Hmmm, Nobody responded. I'm in Walker country and i'm the odd man out running a Grasshopper. Many reasons for this but i'll nail down a few:

#1. Speed. My hopper will beat the pants off a walker for speed. It's only 14" longer than a comparable walker which comparing would be a Super Bee.

#2, Biggest bagger walker makes is a 54. I run a 61 and my dad runs 2 -72s Blower can be removed in less than a minute for side discharge and the entire bagging system can be removed in less than 5 minutes.

#3, Maintenance. I don't have to pull my engine from the grasshopper to clean the chaff out of it every season. Just blow it out once a week. Belts are easy to access, total of 5 grease fittings.

#4, Running a Walker, your feet ride the deck. Every time your deck goes over a bump, your feet do as well. To me this is uncomfortable. The hopper has a dedicated foot platform that is isolated from the vibrations and the movement of the deck.

#5, For accessories again, With Grasshopper it's 2-3 minutes to change out from mower to aera-vator, blower, broom, snowblower ect. Walker you have to mount an implement hitch which your feet also ride on and then mount your attachments. As an old farm boy i find the grasshopper quick tach accessories to be faster and easier.

#6, As an old farm boy and ex heavy equipment operator i find the controls goofy. I want to push forward on my controls to go forward. With Walker you push forward on your speed control to go forward and pull back to turn. Just seems odd.

All in all, Walker and grasshopper make a nice mower both with great cut quality. I just prefer Grasshopper for what i do as most of my accounts are 1/2 acre and up.....

 

Grasshopper all the way, know to many guys woth serious maintenance issues on the walkers. Awesome cut, but the gh attachments, snowblower, etc work great. Search youtube for snow thrower accessaries. Gh is much heavier duty cab and heat would be nice option for you too!
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Try out both mowers before you buy one and see which you like better. Dealers around here have arranged that for me in the past.
What are these "maintenance issues" I keep hearing about? I've been using walkers as my primary mowers since 1988. Only had 2 events where it broke in the field. Good news is the interlocks only work in forward so in a pinch you can drive them backwards into the trailer using the starter.
I have ford cm222. With that machine you feet are on a platform and don't move. I prefer the little movements in having my feet on the deck. My legs never get stiff or restless.
Walkers are great for fall clean ups. I blow all the leaves onto the lawn, raise only the front of the deck and vacuum them up. It also gives me a chance to sit down for awhile. You can suck the leaves off pavement too, it just takes 2 or 3 passes to get the shredded bits picked up.

 

What are these "maintenance issues" I keep hearing about? I've been using walkers as my primary mowers since 1988.

He is a Grasshopper dealer...take it with a grain of salt for what its worth.
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I read on the net about mowers all year, everyone says that that recommends that thats where it comes from. I have sold a couple of walkers too here i have 2 guys that run them in my area. They only use them for the banks and use the other mowers for yards. They say they more "fragile". When i started my lawncare biz my first lawnmower i ever purchased was a grasshopper diesel because everyone around here used them. They are truly the best attachment mower out, the 25b catcher holds a freaking huge amoujt of grass. My advice i give is from experience and knowledge has nothing to with being a dealer. So what advice i give is gonna help me sell more mowers or something? Thats crazy...... and if i am a dealer for something there is probably a reason or experience why i did... i would like to meet a few of you guys rhat constantly belittle me on some of these sites... i went from mowing yards to selling mowers out of my house, to being one of the largest volume mower dealers in the world in 5 years i think i deserve more credit than you guys banter about me about....
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And many of us have impressive backgrounds as well. Its a conflict of interest for a dealer to talk about thier own brands. All dealers say the brands they sell are best. My personal experiences have given me a great advantage grading equipment and structures of all kinds.
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Hell i talk about gravely and bobcat too, but i dont sell them.... i even recommend zipper as a front mount but dont sell them, anything i say is from years of knowpedge and research and because i enjoy talking mowers not to benefit me any personally...
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I see walker as a good mower for specific bagging situations and gh is the best all around mower from mowing to spraying. Also the power fold option makes it one of the shortest mowers on the trailer.
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Fragile? Two years ago I sold an '88 and a '92. Last I heard the 92 was still being used commercially. New owner put a short block in it (Kohler 16). These mowers survived an employee we dubbed "cowboy carl" on his first day because of all the stuff he hit. He's a great guy, but I finally had to let him go. I thought he would be a better operator with practice.
I still use a 3 blade 54 inch deck daily in the mowing season. It still has the original gearboxes and shafts, bearings & seals have been replaced. Deck has been out of production for years. I think I bought it in '90, 23 years ago.

