Gravely is one of the top and most popular zero-turn manufacturers in the USA so it is no surprise they have a brute of a stand-on in their Pro-Stance 48 Mower. I have reviewed many Gravely mowers in the past, but they have been a bit quiet of late so it’s good to see this new stand-on hit the market.
This type of mower isn’t as popular here in Australia as it is in the USA where stand-on zero-turns are hugely popular with contractors. They have the same performance as a conventional zero-turn and a smaller footprint, allowing space saving during transportation and easier access around tight sites.
The well-respected Kawasaki FX691V – 726cc engine producing 22hp – powers the Pro-Stance. Drive is via integrated ZT-3400 Hydro-gear transmissions, which are built to cope with contractor punishment boasting the largest diameter axles on the market. The unit gets along at a good pace of 14.5km/h and 6.4km/h in reverse making it an efficient machine.
Access for maintenance is excellent with the engine exposed at the front of the machine. It is a little busy around the oil dipstick and oil filter with some cables and the deck lift connecting rod slightly interfering with removal, but still better than many other machines.
The operator padding on the rear of the machine is exceptionally comfortable and quickly folds down without tools to reveal the battery and hydro oil reservoir bottles, as well as the fuses in a nice sealed box. Fuse diagrams and a deck belt diagram are also revealed here. The hinged front cover swings forward providing good access to the top on the deck for pulley and belt maintenance and inspection. Semi-pneumatic flat free castor wheels, which I think should be on every zero-turn, are fitted and eliminate downtime. The operator suspension platform is comfortable and well sprung with rubber dampening bushes and provides good grip; it folds up without tools, allowing for walk behind operation, which is advantageous when operating around slopes and for transportation.
Everything on the dash is easily accessible and this includes the cutting height setting, which is a simple dial that is wound forward or back to change levels with selected heights visible on the dash. Lifting the deck is via a hand lever like most stand-ons, but this machine also has a foot-operated lift which enables the operator to safely keep both hands on the controls during operation. The control levers are nice and chunky and easy to grip ensuring operator comfort and precise control.
Gravely’s X Factor II Deck is tough, welded, reinforced and constructed of 7-Gauge steel; it is covered by a limited lifetime warranty.
I like the mud guards over the rear tyres because they are of solid construction and very close to the tyres, which will not only stop the mud from flipping up onto the operator but also scrape off any accumulations before they build up.
Whilst operating the Gravely Pro-Stance 48 I found it easy to manoeuvre and I had great visibility of the area ahead to be mown and any potential obstacles. Another advantage is the ability for the operator to hop off and move any obstacles – it is a much easier task than from a sit-down machine. Also, if there is a bad situation the operator can safely jump off in an instant rather than having to stop and fold out the handles before exiting the machine.
Gravely is renowned for building quality tough machines and back this up with an incredible 5 year/1000-hour commercial warranty with no hour limit in the first two years, which is a great deal for commercial operators. This type of machine definitely has a place in the market and I urge anyone searching for a new zero-turn to check out the Gravely Pro-Stance 48.