What blades do I want on my Hustler FasTrak?

I just sold my raptor SD that was equipped with Gator blades and I like them very much. Our Wisconsin grass can be pretty damp and thick and our falls have lots of leaves. I have read in past posts that the standard Fast Track blades do a pretty nice job and they stripe nicely. Going to pick up a new mower tomorrow and what should I do..... should I tell him to swap them out for Gator blades or try the standard ones straight up?

kraky said:

I just sold my raptor SD that was equipped with Gator blades and I like them very much. Our Wisconsin grass can be pretty damp and thick and our falls have lots of leaves. I have read in past posts that the standard Fast Track blades do a pretty nice job and they stripe nicely. Going to pick up a new mower tomorrow and what should I do..... should I tell him to swap them out for Gator blades or try the standard ones straight up?

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I would at least try the standard ones first. Then if you don't like them, then Switch to Gators. During the summer I like to run the hi lifts because the grass grows pretty quick and it could clump if you try to mulch too much at a time. Especially if it's wet.

I switched to the Gator blades on my Fasttrack last year and switched back to the stock blades. The Gator blades clumped up more, made grass stick to the deck more, didn't discharge as well as the stock blades. With the stock blades, I go back and forth and rarely see the cut grass unless it's a heavy spot in the grass.

Hi-Lift CATCHER blades work the best. Let me know what deck size and I'll get you a part #.

Thanks for the inputs.... i just got it home and did the Shakedown Cruise ! the stock blades are kind of weird if I get anywhere near my mulch it sucks it in but yet it doesn't blow stuff out much. What does come out is very finely cut and doesn't splatter all over the unit and me and the house so maybe it's just as well.... I guess I should give it a little time and see what i think ...it does cut nice. The blades don't look like mulching blades but they sure act like mulching blades.... must be a function of the deck and the blades.
The traction unit is a huge huge upgrade from the SD 54 I'm pretty surprised how smooth and quiet it is and for some reason seems to tear up less grass even though it's a quite a bit heavier unit.
My only real complaint right now is there is a heck of a deck buzz at high speed....
If the deck had metal Shields and they were rattling against each other that would be exactly what I would expect but this has the plastic tops... anybody have an idea what I'm hearing?

Make sure all deck support links have weight on them and that 1 has no pressure on it rattling away.

Thanks for the input I checked the deck hangers and they all seem normal with the same amount of tension. I spun all the rollers and they roll freely and seem pretty quiet. I shined a flashlight all around the deck pulleys and see no belt dust or any signs of any metal shavings. It's pouring rain and I can't do anymore test driving.
My dealer is 20 plus miles away..... in a couple days I will be going fairly close to him on another outing so may throw it on the trailer and drop it there for a few hours while I visit a town on the other side.
Getting back to the standard blades are they only supposed to throw the grass out about 3-4 feet? (54")