Is Walker worth the investment for us?

[dukester]

We started out in business this year. We’ve got 17 accounts. Some weekly most are every 2 weeks. 4 are commercial accounts. I’m using a Murray 46” lawn tractor, ( the
second one in 2 months ), a 33” Snapper, and a 33” Toro mower with mulching deck. The Toro cuts best . We are going to get a new machine soon I hope. I’ve been looking a Dixie, exMark,
Toro, and Walker. It seems like they are all good machines. I’ve been leaning toward the Walker ( 48" with 20 hp and lg hopper ) because I want to try to keep things going this winter. There are a lot of pine trees here and I felt like I could offer another service to our customers. Question, is the Walker that good of a machine? It look like it going to cost about $1500 more than the others. How are you keeping busy when winter comes. We are located about 50 miles north of New Orleans.

[yardboyltd]

If you want someplace to safely put your investment, look at Dixie. While they're not that pretty, they're engineered to the max. I simply recommend for reliability and the nice cut that comes with it. That does not mean the others are not nice. They all are. It just seems to me that the "Dixie Cult" is willing to pay out more a maintained used mower. Walkers have a good resale in certain parts also...

I know looks don't get you home, but many have commented all the nice look of my Gravely260z. Many don't think mower looks is important, but I think a good looking mower strikes up new business. It has for me. I really like the dixies, if they just were better looking and more refined... just my personal preference.

[MOW ED]

I have a Walker and say that it is a great machine. Thats my biased opinion. I paid for mine in just about one spring clean up season. For MY operation it is a necessity.

There are volumes written in the search about Walker. Try and get one to demo for a day or a week if they let you. The 20 hp w/ the 48 deck is a good combo. If you can swing it, the 26EFI is a monster and is as good on fuel as the 20 so you pay more now for more hp but it is well worth it.

You will have all kinds of opinions here from Chopper owners, Exmark owners, Gravely on and on. All are good machines but only you can really decide. I will tell you one thing for sure, you will notice a huge difference between the time spent on a Murry compared to a Walker. I had a Toro garden tractor when I started and thought it was the standard. The Walker blows it away. There isn't a better all around mower than a Walker. If you have to bag, there is NO comparison. No extra motors hanging off the back of the mower, no tubes or cloth bags. Its made to bag. It also is made to cut. I use a 52SD and a 42GHS when needed. It makes me tremendous amounts of money for the effort spent.

If you are looking to cut big areas (3-4 acres at a crack) then look to the bigger Z's, thats what they are for. If you want a versatile precision mower that does many functions, look to the Walker.

Good Luck.

[robert payer]

Dukester,

Such a large investment with so few accounts. They are all good machines. Had 2 Walkers at one time. Just got tired of bagging and the dollar amount tied up in them. They were nice if you must catch. Ideal for tight condos with lots of beds. I am not knocking the Walker brand rider, it was a very nice machine for the proper application. Received excellent service from our local dealer called Emmet Equipment in Richfield, Ohio

Best wishes on your decision.

[Brickman]

Let me clear the air. I am Walker biased big time. If I couldn't have a Walker then I wouldn't be in biz. It just that plain. I mow a lot of confined areas and medium lawns. I also have a few big ones. The Walker is worth at least 2 if not 3 guys on 21" WBs. If you plan to bag there is no other mower for this. Your machine is only as wide as the deck, no stupid blowers and tubes hanging off the side so that you can only close mow on the one side of the mower. How ever I would question the wisdom of the large hopper. If you bag heavy wet grass the smaller hopper holds more than one guy can throw into a truck. Add a bad back and you are screwed. If you have some kind of hydralic loading system then I wouldn't hesitate to get the bigger hopper. One other thing the bigger hopper sticks up higher and catches way more tree branches.

I am with robert payer on wondering why with only 17 accounts you need a Walker or other expensive mower. With the Walker you could more than likely do all of those in 2 days. Go with as much HP as you can afford. I have the 25 and would not trade it in for a 20.

I can get a five year loan for a Walker here. That might be some thing to look into as well, if you can spread out the payments, then it might work for you.

[65hoss]

If your going to bad most of the time then there is nothing better than a Walker. You should also know they are known for higher maintenance costs. You need to take that into account when deciding on one. I wouldn't mind having one at some point for leaf season, but I will not bag grass so the eXmarks I will keep.

[Brickman]

What higher maint costs???

In 1000 plus hours the only thing I have changed was belts, filters, oil. All the usual maint items. Now if your Exmark doesn't need oil changes then I might be interested.

