Raptor SD cut quality - any recommendations?

[kraky]

Thanks Mooch...and how about ground speed vrs quality of cut. Is there a big difference between say 3-4 MPH vrs full ground speed? I love the idea of the SD having the monster tires, kaw engine, and 2800 hydros but quality of cut is important to me. It almost seems to me your lawn is "so thick" it won't let the clippings drop in between the grass blades to disappear?
Are you happy enough to keep the machine.....or.....shopping again...lol?

 

[mooch91]

Thanks Mooch...and how about ground speed vrs quality of cut. Is there a big difference between say 3-4 MPH vrs full ground speed? I love the idea of the SD having the monster tires, kaw engine, and 2800 hydros but quality of cut is important to me. It almost seems to me your lawn is "so thick" it won't let the clippings drop in between the grass blades to disappear?
Are you happy enough to keep the machine.....or.....shopping again...lol?

I've cut at full speed and have slowed it down considerably. I see a bit poorer discharge and cut at full speed, but I can never move slow enough to totally stop the uneven discharge and clumping from my mower.

I'm waiting for the opportunity to demo a couple of other machines before passing final judgment on the Raptor SD for my lawn...

 

[turboawd]

i wonder if you could benefit from a mulching kit. it would probably keep the grass suspended longer in the deck and chew up the grass more.

Shop Hustler 54-in Zero-Turn Radius Mower (ZTR) Mulch Kit at Lowes.com

 

[RaptorSDer]

I've cut at full speed and have slowed it down considerably. I see a bit poorer discharge and cut at full speed, but I can never move slow enough to totally stop the uneven discharge and clumping from my mower. I'm waiting for the opportunity to demo a couple of other machines before passing final judgment on the Raptor SD for my lawn...

Are you going to demo another SD to make sure it's not an issue specific to your unit? I had an older Dixon that was having issues much like yours and I (after much headache) found out I had a belt slipping. With a new belt with proper tension it was back to cutting like new.

 

[PVHIII]

Are you going to demo another SD to make sure it's not an issue specific to your unit? I had an older Dixon that was having issues much like yours and I (after much headache) found out I had a belt slipping. With a new belt with proper tension it was back to cutting like new.

When he demo's that Fast Trak he's not gonna want to get off of it...It will literally mow circles around that Raptor...been there done that lol

 

[mooch91]

Are you going to demo another SD to make sure it's not an issue specific to your unit? I had an older Dixon that was having issues much like yours and I (after much headache) found out I had a belt slipping. With a new belt with proper tension it was back to cutting like new.

Is this something I can check now? I've never thrown a belt, or had one shred, like some folks on this forum so I never gave it much consideration. But I don't believe there are any adjustments on the deck belt, just a spring that holds it in place.

If there's a troubleshooting procedure for the deck belt, I'd love to give it a shot.

 

[KrashnKraka]

Is this something I can check now? I've never thrown a belt, or had one shred, like some folks on this forum so I never gave it much consideration.

... maybe there is a clue in that?
Like, your deck is not loading up.

But I don't believe there are any adjustments on the deck belt, just a spring that holds it in place.
I
If there's a troubleshooting procedure for the deck belt, I'd love to give it a shot.

Been following along in this loooooong thread about not a lot
to break wind now and point out what seems to have been missed
as comment.... for the grass you are cutting that is a hell of a lot
of remanant adorning your ride. It looks like you have been cutting
tiger grass!
A video would help some but I read now you may be getting closer
to solving your issue...deck setup.

Has to be what it is, your ride is coasting, there is significant
blowby, you report little suction and now you say no belts used
in that kind of acreage. I reckon that sucker is not loaded up.

My ride is not in the same league as you big boys but by crikey
you have to wear long pants or it will suck yer foreskin off the seat!
Ol'Yella sounds like a hovercraft coming up the driveway and spits
4" of cut near on 20' off the chute.
The missus is forever doing wheelies near the driveway, missing her
track, spewing me $140/m 1/2 white marble back over the lawn.
Does me back in picking that stuff up and finding it's spot in
the driveway!! At least I don't need to clean under the deck those
days..heh.

So far - aside from a comment about brands that just will not work -
the best advice I have noted is to ride another machine with the same
nomenculture as yours. Then catalogue how it is setup and copy it.

.... in for a penny in for a pound, setup?

KK

 

[kraky]

This thread is now really long and it may have been covered already but I've seen posts where guys claim there was a certain period of time where raptors got out of the factory w/wrong sized pulleys which slowed blade speed. The story seems a bit funny in that a person would think wrong pulleys would affect belt tension. I guess it would be worth looking to see if your belt is real shiney/glazed on the outside?
When I shopped a raptor sd54 and referenced cutting issues w/the dealer he said he'd equip it w/high lift blades and tilt the deck down a tiny bit at the rear. He said the theory is it breaks the seal of the deck allowing air up front and better discharge. Just saying what he said. He's waiting for another shipment. He seems to be selling alot of these.
Mooch....do the high lift blades take more power than the standard ones?

 

[kraky]

Another idea...over at Exmarks factory site they talk about "breaking the air seal" too. But they prefer dipping the deck at the front. One way they suggested playing with the idea was to level the deck then use air pressure in the tires to do the dipping. It kinda make sense that it would be easier than playing w/deck adjudtments over and over again. A guy could pretty easily try a combination short term playing w/the tires.

 

[PVHIII]

This thread is now really long and it may have been covered already but I've seen posts where guys claim there was a certain period of time where raptors got out of the factory w/wrong sized pulleys which slowed blade speed. The story seems a bit funny in that a person would think wrong pulleys would affect belt tension. I guess it would be worth looking to see if your belt is real shiney/glazed on the outside?
When I shopped a raptor sd54 and referenced cutting issues w/the dealer he said he'd equip it w/high lift blades and tilt the deck down a tiny bit at the rear. He said the theory is it breaks the seal of the deck allowing air up front and better discharge. Just saying what he said. He's waiting for another shipment. He seems to be selling alot of these.
Mooch....do the high lift blades take more power than the standard ones?

Pulley size also affects BTS which in turn affects cut quality and discharge... I think this is what the OP was questioning not necessarily the tension of the belt....smaller the pulley faster the BTS...larger the pulley the slower the BTS...just like gears... I may have this formula wrong but it's one way or the other.