Catastrophic FAILURE Of My $20,000 Walker Mower... That's Gonna Hurt

I spent years mowing commercially and if theres one thing everyone knows it's that Walker stripes are untouchable. 10 years ago they didn't cost as much as a new car but after 2021 that all changed. The prices have skyrocketed for every mower, including the trusty T23 that's now $20,000. I bought this one for less... WAY less and that's going to cost me.
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#WalkerMowers #WatchJRMow #OreillyPowered

[@ColJonSquall1]

The unintentional double entendre that broke Gabe is priceless, lol.

[@Gabe-ABNCW3]

😂🤣

[@themursets]

I picked up a T30i with a mulching deck at a school district surplus sale for $750. Well maintained. I'm in heaven.

[@JohnGutteridge-pt7ln]

I had a Walker Mower here in Australia for several years and it was just fantastic in all respects. It had a 48inch mulching deck with a Kohler motor and twin rear wheels which allowed me to travel in all directions without worrying about the side discharge. It cut my two acres in half the time of a 72inch tractor mower. I did often break the shear pin on the drive shaft but not on the blades. Cheers, John G

[@jimharrison3552]

Being a old timer, I can't emphasize the importance of hearing protection, by going through what my father experience with many different hearing aids, he operated high pitched items that left him hearing impaired, so growing up I was determined not to go through what he went through with, so I religious used ear plugs even go to the movies I used them, and now at my age and have the great hearing that I enjoy, it was all worth it.

[@Scotty_in_Ohio]

And another benefit is you can listen to some music (at a moderate volume) my neighbors started using ear protection too after seeing me religiously use mine...

[@WatchJRGo]

I usually have my AirPods with NC off and that keeps the noise way down 💯

[@Flies2FLL]

I fly cargo jets for an airline and I ALWAYS wear ear plugs, even with noise cancelling headsets. When I trim the hedges or weed whip at home, I wear them as well.

[@RustyRench]

I wear my ear plugs when I encounter any loud noise even if it is for a few seconds. And especially when I'm mowing. I'm also a mechanic so I heat engines and loud noises alot but I still have damn good hearing.

[@etmccaus]

I don't use any outdoor equipment without my trusty 3M WorkTunes ear cups, even if I'm not actually streaming audio to them.

[@qdood]

So we went from watch jr go to watch jr row to watch jr mow. Quite the variety this week.

[@WatchJRGo]

Land, air, and sea! I work on it all 💯

[@Everything817]

Lol

[@CALVINLNIKONT]

@@WatchJRGo What is that little 100 symbol and where do you find it?

[@tsgorman]

@@CALVINLNIKONT Click on Reply, then on the emoji symbol...search for 100

[@fergk5527]

That's the beauty of the channel. It never gets old watching the same thing. 5 years of watching every episode.

[@kennyrichard2971]

Awesome job worked for a dealership and worked On hundreds of walk mowers Just giving you a helpful tip next time when replacing the gearbox don’t tighten the box to the shaft tube/gearbox, until it’s mounted to the deck! then tighten the four bolts between the gearbox shaft tubes

[@kellsarah]

The only downside to commercial equipment is commercial prices on parts. I found this out when I bought a house, I found out the Breaker box is a commercial one, they want $100+ for the latch assembly that is missing and it consists of a small steel flat latch, a small spring and a screw. The same would be less than $10 if it were for a residential breaker box.

[@THOMMGB]

If you think that’s expensive, go and price airplane parts. (You can probably top me by saying, “If you think that’s expensive, go and price replacement parts for NASA spacecraft.)😊

[@johngrossbohlin7582]

I cannot believe they don't have slip clutches on those spindles... The 1970s Gravely Commercial tractor front mounted mower deck we have has slip clutches... Never broke anything despite hitting big rocks, stumps, etc. when doing "rough" mowing. A few times blades bent but they were straightened using a big adjustable wrench.

[@MUUKOW3]

They have shear pins, but sometimes the right hit will break something ni matter what.

[@HappyJ]

More then 10 years ago, my neighbors lawn service company mowed over the city water shut off access which cut off 3 inch diameter cast iron pipe, 1 inch long and it ended up in my back yard. When I cut the lawn, I hit it and it went through the mower deck and bent the valves in the engine. It had to replace the whole mower. It wasn't cost-effective to repair it. Naturally, the neighbors lawn service denied it was responsible. I learned to always walk the lawn prior to mowing.

