# Bradley Mowers: Me Too



## gregsfc (Oct 6, 2018)

I know this was/is covered in another thread, but the other thread has turned into a technical discussion regarding a specific model and I don't want to hi-jack that thread. Just like what had happened to the member in the last Bradley thread, I too have found my way towards stumbling upon and considering a Bradley mower researching a larger residential mower that I'll need if I purchase land that I'm looking at and going from a .5 acre lot to a 1.3 acre lot; currently using and loving a Toro TimeMaster 30 that is great but won't work for 1.3 acres week end an week out. I was surprised to find that, for just a few hundred dollars more (at most) than a residential, 2nd tier level ZTR 46-48 inch or a lowest-price lawn tractor 46-48 inch that doesn't have a piece of crap transmission (K46 or below), Husqvarna TS348 or TS348D, that's no less than $3,100; I can get a Bradley WB 48" hydro. So unlike the last thread starter, I'm looking at a WB; not a stand-on. Reason being is that, firstly, I love to walk but don't want to spend multiple hours mowing my new, larger lawn. Secondly, I absolutely don't want to go down the road of buying a hitch for my truck (I've never towed with my truck and never planned to; that's why I bought a truck; it's got a bed attached to the frame) and then have to double that cost and get a trailer; and then quadruple that cost and build a shed or garage to park the trailer that I otherwise would not need except for the ability to haul a larger mower. From what I can tell, a WB can climb right up ramps to a pickup truck bed (mine is 34" on level ground to the tailgate), but doing the same thing with a ZTR or stand-on looks scary to me.

So here is my thinking/logic...I've watched a YouTube video of a guy who started a lawn care business mowing a few yards with a 22" SP or push mower and then he soon upgraded to a Toro TimeMaster 30; and then he used his profits and upgraded to a Wright Velke HC 48". He paid over $6K. He loads it right up and back down his Ram 1500 pickup bed with short 72", cheap ramps from Harbor Freight chaining his ramps to his tailgate strap holders; he is doing this as a part-time commercial business; whereas I'm looking at just mowing my lawn and maybe helping my son occasionally with his and have the ability to go pick up the mower from Bradley, IL and load it right in to my pickup truck to save a couple hundred dollars after considering fuel cost; and additionally have the ability to take it in for service; and additionally have the ability to occasionally take it to another location to mow maybe one other lot. He lives in a rather small house with small lot and just a driveway and storage shed. He wanted to and is using only his truck as his equipment transfer vehicle. It seems like it is working for him. I don't have particularly hilly ground to mow but considerable trimming.

So I'm thinking that if I want a 46-48 inch cut capability, and I want the ability to load it in my pickup that is 51" wide between the fender wells (the Bradley 48" deck is actually a 47.25 inch cut deck and 48.4" approximate total width with the chute up if it is the same size as the stand-on); that the ZTR and stand-on are out of the question; and then that leaves a lawn/garden tractor or a walk behind in my price range of no more than $3,500 out the door. I've seen videos of a WB used in conjunction with a sulky; and it looks like that would be my preferred method for an upgrade for a larger lawn.

The current list price for pick up in the crate of a Bradley WB 48" hydro at the dealership right near the factory is $3,100. For $100 I can have it assembled by that dealership, and it'll be there ready to pickup up, or maybe uncrate it and assemble it myself at the dealership; or just forego all of that and buy one from the dealer 85 miles from my home and pay maybe $400 over that $3,100 price; or $300 more and pickup a crated model at Fedex or similar terminal 14 miles from my home.

Or, just forget about this whole idea of a commercial mower for residential use and go 1/4 mile from my house and talk to a Husqvarna dealership. I'm sure the dealer will have to order one. They are more about farm tractors but are a Husq dealer. I am, however, very intrigued and excited about the idea of being able to use a walk behind to mow a large lawn in the same amount of time or even faster than a same-size deck garden tractor. As for ZTRs and other riding mowers. I spend hours per week mowing with a 72" Hustler Super Z HD and a 60" JD X738 at work during the season as part of my job at a fish hatchery. So really, as a matter of preference, as much as I have to sit and mow as part of my regular job, I'd just as soon walk behind at home.

