Hustler has corrected the grass chute issue. They have reinforced the deck around the chute and removed the bottom support bar which is a much better design. I just worked on a 5 year old Raptor SD 48". I really like the mower. I am glad that they have switched engines over the Kawasaki instead of the Kohler though. You didn't mention whether or not you had changed the trans oil at 75 hours as recommended. I just changed the oil on the one I worked on at 100 hrs (initial break in oil change). It needed it. After the initial changed it won't be due for another 200 hours.
My dealer did the first service and changed all of the fluids and adjusted valve timing at 50 hours. I've done the maintenance since. Thanks for stopping in!
Mine is 9 years old and has over 900 hours. Yes, I seem to have to do some work on it. Hydro fans recently, solenoid, belts, spindles, dampers, tightening the trans mounts. The kawasaki engine is still going too. I think it's a pretty good mower.
I have the exact same model and cut width. I fixed the discharge problem with my 4” grinder after the first season. The early spring mowing was very frustrating because the grass was ALWAYS damp. I opened up the discharge and haven’t had a problem since. Had a head gasket leaking after 4 seasons so I just replaced both sides with the updated gaskets. I’m happy with mine so far. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and experience. 👍
I’ve been a mower mechanic for 40 years. Never like the fancy thing like auto choke or electric fuel gauges. I alway recommend the simpler things to people. I have a hustler super Z and a 18 year old Exmark lazer HP. Other than the electric fuel gauges on the super Z both are simple machines. Easy to work on. That auto choke is an issue on many different mowers. People like fancy smancy stuff therefore mechanics make more money. Also hustler has updated a lot of the issues on that raptor with the SDX.
Bought the SDX in '18. Never have had 1 problem with it. I mow 4 acres at my house and also use a base model Raptors bought in '15 to mow 3 acres. I have VERY little problems with grass build up on the decks, however I only mow when the grass is dry. The times it has built up, was because a few friends helped mow, and I found out the grass was damp when they mowed. The discharge opening is bigger on the sdx. However, if the grass is damp, it will still build up. I was told when I w a s looking at the Hustlers to stay away from the Kohler motor, even the local dealer will only have one if customer requests it. They stock mowers with the Kawasaki engines. (Manual choke) Never had 1 issue after 6 yrs on 1, 7+ yrs on 2 others, all 3 mowers still going strong. I have noticed the scorched marks left by mowers. Be interested to see what a heat shield would do. As far as Striper kits, most bought kits are expensive. I just went to Tractor Supply and use $30 baler belting, cut to length and bolted to the back side of the mower deck vertically using a $14 piece of steel flat stock and some 1/4 x 1 bolts. Striper works AMAZINGLY! Although strips are more visible with certain types of grass and mowing height. I mow at 4+ inches.
I apprecaite the insightful feedback, id definitely buy another Hustler but like you mentioned there is a few quirks with the kohler. Thanks for stopping in!
I cut the discharge opening out towards the rear. Leave the frame for support. I can brush hog with mine. Don't be afraid to cut it. I would trim a little at a time. Did that 5 times. lol
I bought a home here in Alvin Texas. I have 1.13 acre. One of my dad's ex girlfriends live like 2 minutes from me and just gave me one of these because she couldn't get it running. I troubleshooted it and all it needs is a starter and tune up lol. Bought all the parts on Amazon for $75 bucks, will get them soon. Wish me luck on getting it running soon and thanks for the video 👍
I have the same, except I use it for a lawn care biz....so in 2.5 seasons, I've put 400h on it. I've reinforced areas of the deck, added a foot operated chute lift, added the commercial air filter. I've replaced the belts once, one spindle, one steering damper and the key switch. It does stay outdoors all the time, so weather hasn't been it's friend. I dislike the fact that you can't tell how much fuel is left...you can see none on the side but still have almost a gallon. Mine has the kawasaki motor, and a 42" deck. The kawasaki motor doesn't have the muffler sitting as low, it is at least a bit higher up. That said, it certainly isn't enough to burn a lawn.
Have and older Hustler 52", 10yrs old, I am now mowing 5 acres and was getting alot of build up underneath. Started spraying Fluid Film, lanolin based spray. Hardly any build up now and if a small amount hets on it. Flicks right off.
I just read about Hustler being bought by Stanley Briggs.......they also just partnered with Stiel.......they are about to introduce a zero-turn mower................it's called a monopoly on lawn equipment.....they will control the quality and price on around a dozen brand names.....