[@Precisionreelworks]

Gearbox on my 60" simplicity deck leaks even after replacing the output seal. I started running "00 Cotton Picker Grease". Gearbox is silent now and doesn't seep at all. Keep that one in the back pocket if you ever need

[@Bob-j5o3b]

I have a 21 Yard Machine push mower from 2005 still on its original engine, deck, push arms. New wheels 3x, new carbs every year (plastic PulsaPrime), and one new blade. $200 new. Obviously not going to be used commercial in most cases, but still hanging in there and as simple as heck. All my neighbors have zero turns and they all also have gym memberships and are fat - not a lot of brain cells firing there....

[@onlinecanadianperson]

Still trying to comprehend the concept of spending $20,000 on a f’n lawn mower.

[@fomocopowersgarage7103]

Some people spend that on a wrist watch.

[@2dogsmowing]

I have a hustler super z 60in 2011 that was 18 grand new. I also do commercial lawn service. I had a residential 42in hustler once. It didn't last 2 years. Commercial mowers compared to residential mowers are insanely different. Residential mowers don't last near as long as commercial mowers.

[@scottr3141]

Mine was 15k 30yrs. ago, but I gave a guy $2500 it. Now they're around 30k.

[@rontopping7811]

This is not a ghs mt model. Nowhere near 20k .

[@davidhoffman8122]

I worked as a grounds man for 5 years and I ran a Ventrac mower and bowed 2 blades in those 5 years. I guess that is why Ventrac uses a belt drive to prevent as much damage as possible when you jam anything under the mower deck.

[@philliphall5198]

They are correct to and the belt is best even if you have to replace it once a year 😊

[@ashishpatel350]

nothing says fathers day like yard work. lol

[@eileenfalcon7635]

I always inspect the yard before I mow. For things like you hit and paper that blows in yard etc

[@philliphall5198]

Or crap people throw in your yard for the hell of it 😂

[@nannyg666]

Meanwhile, my $999 42" Craftsman mower from 2007 lasted 17 years.

[@pablopicaro7649]

Pathetically slow compared to commercial mower, use a Wlker, Hustler, Big Dog, and youd never go back

[@MazichMusic]

My 2004 Craftsman is still going strong. The deck rotted out last year, I bought a new deck stamping and new spindles from Husqvarna and it's like a new machine. For residential use by the homeowner, (myself), I cannot complain.

[@carportchronicles1943]

I don't know what year my 42" Craftsman mower is, but I bought it used for $400 with a blown head gasket. The gasket was $12 and it took about an hour and a half to change. I have had it for about five years now and it's going strong.

[@Nitrousbird]

@@MazichMusic I would complain. I made the residential riding mower mistake once, and was luckily able to find some sucker to buy it for what I had into it. ONLY buy commercial mowers. Okay with replacing a rotted deck? My 1998 Exmark is on its original deck (and it spent 10 years in commercial use), and absolutely nothing wrong with it, and I've hit some stuff hard with it. Residenital grade mowers are trash.

[@darrellsaunders4267]

I got a 24 yr old Snapper self propelled that still cuts the mustard...

[@glassvial]

If ~$500 every 14 years is the price you need to pay, I think that's a pretty fair deal all things considered. Looks fairly easy to work on, too.

[@richardbalkavich479]

I’m so glad the mowers I use everyday use belts on the mower deck!

[@pablopicaro7649]

6:40 2000 hrs on commercial mower , that shows a rugged machine, Colorado Boys come in right behind Kansas Hustler Excel !

[@ajpsawmill4314]

My first Walker was a 48" ghs. Back in the 90s , what a great machine

[@lloydtucker]

Get the $250 car and put some blades under it, make sure the Aircon works. That will be a project to watch

[@CommodoreFan64]

That sounds like something Red Green would do with an old K car lol!

[@WatchJRGo]

That actually sounds awesome 😂

[@lloydtucker]

@@WatchJRGo something small like smart car or even a mini truck where the grass cuttings can be pushed into the load bed

[@MichaelCurley-il6sm]

Tracker build!!

[@TheDano1971]

Monster Garage did that with a Mustang convertible

[@jakerumph3971]

Title of the video should have been "When you do something stupid, you deserve to pay!" 😂

[@WatchJRGo]

I couldn’t see the cover at all… but I knew it was going to be a disaster the second the Big Bang happened 😬

[@dlessmann]

Was there a lot of grass growing on the cover?

[@markkaplan1949]

@@dlessmann 🤣

[@jakerumph3971]

@WatchJRGo glad it was repairable and most of all glad you weren't injured in any way, take care and thanks for all the great videos. I've been a viewer since the EXP days. I had an 88 and a half way back in '92.

