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opinions on a hustler raptor sd 54"?

42K views 8 replies 5 participants last post by  ducnut  
#1 ·
so i have about 20 empty lots that i cut. my home depot cub cadet blew an engine after 4 years and only 150 hours. so this time i want to get a better option than whats at the local box stores. plus i have more grass to cut now.
so i swung by a local hustler dealer and have my eyes on a hustler raptor sd 54". it has hydrogear 2800 trans, kawasaki engine 23HP*- FR691V
this mower is not quite full commercial spec, but then again i wont be cutting with it everyday.
what do you guys think?

the only mower in mind is a dixie chopper, possibly a zee 2 model if i went that route.

http://www.hustlerturf.com/products/raptor_SD
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#3 ·
Please spend more and at least get an "estate Mower" like the fastrak. Much heavier duty. If you were at my shop you would be walking out with an xone because I would give u a demo and actually show you why you need a commercial Mower. Sd raptor is made to mow 1 yard, commercial Mower is made to mow more than one yard. Basically an 800 hour machine versus a 3000 hour machine big difference. New Mower every 4 years, heck just double up today and get a 15 to 20 year Mower. My old neighbor has a 1981 model Grasshopper he bought (commercial) and he still cranks it up and mows his yard with it every week! Get 0% for 48 months and bite the bullet brotha!
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#4 ·
I have the exact same mower, it is a back up now, and it works well but its not made to run for hours on end. Also....the only thing I don't like about it is the deck lifts and how they connect to the deck using a straight rod. The back end of the lifts are wide open so if you hit anything hard enough with your deck, which I did, then it will knock the back end of the deck off. It is a high end residential mower. If you are going to be using it to mow different properties and run it for several hours a day then I would look at getting a low end commercial mower.
 
#5 ·
Please spend more and at least get an "estate Mower" like the fastrak. Much heavier duty. If you were at my shop you would be walking out with an xone because I would give u a demo and actually show you why you need a commercial Mower. Sd raptor is made to mow 1 yard, commercial Mower is made to mow more than one yard. Basically an 800 hour machine versus a 3000 hour machine big difference. New Mower every 4 years, heck just double up today and get a 15 to 20 year Mower. My old neighbor has a 1981 model Grasshopper he bought (commercial) and he still cranks it up and mows his yard with it every week! Get 0% for 48 months and bite the bullet brotha!
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^^^ Knows his stuff. I would do as he suggests and spend another $3k and get a commercial. You will be very happy you did. On most commercial mowers you can get 0% for 48 months. So the payments will not be all that much higher. For $175 a month you can get a very nice mower. No money down.
 
#6 ·
Please spend more and at least get an "estate Mower" like the fastrak. Much heavier duty. If you were at my shop you would be walking out with an xone because I would give u a demo and actually show you why you need a commercial Mower. Sd raptor is made to mow 1 yard, commercial Mower is made to mow more than one yard. Basically an 800 hour machine versus a 3000 hour machine big difference. New Mower every 4 years, heck just double up today and get a 15 to 20 year Mower. My old neighbor has a 1981 model Grasshopper he bought (commercial) and he still cranks it up and mows his yard with it every week! Get 0% for 48 months and bite the bullet brotha!
^^^ Agreed.

I have a FasTrak 42" (about the equivalent of what you're looking at) and an X-ONE. There is no possible way I'd want to use the FasTrak on 20 lots. If you're getting paid to mow the lots, buy a machine that earns you money. The Raptor SD is not that machine. It's a residential mower, nothing more. Those 20 lots are the equivalent of 20 residences without the house. That's 20 times what the Raptor was designed to mow. Once you mow with a 1300# machine on 24" tires, you'll never look at anything less. And, I'd be looking at a 60" deck.
 
#7 ·
these lots only need cutting maybe every month or so. so buying a full blown commercial mower and using it only one or two days a month seems kinda excessive.

....the only thing I don't like about it is the deck lifts and how they connect to the deck using a straight rod. The back end of the lifts are wide open so if you hit anything hard enough with your deck, which I did, then it will knock the back end of the deck off.
the salesman was jumping up and down on the deck. seemed pretty tough. lol
what part actually broke on yours? and i wondered if those straight links could be replaced with chain if they become a problem.
 
#8 ·
these lots only need cutting maybe every month or so. so buying a full blown commercial mower and using it only one or two days a month seems kinda excessive.

the salesman was jumping up and down on the deck. seemed pretty tough. lol
what part actually broke on yours? and i wondered if those straight links could be replaced with chain if they become a problem.
Don't jump up and down on a Raptor deck....trust me. If he did he is a moron.

The part I am talking about is the deck lift assy. The back end is open ended and the big round holding pin will pop out the back if you hit something hard enough and if you are going to use it to mow a lot of lots then eventually you will hit something or do something that mower isn't designed to do. Trust me....unlike the salesman I am unbiased. I like both my Hustler Raptor mowers and they serve a purpose for me but they are not my main mowers. One is a back up and the other I use to get into smaller gates in back yards and smaller properties. I use the 42" model about 1 hour a day on average.

Spend the extra money and get a true commercial mower. Now if you are going to only do those 20 lots once a month and the grass isn't too tall and the land isn't too rough then it would probably work for you. It is not made to run for hours on end so if you use it sparingly it would probably be ok as long as you are careful, do the proper maintenance and keep the blades sharp.
 
#9 ·
these lots only need cutting maybe every month or so. so buying a full blown commercial mower and using it only one or two days a month seems kinda excessive.
With what I see in growth per week, in central IL, I doubt a Raptor SD is enough machine to cut a month's growth. That machine is designed to mow a residential property, on a regular basis. You'll be overworking that mower, if you're planning on doing monthlies, on 20 lots. Just because a ZTR has a commercial-sized deck, doesn't make it able to withstand doing commercial work. There's a huge difference in spindle sizes, bearing sizes, belt thickness, horsepower, etc. A residential mower just isn't made to do what you're planning on doing with it.

People with experience are giving you good, solid advice. We're not trying to sell you more than what you need.