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Hustler - bad customer service.Be aware
#1
A
a24036
A
a24036
Good day, guys
I'm having terrible experience buying Raptor SD 54". I've ordered at the and of April and still did not get it. Dealer keeps telling me stories about recalls and shipping troubles and how unresponsive Hustler sales people are. I've tried to contact Hustler directly but there is no phone number and I could only submit message on their web site. No answer from Hustler either. Last thing that I've heard is that my mower was shipped last Friday but no tracking information available. So be careful - it my be worth spending a little bit more but not deal with Hustler non-sense.
I'm having terrible experience buying Raptor SD 54". I've ordered at the and of April and still did not get it. Dealer keeps telling me stories about recalls and shipping troubles and how unresponsive Hustler sales people are. I've tried to contact Hustler directly but there is no phone number and I could only submit message on their web site. No answer from Hustler either. Last thing that I've heard is that my mower was shipped last Friday but no tracking information available. So be careful - it my be worth spending a little bit more but not deal with Hustler non-sense.
#2
M
mooch91
M
mooch91
I can't speak first-hand for their customer service, haven't needed any help yet.
But an observation... I recently 'liked' their facebook page and struck up some dialogue with their customer service rep through that the other night. She and I were exchanging messages at 8PM EST. I got the impression that they pride themselves on the quality of their customer service.
If you're a facebook member, you might consider contacting them that way. If you're not, PM me some contact info and I'll see if I can get it to them.
But an observation... I recently 'liked' their facebook page and struck up some dialogue with their customer service rep through that the other night. She and I were exchanging messages at 8PM EST. I got the impression that they pride themselves on the quality of their customer service.
If you're a facebook member, you might consider contacting them that way. If you're not, PM me some contact info and I'll see if I can get it to them.
#3
A
a24036
Thank you very much.
A
a24036
I can't speak first-hand for their customer service, haven't needed any help yet.
But an observation... I recently 'liked' their facebook page and struck up some dialogue with their customer service rep through that the other night. She and I were exchanging messages at 8PM EST. I got the impression that they pride themselves on the quality of their customer service.
If you're a facebook member, you might consider contacting them that way. If you're not, PM me some contact info and I'll see if I can get it to them.
Thank you very much.
#4
L454S
L454S
I got my Raptor SD 54 on the 16th. The manager at the dealer told me he would be out by the next day. He said he had one in the back to assemble that I was going to get. The other was the floor model that I had been looking at, next guy to come was going to take that one because he was out and was told there would be a delay in new orders. Never got into the reason.
#6
A
a24036
Just got a call from Hustler representative. Very nice lady. She said she would truck my order and get back to me. Also she told that they did not expect such a demand on Raptor SD 54" for this year - model was new for this year? I would think that ordering month and a half in advance would do the trick but it did not.
Point plus to Hustler customer service. Let's see what develops. :smile:
Thank you very much for your help - I was clueless where to go and what to do.
A
a24036
Passed along your info. Let me know what happens!
Just got a call from Hustler representative. Very nice lady. She said she would truck my order and get back to me. Also she told that they did not expect such a demand on Raptor SD 54" for this year - model was new for this year? I would think that ordering month and a half in advance would do the trick but it did not.
Point plus to Hustler customer service. Let's see what develops. :smile:
Thank you very much for your help - I was clueless where to go and what to do.
#7
M
MRCo.
M
MRCo.
The RSD has been a wild success that Hustler did not anticipate. It's my biggest seller. The 54" is especially popular, the time from dealer order to delivery right now is four weeks at the very very best. I also heard rumours that Kawi are struggling to keep up the supply of engines. Yes, the recall was a blip but that's just about all done by now. To give yo an idea how many are selling I will give you two things to the think about. 1. I sold units numbers 2828 and 2829 off the line in March. Almost 3000 made in march! That's a lot of mowers they are kicking out and they are still 4 weeks out! 2. Look at the discussions on here, no other mower has near the same amount. That tells you it's popula. Trust me, it's worth the wait!
#8
M
mooch91
Glad it worked out and glad to help. Considering the circumstances we're hearing around the Raptor SD, sounds like you're still doing OK. I can vouch for MRCo's comments - it's definitely worth the wait! I got lucky and the dealer had a few in stock, but I'm in the middle-of-nowhere PA so the market is different I'm sure.
M
mooch91
Just got a call from Hustler representative. Very nice lady. She said she would truck my order and get back to me. Also she told that they did not expect such a demand on Raptor SD 54" for this year - model was new for this year? I would think that ordering month and a half in advance would do the trick but it did not.
Point plus to Hustler customer service. Let's see what develops. :smile:
Thank you very much for your help - I was clueless where to go and what to do.
Glad it worked out and glad to help. Considering the circumstances we're hearing around the Raptor SD, sounds like you're still doing OK. I can vouch for MRCo's comments - it's definitely worth the wait! I got lucky and the dealer had a few in stock, but I'm in the middle-of-nowhere PA so the market is different I'm sure.