[@BS.-.-]

I have a bobcat CRZ, there cheapest mower. I have taken chunks out of rocks, metal fence posts and roots. I have also bent the under deck shrouding and even had the mower shut off due to hitting stuff. I have never actualy broken a thing in the 280hrs on it. Even the blades are original but really worn.

[@revnetdata]

I really like how you release videos late night.... If I can't sleep, there's probably a watchjrgo video, when I'm up early and all I can do effectively is wait for the coffee to come online ... Watchjrgo video... That said, Father's Day would dictate that you mow at your Dad's house!

[@nickcastillo738]

“there’s so many shafts” says the average amc pacer owner

[@genericsomething]

I almost freaked when Gabe started saying "mmm just like mom..." when JR started cleaning the shaft. 13:10

[@IKhanNot]

That must have been loud when the blade hit the debris.

[@koziarperformancetuning888]

Serviceable mowers for the win

[@James_Hough]

"$20,000" mower on a lawn that looks like it's being returned to nature.

[@WatchJRGo]

I’m about to bring in 6” of top soil, trench in sprinklers, and seed the whole thing. 💯

[@dannybryant8296]

Didn't want to say it but laughed like hell when someone else did. Country yards are a tough row to hoe.

[@CommodoreFan64]

I worked for a large commercial landscape business in the early 00's, and we had 6 Walker mowers in our fleet, & did this job a couple of times after some idiot did not pay attention running over something, & this job meant I had a the mower down for a day, or 2 depending parts.

[@creatingmind4910]

Did you encounter any other major problems with the walker mowers? I'm looking to buy one for my business

[@Commodore64Fan]

@@creatingmind4910 blade, and tires can wear out fast, plus I'm personally not a fan of the controls being between your legs. if you do get them, just make sure check, and change all the fluids on time. Having said that for the money, I'd be looking at Kubota mowers with better controls that are more ergonomic, and you can cut larger areas faster, plus the engines are just overall better.

[@creatingmind4910]

@@Commodore64Fan thanks for that. I'm really torn but I just really want one for spring and fall cleanups. I only deal with small residentials. Plus I want a mower that is under 1000-900lbs

[@tylerasmann2084]

I have done probably 500 gearbox replacements on those. I never used RTV. We always used the paper gaskets with permatex anaerobic gasket maker.

[@VanisleNSX]

I love the dramatic thumbnail!

[@gregdiamond6023]

You do more good than harm to cars and machinery. When you break something you go all out and it’s always expensive.😂😂

[@deancurry8841]

love Gabe's contribution to the show. Greatness!

[@Gabe-ABNCW3]

🍺😉👍🏼

[@wrenchesinmotion3282]

Final Destination reference. There's a movie that will have you in suspense.

[@pancudowny]

At least you were able to fix it...! The old 10-hp 36" Sears ride-on I had couldn't be, after hitting what I thought was a flush-ground 5" stump. Bent the deck to the point a replacement--which wasn't to be found--was needed!

[@mikeselsvik8357]

You have that really nice workbench and your working on the floor

[@georges6432]

I love all of your videos and learning about not only cars but whatever you can get your hands on! I do the same. The best part of your channel is references to 90's/2000's movies and music!

[@techdaddykb]

It would be interesting to see if there would be a way to vacuum fill the gear oil and then just suck out a bit

[@James-sir]

I have been more than happy with Scag mowers since 1995 they are wonderful machines

[@Flies2FLL]

Use your hand mower in the background. Get the yard cut and THEN fix the Walker. Great video!

[@tuffteddy1446]

Congratulations on 400k subs!

[@Scotty_in_Ohio]

Although JR is a man after the Walker repair and introducing the grease gun JR IS the man...

[@ralphadams4478]

Check at copart for insurance mowers bid on one cheap get newer tires and odds n ends then sell what's left to dealer

[@uncleremus3211]

Why would you have a zero turn mower, let alone a 20k mower, for that yard? Lmao. Also, you said "the yard needs mowed" and the grass was like 2 inches... you should see how high my neighbors yard gets before they mow it...

[@beaumcdonald2427]

Man, this video is the stuff nightmares are made of. Just a ton of shafts!

[@SIXPACFISH]

Dude, you need to weld a lip inside that buried housing so that cover will never pop up like that again.

[@jeffnolan7392]

@9:25 Yea, it's ridiculous. You, that mower, it's design... all "Weighed, measured, and found wanting."

[@rwarren4757]

I had a small Walker for the house 25 years ago, only thing I hated was trying to get over the drive sticks they definitely were not made for someone 5 ft 6.

