I have a 2 wheel velke that I want to use behind my toro proline. My problem is it will track straight for a while but than it will turn hard one way or the other. I put new bearings on it thinking that was the problem as the old ones were shot. It is not as bad as it was. Could it just be because my lawn is rough and I am a smaller guy?
Bushings wasted causing one wheel to somewhat bind up maybe? Also, air pressure even in the tires? I filled mine with foam....and have worn the tires down to the cords without ever adding air
I'm gonna have to foam mine that is a good idea! You guys ever foam the tires on the walk behind as well? My yard semi rough and I'm a bigger guy and the velke will still jump around pretty good, if you aren't very big I'm sure you really get thrown around.
@bocefus78 new bushings as well. Did not check pressure though. @StickBender I'm kind of a little feller I'm close to the heaviest I've ever been at 155 lbs.
A lot of folks don't realize just how much faster and more efficient the hydro walks are than a belt drive or an oversized riding ZTR.
The learning curve on a walk behind seems harder to me. My dad has a 60" exmark zero turn rider and I had that figured out with in one mow. My walk behind I got, took me to about the third mow to get it figured out. Now I wouldn't trade it for a rider. It's nice to see everything you are mowing!
Sitting for several hours makes more sense to me than trying to "surf" on the platform of one of those stand up models.
If your lawn takes several hours to mow, than sure. I don't really like sulkies/velkies period but that's my preference. Lots of commercial lawn guys buy 60" ZTRs and aren't mowing anything over 1/2 an acre. They fight hillsides, tear up turf, and burn 2x the fuel. Forget about gated properties. A 36" walk behind will fit through most gates, be a billy goat on hillsides, maneuver easier with a lot less turf damage, use less fuel, and leave a nicer finished product on smaller properties. And you'd be surprised at how much time is doesn't take to get it done. Half the initial investment and you can get more of them on a trailer or run a smaller trailer further cutting your costs. I don't have your back issues Nate so I don't know how walking affects you but a ZTR can beat you up on rough ground unless you have a good upgraded seat setup.
ZTR doesn't bother me too much. Arm rests help and I'd need to put an armrest seat on my Cub Cadet. Have many hours on the John Deere Z Tracs... they are comfy and mow awesome. Would use them to mow all the grass where I used to work, to include up and down about 30 buildings like these: My ZTR I think is a 50 or 52" deck so it's not too bad. There are a few spots I can't get into, but my yard and my neighbors is mostly open. I do have a "fence" of trees but I planted them 6 or 7ft apart. To me the stand up units would be rough on feet, knees, back, etc. For a guy doing it for a living it might just me 20-30 mins standing on each yard, but do that all day for 6-7 days a week. Dunno..
It takes me about an hour to mow my yard, it is bumpy and that is why I chose to stand up. I can absorb bumps, unlike with my dads even with a spring seat when you hit bumps it would still jolt you. The velke is definitely different at first!
Mines an older belt drive. Takes over 2 hours to walk it. Hoping the velke will get it down to under 2 hours. I have a 5 ft finish mower for the tractor but that's still about the same amount of time by the time you go back to the spots the tractor can't get in. I keep threatening to get a ztr but don't want to come off the $$$$.
Gotcha. Yeah ruts/bumps are rough on most any riding mower. The JD Z Trac was nice. I'm not sure if the seat was suspended or just really cushy. My Cub Cadet just had a cheapo seat, but it's a homeower grade machine too. It's a 2006 and it's got 200hrs on it to give an idea how short our mowing season is. I do about an acre of grass between mine and the neighbors.
The zig zag effect is inherent in the design of most two wheel Sulkies. Some are worse than others. Seems to have to do with the angle of the hitch. Jungle Wheels seem to be a regular offender with the Velky brand being a top performer. It varies some by application, and in my estimation is greatly affected by the angle and height of the mount. On smooth turf, the 2 wheel works on less air pressure in each tire. Thus easing impact to the operators knees. A single wheel generally handles like a sports car in comparison, but the necessary high pressure in the single tire beats your joints a bit more. In theory a taller tire should make a significant difference. The only one Ive seen was near $600. I haven't seen it in action.
