walker users

[LP]

Other than adding the stronger tention spring, does any one know how to increase the ground speed on walker units?

[Mowingman]

Walker has a "speed-up kit" for their mowers. Your dealer can order it for you. :)

[Oldtimer]

Install a smaller pulley on the engine side of the jackshaft that drives the hydros. You may have to install a shorter belt. Use a 2 piece pulley and go for it.

A few years ago we turned a 25HP up a few hundred rpm's and installed a pulley that was about the same diameter as the jackshaft housing and it would run over 10 miles an hour. After a couple of days we installed a larger pulley because no one would drive it more than once. It was the most sensitive piece of equipment we had ever attempted to operate. We were running a 61" deck and had 2 50# bags of fertilizer in the hopper but the mower handled like it had a 36" deck and an empty hopper.

[southside]

Your dealer will have the speed up pulley available. It works better on the 25-26 petrol or 21hp diesel better than on the
16-20 hp motors. Don't speed it up faster than that. The controls
are touchy enough as it is.
If you want speed,get a Hustler Super Z.

[hoagie]

Jeez... my walker's bumpy enough as it is at full speed. I wouldn't want to go any faster unless I added some sort of suspension to ease my back.

[Brickman]

hoagie

You are right about the ride. I do not see how some guys stay on their seats mowing the speeds they say they do on LS. You can only mow so fast and still do a good job. And Walker knows that.
As for a suspension seat you can get one from your Walker dealer. They run about $600 to $700. But worth it, I just got one.


Oldtimer, I am still laughing at your high speed Walker, and the fact that nobody would drive it after the first time. I would have liked to see that.

[Currier]

I added the speed up kit this year. It really does make a difference. I also added the tail wheel lock and it helps to keep things under control at top speed. I would recommend both. Although the speed up kit is about $18.00 and the tail wheel lock is $300.00 !!

[cantoo]

Lee, I put a bigger pulley on my Walker than the one Walker sells for the speed up. It definately speeded things up for those runs to dump the bin and back but there were control problems. If I was the only one running it, it would probaly be better but my wife and kids use it. We ended up getting a MTD Pro Z and now use it on the lawns we can get away without collecting. The smaller lawns were the ones that really wanted the grass collected anyway so the speed wasn't needed there. Try the speed up pulley first and if it's not fast enough go to a farm suply store and get the next size pulley, you'll have to change belt length as it is hard on the spring adjuster.

[LJ lawn]

i put that speed up pulley on mine and i really can't notice a difference. still feels like i'm in slow motion .i'm going to try an even smaller one.as far as seats go ,you can get all kinds of seats from a northern tool catalog.soft,suspension. etc.and they're reasonable.i wouldn't pay $700 for an air seat for my tractor trailer rig let alone a lawn mower.that's insane!

[Currier]

i wouldn't pay $700 for an air seat for my tractor trailer rig let alone a lawn mower.that's insane!

I Agree! One thing I find that is getting old is the big time$$ for anything Walker. Sure takes ALOT of lawns to do those bucks!

[slplow]

I got the speed- up kit from walker for my new 26efi and feel it's perfect. You don't feel the differents til you get on one that does not have the kit.

[hoagie]

I just got home from a trip to my dealer, picking up a millcreek front mount aerator... anyway, I said "while I'm here, could you sharpen the blades for me". Figuring I didnt feel like going home and taking them off and back on etc. WELL... after I cash out and look at the bill I notice they charged me $24.40 TO SHARPEN 2 DAMN BLADES!!!!!!! $7per blade and .2hrs labor (@$52hr)!!!!!!!

[Brickman]

Sounds like you have a jacka@@ of a dealer.
Let us all know how that aerator works. I am thinking of one my self.
What does one cost, if I may ask a personal question?

[hoagie]

My dealer is really great... service is unbeatable, down time is all but eliminated w/ loaner machines and huge stock of parts, but prices SUCK.
Aerator ran me $999. Going to put it together tonight and try it out tomorrow.

[LJ lawn]

i do all my own blades.but i still drop off the hedge trimmers to get done. 2 different guys round here 1 charges $15 the other $60 the one guy just sharpens them on the machine. the other takes it apart,re greases it etc. i still think its a little high though.CURRIER: walker $ are a little out of control.if it doesn't absolutely HAVE to be a specific WALKER part i'll try to find it elsewhere.it gets complicated when you have these machines that everything is made by some other manufacturer.(engines:kohler,kubota)hydros are either hydro gear or sauer-sunstrand.we have a dealer around here that sells the donaldson air filters for the kubota diesel for $50 each.yes fifty-dollars.i can get a case of original kubota filters for that much! and i'm constantly changng them because the filters are in the worst location possible on that machine.TIP: i wrap my air filters with humidifier foam,held on with a couple of big rubber bands. you can get a whole sheet for $2.00 at your home depot or lowes.since they don't make a pre-filter for the diesel air filters that i can buy, i had to make my own.--have to save that scroll!

[Oldtimer]

The only areas of an outdoor equipment store that carries the load and keeps the doors open is the parts and service areas. If a dealer has an item in stock with a 25% margin and gives a 10% discount he has just given up 40% of his profit.

The service area labor inventory is quite different to the parts inventory. Every morning the dealer puts 8 hours of potential labor income on the shelf and if he only loses 30% of that 8 hours he is right on target. At the end of the day there is no labor inventory remaining on the shelf. Lost time is lost time.

Asking the service area to sharpen 2 blades probably caused the technician to quit a job in progress, select the necessary tools, move the machine into his work area, remove and inspect the blades, sharpen and check balance, reinstall the blades, move the machine out of his work area, put his tools away and someone had to do a bit of paperwork to make sure the technician would be paid for his effort.

I really don't think that $7.00 plus .1 hours is unreasonable. Your dealer's labor rate is very reasonable. Take a look at the dealer's shop and check out the $$ invested to make $50.00 per hour, then look at your equipment investment and what it really cost you to go into business. Compared to the dealer, you've got it made in the shade.

[Brickman]

hoagie

I know what you mean, my dealer is great too. But he does charge the big $$, little down time due to his huge parts inventory. That is why I go to him.

[Indiana]

I have a 1996 20hp Walker T GHS that's missing the entire Donaldson filter. I priced it at Walker dealer.. $300 Wow...

Where can I get the whole deal cheaper?

Previous owner took it ll off and threw it out..
I don't know why. Moron.

[Brickman]

http://www.donaldson.com/en/engine/air/index.html


Indiana you might check this out. There might be some help there. I agree the previous owner was a moron. The system on the newer Walkers is the bomb, compared to older models. The engine stays tons cleaner.

[Currier]

Geez Hoagie, you could have got NEW blades for that price! My dealer is great and does treat me right. I just get frustrated at the huge costs involved in the biz...

I bought a millcreek and had to get the $1000 implement hitch...so far the milllcreek has perrformed very poorly. I bought all new tines $4.50 a piece! (they were $2.75 for my lawnaire V and much more hardy tines...) We have finally got the irrigation systems going but I must say that so far I am extremely disappointed in the performance of the millcreek. I will try it some more this week and hope to heck it works out. We are buried in work and I had counted on this set up to help! (keep in mind though the millcreek is NOT a Walker product)