[@RED-pi5ej]

Ol’ boy took a direct grenade

[@htownblue11]

JR, we all know if you spend enough time in the lawn cutting game, sooner or later the lawn is gonna cut you back. Just be glad you escaped with all your feet attached. You’ll be back in the stripe hype game soon enough.

[@charliejones7574]

I mow with a 2001 Craftsman still today. Opposing twin cyl i got at a pawnshop 8 years ago

[@Goose2448]

When are we racing our $1000 mowers? Guess we'll both be in them about the same. Picking up my new deck today. Deere diesel vs Walker

[@bjorn83]

Best thumbnail ever :D

[@mrsfgogo09]

No, it’s not crazy. I have eight walkers and they’re all filled with grease and quiet them down a lot. And I think you should actually switch over to a mulching deck instead of the one that’s on there.

[@96fix-it-frank]

I love my Walker mower one of the best purchases I made just don't destroy it you will regret it😂

[@jamesbeemer7855]

There should be clutches in that system . See the mowers of that type , like you say have RUBBER BANDS between blade assembly’s . That is a cheap design .

[@PageMarker1]

Not as catastrophic as busting the internals of the engine. You missed the metal cover in your own yard?? Interesting video, nice machine. Well wishes!

[@shawnstillman736]

The railroad metal cant be scraped. So make sure you hide it really well. lol

[@michelswerissen6544]

Video approved, good job.

[@rebelliousrebel420]

Did you know that Walker Mowers originated in Fowler Kansas? My hometown of about 500 people just southwest of Dodge City

[@WatchJRGo]

I did! Building swamp coolers and golf carts! 🍻

[@rebelliousrebel420]

@WatchJRGo used to have an original cooler on the combine I used every summer and my neighbor had one of the first 3wheel golf carts, we used to ride it all the time.. also know most of the family

[@methanial73]

Now it's watch Jrnogo.

[@mju7752]

20k mower? Hmmm. Nice fix though.

[@tedstriker754]

That does seem like higher quality with direct drive, but I'd rather have the belt drive to better absorb impacts on the blades. Then it just wipes out the blade or maybe the spindle as well. They make those blades out of really strong steel, and they can't be straightened with tools most of us have in our shops. I get replacements from Agri supply which has them cheap.

[@rwdplz1]

Still not impressed with these things from an engineering perspective. Aluminum casting directly attached to the blade? The parts prices make John Deere parts look cheap, but they're probably designed to rip off commercial operators who buy these.

[@The_Mace]

That mower is badass.

[@Eatongee]

Shoulda bought a Cub Cadet. ;)

[@mratay4747]

9:15 Jeesh JR buy us dinner first! 😂😂😂

[@hammerhead2558]

I'm waiting to see how long this money trap hangs around.

[@mrtyreus0]

Should've just bought an old Toro Sidewinder. All Hydraulic and parts a plenty.

[@69Dartman]

I hate it when that happens... I guess time to throw parts at it and put it back together 😢

[@ghorner11]

You're lucky it broke the gearbox and didn't bend or break your engine crank. I've seen that happen on mowers.

[@rynelson85]

That's not even possible on this machine.

[@johnkopinto8293]

It's not the mowers fault you hit the the metal in the yard. You have to blame your self.😢 You just like to hear your self talk. Just fix it

[@jeffnolan7392]

One more thing... that's a mower for a golf course, not a mowing business. You will NEVER find so much as a pebble on a golf course. That repair should have cost you a half hour and about thirteen bucks. The safety drive flanges are about six bucks plus tax. Amateur hour.

[@James-sir]

I might try a Walker to compare but I’ve had great success with Scags

[@garyi8608]

You might of bent the crank for each shaft spinning the blades? If working on the mower to take the spark plug wire off of the spark plug. This way is almost impossible for it to start. Never work on any lawm mower - mower with the spark plug on! It can cut one's fingers, hands, toes, feet off. I use to work at Sears at our product repair facility and we always take the spark plug off of the push mower. Be safe!

[@rynelson85]

There is no crankshaft attached to the blades.

[@rogerembry4777]

I think I’ll stick with belts that’s crazy

[@douglasbray3563]

Good Evening John Ross

[@WatchJRGo]

Hey Douglas! 🍻

[@mal74]

My yard is waiting on me, guess I better get to it.

[@kentmckean6795]

Seems like a bad design if the sheer pins sheered, but the gear box was still damaged...

[@MUUKOW3]

A right hit can still crack a box , the pins stop rotational not lateral damage. Object is to pay attention and not run over shit.