#9
chemingthroughtheleather
chemingthroughtheleather
I'm supposed to take delivery tomorrow AM,it will be interesting to see the serial #(I'll post it) and see if the fix was done.I ordered mine the 29th of April.Appreciate the info about Hustler factory production.
#10
chemingthroughtheleather
chemingthroughtheleather
Well, I got my RSD today! Couple questions:1)the blades have what looks like black paint,they don't seem particularly sharp...is this normal or do I need to take em off and sharpen? 2)my hour meter reads 63.3 however the mower appears brand new in all respects....should this be reported to make sure it doesn't interfere with warranty? I know....go ask the dealer! thanks,I'm just a might anxious with this new Z experience.:confused2: BTW...my serial is 0522.If I'm reading things correctly mine was #522 in May 2014.I would love to have that contact # mooch91 if things go south. Thanks to all and have a great holiday!
#11
L454S
L454S
My hour meter was at two tenths hour when I got it. is 3.6 now. Yup, you need a new hour meter. My blades were painted black also, but when I cut it was a clean job.
Take it easy at first, heck I have as said above 3.6 hours now and just getting comfortable in the seat operating this thing. This is so much more machine than my Craftsman riding mower.
Glad you got your RSD without too much more wait.
Take it easy at first, heck I have as said above 3.6 hours now and just getting comfortable in the seat operating this thing. This is so much more machine than my Craftsman riding mower.
Glad you got your RSD without too much more wait.
#12
chemingthroughtheleather
chemingthroughtheleather
Thanks L...I'll talk with the dealer about the meter.I will begin my cutting tomorrow.Will start out with the maximum since my grass is high,I will "baby it" at first but I know you have to run at max throttle. Best I can tell the two washers are in place(hard to see under mower!).I have two small washers on the mower.....hopefully nothing.
#13
K
Kremeneon
K
Kremeneon
My meter was .1 on delivery. I also thought the same about the blades, after a couple mows the paint was gone from the edge and it seemed quite sharp.
#14
M
MRCo.
The blades are fine. The paint will wear off and they'll be sharper to touch. Blades shouldn't be made razor edged, they should have a small flat on the face. The hour meter runs when the key is in the 'on' position, even if the engine is off. I bet the key got knocked to 'on' and ran it up. Ask the dealer to replace it or make a not that if you need warranty service the hours need adjusted down accordingly. I did that for a guy who left his key turned for a weekend. If you serial is 14050522 it was no. 522 in May.
M
MRCo.
Well, I got my RSD today! Couple questions:1)the blades have what looks like black paint,they don't seem particularly sharp...is this normal or do I need to take em off and sharpen? 2)my hour meter reads 63.3 however the mower appears brand new in all respects....should this be reported to make sure it doesn't interfere with warranty? I know....go ask the dealer! thanks,I'm just a might anxious with this new Z experience.:confused2: BTW...my serial is 0522.If I'm reading things correctly mine was #522 in May 2014.I would love to have that contact # mooch91 if things go south. Thanks to all and have a great holiday!
The blades are fine. The paint will wear off and they'll be sharper to touch. Blades shouldn't be made razor edged, they should have a small flat on the face. The hour meter runs when the key is in the 'on' position, even if the engine is off. I bet the key got knocked to 'on' and ran it up. Ask the dealer to replace it or make a not that if you need warranty service the hours need adjusted down accordingly. I did that for a guy who left his key turned for a weekend. If you serial is 14050522 it was no. 522 in May.
#15
Nwatson99
I would have already went back to the dealer, do not mow with that machine until the hour meter is noted and new one installed or if it really has those hours then I would demand a new mower.
The blades are normally dark until you mow at least mine are, however again the hour meter is no where near correct and that needs to be dealt with immediately.
Nwatson99
Well, I got my RSD today! Couple questions:1)the blades have what looks like black paint,they don't seem particularly sharp...is this normal or do I need to take em off and sharpen? 2)my hour meter reads 63.3 however the mower appears brand new in all respects....should this be reported to make sure it doesn't interfere with warranty? I know....go ask the dealer! thanks,I'm just a might anxious with this new Z experience.:confused2: BTW...my serial is 0522.If I'm reading things correctly mine was #522 in May 2014.I would love to have that contact # mooch91 if things go south. Thanks to all and have a great holiday!
I would have already went back to the dealer, do not mow with that machine until the hour meter is noted and new one installed or if it really has those hours then I would demand a new mower.
The blades are normally dark until you mow at least mine are, however again the hour meter is no where near correct and that needs to be dealt with immediately.
#16
chemingthroughtheleather
chemingthroughtheleather
Thanks for your support and suggestions! I'll call the dealer first thing tomorrow about the meter reading.
