Hustler Raptor X Zero Turn Mower - 30 Hour Review and Walk-Around

Here's a walk-around and review of a 2021 Hustler Raptor X Zero Turn Lawn Mower after 30 hours of use. I'm happy and satisfied with this mower, it is fast, has a great cut quality and appears to be easy to maintain. It is built well with heavy gauge steel, a fabricated deck and high quality parts. This mower is equipped with a Kawasaki 4-stroke engine. Thanks for watching!
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Thanks for watching!
Dennis Coffey
Coffey Craftsman Co.
Hustler Raptor X
Zero Turn Mower

[@chevyboyNC]

I'm about to buy this mower on Tuesday, I've never driven a zero turn before but this mover came highly recommended by my friend who has a lawn business, so wish me luck...

[@dwcoffey]

I hope it all goes well! Thanks for watching!

[@kcrlaterbye]

I purchased a 2021 Hustler Raptor XL 42" about 3 months ago. I added the mulch kit, along with lights. I love it...

[@dwcoffey]

Thanks for watching, Ken! I have the mulch kit...I like it but it seems to clog up the deck if the crass is a little wet. Otherwise it does fine. I really like not having the side chute on the deck. I put a hitch kit on mine and next will be a light kit. Thanks for watching!

[@garymccloskeyjr.6265]

Picked up my Raptor XD 60 yesterday and I love it! Great mower for the price. Just enough technology without all of the commercial bells and whistles and plenty of speed for residential use.

[@dwcoffey]

I agree! Thanks for watching, Gary!

[@jeffrothegamer]

Waiting on mine. I ordered 22 model like this. Hustlers are well built!!

[@RodSquad-Reviews]

@@dwcoffey Hey great video. Thank you for the info. I just got the 54 Raptor X. When I got home I noticed the wheels didn’t have lugs. It only had 1 center bolt to the shaft. That being said, have you had any issues with the wheels being loose vs the lugs? I almost want to get XD for the lugs. TIA

[@markhamilton8765]

I really enjoyed your excellent review, along with the riding tips. Thanks for your effort in putting this together for us.

[@dwcoffey]

Thank you so much for the kind comment and for watching, Mark!

[@bradtippa7523]

I’ve been using zero turn mowers for 25 years. From cheap John Deers to EFI 61” Great Danes. I would have to say that your review is one of the most accurate, complete and honest reviews I’ve seen. Some points to ad: - Don’t ever be worried about how to drive one. They are intuitive. I could mow 5 acres full of trees at full speed when I was 12 yrs old. Very intuitive, very fast. - Don’t stress about mowing down hills or across slopes if you are on a good machine. The only things that will make it tricky is cheap tyres that lose traction and cheap hydrostatic drives that don’t deliver the power or braking that you need. My John Deere zero turn was the WORST. Drive tyres that would slip, slide and spin made it really tricky sone times. But it’s budget domestic hydro drives had me stuck on a slope, against a fence, and it’s hydros simply couldn’t drive or turn, so I was stuck. Enter the Great Dane professional model and it would drive anywhere, pop wheelstands for 50 yards down the driveway if I wanted, and made lawnmowing far faster and easier. So mowers ‘aint mowers. I found your video as I’m buying a Hustler. For their price point in my area, you get a lot of mower for your money compared to other brands who sell mowers with pressed steel cutter decks (always buy fabricated decks), cheap plastic components, cheap hydrostatics (you blow a hydro motor and you will be up for $thousands), etc. After owning possibly 15 or more ride on mowers incl 6-7 zero turns, I can definitely recommend Hustler. Their fabricated steel deck also allows for a powered bagger setup which would normally tear a pressed steel deck to pieces in a few months. Great review and alongside Kubota, one of the best zero turn mowers in every price range. 👍

[@dwcoffey]

Excellent information and points, Brad! Thank you. I appreciate your years of experience and insight from that experience. I agree, the Hustler is built very well and I have been more than pleased with it. Thanks so much for you input and for watching!

[@cottawalla]

As you brought up the subject, the hydrostatic drive on the Raptor X is the only thing that is preventing me from buying one. The ZT2200's are what every entry-level zero turn uses. If it had ZT3100's or better I'd buy one today.

[@MarkBrady-t8d]

Excellent video. Has made my mind up to buy one of these. Thank you.

[@dwcoffey]

Thanks for watching, Mark!