[@jeffclark2725]

Those decks are tough,i have had to replace the entire deck,and rebuild it later due to needing the machine quckly

[@nomad57-u3x]

gear drive spindles $260.00 on a gravely parts site...complete gear drive and housings and shafts $1600 before tax and shipping...

[@jeffnolan7392]

I'm an ACTUAL PROFESSIONAL LIFETIME UNION MECHANIC with a Master's in physics and a BA in engineering. Buddy, you got ripped off for over $13,000 dollars. Also, you can easily straighten, sharpen and balance a blade like ten times. Also, there are supposed to be aluminum flanges with two small pins driving the blades so when you hit something, the pins shear and your mower takes no damage. Also, maybe check your job for obstacles before you mow. A child knows that, and let me tell you why: That's a lesson I learned when I was ten and my dad used to make me mow the lawn and he waited till it was thick, wet, and made me do it in the morning. He left a hose nozzle in the grass and I hit it and chopped it in half. He beat me with the garden hose. Now I check all my jobs first. Pain makes for permanent memories. There's more to the story, but the statutes of limitations on what happened next haven't passed yet. The last mower I had was a Craftsman and lasted 22 years, the Hobbs meter turned over, and I never hit so much as a twig... That's ten thousand hours. Change the oil a lot.

[@eelecurb]

Hi Mr Expert. He bought it used for $2,200. Admittedly, he's had to put some money into it to get it to this point but not a lot. The new Walker T23 he is comparing it to has an MSRP of $19,045 +tax.

[@jeffnolan7392]

@@eelecurb You'll never figure it out, but you made my point for me. Thanks.

[@djwilliams4714]

Harry's manscaped... should of thrown dollar shave club in there, and you would of had 3 sponsors all at once!! LOL

[@CALVINLNIKONT]

I wanted to see you install the blades!

[@WatchJRGo]

You just line up the key way and run the big nuts home with the impact, it takes like 5 seconds so I didn’t shoot it 😥

[@CALVINLNIKONT]

@@WatchJRGo Are the bolts tightened clockwise or counterclockwise? Nonetheless, there must be a right or wrong way to install the blades, which puts a nice finishing bow on the job.

[@James-sir]

I do enjoy the mower videos.

[@craigjohnson3603]

You got off pretty cheap I just fixed my exes Kubota deck wheel got $250.00 but that's a big diesel with cab, a/c, heat, and stereo but no matter how big and cool they are none will mow rocks, cement, or cast iron😂.

[@genericsomething]

You look like Forrest Gump on that mower.

[@AR-ed3xw]

That haircut isn't doing him any favors either!

[@dylanknight4028]

We use grease in our gearboxes

[@michaelmahoney8887]

Man, that sucks.

[@316jd140]

How do you like and rank the Walker mowers and their designs? I have been intrigued with them for years, but have been hesitant to even looking at one. Unfortunately I would have to drive about an hour to a Walker dealer, so there's that. They kind of remind me of the older Grasshopper mowers...I do like the out front decks.

[@robertpendzick9250]

For quality of cut and grass pick up system (goes up the center and into a back hopper so nothing hanging off the side) and having run one commercially, I don't think there is anything on the market that competes. But you do need to be careful on slopes as the back wheel will drift downward, and care on the turns on wet turf may be scuffed. (We also had Toto's, Hesston's, Hustler's, but Walker was a better mower) Oh and the snow blower is a snow canon!

[@James-sir]

I think I tried a walker like 15 yrs ago I should give walker a shot at winning me over

[@kenhaupt1865]

C'mon. Why have you not gone with mammotion yet? No wires, gps, vision sensors etc.. Tech has come a long way!

[@cgeary4homes]

Why not fill both gear boxes at the same time so it takes less time to complete the procedure?

[@robertpendzick9250]

Slows it down as it traps air in the center.

[@danielbenyon6390]

The hell with the gear boxes ! ... Get a plumber with the backhoe in your yard and move that cast iron pipe so you never have to go through this again ...

[@johneble9012]

It happens buy an exmark instead

[@toolzshed]

Oh no not the gear box 😲

[@briangray5921]

Jake Is everywhere.

[@JimfromIndy]

Why didn't the shear pins shear?

[@WatchJRGo]

That’s the $500 question 😂😂😂

[@jzlharvey]

Grade 5 shear bolts are all the rage in walkers.😂

[@Jeekinz]

Put the blade in a vise and hammer it straight. Done it 1000 times

[@spazmcgillacutty]

Yes, I would like to add the stripe attachment to my manscaped order please