Walker shares study results

For two years, Walker Manufacturing has conducted a comprehensive study of competitive zero-turn (ZTR) mowers compared to Walker Mowers to find the most productive mower in the industry. The simple question was: “What is the most productive mower in the real world of mowing?”

Walker did this by using property studies to compare different ZTR types on different landscapes and how the various Walker models competed. The study was done by mowing four different properties for 16 weeks each year (32 total weeks) with different brands of mowers that are competitive with Walker models to and were separated by category as: 48-inch deck width, 60-inch deck width, 48- to 54-inch grass handling, and 30- to 36-inch compacts.

On average, the study found the Walker Mower to be 20- to 25-percent more productive than competitive mowers.

“We were surprised by the results,” said Walker President Bob Walker. “We knew we had a productive machine, but seeing the Walker consistently outperforming competitive mowers by 20 to 25 percent was eye opening to us.”

Contrary to popular thinking, the study found that the highest ground speed does not mean productivity. Actually, winning the race of overall job time is done by a variety of other factors coming together to get into places where other mowers can’t and being more efficient in steering and maneuverability.

Tim Cromley, marketing manager at Walker, explained the thinking behind the study: “A number of ZTR manufacturers have “productivity calculators” on their websites, but they only account for driving speed — they are just a measurement of covering ground at a certain speed, and they don’t really account for variables on the lawn or with the performance of the tractor. Lawns have obstacles, tight places, hills and various other challenges for mowers. The Walker Productivity Calculator is based on real data collected in real places on a variety of machines. There has never been a more comprehensive study done in the OPE industry on productivity, and business owners who are serious about cutting their labor costs (which is about 55 percent of operating costs) need to take a close look at what the Walker can do for their company.”

In addition to showing customers the data, Walker has been demonstrating the results for salespeople at their out front Advantage (OFA) Sales Training for the last two summers. More than 250 salespeople have attended OFA Sales Training and learned why the Walker is the most productive mower on the market and how to demonstrate this for customers.

For more information, visit thewalkeradvantage.com.

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