Wheel Horse for commercial use

[HorseSense 13]

Greetings, Horsemen.

I'm setting up a one-man lawn care and landscaping business. My budget is quite low; buying a new commercial mower is out of question, and the used ones I've come across so far are mostly worn out and not worth the risk. The more I learn about my options, the more I like the Wheel Horse tractors. I've been checking Craigslist ads in my area, and there are some listed--a couple of 520H, a 315-8, and a few other models.

I wonder if anyone on this forum has used a Wheel Horse for commercial mowing and/or has some thoughts on the subject, and I'd appreciate it if you cared to share them. Thanks.

[BenTheWheelHorseMan 43]

Wheel horse made a commercial model called the 520 HC. I don't see why you couldn't use a wheel horse for commercial mowing. 

[RubyCon1 63]

think parts availability for a 20 +year old mower.

 

would your customer base stick with you while you waited days and weeks to find a replacement part unavailable at your WH dealer?

 

ask your WH dealer how much he actually keeps in stock for your tractor and base your decision and business reputation on those findings.

 

also consider the competitors in your area using Z turns and mowing lawns 2 -3 times faster than you will be

Edited August 4, 2016 by RubyCon1

[cleat 6,011]

There is one commercial lawncare business around here that uses a Wheel Horse (among others).

I am unsure of the exact model, I will stop next time I see him.

 

If you can find two or more then downtime would be a non-issue.

 

I find them sometimes for just a few hundred.

 

Just keep up on the maintenance, greasing, oil changes etc and check peoples yards for objects to hit and avoid them.

[rmaynard 15,506]

I have a friend in Wisconsin who has a lawn service. He uses zero-turn for mowing, and has a WH for hauling, grading, etc. Says he will never go back to a tractor for mowing. Can get twice as much grass cut in the same time as using a tractor to mow. 

[elliot ness 1,916]

If you have a limited budget, I would not get a used zero turn. as for an old wheel horse, I mow 1 acre with my 11hp work horse, been using it for years and it never fails, The C series tractors are a great buy, from 8hp to 20 hp. and parts are easy to come by. Just an idea buy 2 or 3 C series tractors and have one for a back up. any of them will handle a 48in. deck, and are quite fast for a tractor. In my area you can find them from 300, to 700 every day. and lots of the parts swap from year to year.

[BenTheWheelHorseMan 43]

Just food for thought, if I were to run a on medical lawn care business with , I would stick to Kohler or briggs for the very reason of parts availability like @RubyCon1 said earlier. I'm sure others would disagree, but I would be worried about using an Onan a lot all day because of the overheating problems. Like Bob said zero turns are much nicer to mow with in my opinion. We do all of our mowing on 20 acres with a zero turn and I could not imagine how bad it would be to use a tractor for all of that.

Edited August 4, 2016 by BenTheWheelHorseMan

[stevasaurus 22,763]

My Dad had his own Lawn Care business back in the 70's.  He had 4 Wheel Horses...502, 702, 857, and a Raider 10 (1972).  He did not just mow lawns though.  He plowed and tilled gardens, dragged new yards, moved snow with a blade and a blower.  He did quite well in the business, but that was the 70's.  No problem getting parts, no zero turns, but there were not any places like Red Square and garden tractors did not show up at collector shows.  There may actually be more support now then there was then.

 

    Don't forget about rolling yards also...easy money there. 

Edited August 4, 2016 by stevasaurus

[doc724 925]

If I were going to set up a lawn care business, I would not start now.  Summer is half over and anyone who wanted a LC person probably already has one.  I would start late winter/next spring.  Look for a zero turn mower at the end of this season when prices are likely to drop.  Also, people who have a LC business my be discouraged (it is a ton of work) and are more likely to sell in the fall.  Similar to buying a snow blower, never buy it in the fall when prices are high, wait until the spring and summer when bargains are available.  Yes you have to be careful busing used equipment, but that goes for WH machines also.  Also, WH (with the exception of 5xi that I know of) do not have a tight turning radius, that means wasted time backing up etc to go around trees.  In business, time is money, the more customers you can turn in a day the greater your cash flow.  You need to sit down and make a good business plan first before venturing out on this.  Talk to people who already have a lawn care service, how much time does the service spend at their property and how big is the property and what size lawn is maintained.  This will give you a good idea of how many customers you can service in a day.   Make sure you assess the level of competition in your area.  If there are lots of providers, or few customers, you may have to travel a distance and that will also cut into your cash flow.  If you have a good business plan, you should be able to get a loan. 