[Mowingman]

65hoss,
I for one do not agree at all about the high maint. cost on Walker mowers. I have over 500hrs on my 20hp GHS Walker and have had NO repairs of any kind done to it. It has never broken down, not even once. There is nothing different on a Walker than on any other ZTR except they are smaller and do have a blower unit to move grass into the hopper. Other than that, it is basically the same; belts, engine, hydro pumps, and wheel motors. :)

[robert payer]

Hey Hoss,

Heard some thing about you being in turf magazine? Is that you on the cover? If not where are you? I tried to find your mug shot.
If that is you on the cover I hope that Stihl paid you very well.

Your voice of wisdom can now be seen!

Your reply is anticipated.

[65hoss]

As I looked into them in the past I talked with many owners and mechanics. Most agreed that Walkers have higher maintenance cost. If you haven't had any problems then your probably easier on your equipment because your paying for it and take better care of it. I know many people who have had several new gear boxes over the life of the machines. Not to mention several seem to go thru motors faster. This I'm not real sure as to why.

A guy I know that cuts with a Walker was outside my house a couple of days ago. He just had to have a new motor. Gearbox also went bad. Think he said PTO seals, and many other things that he's had to deal with. Has like 700 hours on it.

Again, if your never having any problems your probably treating your machine very well. As most of us know, good short-term maintenance saves in high priced long-term maintenance.

[dukester]

I appreciate all of the replies. It’s true that I don’t have enough accounts at the present. I
have one leg that was crushed in a accident. I can walk but really fighting with a push
mower is out. The quality of the cut I get with the Murray is not satisfactory to some of
our customers. Plus the first one went out in 5 weeks. The Toro is self propelled and
does a great job. I just have a hard time staying with it all day. There are more LC
businesses here than ticks on a hound. So we are trying to offer a higher quality job.
Than the other guys. The mower is a major investment for my wife and myself. Hardly
anyone here bags for the customers. That’s why we were thinking that if we bagged all of
our lawns we’d get more referrals and earn more money. Do you think this strategy will
work? I love this work.

[65hoss]

Originally posted by robert payer
Hey Hoss,

Heard some thing about you being in turf magazine? Is that you on the cover? If not where are you? I tried to find your mug shot.
If that is you on the cover I hope that Stihl paid you very well.

Your voice of wisdom can now be seen!

Your reply is anticipated.

Naw, I'm not on the cover. Hey Jim, why didn't I get the cover shot? Anyway, I'm in the equipment section. Write-up on the Plugr aerators. Pg 14 or 15 I think.

[CooperLawncare]

I have owned a walker and yes they have there place but me owning one was not it. For starters the blades are very over priced approx 2.5X what they are for my Exmark. Second if you hit one little thing you take a chunk out of the blade and/or you brake the shear bolts. third if you get the catcher and you mow under any trees you will hit the catcher on the lower tree branches. Fourth, they ride very very bad(this is important if you on it enough, although mine didnt have the comfort seat(didnt seem to make any difference)). Just trying to help keep you from making the mistake I did. Go for the Exmark!


Dustin

[Currier]

As I SKIM, NO SURPRISE I see the term "higher maintenance cost." Baloney. buy the Walker. I bought one when I was doing around 15 + lawns and it really did send me into the larger $$ market. Now, I can mow whatever they got. High maint? Give me a break, people been spoutin that bull since this was lawnicure, or better yet if you live around me, believe it and don't buy one. It is the risk takers that stand to make it bigger. I have spent $15.00 on my walker this year. Now that said I WILL agree that add ons cost a ton and it gets old laying out the $$. So don't buy the add ones (tail lock, speed up kit).

Get yourself a decent used Walker and have fun.

[scott's turf]

I don't do any bagging but really like the out front deck design of the walker for easier blade access and a better cut. Do any of you own the model without the hopper and just SD? Is it worth it for that application? We have about 40+ accounts and many not too big. I need a manuverable machine that is good on hills. My belt drive wb's are getting old and not sure weather to get a hydro wb or a ride on type machine.

[Brickman]

Hoss I think the reason the engines were going out that you mentioned was the it took Walker a long time to put the enginair on their machines. Once they did that the longevity of the enigines went way up. For example the life of the 16 HP Kohler was 900 to 1300 hours. That is it. Now with the enginair it has gone to 3000. And the 20 and 25 are around 4000 or more.
As far as the hopper catching all the branches, that is bunk. I find that with the smaller hoppper it will be the same height as the operator when he leans over to go under branches, so if the op can go under so will the hopper.

