Well into the age of planned obsolescence it’s nice to work with people and companies interested in serving customers after the sale.

I recently had a chance to experience both when my late-2021 production-date Hustler Raptor SD 60-inch ZTR riding mower left me stranded at the steps to my front porch with two totally useless steering levers, a mysterious broken mounting bolt and a neatly severed hydraulic motor drive belt.

Since I was about two days out from a total shoulder/reversal surgery I passed on jumping into the project myself, and with the help of my grandson and his family’s “car-hauler” trailer (My utility trailer lacks ½-inch of allowing clearance for the mower deck) we delivered it to Kinnunen Outdoor Power in nearby Stillwater, Okla. The folks there assured me it would be a minimum of 3 weeks before they could inspect and diagnose the machine, to which I replied, “It will be longer than that before I can even think about getting back on to mow.”

Kinnunen Outdoor Power handles Hustler, Toro and Scag mowers so I figured my machine was in good hands (at least for parts availability). With less than 4 seasons under its blades, I really didn’t want to replace it but knew that might be a possibility. Personal experience has taught me once a machine has more than its warranty time limit on the clock replacement is many times necessary to avoid spending “good money after bad.” Still, the Hustler had been the best mower I’d ever owned, and I know others with the lawn speedsters that are 10 or more years old which are still running strong. I crossed my fingers and waited.

After three weeks, still in a sling, I was on the phone checking on the problem when the shop foreman told me the main floor mechanic suspected broken mounting brackets that join the Raptor’s hydraulic motors to the frame. He said he’d call in another 2-3 days and let me know for sure.

When the call came I was relieved to hear the diagnoses was correct and Kinnunnen’s accountant wanted me to verify I wanted to proceed with the repair. Given the repair quote, I was happy to accept. The parts were ordered later that day.

Not everyone who mows with a Raptor SD (or later models with the “X” moniker) have the same trouble I’d had — broken mounting brackets and stressed frame crossbar. Some people just mow their suburban lawns which are usually flat and considerably shy of an acre. Some of us, however, mow rough country (including early-season pasture grasses) and travel over and down steep hills and terraces at speeds for which the Hustler was named. The result: Tremendous stress on components.

When I learned Hustler had addressed the issues of mowers in severe use several years before and had redesigned the brackets and crossmember to provide more “beef” to the machines I was pleased for the quick mechanic’s diagnosis, and for a mower company that didn’t just allow product failures to linger — hoping they’d go away.

Once the machine was up and running again I gladly paid the tab, took it home and put several hours on it to make sure things were “really fixed.” The repairs were sound and the invoiced parts were actually less expensive than what Jeff sells them for on Amazon!

Overall, I am impressed with the service from my local Hustler dealer and the fact “the factory” invested in reasonably-priced parts for those of us who actually “USE” a ZTR in tough conditions.