[@danielgoen9452]

Great Video!! I'm picking one of these up tomorrow. Never driven a zero turn before, and I have a small yard, so maybe overkill, but my old John Deere was starting to cost me money, and they gave me good money for trading in, and the Hustler is on sale to boot. Thanks for all the info

[@dwcoffey]

I hope you like it, I love mine! I did find it gets better traction and tears up my yard less if I let a little air out of the drive tires. Thank you for watching, Daniel!

[@cwtex59]

I have a 2006 hustler mini fastrack with a 16hp Honda engine. It has over 1300 hrs on it and has been flawless. Starting to have a few issues but I think new belts will fix . Been looking at Fastrack in a 48 “ ,!I mow roughly 3.5 acres . Would go larger but I mow my immediate yard with some obstacles that a 54” may not be as easy to use . I currently use a 42” . Love them Hustler mowers . I’ve looked at others but seem to go back to Hustler.

[@dwcoffey]

So far, I'm really liking mine! Thank you for watching, Cliff!

[@Aaron-me7qy]

That is the cleanest mower I have ever seen with 30hrs on it. Are you sure you didn't mean you have owned it 30hrs.

[@dwcoffey]

I usually pressure wash it before I record a video. Thanks for watching, Aaron!

[@rsdaarud]

The Raptor is a great ZTR! I have 10 hrs in the "fighting chair" and you do need careful steering control on side hills. I do find it more stable and with better traction then my old Craftsman 20 V-Twin. It takes 10 hours to cut a 9 hole pasteur golf course with 2' of cheat grass and foxtail (and a few cactus!)

[@dwcoffey]

I agree! Thanks for watching!

[@youngdudz]

Thinking about puling the trigger on this same mower, do you remember where you got your mulching kit? Im seeing a ton of part numbers online.

[@dwcoffey]

Thanks for watching! My son worked at the Hustler dealer at the time and got the kit for me. This is the part number he used: 126537

[@bill1021b]

Thank you. I get my raptor XD tomorrow. I have subscribed and I’m sure I will be referring quite a lot to help me with maintenance

[@dwcoffey]

Thanks for subscribing, Bill and Thank you for watching!

[@jaytodd5809]

Can a rollover bar be added to that model? ...and thanks for the informative vid!

[@dwcoffey]

Thanks for watching, Jay! I believe Hustler sells one for the X and the XD series.

[@erniewerner3876]

Thanks for video. I just got a RAPTOR X 42". I wished you explained the difference in Blades: high lift; low lift; mulch; gator and standard? Belts: simplest way to replace? How important is the 10 hr. oil change? How pins work to allow for pushing? Grease fittings hidden? Is there a preferred arranging of blades at position one to another? or no better then just put them on any position? thanks again.

[@dwcoffey]

Thanks for watching, Ernie! I'll probably address many of those items in future videos.

[@monkeybarmonkeyman]

Think I'd want a rollbar if I were cutting hillsides. Did you ever add one?

[@dwcoffey]

I did not, although I think you can buy them installed on the mower, or probably later and install it. I mow all my hills going forward and reverse up and down the hill, not across the hill, since I don't have rollover protection.

[@davidlyddiard4351]

great commentary....very informative and straight to the point

[@dwcoffey]

Thanks for watching, David!

[@johnreinburg859]

As always Dennis, another great video!

[@dwcoffey]

Thank you so much, John! I appreciate you watching!

[@david30331]

Can you do a drive belt replacement video? Can’t find one for the X

[@dwcoffey]

Thanks for watching, David! I can't say when I'll have the video done, but that is on my list of things to make a video about.

[@chadsponseller6617]

Love my Hustler Raptor XD 54inch!! Kawasaki engine!

[@dwcoffey]

So do I! Thank you for watching, Chad!

[@scotty2746]

Is the mulch kit worth it? Thinking of buying one for mine, only problem is you have to unbolt the Shute side if you just want the grass to fly out

[@scotty2746]

Well I bought one 😂works great cost me a kidney! $430 😮

[@dwcoffey]

I like the mulching kit. Wow, though, yours was a lot more expensive than mine!

[@austinhawkins8683]

I just bought one, good job on the video.

[@dwcoffey]

Thanks for watching, Austin!!

[@leviluquire4995]

Great video. Keep em coming.

[@dwcoffey]

Thanks for watching, Levi!

[@plang42]

I have just ordered the exact same mower as yours 👍. I have an 1 acre block, which only get mowed every one or two months. So hopefully this mower will cope with this 🤞

[@dwcoffey]

Thank you for watching! I love how much faster this thing cuts than my lawn tractor. I can knock out my lawn in half the time.

[@letstub]

Great video!! Exactly what I was looking for.

