Raptor Review

[serelaw]

Yea, I have some non skid tape stuff on the deck of the MZT-52.
Almost like it is a designated place to put a foot. Maybe just for liability because
Husky knows peeps will step there. The deck is heavy duty enough to take the weight and constructed
well enough to take it repeatedly.
There is a metal cover on the pulley and a "No step" sticker on the cover also.
When I looked at the Kubotas 123 124 the sales guy said stepping there
was no problem. I tried it and it did without a lot of flexing.I guess using common sense and reason
would be called into play when making the "Should I or should I not" decision.

 

[Ric]

I don't know about you guy's ZTR's(or the length of your stride) but stepping "over" the 52" deck on my Gravely to get on it would be a BIG step(and possibly dangerous). That's the first time I've seen advice that suggests that all ZTR's should be mounted at the front, but I have seen some that this would be kinda difficult to do based upon the front fork and foot plate design/height. Granted, I do from time to time when cutting and have to get off in a tight area(no room on left side of mower) mount/dismount from the front of my Gravely, but under normal circumstances I use the pulley cover step. Besides, it has a raised perforation steel cover on the left side of the deck(from the sitting position) that is "specifically" designed as a step. When my deck height is set, the deck is extremely stable and doesn't budge when my 170lbs steps on it. I would agree that some of the less expensive ZTR's that don't have chain hung decks may not recommend using the deck for getting on/off, but I'm glad mine is made for that. Makes getting on/off REAL easy. Are there any other users that have "designed steps" on their particular ZTR???

P.S.
You may notice that I originally stated "accidentally stepped on the plastic pulley cover". Some owners may briefly "forget" if they are in a bit of a hurry and step off the left side:0(

Well There are some ZTR's like the Walker or the Grass-Hopper with front mount decks that can be be mounted or dismounted from the side along with those that have a steering wheels granted, but the mowers are designed that way. The thing is if you have a chain hung deck or bracketed deck either will move and the first thing you will do when you exit the mower from the side even before you step on the deck is grab the lap bar to steady yourself so you don't put undo stepping pressure on the deck so it's possible to be hurting the mower in two places because the lap bar isn't meant to be used as a handle too exit the machine. Unless it has a sticker that says step here you really shouldn't be on it.

The other thing I'm hearing here is the talk about there decks being heavy duty enough to take the weight, now it's true an 11 ga. deck is a fairly heavy deck when compared to a stamped deck but when you consider the commercial rigs are made as heavy as 7 ga. really how well constructed are they to take the abuse.

 

[djdicetn]

Yea, I have some non skid tape stuff on the deck of the MZT-52.
Almost like it is a designated place to put a foot. Maybe just for liability because
Husky knows peeps will step there. The deck is heavy duty enough to take the weight and constructed
well enough to take it repeatedly.
There is a metal cover on the pulley and a "No step" sticker on the cover also.
When I looked at the Kubotas 123 124 the sales guy said stepping there
was no problem. I tried it and it did without a lot of flexing.I guess using common sense and reason
would be called into play when making the "Should I or should I not" decision.

Yep, the construction of the X-Factor deck on the Gravely was one of the main reasons I decided on buying it. It is built so solid that I can literally stand on it at any cutting position and "jump up & down" on it and it doesn't "budge". That's not saying it is smart to do that:0)

Like I said earlier, the left side pulley cover is a heavier gauge metal than the right one and has raised perforations. It is specifically designated as a step and the dealer made sure he showed me the recommended mount/dis-mount procedure. The right side is a lesser gauge metal, does not have the raised perforations and the dealer told me should NOT be used as a step(besides, it's not real safe to get off the mower on the side where the discharge chute is....especially if it is running). In regard to the lap bar, mentioned by user Ric....the dealer told me that if I apply the handbrake before dis-mounting the ZTR it "locks" the lap bars(and the trannies, where you cannot move the lap bar forward or backward) and it is actually OK to use the left one to steady yourself. The dealer actually used the lap bar to steady himself when he was demonstrating the ZTR to me. He told me to just not apply any excessive force or "pull hard on it"....duhhhhhh:0)

But I agree that this pulley cover step feature isn't something universal for ZTR's and you should consult your owner's manual and/or dealer before using the cover as a step. Again, as small of a feature the step and the Commercial 7 gauge chain-hung deck were something the Gravely had that I didn't see on some of the other ZTR's I looked at. I am pretty certain that the Gravely ZT HD and higher models have the "built-in step" but the Residential ZT and XL models don't. I guess we should get back on topic at this point.

Sooooo, Ric, what do you think about the Hustler RSD with some early reports of belts and belt tension springs breaking???? You can get into a Dixie Chopper Zee 2 or Toro Titan(the MX series is my personal pick for you:0) for the same money as the RSD.

 

[RaptorSD]

The Raptor SD blades have a blunt edge from the factory, I know this didn't help my belt and spring problem. I made the first 3 passes with the chute down against my better judgement and the heat buildup was to much. I'll say that the LT2000 again finished the job with chute down, sharper blades, taking a half pass in thicker grass. Maybe some efficiency is lost in the bigger belt and higher rpm making it more susceptible to overheating, combine that with dull blades..I've seen replacement excel blades which are razor sharp. My ZTR experience is limited to the 9hrs I have on my SD if that says anything.

