Recent content by Tomster

I live in an area of Texas that is very sandy, so I am constantly going through mower blades and my deck was slowly but surely being eaten away. This is what my deck looked like: So I used sheet metal and rivets to rebuild the underside of the deck. This lasted a 1.5 years so I knew I needed...

Yes, good things to think about. My deck already clogged easily anyways so I'm already used to it. Also, there is quite a large gap between the sheet metal and the blades so adding .0299 plus a rivet head will be plenty of room.

Lots of South Texas sand equals a deck with holes after 400 hours! Here is the before: and after: Lots of rivets and sheet metal and I have a Frankenstein deck! Hopefully I can get another year or two out of the deck now.

Thanks for the link, but there is not an option for a medium or low lift blade for my 54" deck.

Agreed, but it is difficult to find them anywhere. I have used medium lift blades before don't have a good source.

Look a little closer at the photo and you will see other places where it looks raised. This is all from the deck being blasted by sand and eventually wearing completely through. I am in the process of adding sheet metal to the underside to prevent this from getting worse. Eventually I will...

I buy blades 12 at a time from Ebay. I go through probably 8 sets a year easily. I get a mowing or two out of them and then they get sharpened. I will sharpen them once or twice before they are too far gone to use.

So this is what happens after 400 hours in a sandy area! Looks like I'll be making some repairs.

Has anyone installed the "Sand Kit" yet? My deck on my 54" Raptor is getting holes and I need to do something before I have to buy a new deck. Thanks!

My blades look like the OP's after 7 hours of mowing, not 7 years! I usually get to sharpen them once and then they are pretty much worn away. I use an impact every time to take them off and then put them back on. Once I hit something with the left side blade and it took a lot more effort to...

I have a 54" raptor and the lift from Harbor freight works great for me!

Ok, my bracket became loose for a second time and this time it got my hydro belt. I ordered an aftermarket one online and then on the way home from work I picked one up from Tractor Supply. The Tractor Supply belt was a 1/4 inch too long but seems to be working fine. I guess I'll use it until...

I am converting a 50 gallon tow behind sprayer from gas pump to 12v sprayer pump. The pump is rated at 12 V 11 A 3.8 Gal 45 Psi. My question is whether the mower will recharge the battery enough for continuous use or will the pump eventually overpower the charging system? I will be using a...

How do you jack up the front of your Hustler's. I had a nice lift for my previous mower but the Raptor's front wheels are too wide so I need to get a new lift or come up with some way to jack it so I can change blades and clean out the deck. What say you experts out there? Tom

So I bought my Raptor 54 last fall and it's time for some new blades. Where is a good place to purchase them online? Thanks!