By Ken Catalano, VP of Landscape and Nursery Sales
Florida Coast Equipment

I get a ton of questions from my customers and vendors about stand on mowers versus ride on mowers. Let’s take a look at the main differences between the two and my take on each!

For more information on Florida Coast Equipment and BIG Orange Rental – visit www.floridacoasteq.com

SAFETY
Safety is always the number one goal in the landscape industry. Safety on our mowers is key because having a safe work force reduces lost time, creates consistency, and improves overall employee retention. In Florida, several of our landscape vendor partners are mowing around bodies of water and rollover risk is a key concern. Although Zero Turns, if used properly, have seatbelts and ROPS (Roll Over Protection Systems) to prevent an employee from being pinned under water. They are not full proof and can still result in serious injury or even fatality. Whereas a stand on mower offers the operator the ability to abandon the mower should the equipment slide into a lake or canal. Lastly, a stand on mower affords the operator a higher view point thus reducing damages from hitting obstacles in the turf area which causes property damage. As the operator is standing vs sitting, there is less wear and tear on the operator which also reduces Workman Comp claims and/or lost time.

WINNER – STAND ON

WEIGHT RATIO and SIZE
When reviewing the weight ratio and distribution of a stand on vs Zero Turn, we can note that comparable units will weigh differently. A stand on unit will often be less weight, which mowing HOA’s with zero lot line lawn areas in the rainy season could equate to less turf damage. Weight ratio is also important when measuring the load out for a truck and trailer.

WINNER – STAND ON

LOGISTICS
A stand on mower will also have less of a footprint than a Zero Turn, simply due to how the machine is designed and built. What does this mean for our landscape vendors? This is important because this allows a landscape vendor to fit more mowers in the same size trailer. This affords them the ability to produce more work with the same truck and trailer. In logistics, when creating production maps, with a smaller footprint these versatile mowers can fit into smaller places and into gated back yards. This increases production, which increases profitability long term for our landscape vendor partners.

WINNER – STAND ON

COST
Cost. For like size mowing decks, we often find Stand On Mowers to be more cost effective and more affordable. The stand on’s are more compact and typically less steel to manufacture.

WINNER – STAND ON