#17
A
a24036
A
a24036
Got my machine on Friday. Again, thank you to mooch91 - he got helped me to contact Hustler customer service and thing moved quickly. Machine looks good, runs good. Came with no oil in expansion hydro oil tank. Got oil in Wallmart, added it to specified mark. Wonder why they did not do it at the factory. So there is a happy end to this story.
At the end of thing it turns out it was sort of misunderstanding between dealer and he's sales person which caused the delay. And now - thank you to mooch91 again I have Hustler customer service direct phone number, so if I have any troubles at the dealer level I can always go higher up.
That said - machine is very good, customer service from Hustler is strong and responsive - I'm not sure if the name of the thread is reflecting true state of things :smile:
At the end of thing it turns out it was sort of misunderstanding between dealer and he's sales person which caused the delay. And now - thank you to mooch91 again I have Hustler customer service direct phone number, so if I have any troubles at the dealer level I can always go higher up.
That said - machine is very good, customer service from Hustler is strong and responsive - I'm not sure if the name of the thread is reflecting true state of things :smile:
#18
R
RaptorSD
R
RaptorSD
I can only imagine they fill the transaxles prior to mounting, to top them off would be tricky because the levels fluctuate as they 'run in'. If dealers/customers got a half full expansion tanks you'd really be mad.
So essentially you're adding oil to fill the lines and saturating the filters.
Glad you finally got your RSD you'll like it.
So essentially you're adding oil to fill the lines and saturating the filters.
Glad you finally got your RSD you'll like it.
#19
C
clubairth
C
clubairth
Any chance you could post that Hustler Service Phone Number?
As you said it's not real easy to contact the factory and I figured that was on purpose.
.
.
.
As you said it's not real easy to contact the factory and I figured that was on purpose.
.
.
.
#20
M
mooch91
All I did is connect with Hustler on Facebook where you can "message" them. This is how I was able to help a24036. I don't have a phone number for them.
M
mooch91
Any chance you could post that Hustler Service Phone Number?
As you said it's not real easy to contact the factory and I figured that was on purpose.
.
.
.
All I did is connect with Hustler on Facebook where you can "message" them. This is how I was able to help a24036. I don't have a phone number for them.
#21
R
RLL
R
RLL
Looking at a 48" Raptor SD. Looked at Hustler's website and NO contact phone number in case ever needed. What a crap way to run a business.
#22
M
Mad Mackie
Just looked at the home pages of many power equipment manufacturers, none had telephone numbers and there is a good reason for not putting a phone number on a website. Actually there are a lot of reasons, think about it!!!
M
Mad Mackie
Looking at a 48" Raptor SD. Looked at Hustler's website and NO contact phone number in case ever needed. What a crap way to run a business.
Just looked at the home pages of many power equipment manufacturers, none had telephone numbers and there is a good reason for not putting a phone number on a website. Actually there are a lot of reasons, think about it!!!
#23
M
Micko
M
Micko
Did a little digging, got onto BigDog site and looked at the Recall PDF and what do you know......Excel Industries; (800) 748-8223 from http://www.bigdogmowerco.com/docs/recalls/13704BD5-28-14.pdf
Had a look on the Hustler site and heres another.... Excel Industries, Inc. collect at (316) 327-1345 from http://www.hustlerturf.com/images/RECALL INFO/14726_HTE_5-28-14.pdf
Theres 2 numbers for you to try anyway! Good luck!
Had a look on the Hustler site and heres another.... Excel Industries, Inc. collect at (316) 327-1345 from http://www.hustlerturf.com/images/RECALL INFO/14726_HTE_5-28-14.pdf
Theres 2 numbers for you to try anyway! Good luck!
#24
R
RLL
Many reasons. You don't want to be bothered, you don't want to pay for an 800 number, you don't want to hire customer service persons, you don't want to train customer service persons, you want to push problems to your dealers, you want the customer to say, screw this, I will fix it myself.
Sorry I'm old fashion. You talk to your customer!
R
RLL
Just looked at the home pages of many power equipment manufacturers, none had telephone numbers and there is a good reason for not putting a phone number on a website. Actually there are a lot of reasons, think about it!!!
Many reasons. You don't want to be bothered, you don't want to pay for an 800 number, you don't want to hire customer service persons, you don't want to train customer service persons, you want to push problems to your dealers, you want the customer to say, screw this, I will fix it myself.
Sorry I'm old fashion. You talk to your customer!
#25
M
Mad Mackie
M
Mad Mackie
Hustler dealers are the Excel Industries customers, Hustler owners/operators are the Hustler dealers customers.
Those who are in business, have been in business or have worked for a business are well aware of the unproductive hours spent on the phone with folks, many of which just want to complain about something that could and should have been handled at a dealership level with no problem.
Machine recalls are in a different category.
