he commercial mower marketplace is an expanding collection of products and price points — that is , if we can even define a “ commercial ” mower today . Most OEMs define it by who is using the mower and where . We spoke with several manufacturers to learn what they ’ re focusing on in four main areas — ergonomics , price , design and technology — to serve pro users .
We cover ergonomics , technology , price and design
Staff Report
Ergonomics
A long-running trend , stand-on mowers continue to gain popularity in this market . That is due to ergonomics . From 1997 , when Bill Wright created what is now the Wright “ Stander ” line to today ’ s broad mix of sizes and prices , stand-on mowers are the “ it ” product .
“ Yes , that product line has been growing for many years now ,” said Ron Scheffler , senior product manager for turf vehicles at Bobcat . “ Currently , stand-ons make up about 16 to 18 percent of the commercial market .”
“ Stand-on mowers are getting a lot more attention ,” said Maureen McCormack , marketing manager for John Deere . “ And they can be just as productive as a sit-on zero-turn mower . Operators appreciate getting on and off the machine faster to move debris or to load a trailer .”
Scheffler agrees , saying that stand-on mowers are gaining market share because they offer more efficiency , better handling in smaller spaces , they fit better on a trailer and they are generally less expensive . The trend , then , might be more about gains in efficiency and productivity from the ergonomics shift than about a certain style of product .
“ Our customers are looking more and more for productivity gains ,” said McCormack . “ And how quickly they can complete service tasks . Ergonomics and comfort are a big part of the design focus with our updates to the QuikTrak mowers .” She said that Deere also looks at parts commonality . “ Fewer belts , wheels and other parts that dealers need to keep in stock . This saves dealers time and money .”
Stand-on mowers are the fastest growing market by percentage , but there is just so much more volume in sit downs , according to several of the people with whom we spoke .
26 OPE + April 2024 www . OPE-Plus . com