I'll look into it but now that I found out the weight of the mower I think I'll have to put tougher springs in too. It's just a standard factory 8x5 with 2 foot cage. I'll check it out.
Cheers Rick
Re: Hustler or Walker?
I'll look into it but now that I found out the weight of the mower I think I'll have to put tougher springs in too. It's just a standard factory 8x5 with 2 foot cage. I'll check it out.
Cheers Rick
Re: Hustler or Walker?
Dont think i can justify a hustler at their prices but would like to. I have a 34in dixon with low hours and needing/wanting a 48-54inch ztr. Mainly slash but maybe mulch also. The 34 dixon will also be used so the new wont get heaps of hrs on it quickly. Can anyone suggest a cheaper ztr that they have had exp with etc. Saw some 48inch husqvarnas (not commercial??) Husqvarna EZ4624 Zero Turn Ride On. Any help on this or others. Use is/will be light commercial.
I gotta get a new trailer also, prob 8x5 tandem!!
Last edited by BLACK BEAR; 26-06-2010 at 09:27 AM. Reason: add trailer
Re: Hustler or Walker?
Is your dixon a black bear if so how well do you rate it I have been looking at the dixon and toro I want a 34inch deck for acess reasons. I was thinking of going back to a walker but it just won't allow me to get into some places.Originally Posted by BLACK BEAR
Re: Hustler or Walker?
Yes Mark, 17hp kawa, bb 34inch. Ist ride on so cant really compare with others. About 200 hrs on clock and no probs yet , but thats expected for so little i guess. I have catcher, mulch & slash. Dont use catcher any more, mulches well but I feel you need to really set it up for slash or mulch. Having only 2 blades it leaves a strip standing when cutting long grass/paddocks etc.
I have done 1/2 acre blocks to backyards with it. Great for access, but can tear up the grass if not careful when turning etc. Havnt used catcher for a while but prob need to transport it without it on as we did, assemble take a few mins when proficient at it- but still a hassle and not recommended for many small jobs. I believe dixon have been left behind a bit as people seem to say other mowers have more/easier/better options. But for a 34inch it ha done me ok so far
Re: Hustler or Walker?
I have heard the black bear is no longer available?? Not sure how true that is?
Re: Hustler or Walker?
I think they have had a chat with Hondas' marketing people. If mid-mounts are so inferior then why do so many manufacturers make them compared to only a few who make front mounts? Why do so many contractors use mid-mounts if they are that bad?
If you spend the extra time maneuvering the machine around trying to cut that last little bit of grass so that you don't have to use the snipper, compared to just doing what you can and trim the last bits you couldn't quite get, I think you'll find there is really not much in it (time-wise). As I have said before on this forum "Poison is a w-snipper mans best friend". Are they trying to say that if you buy a Walker you can get rid of your trimmer all together? If you do a neat catching job you trim before you mow so the amount of trimming is near on the same.
What about more moving parts? What about tail swing? What about deck height adjustment? What about the fact that you can't straddle anything with a Walker because the tail wheel will hit it? I know a lot of people who have a trailer and use 2 ramps to get the mower on and off, can't do that with a Walker you need a full width ramp or 3 ramps.
As for floating decks well google Lastec mowers. With a lastec you can have your cake and eat it to.
Once again I am not saying that Walkers are crap, not at all they have their place. To each their own, I know what I would rather have.
Re: Hustler or Walker?
Of course Walker are pushing their own barrow but most of it is true from my experience using and owning both types of machine.
Mid mounts are much cheaper.
Don't know about your customers but mine won't accept excessive poisoning.
Outfront saves heaps of snipping time, no matter how you look at it.
Tailswing has never been a problem for me, my offsider has hit a few things though.
Yes loading is a problem if you use ramps because of the centre rear wheel. My trailer has full width ramps.
I am not saying midmounts are crap either.
I nearly bought a lastec 72" a few weeks ago, wish I did now but its sold now.
Re: Hustler or Walker?