Those who are in business, have been in business or have worked for a business are well aware of the unproductive hours spent on the phone with folks, many of which just want to complain about something that could and should have been handled at a dealership level with no problem.
Machine recalls are in a different category.
#26
M
Micko
If there is a design flaw in a machine, it is Hustler/Excell that needs to correct it, not the dealer. The buck stops at Hustler!
Hustler have just dropped sponsorship on another forum. A sign of the times maybe?
From reading these boards, this Raptor was put out before enough real world testing was done and you know what, Hustler does that sort of thing all the time!
Its as if they use the consumer as the R&D department and in the end, Hustler deserves to be bombarded customer complaints.
M
Micko
Hustler dealers are the Excel Industries customers, Hustler owners/operators are the Hustler dealers customers.
Those who are in business, have been in business or have worked for a business are well aware of the unproductive hours spent on the phone with folks, many of which just want to complain about something that could and should have been handled at a dealership level with no problem.
Machine recalls are in a different category.
If there is a design flaw in a machine, it is Hustler/Excell that needs to correct it, not the dealer. The buck stops at Hustler!
Hustler have just dropped sponsorship on another forum. A sign of the times maybe?
From reading these boards, this Raptor was put out before enough real world testing was done and you know what, Hustler does that sort of thing all the time!
Its as if they use the consumer as the R&D department and in the end, Hustler deserves to be bombarded customer complaints.
#27
M
Mad Mackie
Does your Hustler, model (???) have a design problem? If so, what have you done about it? Has it been taken care of? Have you read all the posts in this thread? Has anyone complained about their Hustler Raptor or any other Hustler model in this thread? Do you understand why Hustler closed their sponsored section on Lawnsite? Does Facebook ring a bell with you? What does black paint on a mower blade have to do with Hustler customer service? At least Hustler paints their blades, does any other company paint their mower blades?
Speaking of design flaws, in 1995 I bought a new GMC 3500 extended cab dually diesel pickup truck and while still on warranty but 1,500 miles from home, the engine broke a connecting rod which poked out thru the side of the engine block. This truck was towed to a prize winning GMC dealer and was there for 13 months before I got it back with a new engine. Am I anti GMC? No, However I prefer another make that has been working fine for me for many years before and since the 1995 GMC which I sold several months after I finally got it back. I hired a law firm to handle this case which was finally settled in 2000.
M
Mad Mackie
Micko,If there is a design flaw in a machine, it is Hustler/Excell that needs to correct it, not the dealer. The buck stops at Hustler!
Hustler have just dropped sponsorship on another forum. A sign of the times maybe?
From reading these boards, this Raptor was put out before enough real world testing was done and you know what, Hustler does that sort of thing all the time!
Its as if they use the consumer as the R&D department and in the end, Hustler deserves to be bombarded customer complaints.
Does your Hustler, model (???) have a design problem? If so, what have you done about it? Has it been taken care of? Have you read all the posts in this thread? Has anyone complained about their Hustler Raptor or any other Hustler model in this thread? Do you understand why Hustler closed their sponsored section on Lawnsite? Does Facebook ring a bell with you? What does black paint on a mower blade have to do with Hustler customer service? At least Hustler paints their blades, does any other company paint their mower blades?
Speaking of design flaws, in 1995 I bought a new GMC 3500 extended cab dually diesel pickup truck and while still on warranty but 1,500 miles from home, the engine broke a connecting rod which poked out thru the side of the engine block. This truck was towed to a prize winning GMC dealer and was there for 13 months before I got it back with a new engine. Am I anti GMC? No, However I prefer another make that has been working fine for me for many years before and since the 1995 GMC which I sold several months after I finally got it back. I hired a law firm to handle this case which was finally settled in 2000.
#28
M
Micko
Ive done everything possible to fix my Super Z. Hustler themselves got involved. NO, it hasnt been fixed and havent heard from Hustler in 12mths or so.
Ive spent countless (unpaid) hours trying to fix there design flaw!
Ok so no one is complaining about there Raptor in this thread (yet) but more complaining about dealers (lack of oil, delivered with 63hrs or faulty hr metre) and how hustler doesnt have a direct number on there website. Thats a big middle finger from them IMO! However , every other thread there is something wrong with the Raptor!
I missed where you posted the direct line to Hustler so maybe I didnt read the thread well enough! Actually, I know I didnt!
Do you know why Hustler closed their sponsorship? Please tell, I'd really like to know!
Facebooks for fanboys! Not many (if any) negative comments on there!
Who cares about black paint on blades? As long as they're balanced they will be fine! Talking of blades, you know Hustler doesnt make them themselves dont you? You do know that some blades are out of balance from new dont you?
I understand that its not just Hustler but, this is the Hustler forum. We're talking about Hustler not GMC!
