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Thread: Which walker, MC or MT

  1. #1
    Senior Member happymowin's Avatar
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    Default Which walker, MC or MT

    Hi everyone.

    First post, long time lurker, lol.

    Bit of background if ya want it. Live in the west sub’s of Brisbane. Have been mowing full time for 2 yrs now. Have a Walker MB 48” Side disch. , Honda 216 SP, stihl fs 130, shindy T230, stihl blower, stihl chainsaw, shindy pole saw/hedger. Nissan Patrol 4.2 TD and 8 x 5 galv. dual axle trailer. I like my good stuff.

    But, anyway, I am sick of “pushing” the Honda, well, it’s the emptying the grass that buggers me up. I can easily get 2 to 3 cubic meters per shift, 8 to 10 times a week in summer. That’s a lot of catchers to empty. And I could do more jobs if it didn’t kill me. I was very interested in your guys’ comments on the pros and cons of an offsider compared to a good collection mower.

    So I have “nearly” convinced the finance manager (wife) of the necessity of going for a Walker GHS.


    Could I please get some help choosing which way to go.

    I am leaning towards a MC 20 HP , with the 36 “ GHS deck. I hope to get away with just that deck for a while. But would consider a second SD deck for rough or big jobs.

    Since I am replacing the MB with this machine it not only needs to collect on normal residential lawns, but be able to cut a couple of really rough places that I mow, one of which is my own place lol.

    I quite often cut five foot high heavy thick grass here at home. so my first question is will the 36 “ GHS deck cut heavy grass, or will I spend all day lifting the deck up to clear the sucker? So I would then need another deck for the beastie jobs?

    Also , is the MC /MT’s as stable as the MB that I have over rough slopes? ( understood, I wouldn’t be CATCHING in that environment, so the catcher wouldn’t have any weight in it)

    and how hard IS IT to change a deck over? I’ve never had my deck off. those springs scare me.

    what advantages if any does a MT have over the MC “except raw power”.

    of course they COST a heap more too.

    Does the bigger MT egines (eg 26 HP ) cut long thich grass better (thru a GHS deck, remember) , or is it a case of the deck just clogging up with it, so the extra power is wasted on the small deck/s ?

    do I NEED that power?

    also, are the air ride seats worth the $1500 price tag? (“free” on the MT 26 and the MDD, lol)

    btw, the first rough prices I have are :

    MC 20 HP $17,500

    MT 23 HP $20,000

    MT 26 HP $ 23,000

    MT 31 HP EFI $ 27,000

    MDD 20.9 HP DIESEL $30,000 ++

    well, thanks for any and all help you guys can give.

    this forum absolutely rocks.


  2. #2
    Senior Member gcsmow's Avatar
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    Default Re: Which walker, MC or MT

    Have you had a look at a multi deck ?
    Everybody is entitled to MY opinion

  3. #3
    Senior Member happymowin's Avatar
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    Default Re: Which walker, MC or MT

    thanks gcs, i have, but i am trying to get through small gates, the 36 " deck on the machine needs 102 cm clearance i think (being confirmed by rep.). i dont know how many that will and wont go through tbh.

    so i fear the 42 " multi would need 117 cm clear? i dont have many customers with 4 foot wide gates

    if they had a 36 " multi, i'd be on it like a brown dog on a steak.

    i'm gonna have to start measuring everones gate lol.

    funny thing, i never had much luck with the MB SD "converting" customers to mulching. They all want it collected. Bugger.

    but thanks again man.

  4. #4
    Senior Member NLALM's Avatar
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    Default Re: Which walker, MC or MT

    Look up the trading post there is a guy in camp hill Qld with an MC with a 36 inch deck with height adjuster for 15k you may be able to get a better deal it's been for sale for a while I offered him 10 but he knocked me back. I would have had to drive up and get it. Im in Newcastle.
    Anyway if I can add my bit cause every bit helps when your going to spend that much on a mower, Iv'e owned a 13hp ms,20hp mt and a 26hp efi mt .I think the 20hp would be fine especially if you are running a 36 inch deck. But if you are cutting heaps of really long stuff I wouldn't want to be running it through the blower, if you had to do that I would go for the 26hp . You could go for the 20hp and keep the side discharge deck you already have then you have the best of both worlds.
    It only takes a few minutes to change the decks over, you tilt the body the pull the springs out, your dealer will show you. And if he is a good guy he will trade your mower in as tractor only no deck. My 26hp was a great mower heaps of power and fuel efficient the smaller motor one was no good the chute used to block up if the grass was wet which was a pain to clean out. I don't think I ever blocked the 26 I hope this helps let us all know what you get

  5. #5
    Senior Member gcsmow's Avatar
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    Default Re: Which walker, MC or MT

    If you can't get through the gate you could always use the push mower or say the three magic words, "Get someone else".

    There's some other options for you.