[@dwcoffey]

Thank you for watching!

[@alexsereika89]

about to purchase a used one of this exact mower with, less hours on it then yours in the video. How fast does it go compared to a normal 48" troy bilt riding mower?

[@dwcoffey]

Thanks for watching! I'd say these are about 50% faster than a typical riding mower.

[@lauriep9067]

Good powerful mowers but I found I lose control on slopes at a angle especially near fences which I found out . But I like the deck and engine .

[@dwcoffey]

Thanks for watching, Laurie! I agree. I've found that handling hills and slopes by only going up them front-first is much better. Going down a hill front-first or across a slope is not fun with this mower.

[@jeremyanastasi3097]

Great review. Thank you

[@dwcoffey]

Thanks for watching, Jeremy!

[@altonrowell613]

I think one of the biggest things with a o turn is staying away from butane tanks , your house or anything else you don't want to destroy. I have a fast track 54 inch. It's 925 lbs. I just bought it yesterday. I worked for a friend years ago driving his scag turf tiger 🐅. I learned a lot from doing that. So I'm some what used to driving a O turn. I have had a 35 year old craftsman gt6000 lond tractor. 20 hp onan engine 44 inch cut. I had forgotten how nice a O turn mower is. My mower has duel fuel tanks. A little over 4 gallons a side. My old mower took almost 3.5 gallons to mow my yard. But now I've noticed this new mower doesn't work use nearly as much. Is got the Kawasaki ft691v 22hp engine on it. It's got the cyclonic air filter system on it. Each of my fuel tanks has its own fuel gauge. You can choose which tank the engine runs on. I paid 3500.00 for my craftsman 35 years ago. This new mower cost 7916.00. It's a 22 year model it was showing 1 tenth of a hour on the hour meater.

[@dwcoffey]

Thanks for watching, Alton!

[@AlabanzasyAdoración7]

You think is a good price 3000 for one of them?

[@dwcoffey]

I'm glad you found that, hopefully this video helped. Thanks for watching!

[@kavanagh100000]

Excellent review, thanks.

[@dwcoffey]

Thanks for watching, David!

[@billmarty8526]

Why no front center deck wheel?

[@dwcoffey]

Thanks for watching! Not sure, it didn't come with one....maybe it's only included on the larger or the commercial models.

[@Scratchandwin585]

Thank you for the video. I'm looking forward to purchase one in a few days. Subscribed. 👍

[@dwcoffey]

Thank you so much for watching and subscribing! I hope you like yours as much as I do mine!

[@stinkercooch9688]

What happened to the husky??

[@dwcoffey]

It'll still be making appearances here and there and I'll still be doing maintenance items on it. I gave it to my son. :) Thanks for watching!!

[@stinkercooch9688]

@@dwcoffey thank you Dennis!! You've taught me a lot on your channel and I'm a pretty handy 52 year old guy. So keep up the great work!!!!

[@jasonbolin7025]

Great video thanks.

[@dwcoffey]

Thanks for watching, Jason!

[@bradstroke]

Looked at an xd today. That was the only model the dealer had in a 42” deck I was looking for. The xd had serviceable transmissions. My question is does all hustler models have serviceable transmissions? I like that feature.

[@dwcoffey]

Thanks for watching, Brad! According to my dealer, all the Hustler models (except the Dash - the small one) have serviceable transmissions.

[@ikeyeet8312]

@@dwcoffey Im not sure what dealer you have but the raptor x 2200 EZT hydro is NOT serviceable. the 2800 on the XD is.

[@psallen5099]

I have a 2021 Raptor X. It does not have a serviceable transmission with a replaceable filter.

[@tonyd3029]

Nice, I want one. Will have to talk to boss about it. Thank you.

[@dwcoffey]

Let me know how that works out. Thanks for watching, Tony!

[@rayburnett3066]

Is 2.5 too low I have a Bad boy lawnmower

[@dwcoffey]

In my opinion, 2.5 inches is just right for warm season grass and about the lowest you'd want to go for cool season grass. Thanks for watching, Ray!

[@rk6692]

Where's the 2021 Hustler Raptor X "Hitch Kit" video, Dennis?

[@rk6692]

I put one on mine, too, but left the black engine guard on instead of using the yellow spacer that was supplied & in the instructions. I think you've done the same. Interested to hear your decision to do the same as me. And why does Hustler want users to install that yellow spacer instead?

[@dwcoffey]

Thanks for watching! I finally got my vid edited and posted today. I opted to keep the black muffler guard also....didn't make sense to remove it when it fits just fine with the hitch. Looks like we both had the same thought with that.