What am I not considering? Are the more maintenance issues with a commercial mower? Are there some operational issues I'm not considering? Is there more danger climbing ramps in a heavy WB than it looks like on the video? His deck just fit by an inch or so in his bed in the video, but it seemed like he just rolled it right in there. There is a Bradley dealership 85 miles away from my current home in Antioch, TN. If I move, it will be more like 110. There is a local dealer in Livingston, TN that will work on anything 10 miles away and would be 25 miles away if I move, and I'm almost sure they'd be willing to do warranty work on a Bradley or anything else in which the manufacturer would let them. I've looked at some steel ramps available at Home Depot online that have 2,000 pound capacity; they are 14.5" wide by 88" long and fold up to 65"; designed for loading into pickup beds or tall trailers. Looks much safer than the guy in the video with his short Harbor Freight ramps and even his set up didn't look too scary. I've read only one negative review on a Bradley that was a first-hand experience review, and that was the one on the last thread started here. All other reviews I've seen on the Tube or read have been positive. There have been some negative statements made but all of those, save that one on here, were either assumptions about quality, i.e. Chinese steel or hearsay.


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## Liledgy (Aug 21, 2018)

I would go with the stander. And yes you can load it in a pick up, but, I would suggest you back down into the swaps of a ditch to make it safe. Besides being safer the deck/blades have a far less chance of hanging up when you transition from the ramps to the pickup tailgate. Another factor is if the walk behind deck is adjusted using the washers on the castors it will be much more difficult to adjust than the stander. I've had commercial mowers for close to 20 years. 2 wright standers (fixed deck and a x) and a exmark lazer z. Very little maintenance on these mowers.


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## CenlaLowell (Apr 21, 2017)

I agree with the above post. I would go with the stander or some type of zero turn. Man 1.3 acres is alot to walk behind especially when you have to cut two to three times a week. Other than this blades removal thing I've had zero trouble with my mower. I would definitely recommend Bradley to anyone.


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## gregsfc (Oct 6, 2018)

Thanks for the feedback, perspectives and experiences. Y'all have me looking in that direction now. I like the looks, and the operation of the standers, but the comments I've found about their performance on hills in general, the fear of loading/unloading from and to a pickup even if it would just be occasionally, as I still want that capability (seems even more scary than a ZTR) scares me somewhat, especially when I'd be saving $300 to pick it up from near the factory and would be up there by myself trying to load it with zero experience on the machine, and the fact that you get less cut-for-the-buck are the negatives I see on the stander versus the 48" WB. I mow a 1/2 acre now with a 30"; it just doesn't seem like a stretch to mow 1.3 with a 48 that's even faster speed than the wonderful, but too little mower TimeMaster 30.

There are many positives though: I absolutely like how compact the stand-ons are; their speed; the fact that you can walk with them if you need or want to; the new considerations that you folks just pointed out to me; that almost no one in my area uses one as a residential mower and avoids me becoming part of the herd(true also with the WBs), and the number of total reviews on them versus the walkers, particularly Bradley brand, all point me towards considering a stand on .

The budget and mass would likely limit me to a 36" Bradley if I went to a stander (the 48" is over 1,100 pounds; the 36 is around 900). For price, the 36" stander is $3,600 versus a 48" WB at $3,100 (current sale price for each with pick up). The 48" stand on is $4,100 current sale price and is just too much and more weight than I want in a mower. I also can use the 36 in my current home if I need to, which I may rent to my son with 42" gates to the back yard and not have to re configure my gates. Another thing to consider is that, if I drive up to Bradley, IL and pick up a 36" stander, instead of a 48" WB ($3,600 + tax and fuel to drive there and back), they can just load it on my truck with a forklift still in the crate. I wouldn't have to assemble it there or pay to have it assembled there ($100) as I would with a 48" WB that is almost certainly wider than my pickup bed crated. In the case of a 36" stand on, I could drive my truck to work the next day with the mower still loaded; unload it with a forklift; assemble it at the hatchery after hours or during my vacation; load it back up in my truck via ramps after taking time to learning how to operate the machine, use help and care; using the ditch method. Take it home; Use the ditch method and extra eyes again to unload it. Much less stress; more room for error in the pickup truck bed; but less cut.