M
Micko
Micko,
Does your Hustler, model (???) have a design problem? If so, what have you done about it? Has it been taken care of? Have you read all the posts in this thread? Has anyone complained about their Hustler Raptor or any other Hustler model in this thread? Do you understand why Hustler closed their sponsored section on Lawnsite? Does Facebook ring a bell with you? What does black paint on a mower blade have to do with Hustler customer service? At least Hustler paints their blades, does any other company paint their mower blades?
Speaking of design flaws, in 1995 I bought a new GMC 3500 extended cab dually diesel pickup truck and while still on warranty but 1,500 miles from home, the engine broke a connecting rod which poked out thru the side of the engine block. This truck was towed to a prize winning GMC dealer and was there for 13 months before I got it back with a new engine. Am I anti GMC? No, However I prefer another make that has been working fine for me for many years before and since the 1995 GMC which I sold several months after I finally got it back. I hired a law firm to handle this case which was finally settled in 2000.
Ive done everything possible to fix my Super Z. Hustler themselves got involved. NO, it hasnt been fixed and havent heard from Hustler in 12mths or so.
Ive spent countless (unpaid) hours trying to fix there design flaw!
Ok so no one is complaining about there Raptor in this thread (yet) but more complaining about dealers (lack of oil, delivered with 63hrs or faulty hr metre) and how hustler doesnt have a direct number on there website. Thats a big middle finger from them IMO! However , every other thread there is something wrong with the Raptor!
I missed where you posted the direct line to Hustler so maybe I didnt read the thread well enough! Actually, I know I didnt!
Do you know why Hustler closed their sponsorship? Please tell, I'd really like to know!
Facebooks for fanboys! Not many (if any) negative comments on there!
Who cares about black paint on blades? As long as they're balanced they will be fine! Talking of blades, you know Hustler doesnt make them themselves dont you? You do know that some blades are out of balance from new dont you?
I understand that its not just Hustler but, this is the Hustler forum. We're talking about Hustler not GMC!
#29
B
bertsmobile1
Yes,
I have aphone number that has been on the web for a long time as the contact for a motorcycle club.
I used to get better than 300 phone calls a day from tele marketers.
That phone now sits in the charger all day and when I get home I take it out and listen to the voice messages.
Usually only 1 or 2 a day.
The company has dealers.
Dealers talk with their customers and if they get a llot of valid complaints they take it up with the reps who take it up with the management.
That is how things should work.
Anout 1/3 of the problems that roll through my front door are customers misuse.
Then we come to the personal bit.
People will happily be extreamly threatening, violent & abusive over the phone and some one has to answer that phone and they are jjust another mug employee just like you.
They get stressed out because of all the self gratification seeking abuse they get all day and go off sick.
No one wins.
The clutch problem is not an operational problem.
It does not affect the function of the mowers in any way shape or form, it s just annoying.
Now there needs to be a little play in the clutch anchor or the units will fail prematurely.
And yes it could have been done better.
They should have a resilliant mount in there ( alternative layers of metal mesh & rubber ) but that would add another $ 100 to the price.
Oddly enough you will find exactly the same mouting on a lot of machines where it is not a problem because there is so much other noise yo don't notice the clutch rattle.
B
bertsmobile1
Just looked at the home pages of many power equipment manufacturers, none had telephone numbers and there is a good reason for not putting a phone number on a website. Actually there are a lot of reasons, think about it!!!
Yes,
I have aphone number that has been on the web for a long time as the contact for a motorcycle club.
I used to get better than 300 phone calls a day from tele marketers.
That phone now sits in the charger all day and when I get home I take it out and listen to the voice messages.
Usually only 1 or 2 a day.
The company has dealers.
Dealers talk with their customers and if they get a llot of valid complaints they take it up with the reps who take it up with the management.
That is how things should work.
Anout 1/3 of the problems that roll through my front door are customers misuse.
Then we come to the personal bit.
People will happily be extreamly threatening, violent & abusive over the phone and some one has to answer that phone and they are jjust another mug employee just like you.
They get stressed out because of all the self gratification seeking abuse they get all day and go off sick.
No one wins.
The clutch problem is not an operational problem.
It does not affect the function of the mowers in any way shape or form, it s just annoying.
Now there needs to be a little play in the clutch anchor or the units will fail prematurely.
And yes it could have been done better.
They should have a resilliant mount in there ( alternative layers of metal mesh & rubber ) but that would add another $ 100 to the price.
Oddly enough you will find exactly the same mouting on a lot of machines where it is not a problem because there is so much other noise yo don't notice the clutch rattle.
#30
B
bertsmobile1
I fit about 20 sets of blades a week.
They are all painted but apparently the red ones from Toro go faster :laughing:
If they are selling so fast, good chance they are being directly delivered off the line & not crated, only take a careless knock and you have the trucking time up on your hour meter befor it gets delivered.
Don't knw how many times I have left a mower turned on in the shop & run 20-40 hours up on the meter.
