WALKER OWNERS HELP !

[Mowman]

I have a 1993 MT-54 SD mower and I'm wondering how many of you Walker owners have installed the speed-up kit. First, how much does the kit cost? Second, was it worth the investment? Third,how much faster is your machine with it installed? Last, do you still get a Quality cut at the faster mowing speeds?
Thanks for your advice.
Mowman

[landscaper3]

Yes we run them on all our Walker mowers! Our cost was $17.00 for complete kit, pully, h/duty spring and set key. It was worth the $17.00 it would be worth 4 times that on my opion. Speed increase from around 1.5 to 2.25 faster which does make a difference. Last quility is unchanged still a gives you that manicured look.

[BUSHMASTER]

look at these posts
http://www.lawnsite.com/showthread.php?threadid=4893

[cantoo]

It's cheap and the extra speed is nice if you have farther to drive to dump the bin. I actually bought a bigger pulley at a farm supply store to try out, it made about a 4 mph difference but I took it off because the belt length wasn't right anymore, too much pressure on the tensioner. I'm still looking for the correct belt lenght to run it next year.

[Mike Felices]

I talked to a Walker dealer who has been around Walkers for 10+ years. He told me that the spped up kit can ruin your engine. The pully puts more stress on the engine which it is not made to take the extra stress. In my opinion it is not worth sacrificing a $10,000 machine to go 2mph faster on your jobs.

[landscaper3]

He may have his opion but our distributor has been selling Walkers since 1985 and his opion is, works great only thing wears belt out a little faster 200plus he has sold since they came out with nothing but praise! And no warranty void at all which alone says something.

[WALKERMOW]

the speed up kit is well worth the price..wouldn't have it any other way and it does not effect the cut if you have sharp blades

[cantoo]

Mike, you might want to reconsider any info your dealer is giving you if this is his opinion. Walker sells the speed up kit, I got it on my new one from the dealer. Walker would have a hard time saying their speed up kit ruined the motor, the warranty would still cover it. Besides the engine is only $1500 or so to replace not $10000. If it saves you one minute per dump in drive time it wouldn't take long to pay for a new engine. If anything it would be harder on the hydros not the engine.

my 2 cents

[Edited by cantoo on 12-01-2000 at 03:50 AM]

[MOW ED]

A little speed up pulley isn't gonna ruin my 26EFI. That dealer is full of crap.

[cantoo]

One other thing Mike, ask your dealer to check out this site, maybe he can get some customers from these guys, I think they speed their's up alittle too.

http://www.letsmow.com/

[southside]

Our 26efi handles the speed up pulley very well.
It cost me nothing.
I wouldn't put one on any Walker smaller than the 20hp diesel. I wouldn't put it on the 20hp Kohler model.
They don't work as well on the hills.

[Oldtimer]

Install a smaller pulley on the engine side of the jackshaft that runs the hydro pumps. It's easy, simple and a cheap way to get more production.

The only down side is that if you use too small a pulley the steering will get a little nervous. I used to mow and have many hundred hours operating them. (long time ago)
Once, we installed a pulley with a diameter smaller than the jack shaft and turned the engine up to 3900 rpm's. Let me give all of you some advice, don't ever do what I did. It ran like a Lazer-Z and was probably the most dangerous machine I have ever driven. With a 61" deck on it we had to start moving at part throttle and then go to full throttle after the mower was moving pretty fast. I threw the pulley away after we removed it and will never go there again. A little speed up is ok but that much speed on a Walker was an accident looking to happen.

It is ok to install a speed up kit on any Walker engine combination but use caution. There are many reasons to use care when changing the operating characteristics of mowing equipment and whether you have an 8 mph Walker or a 15 mph Lazer-Z the choice yours and you are on your own. Keep your employees off equipment like this, just risk your own life.

If you don't own a tachometer, then get one asap because almost every mower that comes thru our shop is down on rpm's and that translates to less speed and a loss of quality of cut.

[LJ lawn]

i'll be tinkering with this over the winter.we might be spinning up a new pulley so i can run a wider belt.will probably try a lot smaller one also.now if i can only figure out how to put the turbocharger on the diesel i might be able to finally get it up to productive mowing speed.he,he,he,.