For the record a speed up pulley is cheap, and makes enough difference on long runs to be worth buying. If you buy the original Walker blades they are pricey but I have yet wear a set of blades out, I have two sets so that I can have a sharp set on the trailer along with the set on the mower. Cooper if you broke that many shear bolts then you were hitting TOO much stuff! I have broke very few in the last 5 years of using Walker mowers.

It all boils down to the fact that Dukster needs to demo different mowers and make a choice based on what he wants. But if you are planning on bagging buy a Walker, in that particular area the Walker has the rest beat hands down.

I find it interesting that none of the Walker owners are bashing other brands, but some of the other brand owners are really bashing Walkers, wonder why. Must be jealousy.

[Hawkeye5]

Dukester: Please check the dealer's reputation carefully and make sure they know what they are doing when it comes to repairs and stocking parts. The best mower in the world is not much good to you in the long run without dealer support. Mowers are like golf clubs or fishing rods, each works best in specific situations, not that they won't work in many applications, just that some are better in some situations that others. Choose what you need for 80% of what you will be doing. JD

[Rodney Johns]

My experience with the Walker is that they just do not wear out. The point was mentioned that it does depend on the account types but consider this when fighting a dozen other LCO's. You can charge more money for bagging the lawn and can cut the lawn in the same amount of time that you would spend with most side discharge type mowers. $30 per hr for most guys could mean $60 for the same area if bagged???
Also with the Walker you are buying a machine you can use for 4 seasons of the year. The exmark or dixie do not offer that.

[ilovethisgame]

If you demo a walker you will buy it, no doubt. I recently added mowing to my turf rennovation business. I purchased a used walker (as I had used them at a previous employers) and I just love it, for a one or two person opperation it allows you to bid on medium/large big money jobs. Well worth the investment. I went to my dealer today a guy was picking up his 16hp w/ 2000+ hours on the original motor so don't believe the negitive hype some of these folks are giving you.

-Dave

[JJ Lawn]

And who says that you have to just bag with a Walker?

I mulch 90% of the time. Walker makes a fine 42" mulch deck, and a combo 52" side discharge/mulch deck that does a pretty good job too.

The deck options are what make the Walker my mower choice. In 5 min or less I have a completely different mower. Fits different size yards, and gates.

In my opinion, Walker is one heck of a mower. I don't leave home without it.

As far as maintenance, I have a 26efi that is 1.5 years old. The only maintenance I have done on it is change oil regularly, and replaced all belts twice. Of course, no one other than me drives mine. Kind of shoots down the high maintenance therory IMO. :)

Jim

[BigJim]

All these great testimonials I'm sold on one...and I've already got one;).Now you've heard all the lawn guys, go run the figures past your accountant,if you can lease one it will cost way less than an employee per month,and possibly be totally tax deductable(it is down here,you can drive out a new Walker with no down payment and a totally tax deductable lease,the Walker effectively costs you nothing per month other than maintenance and fuel,which is tax deductable too!).But check all the angles with your number cruncher first,it could be cheaper than you think to own a Walker,and dont forget your productivity will double.Only hard choice left is which color do you want it:D

[RMDoyon]

Get the Walker.
Don't worry about the money, you'll get the business to cover it and you will spend less time on those properties.
I bought my Walker with about the same number of accounts as you and now my business is tripled. Not directly from the purchse of the Walker but because the Walker has allowed me to take on business I would otherwise not have time or intrerest in.

Every day I use the Walker, I am amazed at the nooks and crannys I can squeeze into and through. Three wheels are better than 4.

Must haves: tail lock, speed up kit, manual deck lift (for GHS).

The other machines are excellent production units, the Walker is a precision mower and with its myriad attachments, a general purpose landscape maintenance machine.

In my first month with the WalkerI did $3K in aerations using the front mount aerator from MillCreek.

The front tine dethatcher coupled with the 48" GHS is one of the most useful pairings imaginable. It actually grooms the turf.

The 52" SD/Mulcher not only allows a decent production rate in the wide open but also allows for close trimming in the tighter areas.

I no longer spend hours of back breaking labor on mulch jobs. I once spread 5 yards of mulch in ONE HOUR using the loader bucket. Cost of mulch: $115, price of job: $305.

And the best part: NO CRAWLING UNDER THE DECK TO CHANGE BLADES!!!!!

BigJim: Walkers only come in one color here.

Roger

[RMDoyon]

My baby:

[Pacific Nursery]

A great mower for flat to gently rolling hills, but how are they on HILLS? Here in the midwest we've got some hills up to 45 degrees, $1mill+ homes. I've found nothing but WB to do them.

