Hustler Raptor
33 reviews
- Weekly (17)
- Occasionally (5)
Reviews
Best if you respect it
Had mine for 9 years, the key is matinence. Hit a big rock replaced spindle, remove engine cover and clean grass so it doesn't overheat. Use a half quart of Duralube every oil change, it's Gold to all engines. What impressive to me is the battery. It's the one that came with it. The key has the protector to keep water out. Still got my old Yard Machine. Yes it still runs like new too. It not too old. 1999, 20 horse Briggs v twin. Duralube. Using it since 1984. Show detailsStill hanging in there after 8 Years
Over the last 8 years my basic 42 inch Hustler has done several deck belts, spindle pulleys, drive belts. Cracked the fuel tank, missing the LHS plastic wheel arch ( zero turning around trees) , welded up the deck, welded on several tow bar options as it tows 70kg of weed spray over 20 acres, through creek crossings over country that pokes sticks up through the motor & blunts my blades. I've been bogged dozens of times, stuck on logs & rock formations. It tows soil about in its large trailer. Burns oil , smokes. Its missing the gear cog bit on ... Read moreone drive BUT still cuts my 1 acre home garden area beautifully (if the tyres are pumped up). I've never had to rake up my buffalo grass, as you could hardly tell (whereas my work kubota leaves clumps everywhere and looks like crud when damp) Its at that stage where I need to look at another one as the Wet Season growth escalates, but I am horrified at everyone's reviews on the newer weaker sounding models. It appears that after reading other reviews that a 42 inch model is now built lighter for city mowing ( on all brands/models). I just wanted something sturdy that will fit in between my path borders & trees so I can get to the lawns around my place. The years are meant to improve models.Stay away from this brand its a crap build and after sale service is extremely poor at best
Parts are hard to get and I have waited 5 months for a particular part Show detailsNot good
Frame is junk cracks at brackets so the drive belt will not stay on Show detailsDesigned to Fail
I favored the Hustler because they have been around a long time and there is a dealer in my area. The Raptor XD 54” that the dealer sold me on has the Kawasaki 23HP engine. It’s the engine I wanted. I should have paid more attention to the mower itself.While the engine seems ok, the mower is weakly designed and prone to failures.
With only 10 hours on it, I’ve had it back to dealer twice.
>The 11ga ‘welded deck’ is weak and was making contact with the blade on the right side. The dealer ‘beat it out with a hammer, saying the design doesn’t ... Read moreallow for enough blade clearance. >The J Hangar design to support the deck is weaker yet. Three times now, a rear hangar has failed. The dealer says ‘they sell a lot them’; and suggested I buy ‘extras’. The J Hangars themselves appear to be made of mild steel, cold formed with no post heat treatment. In one failure the hangar broke at the 90 degree bend. In two other failures, the upper sheet metal supports that holds the J Bolts deformed and dropped the hangar. I wrote a positive review of the dealer mechanic as he was efficient and knowledgeable. He provided some instructions on how to make repairs myself in the future. Not encouraging, but the design weaknesses are not his fault. >The drive system is delicately set and secured; and often ‘loses neutral’, per the Hustler Dealer. The result is it pulls to one side. At 10 hours, the right side had become completely unresponsive. This occurred again at 19 hours. Readjustment by the dealer was quick, but far from secure. Readjustment of this very poorly designed and manufactured system is required often. At 10 hours of service I asked the Dealer to allow me to upgrade to a heavier unit, Hustler or other; as they stock a number of different brands. The Dealer refused. Conclusion; DON’T BUY A HUSTLER RAPTOR. In fact, avoid all products from Hustler. Whatever the company may have been in its early years, it’s now a leader in poorly designed, low quality lawn equipment. PS: the Kawasaki engine (not made by Hustler) starts and runs fine.
Very irresponsible of hustler
Bought the limited raptor 2018 been constant problems. Added a plate of steel under the idler pulley, new thicker brackets, many spindles and pulleys, bolts and belts, mechanic costs and breakdowns in the middle of yard. Always loud machine lots of vibration. Stay away from Hustler74 year old mom can't lift the deck
My mom purchased this mower recently.The dealer should have made her see if she could raise and lower the deck. Its the 60" model.
