Hustler Raptor SD Discharge Trouble

[akcooper9]

We have had at least 3 complaints on this forum for it happening. Lets see we are but a small forum. Probably only see 10% of the world problems. If we have seen 3 then there are a lot more.

3 mowers with a loose bolt and that makes a bad mower...wow. I mean if 3 = 10% then what 100% = 30 that had loose bolts out of how many sold?

Ever had a loose lug nut? Did that make a bad car?

I would think dealer prep has more to do with loose bolts then it being a bad mower.

 

[BlazNT]

3 mowers with a loose bolt and that makes a bad mower...wow. I mean if 3 = 10% then what 100% = 30 that had loose bolts out of how many sold?

Ever had a loose lug nut? Did that make a bad car?

I would think dealer prep has more to do with loose bolts then it being a bad mower.

No it does not make it a bad mower. It is not a loose bolt it is all the bolts that hold on the drive motor. That would make 6 or 8. I personally don't have an opinion on the Raptor or Raptor SD. I don't us one and never had. I was just responding to your answer. Dealer prep as far as I know does not touch the drives as they are installed in the factory. Quality control would have that distinction. I personally have only one thing to say about the Raptor model. Greed is what created that line pure and simple greed. Hustler is a great brand and I can not believe they would lower there standards to sale more mowers. It is an untapped market for them but is it really worth ruining your reputation for that. Hustler should have stayed in the commercial mower market as with John Deere, Cub Cadet, and the list goes on. Plenty of mower companies for consumers that work well.

End of rant.

 

[kraky]

It seems a little stunning to think that a company that sees a Marketplace is active is therefor "greedy". What these companies are seeing is that people that formerly bought lawn tractors are now ready for the zero turn Market but they can't afford the $6,000 units. I hardly ever saw Zero Turn Around this town 10 years ago but now they're all over the place. Of course the challenge is to build something of quality when you're only going to try and sell it for $3,000. If you ever took the fender shell off some of these lawn tractors that sell for $3,000 and looked at the frame and single Hydro you would just about fall over how lite everything is. I know because I worked at a John Deere dealership for 30 years. And of course most lawn tractors only mowed at 5 miles an hour and now these $3,000 zero turns are zipping around at 7 or 8 miles an hour and trying to stay together.
In all honesty I'm pretty shocked when I look at the components of a $3,800 Hustler and compare it to what I saw on $4,000 John Deere lawn tractors 15 years ago..... believe me component wise there's a whole lot more in the Hustler. Now whether or not the engineers have everything exactly perfectly put-together is another story.... and is probably the center of the debate here.

 

[Carscw]

I knew someone would bring up johndeere
You can not compare a $4000 JD to any other $4000 mower. JD will lose every time.

I used a SD for two weeks I hated it. The deck clogged very easy.
It was not good on hills.
The drives are to weak.
I will stick with my Toro's for less money.

 

[BlazNT]

I think it it greed because they seem to be a very healthy company doing very well for them selves. Yet still need to build consumer grade (aka crap). It may be better crap then the other brands I truly don't know but it is a real step down from their commercial line. I know all about John Deere. I think the old saying applies here on your talking about zero turn mowers. "If you build it they will come."
They could have come to a $4000.00 dollar price mark too but cheap cost and high profit is the greed of this century. I do not hate anybody or company for it I just can't believe how many people can be led around by the nose and not even know it. I for one am much smarter than that. I research all my purchases and include all brands that I can purchase within a short drive or have delivered for a reasonable price. Price performance is more important to me then price or status.

 

[kraky]

I knew someone would bring up johndeere
You can not compare a $4000 JD to any other $4000 mower. JD will lose every time.

I used a SD for two weeks I hated it. The deck clogged very easy.
It was not good on hills.
The drives are to weak.
I will stick with my Toro's for less money.

That's kind of funny.... between the economical John Deere Sabre line... and the upscale John Deere's we ran pretty much every other dealer out of town. We serviced a town of 4000 plus a rural area... we sold between 200 and 350 ride on units every year and 50 compact tractors. We did 2 million in lawn and garden sales. But...John Deere knows how to engineer things to make a profit there's no doubt about it.

I'm curious about your constant claims that the 2800 hydros are weak on the raptor SD.... could you tell us more about that experience.?

 

[BlazNT]

That's kind of funny.... between the economical John Deere Sabre line... and the upscale John Deere's we ran pretty much every other dealer out of town. We serviced a town of 4000 plus a rural area... we sold between 200 and 350 ride on units every year and 50 compact tractors. We did 2 million in lawn and garden sales. But...John Deere knows how to engineer things to make a profit there's no doubt about it.

I'm curious about your constant claims that the 2800 hydros are weak on the raptor SD.... could you tell us more about that experience.?

How much did the service department make each year?

 

[Carscw]

That's kind of funny.... between the economical John Deere Sabre line... and the upscale John Deere's we ran pretty much every other dealer out of town. We serviced a town of 4000 plus a rural area... we sold between 200 and 350 ride on units every year and 50 compact tractors. We did 2 million in lawn and garden sales. But...John Deere knows how to engineer things to make a profit there's no doubt about it. I'm curious about your constant claims that the 2800 hydros are weak on the raptor SD.... could you tell us more about that experience.?

The mower slows down to much going up steep hills. I drives whine. A lot of times when turning the side that should be going in reverse will stop moving. I am betting it is not the drives them self but the drive belt set up is letting the belt slip.

I have many mowers over 50.
I know a poor built mower when I see it.

As far as junkdeere goes people will keep buying them for the name. But people that know about mowers know they are the bottom of the list.

 

[NorthernTown]

i also cut my deck opening to get rid of that corner that holds a lot of grass.
there are threads on here with this info

That's the first thing I thought of even before I bought it, because when I looked at the discharge, I wondered why they didn't leave it completely open. I even questioned the dealer on whether they had any complaints on the discharge clogging, and he said out of the thirty + he sold, he could remember only one that complained. I thought maybe it had something to do with air flow plus I hated the idea of having to take my cutting torch to a brand new mower to make it work. I guess maybe I'll have to cut the deck opening if the dealer doesn't resolve it. I was looking for a mower that would cut the grass with no trouble if for some reason (weather or work) I didn't get it cut when it should have and it got a little tall or thick or was still a little damp. So far, this Hustler is not the answer, and is actually the worse of any brands I've previously used for clogging and grass hanging up underneath the deck. I doubt that the dealer will be able to come up with any answers either, but who knows. Maybe I'll have to try the Gator blades.

 

[BlazNT]

I have a friend that has a John Deere Lawn tractor down the street. I asked him one day why a JD. He said My grandpa and dad have always bought them so I did too. I asked did you compare it to any other mower. His answer was no.

Lead around by the nose. Sheep mentality. Maybe more like lemmings mentality.