[Uncle Buck 246]

34 minutes ago, elliot ness said:

If you have a limited budget, I would not get a used zero turn. as for an old wheel horse, I mow 1 acre with my 11hp work horse, been using it for years and it never fails, The C series tractors are a great buy, from 8hp to 20 hp. and parts are easy to come by. Just an idea buy 2 or 3 C series tractors and have one for a back up. any of them will handle a 48in. deck, and are quite fast for a tractor. In my area you can find them from 300, to 700 every day. and lots of the parts swap from year to year.

This is along the lines of my thinking. If you get 2-3 old ones that you can interchange attachments on and are all in reliable shape that would answer the question of always having a machine as a backup. As for  cut time without a doubt you can do more faster with a zero turn. However, if you are starting from a zero customer base then initially production time would not be a great issue. If you bought an established business out with a large customer base then you would quite likely have a real problem using an old school tractor. Assuming you are starting from nothing the idea of a WH is a good one unless you pick a model with the old rear discharge decks which will not produce any award winning results in how the job looks when you are finished. That would be the real downside to older WH tractors of up to 1970's vintage. Maybe a side discharge deck would produce acceptable results but I cannot say since I have never owned one or seen the results after a cut. I think I would look for later models with a side discharge myself. As your business grows and hopefully prospers maybe you could transition into a zero turn and relegate the WH to other duties like snow removal or other such tasks.

 

If approached correctly with a good plan I do not see WH as a bad answer to get started. However, you better have a solid plan and not just buy some old horses because they look clean and well maintained.

[ACman 7,618]

 , and from experience. I had a couple friends start a business , and they started with a simplicity sunstar front cut . Mowed with it till the wheels fell off . Know he uses a diesel grasshopper . I don't know what you're credit situation , but the simplicity 54" cut I just bought was around $4000 - $99 a month . I guess what I'm trying to say is if you can start off with a new cheaper zero turn , build up your clientele, you probably could get two , three years out of it until you can upgrade . Here's what I just bought and it mows  Beautiful , and my son says between the seat and suspension the ride is great . I love my horses , but you can mow twice as fast with a zero turn .

 

 

The little box on the back comes off , but it comes in handy as you come across trash . The rack was designed to except 4- wheeler accessories, so you can buy mounts to hold your trimmer , blower , rakes , sprayers , ect ! Like I said it just my opinion , I'd start with something new so you have no issues and parts are easy to get . 

 

[BenTheWheelHorseMan 43]

I think if you just plan on mowin yards, I would for sure want a zero turn. However if you plan on mowing as well as doing snow removal and garden tilling like steve's dad, then the wheel horse idea sees to fit the bill perfectly. You could get an attachment for almost anything that you could ever need to do and run all of it off of 1 or 2 tractors. Although as has been stated before on here, 1 or 2 turn in to 5 or 6 quickly. 

[Forest Road 594]

Get a commercial walk behind or zero turn mower. Newer the better. You'll recoup the extra cash in time saved mowing and less time spent on repairs. Ride on mowers can't compare to modern mowers. Every hour saved on a lawn is an hour you can spend on another customer. More customers = more income! 

 

Also kind of late in year to begin mowing. Hope you're looking towards total yard care. Leaves, fall n spring cleanups, grading, garden tilling, retaining walls etc. Best of luck!!! 

[scotty 252]

I dont think it should be much of an issue using one commercially. As long as you keep everything maintained and dont abuse it.

Edited August 4, 2016 by scotty

[DennisThornton 4,769]

6 hours ago, rmaynard said:

I have a friend in Wisconsin who has a lawn service. He uses zero-turn for mowing, and has a WH for hauling, grading, etc. Says he will never go back to a tractor for mowing. Can get twice as much grass cut in the same time as using a tractor to mow. 

I've never used a Zero-turn but I'm hearing the same thing, that they are MUCH faster at mowing!  And I would think they would be!  I spend a good deal of time going around things and catching little strips I couldn't get.  If I could turn on a dime it would HAVE to go faster!