[@Sigurd651]

Im 14, starting a business, got 2 clients right now and a old lawn tractor my dad bought 9 years ago, sold it to our neighbor 5 years ago, then he gave it to me for free, changed battery, and it started. Changed oil, airfilter, and spark plug. runs much better. Soon i'll maybe have my dad change the ''strap'' or belt whatever that makes the knives run. Cuz it is so noisy and scrambly(deck is moving side to side and scrambling, WHATEVER. Also have a led light, horn, voltmeter, blitz light. but dont got that installed yet. the lawn tractor works and all but i'm going to buy a new one soon. idk if i should get used or new. i would of course like new, everyone would. and yeah i'll save money buying an used and all but i dont want something that got problems. also got a stihl km 131 + trimmer + edger + brush + blower(getting the cultivator soon). What new mower should i buy? im thinking imma buy one in like 4-5 months maybe less.

[@dwcoffey]

Thanks for watching and congratulations on starting your lawn business! It's hard to say what would be best for you, it depends on where in the world you live and whats available to you. Also depends largely on your budget. Basically, my advice would be to look for the newest, best maintained, used mower. Look for the better brands, not the real cheap ones. If you can find a decent used mower that has only been used for cutting grass, has been maintained and not abused, your maintenance on it should be minimal. If your budget allows, a new one will come with a warranty and possibly some routine maintenance included, depending on who you buy it from.

[@Sigurd651]

@@dwcoffeyHello, Thanks very much for replying with something useful. Will definitely keep that in mind. Cheers!

[@LT.X380]

What is the price of the Raptor ?

[@dwcoffey]

I think they currently run about $3200 depending on where you are. Thanks for watching, Lynn!

[@LT.X380]

@@dwcoffey Thanks.

[@chevyguy1128]

I just bought the same mower brand new

[@dwcoffey]

Thank you for watching!!

[@loggerjohn01]

Just picked up my raptor x 42-inch mower last night, used it for the first time tonight, about 20 mins of use, and a rear tire fell off. Not impressed. A 1 and half-inch bolt that I can buy at the hardware for a dollar holds the rear tire on and a couple of 20-cent washers. Really???? The most stress on any machine with tires is where the tire fastings onto the axle( Doesn't matter if it's a car, truck, tractor, or wheelbarrow). Especially this is true on a zero-turn mower. Hustler should know this. I will be making a few phone calls tomorrow.

[@dwcoffey]

I hope they get that straightened out for you John, that's is totally unacceptable. The dealer should have prepped all that stuff and made sure the mower was ready to use.

[@loggerjohn01]

@@dwcoffey Will they charge me 99 bucks for set up to do this lol. Now I have to haul the mower back there tomorrow ( About a 15-20 drive) On my own time. Paid 6000 Canadian for this mower!!! I have a 20-year-old cub cadet with a lot of hours on it. Funny, in 20 years the tire never fell off.

[@dwcoffey]

I'd be upset about that too! I hope it all works out ok.

[@TheTrev4477]

@Fah Q Why? I've been researching through forums and youtube and talking to pros for months and most all of them would disagree with your statement and back it up with data and experience. I still haven't decided on what brand I'll go with but why don't you like them?

[@bobg4657]

4500 bucks and no gas gauge?

[@dwcoffey]

Mine wasn't that expensive, but still....I agree...they could've included a gas gauge. Thanks for watching Bob!

[@bobg4657]

@@dwcoffey Good review/walk-thru Dennis. I'd like a 0-turn mower, but my property is about 40% steep grade. I have to baby a regular lawn tractor.

[@dwcoffey]

Yes, I wouldn't get a zero-turn with that kind of slope either. I have one area in my back yard that is too steep for comfort and I end up cutting it with my string trimmer.

[@jerodetobin5606]

I got it 3700 vash

[@trevermccall6762]

👍

[@dwcoffey]

Thanks for watching, Trevor!

[@prestonweitersjr.9460]

11/5/21, I just got a Gravely in May;

[@dwcoffey]

Thanks for watching, Preston! My son works at a Hustler dealer and I've seen that model....it's nice! I love how easy it is to clean the deck. Also helps with taking up less space to park it.

[@prestonweitersjr.9460]

@@dwcoffey 1/24/22, Heeello! That flip model's a nice feature but I don't know if it's worth ~$2000. more. My jack (made4that) will lift it up high enough to service the bottom; it cost

[@bradtippa7523]

Walker mowers also do that, but they are in a whole new game park (and price point!)