Raptor SD cut quality - any recommendations?

[mooch91]

Yes some of us are!

Cutting down at 3 inches now with virtually no chute (cut square to the edge of the deck). We are practically in a drought here in PA so cuts are very dry. Using the super high lifts the dealer gave me.

Still leaving visible clippings a row or 2 over in some spots of the yard. It is cutting VERY smooth, just not getting the clippings as far out as it could. I measure that the clippings go about 5 feet out at most.

I might still be expecting too much. We are getting out first rain in over a month and I won't be out there again until this weekend (1 week cut interval) so this next cut will be a real test.

 

[Ric]

Yes some of us are!

Cutting down at 3 inches now with virtually no chute (cut square to the edge of the deck). We are practically in a drought here in PA so cuts are very dry. Using the super high lifts the dealer gave me.

Still leaving visible clippings a row or 2 over in some spots of the yard. It is cutting VERY smooth, just not getting the clippings as far out as it could. I measure that the clippings go about 5 feet out at most.

I might still be expecting too much. We are getting out first rain in over a month and I won't be out there again until this weekend (1 week cut interval) so this next cut will be a real test.

I seriously doubt that you are experiencing any dormancy, browning maybe but that's probably lack of water. I don't always agree with these cutting heights you read from all these organizations either but 99% of the time they are right. I had a client just put in a Fescue lawn a bit ago and I sure didn't like what they said to cut the lawn.

I started cutting it at 3 inches and I thought the lawn looked great but the people who installed the lawn had a bloom-in fit and at 3" I was having Trouble with the stuff browning out but I gave in but I told the guy when it died I wasn't going to replace the stuff but I wasn't that polite in my wording to him.

I looked online and everywhere I looked it told me the same as he did so I cut the stuff at 2.5 and a month later the lawn is the best looking lawn in the neighborhood. It did exactly what they said it would do. The articles I post are just a couple that I found online and there are lots of others I read also and all will tell you about the same thing.

As far as I'm concerned you can cut your lawn any height you like but your the one complaining about the cut and how it looks and what or how your mower is cutting.

 

[PVHIII]

Spoke with my dealer yesterday and he told me he will not sell any 60" models because of scalping issues... JS

 

[tjones524]

Here's mine 54" raptor sd with 2.0 hours on the clock, all stock.

 

[flightco]

Spoke with my dealer yesterday and he told me he will not sell any 60" models because of scalping issues... JS

Most all other dealers are carrying them.

 

[PVHIII]

Most all other dealers are carrying them.

That's a fairly broad statement... how do know this?....are you "most" all other dealers?...with all due respect that would almost be impossible to know without doin some kind of study.

 

[flightco]

That's a fairly broad statement... how do know this?....are you "most" all other dealers?...with all due respect that would almost be impossible to know without doin some kind of study.

It was a broad statement and I have seen you make some broad statements also; it is pretty obvious no one can speak for all dealers but we speak from our experience.

In the past week I have visited 7 Hustler dealers in Indiana and Illinois (I travel for a living so it was pretty easy to stop at a lot of different dealers, I actually stopped at many more than 7 but only 7 hustler dealers). Since I was considering the best value I was talking about everything from the 42 inch Raptor to the 60 inch SD. 5 had 60" in stock, the other two had them on order. So, of the seven dealers I spoke with, none indicated anything negative about the 60" to the degree they would not re-order.

On another note, one thing that pushed my decision is all the new mowers they are getting in (Raptor) have the KT725 motor rather than the Kaw. No one could tell me for sure if the SD would come with the Kaw or Kohler so I bought an SD on the spot to make sure I got the motor I wanted.

 

[flightco]

That's a fairly broad statement... how do know this?....are you "most" all other dealers?...with all due respect that would almost be impossible to know without doin some kind of study.

It was also 1 AM, I hadn't been drinking but was tired (why am I checking a lawn mower site before I go to bed after a 16 hour day). I will re-phrase -


All of the 7 dealers I spoke to in the past few weeks either have them in stock or on order and they are selling very well from what they told me.

 

[PVHIII]

It was a broad statement and I have seen you make some broad statements also; it is pretty obvious no one can speak for all dealers but we speak from our experience.

In the past week I have visited 7 Hustler dealers in Indiana and Illinois (I travel for a living so it was pretty easy to stop at a lot of different dealers, I actually stopped at many more than 7 but only 7 hustler dealers). Since I was considering the best value I was talking about everything from the 42 inch Raptor to the 60 inch SD. 5 had 60" in stock, the other two had them on order. So, of the seven dealers I spoke with, none indicated anything negative about the 60" to the degree they would not re-order.

On another note, one thing that pushed my decision is all the new mowers they are getting in (Raptor) have the KT725 motor rather than the Kaw. No one could tell me for sure if the SD would come with the Kaw or Kohler so I bought an SD on the spot to make sure I got the motor I wanted.

Lol....as opinionated as I am... I'm sure I have..unless I had a large FLAT yard I would avoid the 60" model...my dealer attributed it to the terrain around here...could be I guess...smart choice you made there going with Kawasaki instead of the Kohler..one of the many reasons I bought my Hustler..I don't think them Kohler's are gonna boost sales that's for sure...What most folks don't think about (and no I am not most folks) lol...at least I didn't anyway because I actually wanted a larger deck but they (dealer) didn't have one in stock and I don't do very well at waiting so I ended up with a 48" is unless you go up in engine size your gonna lose power with that larger deck..glad I ended up with my 48" because I feel like any bigger and mine woulda been under powered...FX691V and a 48" deck is a good combo...at least on my FTSD it is anyway..I hope you enjoy your new mower as much as I've enjoyed mine

 

[flightco]

Lol....as opinionated as I am... I'm sure I have..unless I had a large FLAT yard I would avoid the 60" model...my dealer attributed it to the terrain around here...could be I guess...smart choice you made there going with Kawasaki instead of the Kohler..one of the many reasons I bought my Hustler..I don't think them Kohler's are gonna boost sales that's for sure...What most folks don't think about (and no I am not most folks) lol...at least I didn't anyway because I actually wanted a larger deck but they (dealer) didn't have one in stock and I don't do very well at waiting so I ended up with a 48" is unless you go up in engine size your gonna lose power with that larger deck..glad I ended up with my 48" because I feel like any bigger and mine woulda been under powered...FX691V and a 48" deck is a good combo...at least on my FTSD it is anyway..I hope you enjoy your new mower as much as I've enjoyed mine

I really wanted the 48 but there were none in stock and he couldn't assure me if I waited for his order to come in it would have the Kawasaki engine. (I think it would, the Hustler web site is now showing the Raptor as either/or but not the SD). I could have purchased it at one of the other dealers but the dealer I worked with honored the Lowes 10% off coupon for the mower and accessories and he is installing them at no charge; therefore I have a 54". (I have to say, he seemed genuinely pleased with the order with the 10%, I was afraid if I found a dealer to honor it he would have an attitude).

I appreciated the humor about "most folks"