Export thread

Hi there from Australia,

I have just purchased a new house and there is a lawn/pasture of about 2 to 2.25 acres to mow. It has a very slight slope across the block. It is basically square shaped. There are no trees/obstacles to mow around other than the house, but in time I could add a few trees/shed etc. There are a few small rocks/divots but I intend to improve the quality of the grass over time.

I have been over analysing mowers and have narrowed my search down to a Hustler in large part because it looks more robust than other mowers (toro, husky), it is very price competitive (against other zero-turns) and I really like/trust the dealer.

My goal is to spend as little time as can on the weekend on a mower, have a reliable unit that lasts and cuts well. The current owner has a 42' tractor mower and it takes him 2 hours to mow. I want to get that down to around 1hr (less if I can!).

Based on budget I am thinking:

1. Raptor 52'
2. Raptor SD 48'
3. Raptor SD 54'

Cost in Aus is around AUD$6,400 for the Raptor 52', AUD$7,400 for the Raptor SD 48' and around AUD$7,800 for the Raptor SD 54'. Based on current exchange rate that makes the Raptor 52' about $5k and the SD 54' $6k in US dollars! Hence I am not looking at the Fastrac models.

Based on your experiences which mower will break the hour time goal (if any or all). I think the SD will be more robust but not sure if the extra cost is worth it.

Really appreciate all your comments/suggestions and advice.

Thanks

I have no direct experience with these mowers (I run commercial units) but doing a side-by-side comparison of the specs I would definitely recommend the SD for the many upgrades that make it a more robust machine, and if you're going to get the SD you may as well get the 54 inch for the small price difference. In your case I can't see any advantage to getting the 48 and you'd probably regret not getting the larger machine. You likely won't get your lawn cut in an hour at first, but with some experience on the machine it's certainly within its capabilities.

Darryl G said:

I have no direct experience with these mowers (I run commercial units) but doing a side-by-side comparison of the specs I would definitely recommend the SD for the many upgrades that make it a more robust machine, and if you're going to get the SD you may as well get the 54 inch for the small price difference. In your case I can't see any advantage to getting the 48 and you'd probably regret not getting the larger machine. You likely won't get your lawn cut in an hour at first, but with some experience on the machine it's certainly within its capabilities.

Click to expand...

Thanks Darryl - I will see how i go on price with the dealer on the 54 and keep you posted. Appreciate your comments. Cheers

I recently purchased the Raptor SD 54" and so far it has performed flawlessly.
It was highly recommended by others on this forum, but, as with everything,
it does have its detractors.........

Ronno6 said:

I recently purchased the Raptor SD 54" and so far it has performed flawlessly.
It was highly recommended by others on this forum, but, as with everything,
it does have its detractors.........

Click to expand...

Thanks Ronno6 - do you think it can mow 2 acres in an hour? (Slight slope/no obstacles) Cheers

Tassie mowing said:

Thanks Ronno6 - do you think it can mow 2 acres in an hour? (Slight slope/no obstacles) Cheers

Click to expand...

I would say that the mower's speed is adequate for that, but it also depends on you smooth
your surfaces are. My yard is not the smoothest, and I bounce around quite a bit.
Hence my yield is a bit lower.

I read a post somewhere that Hustler's website indicates that the Raptor SD54 can cut 3.27acres/hour.

There are others who may have more experience who could give a more definitive answer to that question.

Ronno6 said:

I would say that the mower's speed is adequate for that, but it also depends on you smooth
your surfaces are. My yard is not the smoothest, and I bounce around quite a bit.
Hence my yield is a bit lower.

I read a post somewhere that Hustler's website indicates that the Raptor SD54 can cut 3.27acres/hour.

There are others who may have more experience who could give a more definitive answer to that question.

Click to expand...

oh yeah, it inhales the straight sections. Turning around takes as much time as 50-75' of straight run.

Ronno6 said:

I would say that the mower's speed is adequate for that, but it also depends on you smooth
your surfaces are. My yard is not the smoothest, and I bounce around quite a bit.
Hence my yield is a bit lower.

I read a post somewhere that Hustler's website indicates that the Raptor SD54 can cut 3.27acres/hour.

There are others who may have more experience who could give a more definitive answer to that question.

Click to expand...

You take those figures with a grain of salt.
They are calculated by multiplying out the width of the deck x the maximum ground speed and don't take into account that some decks require nearly 1/3 overlap to cut the grass properly ( depends upon the grass as well )
Ignores corners which take more time than strait mowing despite being less than 1/10 the ground area.

It also ignores that most paddocks do not have an entry and exit point diagonally opposite each other

I don't know how Hustler calculates their productivity but a 15% overlap is commonly calculated into manufacturer productivity figures.

I have the SD 48 and I have been very happy with it, for your size area I would go for the SD 54.

retfr8flyr said:

I have the SD 48 and I have been very happy with it, for your size area I would go for the SD 54.

Click to expand...

How much quicker would the Fastrac 60 be over the SD 54? 10-12% quicker for mower deck width ??% for speed or is the speed not going to change?

So would appreciate if someone could please give me their best guess for how long it would take on the 54 SD versus the 60 Fastrac for 2 acres, rather square level run, not perfectly smooth surface but ok, a house and 4-5 trees to mow around.?

Just trying to work out if the extra $$$ is worth it. If it dropped the time by 20-30 min ok, but 6 min not really.

thanks for your help.

I upgraded to a Fastrak 54. Great mower for me and I'm glad that I made the jump from the Raptor to the Fastrak. I almost have it paid for, don't owe too much more... (its wasn't cheap)

I guess it was like a Vidal Sassoon commercial in my head, "I'm worth It!!!":laughing:

Oh well, no annual interest on the deal. But STILL paying!!!!

Best of luck on your choice.

I just purchased a 2018 Raptor Limited for $3400 out the door.... I only have .7 acres.... works great for me.... came with flex forks and upgraded seat.

No matter what deck size or ground speed you choose, you will ultimately have to consider the grass conditions to which you mow in. Sad to say that not all mowers can leave a quality cut at maximum ground speed. Last summer I saw very little time savings going from a 50" Cub Cadet rider to a 48" eXmark. This is because I saw that the Cub Cadet with a much more powerful engine could mow through my specific grass with ease whereas I need to slow the eXmark down to allow it to cut all the blades of grass beneath the deck. In the Raptor lineup the SDX is arguable the best out at the moment considering the SD or the Limited. Still, with 2800 hydros it is not of commercial quality, but for someone who might put 50-75 hours a year on it, that should be fine.

I would go for the The Raptor SD 48 or 52. Raptor SD is a low profile, heavy-duty premium residential zero-turn with a deep fabricated steel deck, toughest front end with large caster tyres, and exceptional control and handling.

Mow&Go said:

I just purchased a 2018 Raptor Limited for $3400 out the door.... I only have .7 acres.... works great for me.... came with flex forks and upgraded seat.

Click to expand...

I see the fuel shutoff valve there in the first picture. Do they come with those now? my 1st year SD doesn't have one.