Raptor SD blades won't engage

K

KenV

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Hi everyone,

I'm new here and new to ZTRs. I purchased a 54" Raptor SD three weeks ago. It has 5.5 hours on it - just getting ready to change the oil after mowing today. Anyway- as I was mowing the blades suddenly dis-engaged and they won't re-engage. I didn't hit anything and, being new to ZTRs, was going pretty slow. When I try to engage the blades I hear a click. Could it be a relay or something? Thanks for any help - Ken
 
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bertsmobile1

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Did you look underneath to check the blade belt is still on all the pulleys.
A lounish click is the clutch engaging
 
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KenV

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I'm no mechanic, but the belt appears to be in place. Nothing hanging, etc.
 
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KenV

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Found out the problem at 5.5 hours was a broken spring. As an update - mower has 55 hours on it now and I only use it to mow my lawn. Mowing on flat ground today and suddenly the mower stops and won't re-start. A belt (transaxle maybe?) is off. It's incredibly discouraging to have spent what is to me a lot of money on a mower that breaks so often. I bought a Hustler on the recommendations of several friends, but to be honest I wouldn't do it again. A cheap mower from Home Depot would give better service. Ugh!
 
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KenV

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Another update - 105.4 hours and broke again. Mower will not move, turn, etc. What a piece of junk. Tried to contact Hustler directly via their website, but they never responded. Seems their customer service is of the same quality as their mowers.
 
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turboawd

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KenV said:
Another update - 105.4 hours and broke again. Mower will not move, turn, etc. What a piece of junk. Tried to contact Hustler directly via their website, but they never responded. Seems their customer service is of the same quality as their mowers.
Click to expand...

well even if hustler contacted you, how are they suppose to know what went wrong? someone has to look at the mower in person.
you check the drive belt?
while you're at it, inspect the transmission mounting bolts becuase they are known to break or come loose. replace with grade 8 bolts and loctite the threads.
here's an email for hustler: service@excelii.com
 
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KenV

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turboawd said:
well even if hustler contacted you, how are they suppose to know what went wrong? someone has to look at the mower in person.
you check the drive belt?
while you're at it, inspect the transmission mounting bolts becuase they are known to break or come loose. replace with grade 8 bolts and loctite the threads.
here's an email for hustler: service@excelii.com
Click to expand...

Thanks for the info. I've calmed down a little now - the transaxle belt appears to have come off again. Regardless of whether this is considered a minor problem or not, I still couldn't mow. I'm not mechanically inclined like many on here, so I have to wait for the dealer to pick it up, fix it, and return.

Regarding the contact with Hustler a word of encouragement or at least feigning concern wouldn't hurt. Completely ignoring a customer is inexcusable, I think. Three breakdowns in that few hours seems to be an indication that something is wrong.
 
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kraky

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The first year the raptor SD came out it had a funky drive pulley that they changed right away on the next model year. I think these were the 2014 models and there was plenty of problems with them. I bought one of them used with real low hours off Craigslist and after using it a couple times I knew there was a vibration that shouldn't be there. I was lucky to have a really good dealer who sells a lot of these and I took it there.... he hand-picked a drive pully out of his stock that was perfectly perfectly round and made sure the belt was in perfect alignment with the other pulleys. When I got the machine back it was like a brand-new different machine.
This is the difference between ordinary and sub par dealers versus somebody who really knows what they're doing and cares about taking care of their customers.
If yours is one of the early machines it may be worth it for your dealer to call hustler and see if they have any kind of improved part.... after the trouble you've had you deserve some help!
 
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KenV

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kraky said:
The first year the raptor SD came out it had a funky drive pulley that they changed right away on the next model year. I think these were the 2014 models and there was plenty of problems with them. I bought one of them used with real low hours off Craigslist and after using it a couple times I knew there was a vibration that shouldn't be there. I was lucky to have a really good dealer who sells a lot of these and I took it there.... he hand-picked a drive pully out of his stock that was perfectly perfectly round and made sure the belt was in perfect alignment with the other pulleys. When I got the machine back it was like a brand-new different machine.
This is the difference between ordinary and sub par dealers versus somebody who really knows what they're doing and cares about taking care of their customers.
If yours is one of the early machines it may be worth it for your dealer to call hustler and see if they have any kind of improved part.... after the trouble you've had you deserve some help!
Click to expand...
This is a 2015 model, but thanks for the info. I used the email given by turboawd and someone tried to contact me today. Hopefully I'll talk to a person tomorrow and get this resolved.
 
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KenV

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Venting again. The dealer picked up the mower, replaced some bolts and belts and returned to me yesterday. All's good, right? Nope. I mow today for about a half hour and the engine begins smoking then stops and won't start. Dealer comes back out and thinks it "hydro-locked" whatever that means. So, maybe the problem isn't so much the mower (though it has it's faults, e.g. the bolts), but maybe the dealer?

I'm hoping the dealer doesn't try to say this is somehow my fault, but given what's happened so far nothing would surprise me.
 
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