Suspension seat

[Grassbuster]

My suspension seat arm rests are cracked and 3/4 to 1" of both tips have broken off. The mower is only 2 1/2 months old. Should this be covered under warranty?

[mowerconsultant]

It depends on what caused this to happen.
It really comes down to the dealer, have you talked to them about it yet?

Pj

[Grassbuster]

Yes - they said wear and tear....... 2 1/2 MONTHS, 135 hrs?? My old Exmark suspension seat lasted 5 years before it started to crack let alone fall apart. Thanks for the reply though.

[mowerconsultant]

Yes - they said wear and tear....... 2 1/2 MONTHS, 135 hrs?? My old Exmark suspension seat lasted 5 years before it started to crack let alone fall apart. Thanks for the reply though.

99% of the time these seats come from the same company, so I don't know how one could last longer than the other without having wear and tear.

[Happy Frog]

Damage like you describe on armrests after 2 1/2 months and 135 hrs of use cannot be classified as wear and tear (which is the definition the normal wear and tear occurring during the life of a product).
It is either damage from abuse (warranty does not applies) or hidden defect in the product (warranty applies).
It is the burden of the manufacturer to prove the the product was abused and that there is no defect in material or manufacture.
Considering the fact that your previous mower seat lasted a very long time under your use before showing any sign of wear and tear, I would say that your seat have some hidden defect its the manufacturing.
It can be from bad chemical mix, cure time, cure temperature, etc, etc...
If your dealer denies your warranty claim and you know (no point lying to yourself) the seat has not been abused, you can write Hustler to ask them to exchange the seat under warranty. They probably will and if it is, all is well. If it is not, you may want to consider another manufacturer for your next purchase.
The thing is that most manufacturers use the same brand of seat on their mowers and have no control on their manufacturing process. On the other hand, they are responsible for the warranty they offer to their customers and the way the warranty is applied.

[Grassbuster]

I agree thats true with mostly everything but how can my tips break off before the mower is even broken in? What is normal wear and tear on a mower that has 135 hrs? I'm not using the armrests as a diving board!! Truely I could see after a year of use and being in the sun and exposed to the elements all day & night, but this mower is garaged when not in its limited use.. normal wear & tear??? Questionable if you ask me.

[mowerconsultant]

I agree thats true with mostly everything but how can my tips break off before the mower is even broken in? What is normal wear and tear on a mower that has 135 hrs? I'm not using the armrests as a diving board!! Truely I could see after a year of use and being in the sun and exposed to the elements all day & night, but this mower is garaged when not in its limited use.. normal wear & tear??? Questionable if you ask me.

I have a regional manager that lives relatively close to you, can you email me your information please?
I can have this looked into further.

Pj

[Mickhippy]

Speaking of seats, my seats lost its resistance for want of a better word! My spine keeps bottoming out over rough ground. Its the Michigan fully adjustable type seat. Ive noticed the (wire) lines inside the seat have snapped and I wonder if thats got something to do with it?
Anyway, are these seats repairable or would I have to get a new one?

[mowerconsultant]

The cable you see is the cable that hooks up to the spring to control the suspension in the seat.
From what I see, we don't offer that part ourselves, sorry.
You can view the company site here > http://www.mi-seat.com/turf/5300.html
E-mail them, they will be able to help you find that cable.

Pj

[Mickhippy]

Thanks mate. Ive sent off an email and will let you know how I get on!
Cheers

[puppypaws]

Damage like you describe on armrests after 2 1/2 months and 135 hrs of use cannot be classified as wear and tear (which is the definition the normal wear and tear occurring during the life of a product).
It is either damage from abuse (warranty does not applies) or hidden defect in the product (warranty applies).
It is the burden of the manufacturer to prove the the product was abused and that there is no defect in material or manufacture.
Considering the fact that your previous mower seat lasted a very long time under your use before showing any sign of wear and tear, I would say that your seat have some hidden defect its the manufacturing.
It can be from bad chemical mix, cure time, cure temperature, etc, etc...
If your dealer denies your warranty claim and you know (no point lying to yourself) the seat has not been abused, you can write Hustler to ask them to exchange the seat under warranty. They probably will and if it is, all is well. If it is not, you may want to consider another manufacturer for your next purchase.
The thing is that most manufacturers use the same brand of seat on their mowers and have no control on their manufacturing process. On the other hand, they are responsible for the warranty they offer to their customers and the way the warranty is applied.

You wrote my thoughts exactly in this post, good job. The seat has defective materials, or it would last as well as the one on his Exmark. The Same seat, different quality and should be replaced under warranty, just because items come off the same assembly line does not make them the same. You could have Super Z's coming off back to back, one is excellent and the other a lemon don't know why, but it does happen and always will with anything man made.

[Mickhippy]

Putting my SZ in for a full service next week. I asked about the seat and was told they'd already had some spare cables made up so hopefully they can get it sorted for me. Sounds like its not the first time they'd seen it!

[mowerconsultant]

Putting my SZ in for a full service next week. I asked about the seat and was told they'd already had some spare cables made up so hopefully they can get it sorted for me. Sounds like its not the first time they'd seen it!

Thats a good dealer !!

[Mickhippy]

Yeah mate, very good! There more than just a dealer though!!!
While there about an hours drive from me, its well worth it even though I have a dealer only 10mins away. Straight to the source you might say!

[user5953]

Ahh I'm guessing with the mower only being not even 3 mths old. Your not keeping it in a garage when it's not being used are you?

I have two Super z's with the same seat and both mowers are a year old. NO cracks!

[mowerconsultant]

Yeah mate, very good! There more than just a dealer though!!!
While there about an hours drive from me, its well worth it even though I have a dealer only 10mins away. Straight to the source you might say!

You work with Hewlett as your dealer? right?

Pj

[Mickhippy]

Yep! You have a good company there doing the right thing for you guys! I believe they/Hustler just had a convention recently!

Had the service done and the lines in the seat repaired...
I dont know how long they'd been broken but the difference is unbelievable!

[mowerconsultant]

Yep! You have a good company there doing the right thing for you guys! I believe they/Hustler just had a convention recently!

Had the service done and the lines in the seat repaired...
I dont know how long they'd been broken but the difference is unbelievable!

No recent convention.. maybe you are thinking of Walker, they just had a big gathering a couple weeks ago.
We have a large dealer gathering next month.

Pj

[Mickhippy]

Ok, maybe not really a convention but I believe there were a few of your guys over here. I believe there was a good demo/field day demoing machines and a "little" wine drank. Spewing I didnt get an invite actually, wasnt far from me and Im partial to a good red or amber fluid, as you may know! lol
Not for public, just dealers and such I gather!
Maybe they dont want to admit it as there wives may find out! lol

[Turf Dawg]

Mine has a crack in it also, but it was caused by me not being careful when I raised the seat. Every now and then when I raise the seat the latch will not come down and the seat will go all the way over and hit the footplate with the end of the armrest. I hate when I mess something up on a few month old mower.

[mowerconsultant]

Ok, maybe not really a convention but I believe there were a few of your guys over here.

We did have a couple guys there the last couple weeks, they were doing some training and some schools.

Pj