the gear driven models ok, and are there some decks that I should stay away from? I plan on getting a sulky, and letting my son use it around the house. Is there a minimum horsepower no. that I should be looking at?

Right now I'm looking at two machines. One is a 15hp Kohler with a 36" inch deck that is gear driven - price $900. It has been used commercially, but it doesn't look like they put too many hours on it. I think that the owner is winding down his business. The other is 13.5hp Kohler that has only been used residentially, gear driven - but they want $1500. What do you guys think?

 

[JDGREEN4ME]

I had a Kohler powered 15HP lawn tractor for about 10 years and never had a problem with it.

 

[Stimw]

Make sure you drive one of these before you buy it. I've run about 4 of these just to move or a quick cut to see how they handled. They take some getting use to! They are really squirrely! I'm talking about the T Bar steering with 4 speed trans and belt drive to the wheels.
The belt/brake ajustment is tricky to get it just right and have the T Bar level.

 

[jcaledon]

Well, I made my decision and picked up the 32", 13hp Kohler powered Toro Proline. The engine runs perfectly, and it is very easy to maneuver. I need to touch up some of the paint, but there is absolutely no rust on the machine. You could see that its not been run very hard - but is very dirty. The previous owner had it stored in a barn and hadn't used it for a few years. Once it is washed up, it should look like new. The belts, blade, etc. are in very good shape. Looking forward to using it at my home - should be a nice compliment to my B2620 Kubota.