I now remove all keys as a matter of course.
B
bertsmobile1
Well, I got my RSD today! Couple questions:1)the blades have what looks like black paint,they don't seem particularly sharp...is this normal or do I need to take em off and sharpen? 2)my hour meter reads 63.3 however the mower appears brand new in all respects....should this be reported to make sure it doesn't interfere with warranty? I know....go ask the dealer! thanks,I'm just a might anxious with this new Z experience.:confused2: BTW...my serial is 0522.If I'm reading things correctly mine was #522 in May 2014.I would love to have that contact # mooch91 if things go south. Thanks to all and have a great holiday!
I fit about 20 sets of blades a week.
They are all painted but apparently the red ones from Toro go faster :laughing:
If they are selling so fast, good chance they are being directly delivered off the line & not crated, only take a careless knock and you have the trucking time up on your hour meter befor it gets delivered.
Don't knw how many times I have left a mower turned on in the shop & run 20-40 hours up on the meter.
I now remove all keys as a matter of course.
#31
B
bertsmobile1
Well I fit 20 - 30 sets of blades a week and am yet to find one that is out of balance and yes I do check them all including swing backs where they are supposed to be within 6 grm.
AFAIK no mower company makes their own blades.
It would not be economic to do so the machine would only be working about 1/2 day a week.
Blades, like engines & trannies and seats & switches are bought in.
Now you are obviously not happy about your design flaw. Which you have refferred to in several posts but not specified.
SO what is it, I am sure others would lie to know so they can check theirs for the same design flaw.
B
bertsmobile1
I Big snip ?
Who cares about black paint on blades? As long as they're balanced they will be fine! Talking of blades, you know Hustler doesnt make them themselves dont you? You do know that some blades are out of balance from new dont you?
I understand that its not just Hustler but, this is the Hustler forum. We're talking about Hustler not GMC!
Well I fit 20 - 30 sets of blades a week and am yet to find one that is out of balance and yes I do check them all including swing backs where they are supposed to be within 6 grm.
AFAIK no mower company makes their own blades.
It would not be economic to do so the machine would only be working about 1/2 day a week.
Blades, like engines & trannies and seats & switches are bought in.
Now you are obviously not happy about your design flaw. Which you have refferred to in several posts but not specified.
SO what is it, I am sure others would lie to know so they can check theirs for the same design flaw.
#32
M
Micko
I can assure you that, at least until now approx 50% of the blades I get are out of balance from new. Not just end to end but the hole can be closer to one side than the other. Think of it as like swinging a coat hanger around your finger. You can get them balanced end to end but one side will always be heavier than the other.
The main flaw is the deck. Its very difficult to see whats happening under there but what we think is happening as part of the problem is the trim side blade throws clippings towards the back side of the discharge chute. In doing that it will throw into the middle and right spindle housings and blades. That will cause clippings to come out in clumps. That mainly happens when there is moiusture no just on the surface ie dew but moisture in the grass itself.
Also and my biggest annoyance is clippings get caught up on the rear of the discharge chute, build up and drop and as clump(s). We have tried many turbo baffle design to stop than and nothing has worked. Its been a nightmare!
To fix the deck, the clippings need to follow the front skirt/baffle on the deck and come off the front of the discharge chute. This can be done using super high lift blades but using those blades causes more issues like extra strain on the motor, clutch etc and uses a lot more fuel. Also requires cutting off a piece out of the deck. Those blades also tend to bend down and wear fairly quickly. They are not the heavy build like the standard blades.
We have tried add ons from Hustler and turbo baffles and versions of those baffles. Approx 12 different versions. That was an extremely long and frustrating process with no result in the end.
Hustler knows all about the issues and I am not the only one to tell them about it.
To give you a basic idea Ive attached a pic below. I chose this one as you can see how little Im cutting off. Some might think these little clumps are no big deal but when you ave 2 or 5 acres of them, they do become a big deal. Either looks terrible or spend the extra time cleaning them up! These clumps are from clippings building up on the rear of the chute and dropping o the ground. The grass cutting in the pic should of been easy and perfect finish but nooooo, lets double cut it and spend the extra time and money on something that shouldnt need doing!
M
Micko
Well I fit 20 - 30 sets of blades a week and am yet to find one that is out of balance and yes I do check them all including swing backs where they are supposed to be within 6 grm.
AFAIK no mower company makes their own blades.
It would not be economic to do so the machine would only be working about 1/2 day a week.
Blades, like engines & trannies and seats & switches are bought in.
Now you are obviously not happy about your design flaw. Which you have refferred to in several posts but not specified.
SO what is it, I am sure others would lie to know so they can check theirs for the same design flaw.
I can assure you that, at least until now approx 50% of the blades I get are out of balance from new. Not just end to end but the hole can be closer to one side than the other. Think of it as like swinging a coat hanger around your finger. You can get them balanced end to end but one side will always be heavier than the other.