Other than that I like the welded deck, low CG, wide tires, light weight fuel efficient therefore maybe the ZH2800's are more than up to the task. We'll see I'll have plenty of terrain to put it to the test, I'm not scared to dig into a 2800 at some point down the road if needed. The cut is nice.

Still wondering if I should have gone with a Toro Titan or the Husky MZ52 looks real good for the $$.

Edit: the Raptor SD deck metal is cut away on top at the chute, mowing with the chute up is not a good idea and may expose the right side blade to the operator.

 

[serelaw]

The other thing I'm hearing here is the talk about there decks being heavy duty enough to take the weight, now it's true an 11 ga. deck is a fairly heavy deck when compared to a stamped deck but when you consider the commercial rigs are made as heavy as 7 ga. really how well constructed are they to take the abuse.

What you are hearing is that there are some machines designed for the deck to be used as a step and it is ok to do so.
Also, I am not an engineer. I am not qualified to make assumptions about how thick the metal has to be before it is strong or weak enough to be used as a step. I'm sure the designers and legal department took all that stuff into consideration. I trust that my salesman who showed me how to mount and dismount the machine (both ways front and side) without using the steering handle or using it or using the rops or the drink holder knows what he is talking about. I just went out and stood on the deck and it moved maybe 3/16 of an inch. Now accepting that the deck moves up and down more than that hundreds of times while I mow I fairly certain MY MZT-52 chain hung fabricated built like a tank deck is really not being abused by my stepping on it occasionally. Your point about the stamped deck being usually smaller in thickness is astute. I thought hey my deck is 11 ga, what is the floor plate I stand on and my feet rest after I mount my mower. Wow. 11 ga. The designers felt it was safe. So really, if the floorboard is the same gauge as the deck and the deck has more support than the floorboard then what the heck. Safe enough for me huh?

 

[serelaw]

The Raptor SD blades have a blunt edge from the factory, I know this didn't help my belt and spring problem. I made the first 3 passes with the chute down against my better judgement and the heat buildup was to much. I'll say that the LT2000 again finished the job with chute down, sharper blades, taking a half pass in thicker grass. Maybe some efficiency is lost in the bigger belt and higher rpm making it more susceptible to overheating, combine that with dull blades..I've seen replacement excel blades which are razor sharp. My ZTR experience is limited to the 9hrs I have on my SD if that says anything.

Other than that I like the welded deck, low CG, wide tires, light weight fuel efficient therefore maybe the ZH2800's are more than up to the task. We'll see I'll have plenty of terrain to put it to the test, I'm not scared to dig into a 2800 at some point down the road if needed. The cut is nice.

Still wondering if I should have gone with a Toro Titan or the Husky MZ52 looks real good for the $$.

I'm positive that mower is gonna be the master of any lawn party you take it to.
Proper maintenance with the correct fuels, oils, filters and Plugs will keep it mowing for many years.
Every manufacturer has used the 2800 and had much success. You've got the blade thing down pat so it's clear sailing from here on.
I am happy for you with the new mower. Please keep us updated. I know I enjoy reading this stuff.

 

[serelaw]

Ric
Looking forward to what you purchase.
I know nothing about the raptor so I can't help.
Good luck.

 

[Ric]

Yep, the construction of the X-Factor deck on the Gravely was one of the main reasons I decided on buying it. It is built so solid that I can literally stand on it at any cutting position and "jump up & down" on it and it doesn't "budge". That's not saying it is smart to do that:0)

Like I said earlier, the left side pulley cover is a heavier gauge metal than the right one and has raised perforations. It is specifically designated as a step and the dealer made sure he showed me the recommended mount/dis-mount procedure. The right side is a lesser gauge metal, does not have the raised perforations and the dealer told me should NOT be used as a step(besides, it's not real safe to get off the mower on the side where the discharge chute is....especially if it is running). In regard to the lap bar, mentioned by user Ric....the dealer told me that if I apply the handbrake before dis-mounting the ZTR it "locks" the lap bars(and the trannies, where you cannot move the lap bar forward or backward) and it is actually OK to use the left one to steady yourself. The dealer actually used the lap bar to steady himself when he was demonstrating the ZTR to me. He told me to just not apply any excessive force or "pull hard on it"....duhhhhhh:0)

But I agree that this pulley cover step feature isn't something universal for ZTR's and you should consult your owner's manual and/or dealer before using the cover as a step. Again, as small of a feature the step and the Commercial 7 gauge chain-hung deck were something the Gravely had that I didn't see on some of the other ZTR's I looked at. I am pretty certain that the Gravely ZT HD and higher models have the "built-in step" but the Residential ZT and XL models don't. I guess we should get back on topic at this point.

Sooooo, Ric, what do you think about the Hustler RSD with some early reports of belts and belt tension springs breaking???? You can get into a Dixie Chopper Zee 2 or Toro Titan(the MX series is my personal pick for you:0) for the same money as the RSD.

I really don't think much about the RSD and it's problems because it's a relatively new mower and it's going to have it's share of problems for awhile and the people who buy them will have too put up with the problems until Hustler gets things worked out the same way I did with the Turf-master.

As for your picks of the Dixie Chopper Zee 2 or Toro Titan(the MX series along with Husqvarna they are or would good mowers for homeowner use and not much more. Personally I'd pick the RSD over all of them because it's a better built mower than the rest, but that's just my opinion.

As far as using the deck of any ZTR or mower as a step IMO shouldn't be done and I've never used one as such and never will but the fact is It's something I'll never worry about because I'll never own another ZTR again.