My mate who loves Walkers just had to replace his engine, why? Because the motor is very close to the ground, it sucks in a lot of dust and he dusted it. The Honda engine he bought had to be modified extensively to fit his machine (it had a Honda originally). By the time he bought a new engine and had it modified to fit with different belts etc(the list goes on) it cost him over $4500.00. I'd hate to think what sort of damage you would have to do to a mid-mount to get a $4500.00 repair bill! I had a look underneath the Walker and it has belts, gearboxes, pumps, levers, blower and pulleys jammed in where ever they will fit. It has about 3 times more grease nipples than my mid-mounts and about ten times more moving parts.
But guess what? He has less trimming to do than I have!!!
Also his deck gearbox is starting to leak and make noises. I told him to see the bank manager about re-mortgaging the house ASAP! By the time he fixes these things he could have bought himself a new mid-mount.
When I first started mowing for a living I bought a Toro Z355 (the predecessor of the exmark navigator) because of advice from my walker mate and I had to buy a new deck gearbox and other bits and pieces and it cost me about $6000. Soon after that I traded it in on a Toro mid-mount and I have literally never looked back.
To each their own, I am just expressing my opinion based on my personal experiences. I understand other people have different opinions and experiences and I respect that. The same that some people love Stihl gear but in my experience Stihl means: After 20 pulls it Stihl won't bloody start!
Re: Hustler or Walker?
Oh yeah and a few other things:I mow some big areas, footy fields, parks etc and I have never known operating the levers to be tiring, that's what the arm rests are for. With the Walkers controls what do you want arm rests on your seat for? You can't use them. How about getting on and off with those little levers right near your nads? With a mid-mount you simply fold them out of the way to get on or off.
They talk about driving a mid down a hill........ well try reversing a Walker down a hill - same thing! But on top of that you can't see the tail wheel so when you start reversing you don't know which way the arse end is going to go when the rear caster swings around
I.E. reversing off a trailer!
I realise this won't be an issue once you get some experience, but they conveniently didn't mention it.
In damp conditions with a full catcher the tail wheel will dig ruts in the ground (I know because I have seen it)
Last but not least. With a Walker MB or Super Bee you can't put a catcher on it so you have to be prepared for not being able to catch if you buy one of those. With a mid-mount you can take the catcher off if you don't need it and put it back on when you do without having to buy another deck, carry it with you and change it over.
But obviously Walkers are still far superior to Mid-mounts.
Re: Hustler or Walker?
Not going to get in a slanging match over this as I don't really care what other operators use, but will just point out that most the stuff you talk about in that post is just plain rubbish, reversing of trailer, reversing down hill etc etc.Oh yeah and a few other things:
They talk about driving a mid down a hill........ well try reversing a Walker down a hill - same thing! But on top of that you can't see the tail wheel so when you start reversing you don't know which way the arse end is going to go when the rear caster swings around
I.E. reversing off a trailer!
I realise this won't be an issue once you get some experience, but they conveniently didn't mention it.
In damp conditions with a full catcher the tail wheel will dig ruts in the ground (I know because I have seen it)
Last but not least. With a Walker MB or Super Bee you can't put a catcher on it so you have to be prepared for not being able to catch if you buy one of those. With a mid-mount you can take the catcher off if you don't need it and put it back on when you do without having to buy another deck, carry it with you and change it over.
But obviously Walkers are still far superior to Mid-mounts.
At least you got the last line of your post right though
Re: Hustler or Walker?
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Re: Hustler or Walker?
That is called sarcasm!
Re: Hustler or Walker?
How do you find the skinny front wheels on the front of the ZTR's go in dampish conditions, and repeat mowings? Much soil compaction?
Re: Hustler or Walker?
I don't find it a problem, The hustler has pretty wide fronts, must be about 6-7inch without measuring and the walker has no weight on the front casters, as its pretty much a floating deck.
Re: Hustler or Walker?
They can cause ruts but if it is that wet then you shouldn't be mowing any way. I have had the front wheels stop turning and lock up because of too much mud and grass between the fork and the tyre before but it didn't leave ruts.
No matter what type of machine you are on you should try not to mow the lawn the exact same way every time. Sometimes I mow areas diagonally and it cuts areas of grass that don't normally get cut (humps and dips)
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