I purchased a 42" Raptor last spring for $2500 with a military discount. I mowed a 1/2 acre of flat land for about 5 months and it was flawless. I used to own the 1/2 acre next to me as well, but sold it a few years back. The new owner defaulted and let it go. It was cut by the county 2 times a year after it was about 2 feet tall. I decided to attack it with my Raptor in between county cuttings. The 42" is NOT meant to cut 2 foot weeds! The chute clogged with wet, tall weeds. No surprise there. Now the bad part, the land was full of ruts, ditches, bumps, hills, etc.. I was bounced around like a bull rider. Still no problem for a good while, but at the very end of the season I noticed one of the EZTs was leaking a little fluid. I took it back to the dealer and they determined a seal went bad. Hustler replaced the entire hydro under warranty as expected. 2 things I learned, Hustler has great CS & don't push a mower beyond what it is intended for. Should a seal blow? Might happen on any of the hydros, but next year I won't be cutting that crappy land....