You say you've got 1.4 acres, you can get two cuttings from one tank of gas... but all that means nothing unless you tell people it has a 3 gallon tank. The heat shield is about $100 - or just do what everyone else does and make one for like $10. My smart choke works perfect every time. There are NO electronics. It's all heat operated. Clean all the crap from around the carb. Dirt and grass builds up on everything down there. Sharp, sharp, (oh crap that's sharp) blades helps. No new blade comes sharp. Also clean the deck very good and give it a few coats with a product _made_ for it. It must dry. It can't stay went, sticky, etc. Also they do make a 'upgrade' kit that includes cutting the opening larger but is really not needed. Don't cut wet grass. And cut off no more than 1/3 the grass blade. You don't have to raise up the flap. The SD's _do_ strip very well. It's all about the adjustment and how high you cut and what type of grass you have. Weeds don't strip well. I've patched the sidewall, several times. I think the best way is to do a internal patch _plus_ a external patch. You can always drill holes in the deck belt covers. 7 years - 800 hours 54"SD, Kohler.
Thanks for the comment and stopping in. I should have been more specific and said it was a 3 gallon capacity, ill take fault for that. The auto choke is an electronically activated bimetal spring, so by definition is electric choke. As far as the deck and heat sheld add ons. Obviously the "upgrade" kits are a result of customer complaints and poor upfront design. As far as the heat shield it was a plain miss on their end, no excuss, no matter how simple it is to add. The deck opening is a subjective matter and depends on the type of grass you are mowing as we all live in different areas, I dont lose sleep over that part. Regardless its been a great mower overall, thanks again.
@@k6outdoors Um, no. The choke has nothing electric on it. And the bimetal spring is a heat (mechanical) actualted part. No electric going to it or from it. You may be confused with the electric fuel shutoff on the bottom of the carb bowl.
Not sure about your setup but mine is electronically controlled. I would encourage you to watch this video and educate yourself on how the smart choke system functions on the Kohler 7000 series. ua-cam.com/video/mwRif9J4iyA/v-deo.html
Hustler has corrected the grass chute issue. They have reinforced the deck around the chute and removed the bottom support bar which is a much better design. I just worked on a 5 year old Raptor SD 48". I really like the mower. I am glad that they have switched engines over the Kawasaki instead of the Kohler though.
You didn't mention whether or not you had changed the trans oil at 75 hours as recommended. I just changed the oil on the one I worked on at 100 hrs (initial break in oil change). It needed it. After the initial changed it won't be due for another 200 hours.
My dealer did the first service and changed all of the fluids and adjusted valve timing at 50 hours. I've done the maintenance since. Thanks for stopping in!
Mine is 9 years old and has over 900 hours. Yes, I seem to have to do some work on it. Hydro fans recently, solenoid, belts, spindles, dampers, tightening the trans mounts.
The kawasaki engine is still going too. I think it's a pretty good mower.
Overall great units, thanks for stopping in!
I have the same model but newer with the Kawasaki. I made the mower deck opening 1.75 inches wider. I never had the issue of killing the grass.
I am guessing the exhaust setup must be slightly different, thanks for stopping in!
I have the exact same model and cut width. I fixed the discharge problem with my 4” grinder after the first season. The early spring mowing was very frustrating because the grass was ALWAYS damp. I opened up the discharge and haven’t had a problem since. Had a head gasket leaking after 4 seasons so I just replaced both sides with the updated gaskets. I’m happy with mine so far. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and experience. 👍
I published a video late last year with the 4" grinder fix as well! Thanks for stopping in!
I’ve been a mower mechanic for 40 years. Never like the fancy thing like auto choke or electric fuel gauges. I alway recommend the simpler things to people. I have a hustler super Z and a 18 year old Exmark lazer HP. Other than the electric fuel gauges on the super Z both are simple machines. Easy to work on. That auto choke is an issue on many different mowers. People like fancy smancy stuff therefore mechanics make more money. Also hustler has updated a lot of the issues on that raptor with the SDX.
Hey thanks for stopping in and commenting, somethings are better off left alone and the mechanics of a small air cooled engine is one of them!
Bought the SDX in '18. Never have had 1 problem with it. I mow 4 acres at my house and also use a
base model Raptors bought in '15 to mow 3 acres.
I have VERY little problems with grass build up on the decks, however I only mow when the grass is dry. The times it has built up, was because a few friends helped mow, and I found out the grass was damp when they mowed.
The discharge opening is bigger on the sdx. However, if the grass is damp, it will still build up.
I was told when I w a s looking at the Hustlers to stay away from the Kohler motor, even the local dealer will only have one if customer requests it. They stock mowers with the Kawasaki engines. (Manual choke) Never had 1 issue after 6 yrs on 1, 7+ yrs on 2 others, all 3 mowers still going strong.
I have noticed the scorched marks left by mowers. Be interested to see what a heat shield would do.
As far as Striper kits, most bought kits are expensive. I just went to Tractor Supply and use $30 baler belting, cut to length and bolted to the back side of the mower deck vertically using a $14 piece of steel flat stock and some 1/4 x 1 bolts. Striper works AMAZINGLY! Although strips are more visible with certain types of grass and mowing height. I mow at 4+ inches.