The main flaw is the deck. Its very difficult to see whats happening under there but what we think is happening as part of the problem is the trim side blade throws clippings towards the back side of the discharge chute. In doing that it will throw into the middle and right spindle housings and blades. That will cause clippings to come out in clumps. That mainly happens when there is moiusture no just on the surface ie dew but moisture in the grass itself.
Also and my biggest annoyance is clippings get caught up on the rear of the discharge chute, build up and drop and as clump(s). We have tried many turbo baffle design to stop than and nothing has worked. Its been a nightmare!
To fix the deck, the clippings need to follow the front skirt/baffle on the deck and come off the front of the discharge chute. This can be done using super high lift blades but using those blades causes more issues like extra strain on the motor, clutch etc and uses a lot more fuel. Also requires cutting off a piece out of the deck. Those blades also tend to bend down and wear fairly quickly. They are not the heavy build like the standard blades.
We have tried add ons from Hustler and turbo baffles and versions of those baffles. Approx 12 different versions. That was an extremely long and frustrating process with no result in the end.
Hustler knows all about the issues and I am not the only one to tell them about it.
To give you a basic idea Ive attached a pic below. I chose this one as you can see how little Im cutting off. Some might think these little clumps are no big deal but when you ave 2 or 5 acres of them, they do become a big deal. Either looks terrible or spend the extra time cleaning them up! These clumps are from clippings building up on the rear of the chute and dropping o the ground. The grass cutting in the pic should of been easy and perfect finish but nooooo, lets double cut it and spend the extra time and money on something that shouldnt need doing!
Attachments
#33
B
bertsmobile1
B
bertsmobile1
Thank you,
Not some thing I have come across to date but worthwile knowing about.
I can understand why you are so cranky.
Which deck ?
Now as for the bade balance, front back is insignificant
If it was statically in balance it could very well still be dynamically out of balance when rotating due to both the actual variations in the flute and the ground effect of the underside of the deck.
If the blade was 12" wide or 10" thick then the front back might become significant . But on a 1/4" blade the moment of twist ( forgot the actual term been 40 years since college ) about the spindle axis will be insignificant.
This should be obvious if you think about it.
The action of cutting a blade of grass will try to twist the front edge of the blade down due to the chisel angle at the cutting edge however the fluteedge will suffer a massive down force, equal to the up draft, you know Newton's opposit & equal bit . and these two opposing but unequal forces will be in dynamic variation due to the fact your are mowing grass that is not level, has different ground levels, is not consistent in density etc,etc etc.
It is a blade. At any specific point in time the load on the blade will not be uniforn unless ou are mowing astro turf.
Having said that, tiny vibrations can cause some really weird actions.
We had a vibrational feeder for a furnace that would build a massive pile of metal at the lip but not one tiny piece would crop in untill about 1/4 of the load was at the edge then the whole 1/3 would drop in with a nice big 1800 deg C splash.
They never got that sorted,
Howeven under the deck the air stream does all of the transporting and the latientcy of the air should be damping out any pulsing effect.
Not some thing I have come across to date but worthwile knowing about.
I can understand why you are so cranky.
Which deck ?
Now as for the bade balance, front back is insignificant
If it was statically in balance it could very well still be dynamically out of balance when rotating due to both the actual variations in the flute and the ground effect of the underside of the deck.
If the blade was 12" wide or 10" thick then the front back might become significant . But on a 1/4" blade the moment of twist ( forgot the actual term been 40 years since college ) about the spindle axis will be insignificant.
This should be obvious if you think about it.
The action of cutting a blade of grass will try to twist the front edge of the blade down due to the chisel angle at the cutting edge however the fluteedge will suffer a massive down force, equal to the up draft, you know Newton's opposit & equal bit . and these two opposing but unequal forces will be in dynamic variation due to the fact your are mowing grass that is not level, has different ground levels, is not consistent in density etc,etc etc.
It is a blade. At any specific point in time the load on the blade will not be uniforn unless ou are mowing astro turf.
Having said that, tiny vibrations can cause some really weird actions.
We had a vibrational feeder for a furnace that would build a massive pile of metal at the lip but not one tiny piece would crop in untill about 1/4 of the load was at the edge then the whole 1/3 would drop in with a nice big 1800 deg C splash.
They never got that sorted,
Howeven under the deck the air stream does all of the transporting and the latientcy of the air should be damping out any pulsing effect.
#34
M
Micko
First thing I need to say is, my apologies for how badly written my post was! Oh man, I was in a rush but still, that was so badly written... Im embarrassed! Admittedly Im not very good at composition but still, doesn't go well for my credibility!
Before I say any more, I am quite drunk at the moment so I'll do the best I can in answering your questions...
The "VX4" has issues, known by everyone! The problems have been known for like, 2.5yrs. I dont remember the date exactly but Ive been stressing about it since like, March/April/May 2012.
