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Went to my Hustler dealer yesterday to buy blades, filters, etc.
When I asked for transmission filters, as I was going to change the fluid and filters at about 65 hours, I was told by the dealer that unless I was having trouble, that Hustler recommended that I not change the transmission fluid and filters at all.
Can this be correct? Thanks for your advice.
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I'd want to hear it from the factory.

Hustler recommends an initial hydro system service at 75 hours or 1 year (whichever occurs first) and thereafter every 200 hours or 2 years (whichever occurs first) for the Raptor SD.

There is general agreement that the initial service of hydro systems should always be performed. When it comes to service after that opinions vary. Personally I'm of the belief that servicing hydros after the initial service can do more harm than good due to the potential to introduce contaminants unless the hydro oil shows signs that it is spent (burnt smell).

In any case, servicing the hydros needs to be done with great care and with meticulous attention to cleanliness and not introducing dust/dirt/debris into the system. If it can't be done properly then it is probably best to just leave it be in my opinion.

If the hydros didn't have a filter, I'd agree.

The filter gives a false sense of security. The filter does no good for contaminants that have to go through the precision-ground surfaces of the pump to get to the filter. By the time the filter removes them the damage is already done...

Are you sure that's the way it works? If so, there would be no reason to have a filter.

My Manual for the raptorSD I just sold said initial change for ZT2800's that are on there were to be done at 75 hours. I had 74 hours and changed it. and then we bought the property next door and I got a bigger mower so I just sold it.

now my "new" one was a demo with 43 hours. A ferris stander. Anyway, they told me at that dealership they wouldn't touch it ever unless there was a problem. They said in addition to being a power sports dealer, he also owned a company that built parts for hydro drives and the metals were so good and tolerances so tight that you're just asking for problems by cracking them open to change the oil.

Of course, everyone has their own opinion on the matter. When I did the initial change on my Hustler I was amazed at how "silver" the oil looked. I thought maybe there was moisture in there and milky from sitting over winter, but it was more silver than milky. I'm not sure if that's normal or not, it was the first hydro change I ever did. I will note, I do a drain and fill on our Honda minivan every time I change the oil, and the first time I did it with that, I was blown away at the amount of metal that was on that magnetic plug the first few times I did that too.

cpurvis said:

Are you sure that's the way it works? If so, there would be no reason to have a filter.

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Yes I'm sure. That's why I tell people it's usually best to not mess with them. The tolerances between the mating surfaces are so tight that debris can't get through and just sits there abrading the surfaces until it cuts a slot big enough to get through.

cpurvis said:

Are you sure that's the way it works? If so, there would be no reason to have a filter.

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I'm with this post then.
If the filters don't help, what's the point of the filter.

The filter is there to remove wear debris, not the crap that careless people get in the system thinking they're doing the right thing over servicing it. :smile:

how does oil move around the system? I mean, I could see metallic shavings in the oil I took out, how does that get thru the pump? I'd have to think people are being pretty careless changing fluids to have something that big or abrasive get in there. Like metals are going to be more abrasive than some dust I would think.

Many of the dust particles floating around and which may also be adhered to mower surfaces are harder than steel (i.e. Quartz and Feldspar). And again, because of the close tolerances of the pump surfaces it doesn't have to be very large to cause an issue. The metal particles you may have seen in the oil/filter are tiny and able to pass through, but are of the same hardness so will not abrade the same way.

You guys can do whatever you want with your hydros, but I take what I feel is the safe route and leave mine be after an initial fluid and filter change. I have approximately 2000 hours on the hydros on both of my Exmarks with 1 fluid and filter change on each and they're both still quiet and function perfectly.

I'm no expert, I'm just following the advice of 5 head mechanics at mower shops that I've dealt with over the last 2 decades as a professional landscaper and it's worked for me.

I don't know what the correct action is. I've only ever had one mower with hydrogear transmissions, and I did do the initial change, only to get a bigger mower. So I won't ever know how they wear or last. My new mower I want to last a long, long time. But I don't know that I'll ever see 2000 hours on this one, I'll be almost 90 at the rate I cut grass. But at the end of this season I'll be faced with, do the initial change, or just leave it. I'm gathering all the info I can.

DK35vince said:

I'm with this post then.
If the filters don't help, what's the point of the filter.

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The filter stops repeat performances
Thus a piece of crud that damages the valve chest or valve plate hopefully will only do it once and wear particles will be removed before they clog valves .
Th problem is very few will take the time to clean the tranny properly before replacing the filter and filler cap .
I degrease, soda blast then pressure wash before I touch either cap or filter.
Yet there are 10,000 U-toob idiots showing you how to fill using funnels & tubes.
When you regularly pull out trannies you will understand just how much sand & other gritty debris ends up all around the transmission.
So unless it has a remote headder tank it comes out for cleaning before the oil gets changed.
Transmission oil filters are generally a lot finer than engine filters and if you are filtering down to 4 microns then dirt in there is a big problem.
When I have to pull one apart it gets done in the workshop shower cubicle after the walls are wetted down & when not being worked on is covered with a damp cloth.
Again you will see 5000 U-Tube fixes with the box sitting on a filthy floor or bench in a filthy shop with wide open doors allowing dirt & dust to drift in on the breeze.
And then you see the finished tranny working fine.
What you don't see is it fail in 1 or 2 seasons time dust to all the crud that was introduced during the pull down

I changed my hydro fluid and filters at 100 hours. The factory juice coming out looked perfectly good, light straw colored, not a speck of glitter or grey in it. It could have gone quite a bit longer.

EricC said:

I don't know what the correct action is. I've only ever had one mower with hydrogear transmissions, and I did do the initial change, only to get a bigger mower. So I won't ever know how they wear or last. My new mower I want to last a long, long time. But I don't know that I'll ever see 2000 hours on this one, I'll be almost 90 at the rate I cut grass. But at the end of this season I'll be faced with, do the initial change, or just leave it. I'm gathering all the info I can.

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So long as the hyrdos are still in warranty do whatever the manual says to do, save receipts, and while servicing take every measure possible to ensure that contamination does not get into the system. I only say this because should you have a warranty claim against Hydro-Gear during the warranty period, you are more likely to have a positive experience had you followed the manufacturer's recommendations as opposed to ignoring them. After the warranty period you can take whatever risk you want should you be confident that either leaving it or servicing it each year will cause you no problems.

I am of the mindset that if I follow the manufacturer's recommendations (in both servicing and operation) I should have the best possible experience from the equipment.

cruzenmike said:

So long as the hyrdos are still in warranty do whatever the manual says to do, save receipts, and while servicing take every measure possible to ensure that contamination does not get into the system. I only say this because should you have a warranty claim against Hydro-Gear during the warranty period, you are more likely to have a positive experience had you followed the manufacturer's recommendations as opposed to ignoring them. After the warranty period you can take whatever risk you want should you be confident that either leaving it or servicing it each year will cause you no problems.

I am of the mindset that if I follow the manufacturer's recommendations (in both servicing and operation) I should have the best possible experience from the equipment.

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That's where i'm leaning as well.

Straight out of the Hustler manual.....

"Initial system oil and filter change MUST be done after the first 75 hours of use or one year, whichever comes first. Thereafter, replace filter and oil in each transmission every two years or 200 hours, whichever comes first."

I changed mine at about 30 hours(1 year) and have about 120 more hours now 4 years later. I will change mine again, but I will likely wait a year or two more. Just not putting the hours others are on the transmissions.