The dealer had the deck all the way up when delivered.
She was able to lift the deck release handle and the deck dropped down to where she wanted to cut.
After she cut grass for 0.8 hours, she was unable to lift the deck.
I tried lifting the deck and it was very difficult.
You can actually see the foot pedal peg torque a bit when tried to lift it. Over time I bet this peg breaks.
Very poor design.
We were hopi... Read moreng Hustler would take it back but they won't. So now my 74 year old mom is stuck with a mower that she can't lift the deck on. Shame on you hustler. We did try the stupid spring they recommended as a jerry rig, but all that does is make it difficult to lower as well as they deck won't go back down on it own.
Absolute rubbish! Every time I use it a new problem arises
Burn it and buy something else. The biggest heap of rubbish and waste of money. Show detailsNot worth the money
Will not turn around like it should, Hour meter doesn't work, Has a vibration when mowing. Show detailsDon’t buy Hustler or Bad Boy. Excel Industries does not back their product!!
Save your money and buy another mower. Stay away from Hustler and Bad Boy. The company does not back their product. I will give them credit in the fact that they have fixed the lengthy list of design flaws. However, if you were unfortunate (like me) and bought one of the earlier models, you’re screwed. I have experienced and continue to experience every single one of the issues that plague the older models. I’ve gotten 600 hours out of my Hustler Raptor, but it has been painful. Constant repairs and have spent a small fortune repairing this thi... Read moreng over and over. If you own one, you better own a welder as well. You’ll need a stockpile of bolts to replace the constant breakage and will have a frame and brackets full of welds. I’ve contacted the company twice. No response after the first one and then got an email after the second. I called the provided number and was basically told “sorry about your luck”. I expected more for what I paid for the mower and the Hustler name. I was fooled. Save yourself the trouble and buy from someone who backs their product. It certainly is not Excel Industries.Disappointing Purchase Raptor XD54 2021
It has been a disappointing purchase. I would like to also add that I submitted the review below on the Hustler website, however it did not get published on their website. It goes to show the untruthful nature of the business conduct of Hustler. The reviews listed on their website have all seem to have 5 star ratings. Obviously from my personal experience, it seems that any negative reviews just don't get published. I will be lodging a complaint with ASIC separately regarding this.Review
The Kawasaki motor is great.
As far as the mower i... Read more
s concerned, it is north worth the money paid for it. Poor fuel tank design. Can only be 2/3 filled. Poor location of oil drain hole. Really hard to get to and doesn't drain oil properly. Poor design of guards over pulleys as grass getting caught there all the time and to clean you need unscrew bolts after each mow. The back bracket holding mover deck in place bends easily and drops the deck. The overall deck is a strong design, but the bracket to hold the deck up is not. The traction is quite poor, it pulls to one side, even after multiple adjustments, it has been to the dealer for adjustment, to which they said its normal. Due to this the mower has to be driven quite slow and unsafe on any slight slope. A regretful purchase for the price. I definitely was expecting better from Hustler. Stay away from purchasing Hustler.Terribly Engineered
Gear transmission is under engineered, will only last until warrantee ends. The gear two bolt cover leak hydraulic fluid, due the gear housing is made from cast aluminum not adequate enough for the heat transfer. Show detailsPoorly Engineered and Poorly Built
