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The Local Gardener
08-05-2009, 10:45 PM
From what price can one purchase a ride on? I am slowly thinking about expanding the business for ride on work. The business has sky rocketed!!!

any advise would help..

tree beard
08-05-2009, 11:26 PM
Hi TLG

Probably the better question is how much can you afford?

Oh and spend it all!

I see regularly ride ons going from $1000 up to ...well $30,000.
(spend way too much time on ebay, farmhub, trading post etc)

To my mind it depends also if your going to test the water or jump in with both feet!

I didnt have the work for my Toro (zero turn) when I purchased it (in fact I didnt have any work at all, just starting out again) so was taking a punt. I spent $2,700. For me it was a great choice have had a few problems with the mower (its a few years old) but am way in front with a mower that has a great finish on lawns and easily does domestic to acreage.

I believe all of the scary stories about the Walker mowers but have now decided that for me next season a second hand one may be the new direction I will take. So I may have to spec another 7-8 thousand (if the minister for war and finance will allow it). If I was bumping around sydney in the flatter areas I would probably have bitten the bullet and gone walker. The GHS is hard to go past and the toro/scag/Ferrari are too big and heavy, but at the right price Id probably change my position on this :i dunno:

SouthCoast Walker
08-05-2009, 11:34 PM
Hey Tree Beard, Which scary stories about the walkers are you referring too?

Thanks John.

tree beard
08-05-2009, 11:47 PM
Hi South coast,

Once we get past the initial cost (im a poor bugger ok!)

1. Well, the gearboxs on the cutting deck breaking from hitting objects (was told that was staggeringly expensive) Was told that the shear bolts on the blades dont always, and they should be replaced with alloy rivets that will to avoid this problem.

2.The synchronised blades picking up a solid object and throwing it into the blower and bending the blades and shaft

3. Expensive hydro pumps to replace (never heard of a cheap one tho)

4. Hard to service and maintain because they are so compact.

But I dont own one ..or three! Would like to and their is that whole thing about the right tool for the job and all, but on a bad day those blades have a habit of finding what I didnt :i dunno:

So what do you say on this. Your opinion carries a bit of weight on this one? :)

The Local Gardener
10-05-2009, 09:32 PM
thanks tree beard, at this stage budget is up to about 4 large??? I still have'nt a clue though!

Ta....

BJS Services
11-05-2009, 05:01 PM
Hi Mr local gardener,
We started with a John Deere L111 with a 20 hp Briggs and Stratton eng 3 years ago and it gave us great service infact the battery is still working. The Engine has done 1000 hrs and uses a bit of oil but unfortunatly the Deck is a disaster area. They are very thin and after being scoured out with stones and sand for 3 years every time you hit something solid the spindles go out of alighnment. and unless you are mechaniclly minded you have a disastaster on your hands.

It is for sale for spares together with the catcher 600$ when new with a bit nof luck we will get something back.

We now have a Toro z master 450 commercial with a catcher now that is a mower but it was very costly.

Best regards Band J mowing and garden care Bundaberg.

SouthCoast Walker
17-05-2009, 11:49 PM
Hi South coast,

Once we get past the initial cost (im a poor bugger ok!)

1. Well, the gearboxs on the cutting deck breaking from hitting objects (was told that was staggeringly expensive) Was told that the shear bolts on the blades dont always, and they should be replaced with alloy rivets that will to avoid this problem.

2.The synchronised blades picking up a solid object and throwing it into the blower and bending the blades and shaft

3. Expensive hydro pumps to replace (never heard of a cheap one tho)

4. Hard to service and maintain because they are so compact.

But I dont own one ..or three! Would like to and their is that whole thing about the right tool for the job and all, but on a bad day those blades have a habit of finding what I didnt :i dunno:

So what do you say on this. Your opinion carries a bit of weight on this one? :)


Hi Tree Beard,

1, Deck gearboxes are expensive but really are not as fragile as the competition will have you believe. I have maintained a bush style caravan park with lots of rocks and exposed tree roots etc for the past 12 years with my Walker and have never broken a gearbox. I have broken a few shear pins on the blades only.

2, Have never broken a fan or shaft, Once when my fan was worn paper thin I had a chunk of wood jam in between the fan and housing and bent the fan, I simply straightened it out by hand and continued mowing for months before I replaced the fan "which was 8 odd years old.

3, Pumps are expensive on all Zero turns, never had a problem with any of mine, which have a combined 3000 hrs on them.

4, Thats rubbish, they are very well designed and easy to service, my diesel model is a little confined but the Kohlers are easy.

By all means this is a finishing mower for prestige lawns and not a slasher, but I am constantly surprised what these machines can do. I slashed a paddock a few weeks ago which was more than a foot high, (hustler was out of service) I used my 62inch side discharge and it come up like a lawn.

I am the sole operator of my Walkers and take care of them, if you put a idiot operater on one they could blow the gear boxes and GHS fan in no time I am sure.

They are not as robust as some of the others as they are designed for a specific purpose but are nowhere near as fragile as the competition would like you to believe.

I have spent very little on repairs in the past 12 years of Walker ownership.

tree beard
20-05-2009, 12:23 AM
Thanks for that south coast,

pretty much as I expected. am definatly in the market to steal a Walker for next season.

Thanks heaps for your feed back

lawngreen
19-06-2009, 02:46 PM
On the topic of buying gear etc, maybe people could look at buying a mid range priced piece of equipment (say for $3,000 to say $7,000) - the way to finance is by hire purchase for example.

So you only pay a small amount per month, and its tax deductible - but check with your accountant on that!

Just a thought!