    Quote Originally Posted by happymowin View Post
    thanks gcs, i have, but i am trying to get through small gates, the 36 " deck on the machine needs 102 cm clearance i think (being confirmed by rep.). i dont know how many that will and wont go through tbh.

    so i fear the 42 " multi would need 117 cm clear? i dont have many customers with 4 foot wide gates

    if they had a 36 " multi, i'd be on it like a brown dog on a steak.

    i'm gonna have to start measuring everones gate lol.

    funny thing, i never had much luck with the MB SD "converting" customers to mulching. They all want it collected. Bugger.

    but thanks again man.
    Everybody is entitled to MY opinion

  6. #6
    Senior Member happymowin's Avatar
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    Default Re: Which walker, MC or MT

    lol, gcs, i thought you meant 3 other words, lol. but i agree with ya.

    nlalm, i will look at the camp hill one, see whats what. thanks for the advice, i like hearing from peeps who have had several models , so they know the pros and cons.

    hoping i win the lotto, lol, then i'll go the MT 26 HP for sure. Man, thats a beast of a machine !!

    thanks'

  7. #7
    Senior Member happymowin's Avatar
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    Default Re: Which walker, MC or MT

    i'm getting a test drive of a 20 Hp MC thursday, conditions permitting.

    he hasnt got a MT 26 HP to test tho . . . so i have to "imagine" it being better than the MC, lol.


    Anyone got one of the air ride seats, are they worth the $1400 ?


    thanks guys.

  8. #8
    Senior Member happymowin's Avatar
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    Default Re: Which walker, MC or MT

    tested the 20 hp MC today at home.

    the grass was really wet from the rain last night and the heavy dew this morning.

    You could squeeze streams of water from the clippings.

    The rep had the mower set at the bottom hole, and i asked, but he said, just use it at that.

    The footpath i did was quite short already, and the machine ate that up no probs.

    Then we went down into the area where my chickens run. the grass was about 4 inches tall.

    after about 50 metres the deck bogged down and stalled the engine.

    the clippings had stuffed the intake chute in the deck full.

    it had NOT blocked the blower tube/s

    i took the few handfuls of clips out of the deck, and lifted the deck up to hole #4, which seemed to be about the normal height i would cut this area (the lower setting had made a few brown spots in the lush grass)

    the machine then worked great.

    we didnt bother to take it down my back paddock, as it is over 4 foot high atm (yeah, i know, im a contractor, i dont want to mow at home lol)

    I am still looking at the 26 HP MT, cos if i buy an underpowered mower and have to upgrade, i'll have to upgrade to a new wife too.

    Looking at finance thru alphaline too. seems the easiest way to go.

    thanks all.

    cheers.

  9. #9
    Member SouthCoast Walker's Avatar
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    Default Re: Which walker, MC or MT

    Have you looked at low hour 2nd hand units? they are out there and there is huge savings.
    South Coast Mowing & Gardening Services
    www.southcoastmowing.com

  10. #10
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    Default Re: Which walker, MC or MT

    Quote Originally Posted by SouthCoast Walker View Post
    Have you looked at low hour 2nd hand units? they are out there and there is huge savings.
    but are they low hours like this
    Quote Originally Posted by gcsmow View Post
    Hey guys, the hour meter on my Toro ZTR has stopped working so does that mean that I don't need to worry about changing oil or greasing it or cleaning air filter or sharpening blades any more?

    It's been on 624.4 hours for the last 2 weeks now.
    Anything Ian says may or may not be garbage, it may also be his own opinion or it may not be his opinion at all, it may just be something he felt like stating anyone following his advice does so at their own risk and may be doing something Ian would actually advise against.
    And if you don't like what Ian has to say use the ignore function if you don't know how ask i will gladly tell you

  11. #11
    Senior Member gcsmow's Avatar
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    Default Re: Which walker, MC or MT

    Hey yeah !!! anyone want to buy a low hour Toro ZTR ?
    Everybody is entitled to MY opinion

  12. #12
    Member SouthCoast Walker's Avatar
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    Default Re: Which walker, MC or MT

    I have seen several near new Walkers go cheap. People splash out on the good gear and go under all the time.
    South Coast Mowing & Gardening Services
    www.southcoastmowing.com

  13. #13
    Member SouthCoast Walker's Avatar
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    South Coast Mowing & Gardening Services
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  14. #14
    Member Redeye's Avatar
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    Default Re: Which walker, MC or MT

    wish I had a lazy 15g's lying around!!

  15. #15
    Senior Member happymowin's Avatar
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    Default Re: Which walker, MC or MT

    scw, thanks. I have been looking for months, even nearly a year, while i dreamed of having one. i look on trading post, courier mail, yakaz, ebay, gumtree. Hell, i google walker mower daily and look at what has been posted in the past 24 hrs.

    the only mt26 i have seen is 8 yrs old, has rust a kid could put a finger thru, and had "1500 hrs" on it - lol, like gcs's mower i think. The guy wanted 4,000.

    i saw a mc 20 hp with 1500 hrs, and it looked GOOD. 9,500.

    but i want an mt 26, i think.

    i picked up the 52 in SD deck today - looks a beast (belt driven)

    i WILL keep looking, thanks for your info guys.


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