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Curiosity is killing me. What is so special about a walker?

17K views 79 replies 31 participants last post by  Groomer 
#1 ·
I have always wondered what the big deal was about walker mowers? I have only ever seen 2 being used ever around here. From what I see these are my thoughts on them.


1. They take up WAYYYYYY too much space on a trailer
2. We do not bag anything nor do most guys around here
3. They are painfully slow
4. The between the legs steering setup just seems "funky"
5. The 3rd wheel stripe is just down right fugly
6. The two I seen was leaving a sub par shaggy looking cut


So what is the deal? What am I missing? I must be missing something because I see people talking about them like they are the holy grail.
 
#3 ·
I can see their usefulness for bagging, especially in the fall, but other than that I just don't get it either. The look of that third wheel stripe flat out sucks, they're slow, and though everyone keeps saying how great their cut is, I don't see that either, especiallly when they are cutting 3" or above. Two guys in my area on have them, and the cuts themselves aren't near as nice as what I get from my Z. One guy is just a homeowner I drive past all the time and I don't know how well he takes care of his machine or the deck, but the other uses his to mow for a living, and I know he maintains his pretty well.
 
#7 ·
Every mower has its place. Walker with a high dump is an awzome machine with a great mow and we dont have to get off the seat to dump into the truck. That being said........
If you can mow and disperse clippings it is about our v rides. The walkers are in my opinion a great owner operator mower not for a crew. They are in my opinion a delicate but great mower.
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#8 ·
I see a couple Walkers in my area. They are the mulching deck Walkers with no catcher on them. They got a little bed where the catcher normally is. I tested one out a couple of years ago and it cut well and handled surprisingly well. I didn't like the deck height adjustment as I like to "float" the deck over stumps, high spots, roots and curbs.
 
#12 ·
I've never owned one, but one thing I always thought about is how you can go around beds or around the house in different directions because because its not side discharge. So you won't be laying the grass down in the same direction all the time. I cut tall fescue so its very noticeable.
 
#13 ·
I've never owned one, but one thing I always thought about is how you can go around beds or around the house in different directions because because its not side discharge. So you won't be laying the grass down in the same direction all the time. I cut tall fescue so its very noticeable.
A rear discharge mower will do the same thing.
 
#14 ·
I own one and I love it. Mind you mine is a 1996 I believe with the 16hp motor with a 36" GHS deck. It's not a new mower but here almost everyone bags and runs around with Walker mowers. I love them to death and can't wait till I can afford a new one or at least a newer one that isn't almost as old as I am. LOL.
 
#15 ·
I don't think I'll ever go without one.
Superior cut quality,
Good navigation in tight spots,
I like the three tire striping,
And I need the bagging.

I do mostly high end residential landscapes and I get many jobs because I have them and they are known as a premium maintenance machine.
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#16 ·
I have always wondered what the big deal was about walker mowers? I have only ever seen 2 being used ever around here. From what I see these are my thoughts on them.

1. They take up WAYYYYYY too much space on a trailer
2. We do not bag anything nor do most guys around here
3. They are painfully slow
4. The between the legs steering setup just seems "funky"
5. The 3rd wheel stripe is just down right fugly
6. The two I seen was leaving a sub par shaggy looking cut

So what is the deal? What am I missing? I must be missing something because I see people talking about them like they are the holy grail.
#1............ REALLY?????????????????????????????????????
You've measured one and determined this measured against what brand and model of mower?????????????????????

Because the TRUTH of the matter is that there is very little difference in room used by the walker I own and the 60" mid mount I own.

The rest of the comments............:laugh:
Are comments from the uninitiated.

And some personal opinions too I suppose.

Just accept it and move on.
Obviously they have a place but not for your type of mowing.
 
#17 ·
#1............ REALLY?????????????????????????????????????
You've measured one and determined this measured against what brand and model of mower?????????????????????

Because the TRUTH of the matter is that there is very little difference in room used by the walker I own and the 60" mid mount I own.

The rest of the comments............:laugh:
Are comments from the uninitiated.

And some personal opinions too I suppose.


Just accept it and move on.
Obviously they have a place but not for your type of mowing.
We've been here before bro. Personal opinions are a huge part of this site including yours. You may own a Walker and a Z, but what you report here is still your opinion about them.

I don't own a Walker, and I don't need to to know that the cut is no better than what I am getting from my Z(s). Like I said above, there are two guys near me running at least 3 different Walker mowers with 3 different decks (one guy has at least 2 that I'm aware of that he mows with). I get first hand, up close looks at their cuts all season long, and they are no better than anything else out there. Also like I said before, they have their place for certain apps like bagging, but they certainly aren't the be all end all of mowers that many try to make them out to be. Maybe when they first arrived on the commercial scene in any real numbers, they offered a better QOC, but not any longer. Most brands of machine, and types of deck will do anything that a Walker can regarding QOC and in some will cases do even better.
 
#19 ·
I agree ridin, the cut quality Ive seen with them was not any better then my Toro. How could it be? It's still a rotary mower?

Whoever said superior cut...They are not superior to a reel mower.
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#20 ·
I agree ridin, the cut quality Ive seen with them was not any better then my Toro. How could it be? It's still a rotary mower?

Whoever said superior cut...They are not superior to a reel mower.
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Now that's a fact right there.

Not only is it still a rotary mower, most of their decks aren't as deep as other commercial mowers, and that makes a difference when the grass is thick, long and/or damp.
 
#21 ·
Reel mower does have a better cut. Left that out. If you haven't used one and become comfortable with one it will be hard to be objective about their usefulness. Use your Z and buzz through, fine w. me. I'll keep both and use walker to impress.
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#22 ·
Reel mower does have a better cut. Left that out. If you haven't used one and become comfortable with one it will be hard to be objective about their usefulness. Use your Z and buzz through, fine w. me. I'll keep both and use walker to impress.
Posted via Mobile Device
I see a ton of walkers around here, but I can't justify the cost for the lost productivity, I'll stick with my standers for now. Seems to be a image thing more than anything, lot of money just for an image.
 
#24 ·
We've been here before bro. Personal opinions are a huge part of this site including yours. You may own a Walker and a Z, but what you report here is still your opinion about them.

I don't own a Walker,
Opinion?? Not really, I'm speaking from personal experience.

Unlike you I've owned several over the years.
The view on the stripes.......... well that could be a matter of opinion.
One thing for certain I get NO complaints from any of my customers on the way the stripes look. Matter of fact I get a lot of compliments.
 
#26 ·
A walker is so big and clunky. I don't see how you would cut a small yard, especially a hilly one.

Does it strain your back to use the levers between your legs?
Again comments from the uninitiated. Walkers shine on the small yards because they are so nimble.

Hills suck for most mowers. Even my 60'' mid mount had a hill mowing learning curve.
Its hill mowing ability was greatly improved with a set of aggressive tires.
A walker would be no different.

As for the handles.....no.
They are adjustable.
Its a natural position with your left arm resting across your left leg with your hand on the control levers.
I find the amount of movement required to control the mid mount to be far more tiring than the small amount of movement required to control the walker.
 
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