 

I could see a zero-turn for mowing plus a backup.  Then a SCUT for general purpose, maybe with a FEL and backhoe.  Of course a Wheel Horse would get worked in there as well, perhaps as the mowing backup or just as a dependable work horse perhaps for a helper.

 

But for primarily mowing, the world seems to have gone zero-turn!

[roadapples 6,983]

What ever you decide, keep us informed and   

[KC9KAS 4,741]

@HorseSense 

I think most of my comments on a WH for a lawn service have been covered. Good luck with your business venture.

[muz123 1,191]

I would say if your mowing small to a couple acre yards i would pick up a low hour 312-8 with a 48" deck if your going to buy a wheel horse. I can whip my 2 acres off with my 520 with a 48" in less than 40 minutes. Also if you do have the money go for a zero turn it will save time and money. 

[AMC RULES 37,130]

Personally, I'd love to see it happen. 

Make it so!!!  Best of luck 2U. 

[JackC 617]

My cousin says his Cub Cadet zero turn can go 16 MPH. My 520-HC can do 7 mph. A 520-H is more like 6 mph.

For small lawns and a smaller tractor, I like the 1988 / 1989 252-H or 257-H with the Kawasaki engines. The decks are different and harder to find because the tractor sits higher than other Wheel Horses. The drive pulley tower for those decks is taller. A decent used zero turn and something smaller like a 252-H is where I would start looking.  If you like mowing they are all good except for the D Series.  The D's are better at plowing than mowing.

Edited August 4, 2016 by JackC

[Tankman 3,518]

Zero turn for speed. 520 for snow, grading, lots.

 

Good luck! Do update your business venture progress! 

 

I have a neighbor, uses a riding mower for his mowing biz. Retired, he makes a few bucks just mowin'.

 

Edited August 4, 2016 by Tankman

[squonk 41,137]

Speaking of speed and quality of cut, I have seen a bunch of lawn companies with there zero turns mowing flat out. Machine is bouncing and jumping all over the place. Lawns look like crap. Granted these are mostly places like doctor offices,massage parlors

Tai Chi shops (@stevasaurus)  ect. They don't care what it looked like, they just want the grass cut.

 

One of my old bosses mowed yards as a sideline. He had a Grasshopper and traded it for a new one which was faster. Too me it was kind of dumb as the first one hadn't paid for itself yet but that was me. anyway the new machine's deck would bounce all over and he kept bringing it to the shop for different this or that. Your not mowing a newly paved parking lot. Your going over different kind of ground each day. If your just looking for something to do and maybe coffee and doughnut money, get a couple of cheap horses, and just do a few yards. That way if it rains for 4 days your not totally behind the 8 ball. My old boss would be freaking with a couple of days of rain and ended up mowing in the dark a few times. He even mowed in a lake effect squall because he wanted to squeeze 1 more paychek in. 

[lynnmor 7,307]

I have a lot of mowing, going all out, it takes me 4 hours to mow, trim and do a bit of string trimmer work.  I use a 520H with a 60" deck.  Last summer I hired a mowing service to take care of the yard while I was on vacation.  Two workers, using zero turn mowers, unloaded, mowed, trimmed, string trimmed and were back on the road in 45 minutes. Bill was $85 per mowing.  Only thing is, it looked like crap.

[squonk 41,137]

Exactly. The're not there to make your lawn look like a Better Homes and Gardens magazine cover, the're there to get it done and move on to the next job. That $85 mowing job would be $200 if you wanted it nice

[ClassicTractorProfessor 5,314]

Our neighbor has mowed our yard a couple times with his Toro Zero-Turn after the engine blew on my 1277. While he was able to mow it in about half the time, it looked nowhere near as good as when I mowed it...and my tractor is just shy of 50 yrs old. My boss even told me the other day he wished I would hurry and get my tractor back together, it did so much better of a job than his neighbors new Husqvarna does. If you do decide to buy a Horse for your lawn service my suggestion would be to buy one that is Hydrostatic drive. When I got my 1277 I wasn't sure about the Hydro but after mowing with it a few times I wouldn't trade it for anything. I've mowed once or twice with the wife's little Commando V8 (3 spd) and it was so much slower if you have anything to mow around or a bunch of corners to turn. Whatever decision you make good luck and keep us updated. Oh and