[Rodney Johns]

The all terrain tires will allow the bagger walker to do quite well on hills. Now with the side discharge Walker wth AT tires. I will say this. "if you can walk on it, you can usually mow it with an SD walker with at least a 52" deck"
The bigger the deck on the Walker the better it will handle on a hill.

[RMDoyon]

You can go straight down and back up a 45 degree hill with a Walker but it is not something you want to do often.

There is a tool for every job.

Roger

[MOW ED]

I have no problem on hills either and I am on 7 very steep riverbank million dollar properties also. The 52 deck is very maneuverable and I only have turf tires on mine. I also can do it with the 42 deck but it takes some patience. If you are ever in my area I will take anyone there and show you what it can do. I am amazed every week at the performance of the mower.

I was referred to 2 additional river properties this year by a LCO that has Lazers and WB's. It was a pain for him to mow the top flat areas with the Lazer at record speed and then go to the hill with a WB because the Lazer wouldn't hold on it. The owners of the property are amazed that I can ride them as well and they look great.

[Currier]

I also find that the tail lock tends to help me hold my line while going sideways on some hills.

Tell me about those all terrain tires. Do they require extra precaution to keep from tearing up the turf. I'm thinking they would surely give some much needed traction!

[spomerhome]

NO DOUBT ABOUT IT......Buy a Walker.

I did when I started my business, with only 25 accounts, and maybe it was just the mental edge but I found that when I was soliciting accounts I felt more confident about the larger ones. I knew I could handle them even without a helper.

Don't waste your money on the bigger hopper, unless you are built like hulk hogan, when you dump it onto burlap (or whatever) you'll play hell trying to pick up all that grass.

I blow everything from outside the lawn areas onto the grass then just mow and "suck it all up" and it really leaves a great, clean lawn. Stripes well and moves in and out of anywhere.

We use it not only on our large HOA's but on our smallest residential accounts. We started with a 42"/25hp and haven't had one problem. Service is NOT expensive, and we are buying a second one next week and guess what... it's going to be a 20hp/36" so we can get in and out of the smaller areas instead of using a 21".

You won't be sorry, and oh yeah, if you can finance a new one, not used. you'll be really glad you did. Good Luck to ya!

[Brickman]

Spomer let us know what kind of mowing job the 36" deck does. I had one, and HATED the mowing job it did. Left a lot of stringers, really bad.
In my opinion and experience the 48" deck does one heck of a job. Also the 52" isn't too bad either. But most of my properties are too small or have gates that only allow a 42" thru. Most of the time I like the smooth job of the 42" mulcher.
If you ever need a WB you can buy the Walker and be able to interchange your decks from the WB to the rider. I think that is a cool thing that NOBODY else that I have heard of does. Not Toro, Dixie, JD, Scag, Hustler, Exmark, etc. etc. etc.

[robert payer]

Brickman,

It has been said that this Walker brand walk behind does not yet exist on the market?

[Brickman]

Payer you must be right. I had seen one last year at my dealers, and another one this spring. The one this spring they told me that it was built differently than the previous one. Still more of a prototype. Being about one hour from the Walker plant I might see some of these sooner.
I just did a search on the Walker web page, and I didn't see anything about the WB.
When it does come out, they will be a heck of a deal. I might even have to get one. Then I could leave the 52" deck I have now on the tractor, and put the 42" mulcher on the WB. That would work good for me.

[Brickman]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2034061544

This would be a heck of deal for Dukster or any body else looking for a used Walker.

[hustlers]

Yes, i like my walker but with only 300 hrs i have
lost 2 gearboxes, they started to leak after a i sucked up
a stick, a real pain to fix- it just stripped aluminum threads
cause shear pins did not work, had to replace the whole
thing 200 bucks.
blades are pricy and easy to wreck

[captdevo]

been running walkers for over 15 years...love them.

i deal them and i tell folks...if you can follow me, i'll buy your mower! i'll put a mtsd with a 52" deck and a/t tires almost anywhere.

hustlers....300 hours... it is hard to believe you lost gearboxes....you must have your blade nuts over-torqued for the shear bolts and pin not to work...they should be 65ftlbs. no more...

you can get aftermarket blades, but the stock walker blades are tougher than any others.

[Rodney Johns]

Since I have been dealing in the Walkers I will not even push any of the other lines available to us. Exmarks or anything. The only mower I believe in is the Walker.
On the Walk behind comment. Still in prototype stage for now. They hoped to release it later this year but it is unknown when at this point. It might still be a couple of seasons.
Also after next year the heavy duty gear boxes will be standard on all equipment.