New Owner Raptor SD 54" - Immediate trouble

577jersey · Jul 23, 2016

Im in Jersey we cut from around mid April till November usually with May and June being the hammer time,,last season I cut my last one December 17th,,never forget it!

I like my walker with velke cause its sooooo good holding slopes,it will go anywhere my 22" push will..and being a 48" you can cover some ground wit it.
Not the best ride but always gets the job done,getting onto the Hustler after is like getting into a Cadillac from a Volkswagen bug..lol

These machines are all very simple nothing too em,frame,hydros,engine,PTO,belts,deck,couple cables,springs,couple linkages, and pulleys..if it breaks,,just fix it,,like you said,,run it like you stole it!!

Take care bro!!!

Tom

Carscw · Jul 23, 2016

mhavanti said:
There is a fella that bought a RSD two weeks ago, has 96 hours on it. Already on this third oil change and coming up on his fourth. Probably already done it by now. At this rate, he'll have 875 hours approximately on it before the end of mowing season in Arkansas. If you consider he is charging on an average of 65 dollars per hour as he has the high end neighborhood around the golf courses and doing very well in my opinion. $65 x 875 = $56,875 minus expenses and I'd go out on the limb and figure gasoline, oil changes, blades, belt or two, maybe a pair of rear tires, we're talking about $750 if he were to hire all of this done. He is on the high side of income in mid Arkansas. I've already spoken to him about picking up 4 more of them, hire an operator for each and a secondary man for each mower to run the weed eaters, push mowers and blowers, he can turn his little RSD into a fleet of 5 mowers, pickups, trailors, 10 men, ten weed eaters, 5 blowers. If you consider each employee during the season will cost him approximately $10.50 and hour for about 1212 hours each. That comes down to $12,726 each and that comes to $63,530. So, if he puts in 1212 hours per man for the 5 operators at 10.50 is 63.350, his trim guys at 8.50x1212= $10,302 eac x 5 = $51,150. Insurance, maintenance, parts and fuel. 12,500; 5 RSDs $17,500, 10 Weed Eaters $2,250 $393,900 - 63,530 - 51,150 - 12,500 - 17,500 - 2,250 $246,970 Approximate Net. Jersey, I think he'll do alright if he'll become the business man I think he can become. This is better than most small businesses are doing today. Plus, he can purchase all new equipment each year and now worry about all the wear and tear catching up with him. Excess the old machinery to his secondary (trim) men each year and put the new equipment under the men or women that takes care of and works them as hard as the machines can run. The owner can spend all his time smoozing the customers and keeping them happy, plus doing quality control to make sure he isn't losing the loyal customers.

This is what I do but I use the timecutter SS5000
$3000
I run 4 of them plus a couple BIG mowers. They each have over 2000 hours on them one has over 3000 hours. Never have had a big money break down. They are 4 years old.
I looked at the SD I think it's ok but not for what I do. We run all year long. This winter I will sell them for half of what I paid for them. And go with bad boy next year.
There are some on here that just done get why I use a $3000 mower and not a $10.000 mower. Will not spend more on a mower then it will make in a week.

Carscw · Jul 23, 2016

kraky said:
Although 2 consistent posters will jump my behind for saying this... I still say the raptor SD is a heck of a value for around $3,800! Is it Flawless ....no.... but overall it's a good value. One of my buddies has a $9,000 Gravely. Shortly after delivery he found out but they had forgotten to put some pretty important bolts in the spindles... at about 200 hours his Governor went out on his engine... now at 350 hours he had a fuse bank meltdown. Poop does happen... even to the expensive machines!

I know you been waiting for me to jump on this.
Maybe in a couple more years they will have the bugs worked out. Every year there is a new issue with them.
Maybe next year they will change the deck then it will be close to a $4000 mower. I just feel there are other mowers that are better for 4 grand.

One of my Toro's went threw 2 Kawasaki engines in less then 300 hours so I get sh#t happens.

kraky · Jul 24, 2016

I've always been the kind of guy that roots for the underdog!
Kind of glad we've got some Open minded guys on the forum here that are going to put the underdog to the test!
No matter what the brand is I always love hearing stories about machines that Perform way above their pay scale. Here's to hoping we can get them cheaper Hustlers up on the pedestal with the Beloved Toro TimeCutters...... Not trying to be a smart alec..... It does sound like those toros Did pretty proper!

577jersey · Jul 24, 2016

I think the Bobcat CRV might be better but the added weight might put a strain on those 2800s,,the RSD is light as a feather especially with my 180 pound butt on it

michigan_Rapter sd · Jul 24, 2016

kraky said:
I've always been the kind of guy that roots for the underdog!
Kind of glad we've got some Open minded guys on the forum here that are going to put the underdog to the test!
No matter what the brand is I always love hearing stories about machines that Perform way above their pay scale. Here's to hoping we can get them cheaper Hustlers up on the pedestal with the Beloved Toro TimeCutters...... Not trying to be a smart alec..... It does sound like those toros Did pretty proper!

interesting tidbit found on wikipedia for toro - I suspected as much as they looked so familiar

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toro_(company)
In 2007, the low-end lawn and garden tractor product manufacturing was outsourced to MTD Products, to be sold at Home Depot stores

too many brand names that people associate with quality because of company history is now being built by MTD in a cookie cutter fashion IMHO

funny thing I found with the cub cadet I just sold that was made by MTD - the blades if stamped MTD with the same number is $20 less than if they are stamped with cub cadet

kraky · Jul 24, 2016

Mtd has owned Cub Cadet for a long time.
They also made the white lawn tractor, Troy built, & Toro lawn tractors.
I don't know if they made the timecutters.

mhavanti · Jul 24, 2016

The local Lowes (Big Box Store) has stopped selling Toro mowers due to an inordinate amount of service calls and flat out returns. Hussies are also on their chopping list and just this week, the 10 Hustlers usually on hand have grown to over 20 and the orange, green and yellow and red mowers have all shrunk. Move over MTD people Hustler is in the house.

turboawd · Jul 24, 2016

mhavanti said:
The local Lowes (Big Box Store) has stopped selling Toro mowers due to an inordinate amount of service calls and flat out returns. Hussies are also on their chopping list and just this week, the 10 Hustlers usually on hand have grown to over 20 and the orange, green and yellow and red mowers have all shrunk. Move over MTD people Hustler is in the house.

i think many are getting tired of the cheap box store machines. thats what got me looking for something better.

Carscw · Jul 24, 2016

mhavanti said:
The local Lowes (Big Box Store) has stopped selling Toro mowers due to an inordinate amount of service calls and flat out returns. Hussies are also on their chopping list and just this week, the 10 Hustlers usually on hand have grown to over 20 and the orange, green and yellow and red mowers have all shrunk. Move over MTD people Hustler is in the house.

I don't remember lowes ever selling toro around here. Home Depot sells them. I get mine at a dealer for less money.
Lowes sells junkdeere
Cub cadet owns mtd and still makes a very good mower. I feel cub makes the best riding mower. And their zero turns are very good for the money.

New Owner Raptor SD 54" - Immediate trouble

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