So it's a 36" stander for a brand that has almost 100% positive reviews from commercial buyers in their current 48" model (the 36 is a new model) that would cost $500 more than a 48" WB of the same brand; or, alternatively, $500 more than minimally-acceptable residential garden tractor with half-and-half, positive/negative reviews that has 5.2 mph speed versus 10 mph for the commercial stander + zero turn capability and 7 gauge versus 10 gauge deck? Of these three choices, for homeowner use, which of the three would you recommend; or would you choose a residential ZTR as a fourth possibility? I don't think a residential user can go wrong with a commercial mower that's 14% more money.


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## cglarsen (Dec 28, 2018)

48 inch walk behind with sulkey is something that might work well for you. I'd buy a low hour Scag WB with the velocity deck or their entry ZTR if I didn't have my current machine.


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## gregsfc (Oct 6, 2018)

Thanks. I'll consider a used, respected name-brand commercial WB as well, but it's odd that I've read similar comments on YouTube and other places by experienced operators with this same reaction when someone asks about considering a Bradley, and that's a little confusing. They'll advise against a new Bradley in favor of a used Scag or other brand for the same money or just a little more, but no one seems to articulate any known inferiorities of the Bradley brand except that a few have mentioned the lack of local dealer service and a few others have mentioned "Chinese" steel. I've got service worked out, and have seen many positive reviews regarding service (a few negatives also); but I can't find but one first-hand negative experience anywhere regarding the actual product quality and performance, and that one was on this site in the previous Bradley thread. I think that I'll either choose a Bradley WB 48" hydro, or a Bradley WB 36" stander, or a Husq Garden tractor, because I'm just not crazy about the reported quality levels of ZTRs at the $3,200 price point and operate one enough at work for my liking; and I don't like the quality reviews regarding lawn tractors below the $3K price point due to transmission woes; and I Wouldn't even be considering any commercial brand due to their prices if it weren't for the intriguing prospect of Bradley mowers that makes me shake my head. I'm going to call my local dealer; call the regional Bradley dealer (SLE 80 miles away); talk to a couple of folks that have done pro work, and make my decision. I've owned only one rider in my life and that was back around 1991. All others have been 22" walk behinds. Never even had an SP until I got the Toro TimeMaster, as I've always been way too much of a tight wad to go past a grand to mow a 1/2 acre lot. Thanks to all that provided feedback.


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## SCGrassMan (Dec 17, 2017)

If you're interested in a stander I'm going to be selling mine. It's a Wright 36" Stander Intensity. They're 9 grand new, I'm asking $3500. Had it's hydro service (expensive and once every 500 hours) tune up new blades etc.


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## cglarsen (Dec 28, 2018)

@gregsfc If I was in your situation on a 1/2 acre lot and not wanting to tow or store a large machine there's no need to get a 48 inch stander, and a 36 inch stander is a very niche machine that I don't think is worth the money and may be difficult to resell due to the small deck size. You can find quality walk behinds on Craigslist for less than $2,000 all day from major brands that you can have serviced in town. Most of the shops around me only service what they sell. I've had to do a lot of work to my Bradley to get it where it is and it sure would have been nice to take it to the dealer and have it done under warranty instead of in my garage on the phone with their technical support. I think you're overthinking this


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## Liledgy (Aug 21, 2018)

id Take a stander over any tractor, zero turn on a hill. All you have to do is step off it if it gets tippy. Try doing that on a zero turn or a tractor. I disagree about the 36" being a niche machine. Most landscapers with multiple machines have 52'"s and 36"s, the blades are interchangeable.


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## cglarsen (Dec 28, 2018)

Liledgy said:


> id Take a stander over any tractor, zero turn on a hill. All you have to do is step off it if it gets tippy. Try doing that on a zero turn or a tractor. I disagree about the 36" being a niche machine. Most landscapers with multiple machines have 52'"s and 36"s, the blades are interchangeable.


36" stander is a niche machine. And the OP is not a landscaper, he's cutting his own 1/2 acre.


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## Liledgy (Aug 21, 2018)

It's the future. You might want to tell wright manufacturing (inventor of the stander)that it's a niche machine. They just started a new line of 36" standers called the stander "b" for homeowners just like the original poster. Landscapers will scoop up a nice 36" stander if homeowners don't want you them. They are becoming more popular because of the homeowner. Personally I'd go with the Bradley over the wright if I was in the original posters shoes. Time is everything to me and whether I need something or not, if it's gonna save me time, I'll probably do it.


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