I apprecaite the insightful feedback, id definitely buy another Hustler but like you mentioned there is a few quirks with the kohler. Thanks for stopping in!
I cut the discharge opening out towards the rear. Leave the frame for support.
I can brush hog with mine.
Don't be afraid to cut it.
I would trim a little at a time.
Did that 5 times. lol
You probably haven't seen the video, but the deck chute got the chop lol. Works great, thanks for stopping in!
I bought a home here in Alvin Texas. I have 1.13 acre. One of my dad's ex girlfriends live like 2 minutes from me and just gave me one of these because she couldn't get it running. I troubleshooted it and all it needs is a starter and tune up lol. Bought all the parts on Amazon for $75 bucks, will get them soon. Wish me luck on getting it running soon and thanks for the video 👍
Got to love those "i can't fix it" deals! Good luck getting it mowing again. Thanks for stopping in
Holy cow 🐄🐄🐄.
Did you get it running?
I have the same, except I use it for a lawn care biz....so in 2.5 seasons, I've put 400h on it. I've reinforced areas of the deck, added a foot operated chute lift, added the commercial air filter. I've replaced the belts once, one spindle, one steering damper and the key switch. It does stay outdoors all the time, so weather hasn't been it's friend. I dislike the fact that you can't tell how much fuel is left...you can see none on the side but still have almost a gallon. Mine has the kawasaki motor, and a 42" deck. The kawasaki motor doesn't have the muffler sitting as low, it is at least a bit higher up. That said, it certainly isn't enough to burn a lawn.
Appreciate you spending the time to write about your experiences with the mower, thanks for stopping in!
Have and older Hustler 52", 10yrs old, I am now mowing 5 acres and was getting alot of build up underneath. Started spraying Fluid Film, lanolin based spray. Hardly any build up now and if a small amount hets on it. Flicks right off.
Great tip, I might have to try that film myself! Thanks for stopping in!
Thanks for the muffler tip......I have an older 2015 year model.......never had any trouble with it........
Good to hear, I need to get a cover for mine as I keep getting brown spots..
there's a kit for the deck shoot on e bay for $117.00 shipped seems to solve the discharge problem
I actually just cut it out without adding the kit and it's working great! Thanks for stopping in
I just read about Hustler being bought by Stanley Briggs.......they also just partnered with Stiel.......they are about to introduce a zero-turn mower................it's called a monopoly on lawn equipment.....they will control the quality and price on around a dozen brand names.....
Yep, Stanley/ blackanddecker aquired them and many people are worried that the quality will drastically go down hill, only time will tell!
I'm worried! Lol
I put carbolic acid on my mower. It brings out the new look.
You say you've got 1.4 acres, you can get two cuttings from one tank of gas... but all that means nothing unless you tell people it has a 3 gallon tank. The heat shield is about $100 - or just do what everyone else does and make one for like $10. My smart choke works perfect every time. There are NO electronics. It's all heat operated. Clean all the crap from around the carb. Dirt and grass builds up on everything down there. Sharp, sharp, (oh crap that's sharp) blades helps. No new blade comes sharp. Also clean the deck very good and give it a few coats with a product _made_ for it. It must dry. It can't stay went, sticky, etc. Also they do make a 'upgrade' kit that includes cutting the opening larger but is really not needed. Don't cut wet grass. And cut off no more than 1/3 the grass blade. You don't have to raise up the flap. The SD's _do_ strip very well. It's all about the adjustment and how high you cut and what type of grass you have. Weeds don't strip well. I've patched the sidewall, several times. I think the best way is to do a internal patch _plus_ a external patch. You can always drill holes in the deck belt covers. 7 years - 800 hours 54"SD, Kohler.
Thanks for the comment and stopping in. I should have been more specific and said it was a 3 gallon capacity, ill take fault for that. The auto choke is an electronically activated bimetal spring, so by definition is electric choke. As far as the deck and heat sheld add ons. Obviously the "upgrade" kits are a result of customer complaints and poor upfront design. As far as the heat shield it was a plain miss on their end, no excuss, no matter how simple it is to add. The deck opening is a subjective matter and depends on the type of grass you are mowing as we all live in different areas, I dont lose sleep over that part. Regardless its been a great mower overall, thanks again.
@@k6outdoors Um, no. The choke has nothing electric on it. And the bimetal spring is a heat (mechanical) actualted part. No electric going to it or from it. You may be confused with the electric fuel shutoff on the bottom of the carb bowl.
Not sure about your setup but mine is electronically controlled. I would encourage you to watch this video and educate yourself on how the smart choke system functions on the Kohler 7000 series. ua-cam.com/video/mwRif9J4iyA/v-deo.html
I got hustler slow trek. 900 inch.
I had to put disk breaks on it. It's to fast.