Belt keeps coming off

So went to start up the 2014 Hustler Raptor SD 48" cut mower for Springtime and low and behold it won't start. It has 53 hours on it and was purchased last last year about this time. So in the shop she goes and somehow the linkage to the choke was bent just enough it wasn't able to close. Fixed it and called me to pick it up. Brought it home on Monday afternoon and today started it up, backed it out of the shop, dropped the deck and engaged the blades and WHAM. Throws the belt. So I get under the damn thing, take off the plastic covers and the belt is intact. The guide is all the way out of its bracket and the spring is off. So it goes back in the guide slide, back on goes the belt, and I finally get the spring back on. Put everything back together and back out of the shop she goes. Drop the deck, engage the blades cut 1 row about 20 feet and BAM the belt comes off again. So I wonder why in the hell didn't the Hustler dealer at least check it out before he called me back to tell me the mower was ready for summer. All he had to do was run it 2 minutes and the belt would have went out.
Now I have to drive an hour to the dealership, It better be warranted, and get them to find out what is wrong with the deck. Looking at the spring holders they are already worn a quarter through which tells me this part is CHEAP.
I hope before Monday I am calmed down enough to talk to them. This is ridiculous. 54 hours and treated like a baby, and this.
STUPID!
Ready to sell this thing and buy something else.
Do other dealers take these as trade ins? Mine is paid for so I do have that going for me, I hope.

Did you read the post about the Raptor with 3.5 hours and the belt that goes to the hydro pump broke. You may want to trade it in I'm sorry to say. Read some of the other posts on this and other forums and you will see a trend with the newer stuff that is supposed to be better then all the older machines.

gfp55 said:

Did you read the post about the Raptor with 3.5 hours and the belt that goes to the hydro pump broke. You may want to trade it in I'm sorry to say. Read some of the other posts on this and other forums and you will see a trend with the newer stuff that is supposed to be better then all the older machines.

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With the prices is it feasible to trade these in? Does the dealer do that?

Oldschool1959 said:

With the prices is it feasible to trade these in? Does the dealer do that?

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I'm sorry, but I can't help you with that one, you might try calling some dealers and ask them if they can help you. If you can find a dealer that will, I would not go with the same brand because you may have the same problem, (poor design, poor quality, etc. Good luck Keep us updated on what you end up doing.

gfp55 said:

Did you read the post about the Raptor with 3.5 hours and the belt that goes to the hydro pump broke. You may want to trade it in I'm sorry to say. Read some of the other posts on this and other forums and you will see a trend with the newer stuff that is supposed to be better then all the older machines.

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What!? A Raptor belt broke on a different mower and now he needs to trade it in? That makes absolutely no sense. See what your dealer says about the issue and see if there is a solution.

Tomster said:

What!? A Raptor belt broke on a different mower and now he needs to trade it in? That makes absolutely no sense. See what your dealer says about the issue and see if there is a solution.

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Whether it makes sense or not...it's HIS money to do with what he pleases! I made a BAD decision last year on my XOne and can't afford to take the hit on trade that I would. IF I could afford it I wouldn't even be posting this because the XOne would be GONE and either a Ferris or Bad Boy would be in the garage waiting to mow!

Whether it's an ATV, boat or mower internet forum, I just hate it when a guy gets derided for wanting to do "something" and the keyboard heroes blast him. IT'S NOT YOUR MONEY SO STFU!

Sorry for the rant......

1striper1 said:

Whether it makes sense or not...it's HIS money to do with what he pleases! I made a BAD decision last year on my Xone and can't afford to take the hit on trade that I would. IF I could afford it I wouldn't even be posting this because the XOne would be GONE and either a Ferris or Bad Boy would be in the garage waiting to mow!

Whether it's an ATV, boat or mower internet forum, I just hate it when a guy gets derided for wanting to do "something" and the keyboard heroes blast him. IT'S NOT YOUR MONEY SO STFU!

Sorry for the rant......

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LOL Thanks for the backup. I bought this less than a year ago and its been in the shop 4 times already for different things. I am ready to move to another brand. I told the shop manager that today at the Hustler dealer. He assured me my mower was a fine one and Hustler would back it up with their warranty. I told him the warranty was great, but I was tired of using it all the time. If the damn thing is always in the shop what good is it. I will be looking to trade it as soon as I take possession of it again. Its still being repaired but is supposed to be ready tomorrow. I am thinking of definitely getting another brand for sure. I have the money so thats not the issue. Although a trade in would be nice.

Oldschool1959 said:

LOL Thanks for the backup. I bought this less than a year ago and its been in the shop 4 times already for different things. I am ready to move to another brand. I told the shop manager that today at the Hustler dealer. He assured me my mower was a fine one and Hustler would back it up with their warranty. I told him the warranty was great, but I was tired of using it all the time. If the damn thing is always in the shop what good is it. I will be looking to trade it as soon as I take possession of it again. Its still being repaired but is supposed to be ready tomorrow. I am thinking of definitely getting another brand for sure. I have the money so thats not the issue. Although a trade in would be nice.

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No problem! It's easy for me...maybe too easy......to just say what I feel. But whatever...

Most any dealer will take any brand in trade. Don't you have a reputable dealer closer to you and if so, what brand(s) do they sell?

1striper1 said:

No problem! It's easy for me...maybe too easy......to just say what I feel. But whatever...

Most any dealer will take any brand in trade. Don't you have a reputable dealer closer to you and if so, what brand(s) do they sell?

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We have a dealer in the area that sells Gravely, Hustler, Toro, and Ferris. They are within 20 minutes of my home. Been there for many many years. I bought the Hustler Raptor SD from another Hustler/Toro dealer a little further away because he gave me a better deal by $250.00

And now he is making that up on services.
Abiet you are not paying but some one is.
Not an uncommon ruse with not quite as honest dealers as one would hope to be tading with .
Get a warranttee job in . 1/2 do the repair and ignore several other problem so the mower will come back again , and again & again for another warrantee or full price repair.

Belts only come off for two reasons.
Too loose - fixed by modifing the tensioning system &/or changing the belt size
Out of alignment - fixes by shimming / packing / or repositioning.

Got a commercial customer, a real good payer because of the same thing , the drive belt continually fell off.
Fitted a longer belt so the belt ran further around the tensioning pulley and moved the anchor spring to compensate for the different position of the tensioning pulley arm.
There was even a convienant hole in just about the right spot, which made me wonder about the dealers warrantee service.
Free service is nice but it does not compensate for a team sitting on their butts because the machine is in the shop.

Did another that had a transmission problem ever since new, been into the dealer for ages and finally sold second hand to my new customer.
Tensioner arm was in backwards so it pulled the belt away from the engine & left pump pulley thus the right was always much stronger than the left when under load.
On the flat carpark of the shop it tested perfectly. In the field it was almost impossible to control and when really under heavy load went absolutely no where.

Two different brands of mower from two different big advertising big showroom dealers , both of which did 10% less than your best quote deals & offered higher trade in values.