Im not worried about that hole balance from the side thing but for the last god knows how long, its like 2 out of 3 blades are out of balance end to end. I have a Magna balancer/set up! As you know, if something is out of balance, it will cause vibration! Ive been cutting grass for over 20yrs and those vibrations have caused some problems! Not just the mower but the trimmer as well! I cant do much wit the trimmer but I can balance the mower blades!
Unbalanced blades may not be an issue for the spindles but they can certainly be a problem for the operator over time! Look up "HAVS"! Hand and Arm Vibration Syndrome! It has a few names but start there!
Yes, just the action of cutting grass drags the blades down. The super high lift blades I use at times is a great example of that! I use "chisel into wood" to try and describe the action. These blades can and do twist! That means (as you know) the cutting edge cuts deeper into the turf which in turn, exacerbates the problem ie, makes them twist! But, those blade make the VX4 work! Thats the fix in general conditions. Problems is, they bring there own issues!
Speaking of badly made blades, Ive bought them (the HL blades) in the past and they were already twisted from the manufacturing process! They punch up the "sail" to around 45deg which in turn, twists the blades. But not always! Got into an argument with my dealer about that actually but thats another story leading into my distrust and hatred for some dealers! I digress.... Point is, I understand completely how blades work and react in the mowing process!
You last line was about air! Im going to call it "air flow!" That is a huge issue with the VX4.
Have I covered everything? If not, let me know! More than happy to talk about this!
Im now going to go and pass out! Cheers!
M
Micko
Thank you,
Not some thing I have come across to date but worthwile knowing about.
I can understand why you are so cranky.
Which deck ?
Now as for the bade balance, front back is insignificant
If it was statically in balance it could very well still be dynamically out of balance when rotating due to both the actual variations in the flute and the ground effect of the underside of the deck.
If the blade was 12" wide or 10" thick then the front back might become significant . But on a 1/4" blade the moment of twist ( forgot the actual term been 40 years since college ) about the spindle axis will be insignificant.
This should be obvious if you think about it.
The action of cutting a blade of grass will try to twist the front edge of the blade down due to the chisel angle at the cutting edge however the fluteedge will suffer a massive down force, equal to the up draft, you know Newton's opposit & equal bit . and these two opposing but unequal forces will be in dynamic variation due to the fact your are mowing grass that is not level, has different ground levels, is not consistent in density etc,etc etc.
It is a blade. At any specific point in time the load on the blade will not be uniforn unless ou are mowing astro turf.
Having said that, tiny vibrations can cause some really weird actions.
We had a vibrational feeder for a furnace that would build a massive pile of metal at the lip but not one tiny piece would crop in untill about 1/4 of the load was at the edge then the whole 1/3 would drop in with a nice big 1800 deg C splash.
They never got that sorted,
Howeven under the deck the air stream does all of the transporting and the latientcy of the air should be damping out any pulsing effect.
First thing I need to say is, my apologies for how badly written my post was! Oh man, I was in a rush but still, that was so badly written... Im embarrassed! Admittedly Im not very good at composition but still, doesn't go well for my credibility!
Before I say any more, I am quite drunk at the moment so I'll do the best I can in answering your questions...
The "VX4" has issues, known by everyone! The problems have been known for like, 2.5yrs. I dont remember the date exactly but Ive been stressing about it since like, March/April/May 2012.
Im not worried about that hole balance from the side thing but for the last god knows how long, its like 2 out of 3 blades are out of balance end to end. I have a Magna balancer/set up! As you know, if something is out of balance, it will cause vibration! Ive been cutting grass for over 20yrs and those vibrations have caused some problems! Not just the mower but the trimmer as well! I cant do much wit the trimmer but I can balance the mower blades!
Unbalanced blades may not be an issue for the spindles but they can certainly be a problem for the operator over time! Look up "HAVS"! Hand and Arm Vibration Syndrome! It has a few names but start there!
Yes, just the action of cutting grass drags the blades down. The super high lift blades I use at times is a great example of that! I use "chisel into wood" to try and describe the action. These blades can and do twist! That means (as you know) the cutting edge cuts deeper into the turf which in turn, exacerbates the problem ie, makes them twist! But, those blade make the VX4 work! Thats the fix in general conditions. Problems is, they bring there own issues!
Speaking of badly made blades, Ive bought them (the HL blades) in the past and they were already twisted from the manufacturing process! They punch up the "sail" to around 45deg which in turn, twists the blades. But not always! Got into an argument with my dealer about that actually but thats another story leading into my distrust and hatred for some dealers! I digress.... Point is, I understand completely how blades work and react in the mowing process!
You last line was about air! Im going to call it "air flow!" That is a huge issue with the VX4.
Have I covered everything? If not, let me know! More than happy to talk about this!
Im now going to go and pass out! Cheers!