Best brand Downriggers?

[Big Eddy]

I'm looking to buy electric downriggers. I just sold my old smoker craft and big jons.I bought a newer used lund tyee that has Walker deck plates on it.
I checked with the company, and they say they have a new electric downrigger available(just out last week) called a tournament model that runs about 200 feet a minute.
That's more than twice as fast as my old big jons,and they're less money than buying new big jons.They're also way cheaper than Vector and other new companies.
I don't want to be a guinea pig for a brand new company anyway, and I'm certainly not going to pay extra to do it.
Any walker owners out there that can help me decide whether or not to switch?
I know they've been around as long as big jon but I'd rather hear it from long time owners.
What's the company like to deal with?

[cisco]

I ran four Walker electrics on Lake Michigan for 16 years. I can't tell you how it is to deal with the company because I did not have any need to. Mine were trouble free and dependable day after day.

Incidentally, I sold my L Mich boat three years ago -- the same Walkers are still in use by the new owner -- still no problems or complaints.

[Sluggo / NY]

I'm still running the same set of Walker electrics I bought 12 years and 3 boats ago. Lots of use and never had a problem! They're a bit smaller than most..and look great on a Lund! Good Fishing, Sluggo

[Swat1]

I ran Walkers for 15 years on lake MI With never a single problem. Then I switched to some other brand that someone told me was so much better. After 2 months I had, had so many problems with the other brand that I switched back to my old Walkers and ran them for 5 more years till the boat was sold.

I kept 2 of them to use on my smaller boat and they are still trouble free. The only thing I have ever done is to change the wire and the end rollers on the booms. Which I feel is not a problem but merely maintenace.

Dan
Swat 1

[JohnnyR]

As far as I'm concerned,you'll be doing yourself a favor by putting Walkers on your boat.
I've had Cannons, Big Jon's and Walkers over the past 20 years,
on different boats.
The cannons kept breaking swivels and burning up short stop boards. The big jons were a lot better but,I didn't like the way the shock kits jammed in the pulleys( I lost a lot of balls).the clutches leave a bit to be desired .
Walker uses heavier cable than any one else to start with , and the only balls I've lost from them were stuck under ledges and I had to cut the cable. I just have trouble thinking of anything I don't like about them.
12 years I've had 4 of them on my most used boat and they've never let me down.