 

The front mount grasshoppers are so expensive these days that unless you HAVE to have the attachments I wouldn't bother, just get a midmount. The front mounts so long they are hard to haul on a trailer if you haul multiple machines. Grasshoppers are nice machines though. Hard to compare them to walkers though, 2 different designs. A GHS walker will get you into tight areas with ease and the controls only take a little while to get used to. Yes, they are maintenance hogs. I have 3 of them now. You will be friends with your dealer's parts guys after you get about 1200 to 1500 hours because by then you will have replaced the blower, starter, hydros, belts, idlers, couple gear boxes, bearings, bushings, and on and on... And that's only if you are a stickler about maintenance! I've replaced all of that on my '08 MT and it's in the shop now getting it's 3rd hydro replacement and needs a new oscillator motor for the chute in the hopper, plus I think it's about due for a new blower again. I bought a new MD (diesel) last fall though. Just can't beat the cut and the ability to skate through 4' gates with a 48" mower. My grasshopper is a midmount 61" with about 1200 hours I think. Had an oil leak on the engine fixed this winter and have replaced the front wheel bearings a few times, rebuilt the blower, and replaced the hydro belt once, the mule drive belt a few times, and deck belt twice, catcher top a few times and all 3 bags once at least. Even if it was a 52" front mount I couldn't use it on as many lawns as I can get the Walkers on though. Plus i wouldn't be able to fit it and my Walker on the trailer...

 

Hell i talk about gravely and bobcat too, but i dont sell them.... i even recommend zipper as a front mount but dont sell them, anything i say is from years of knowpedge and research and because i enjoy talking mowers not to benefit me any personally...
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I appreciate your passion for the industry and willingness to help. But just remember some of the guys YOU think know nothing may just have more experience and knowledge than you think.
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Grasshopper all the way. Much better performance and durability, plus the winter application.

 

I have owned multiple units of both brands. Walker and Grasshopper both make great mowers. My mowing crews had one of each on their trailers.
both brands bag and mulch very well. The Grasshopper is faster. Both are very troublefree if maintained properly. The Grasshopper has less daily maintenance, due to fewer grease fittings, and fewer moving parts in general.
My rule of thumb for where we used these machines was: Under 3/4 - 1 acre property - use the Walker. Over 1 acre of mowing - use the Grasshopper.
My Walkers had over 2000 hours on them when I sold them, and, I know at least one of them is still in regular use. Don't know aboutt he others. Some of my Grasshoppers had over 3000 hours when I sold them, and I know they are still in service.
By the way, I got out of mowing and opened a dealership selling Grasshoppers. I would have taken on Walkers also, but someone else in the area had that line already.
I highly recommend both brands.

 

As cut-throat as the lawn business is up here i need the width and the speed. I don't bid anything less than 1/3 of an acre. Let the Walker guys fight over that stuff. I'll take my acre plus estates with the hopper. I can turn an acre property, mowed/bagged, trimmed and blown in 40 minutes or less by myself with only 2 trips to the trailer to dump. Walker has their place on small smooth lawns but take too much time on the big lawns. They also CANNOT digest the amount of leaves a grasshopper can without clogging unless you creep along VERY slowly. With the electric deck lift, i can vac up piles that i rake away from fence lines and flower beds. Walker just pushes them around. Every mower has it's place.........

 

Thanks for the info guys. Good to see some of the passion come out in here. I thought I was the only one who was a little to involved with his company !!!!! I think I will try and demo both machines, thanks again for all the info !!