I had both transmissions replaced twice during my warranty period. Hustler tried to indicate that I was abusive to my equipment. When I bought it I told the dealer I mow 3 acres with 2 big hills. Now I had at least one of the hydro mounting brackets break. I had to purchase a “service kit” to fix it. This tells me that since Hustler has this “service kit“ that they are fully aware that the hardware and the mounting brackets on this machine are very weak. I strongly feel like this should have been a factory recall especially in light of the fact... Read more that when these giveaway on a hill the writer loses the ability to steer the machine and could end up in a life-threatening situation. Now my left hydro transmission is slipping constantly. I am continually purging the air from the system and having to let it cool down before the left side will drive. I have reached out to hustler twice about this problem with no reply. I fully intend to escalate this case until the problem is taken care of. Since I am a disabled veteran if I have to get a veteran service organization involved I will. I will also contact the Better Business Bureau about their lack of customer service and dangerous equipment. I will also be looking into finding an attorney that would file a class action lawsuit against them. I would recommend that everyone else that is having the same problems do likewise. The dealer indicated they are still having a lot of machines brought in to have those brackets replaced.Perfect mower for my use
I bought my 42" Hustler Raptor 2 years ago. I'm mowing a one acre block that has a 1/20 fall. As I had never used a zero turn previously, I was feeling a little anxious. I read thru the Manual several times before using - the instructions are fantastic. I've always felt completely safe on the slopes - mower behaves exactly as explained in the Manual. It took a couple of cuts to intuit it's behaviour. I'm very impressed with how much time it saves me. Great strong & reliable Kawasaki motor. I carry out my own servicing and find it easy t... Read moreo access all servicing areas. I currently have 84 hours the counter and it still cuts beautifully - haven't needed to sharpen blades. I live in the tropics and do get a lot of grass build up under the deck, which is expected during the wet season, however, I make a point of cleaning down the mower completely after each mow. I love this mower and believe that if the instructions in the Manual are followed, then this mower will give many years of problem free mowing.Hustler Zero turn 42 "
Took me several hours to get used to steering but now I am very impressed.Cuts lawn very well.
I have the mulcher kit fitted -no clippings ,no catcher -excellent.
Mulcher kit makes cutting tall grass difficult & not recomended.
Large fuel tank.
Very comfortable.
Very happy with twin cylinder Kawasaki motor. Show details
Questions & Answers
Gas seems to be disappearing when I fill the tank but I don’t see any leaks? Any ideas??
Hi there
Does anyone know who has purchased the Hustler Raptor does it comply with Australian Standards?
Thanks
Jude
Can I get a kit to repair a hydro left-hand side well while sitting on the machine for you for a series 0602 1109 Haslar FastTrack model 927343 or is it better to get a new one and how much
you get the kit from good old usa about $ post is a pain
Details
About the Hustler Raptor
Ride-on mowers in the Hustler Raptor range come in the following models:
- Raptor X (42”, 54”)
- Raptor XD (42”, 48”, 54”)
- Raptor XDX (48”, 54”, 60”)
They are all zero-turn riding lawn mowers with 726cc engines.
Category | Ride-On Mowers | Ride-On Mowers | Ride-On Mowers |
---|---|---|---|
Price (RRP) | $11,899 | $6,999 | $6,299 |
Zero Turn | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Power Source | Petrol | Petrol | |
Features | Side Discharge | ||
Catcher Type | None | None | |
Cutting Deck Material | Steel | Steel | Steel |
Cutting Width | 1,371 mm | 1,321 mm | 1,066 mm |
Height of Cut | 38.1 mm to 114.3 mm | 38.1 mm to 114.3 mm | 38.1 mm to 114.3 mm |
Number of Blades | 3 | 3 | 2 |
Weight | 296 kg | 236.8 kg | 229.06 kg |
Transmission Type | Hydrostatic | Hydrostatic | Hydrostatic |
Horsepower | 23 hp | 23 hp | 21.5 hp |
Max Speed | 12 km/hr | 10.5 km/hr | 10.5 km/hr |
Reverse Speed | 6.4 km/hr | 6.4 km/hr | |
Dimensions | 1110 x 1486 x 1806 mm | 990 x 1040 x 1850 mm | 990 x 1040 x 1854.2 mm |
Manufacturer Warranty | 3 year(s) | 3 year(s) | 3 year(s) |
Engine / Motor | |||
Engine Name | Kawasaki FR691V 2-Stroke 726cc 23hp | Kawasaki FR691V 4-Stroke 726cc 23hp | Kawasaki FR651V 4-Stroke 726cc 21.5hp |
Engine Type | 2-Stroke | 4-Stroke | 4-Stroke |
Brand | Kawasaki | Kawasaki | Kawasaki |
Engine Displacement | 726 cc | 726 cc | 726 cc |
Manual | Download manual |
Extra Information
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