Anybody got one of these yet? Raven mower.

Gary Fowler · Mar 26, 2013

peavey said:
Hey Guy's, just wanted to let you know I actually took the plunge and bought one of the Ravens from Lowes about a month ago. I love it. Yes, it has a few bugs that need to be worked out, like any new product, but it seems pretty solid. I bought it to use at my remote cabin property in the mountains. Problems I've had so far. The 12 volt battery has something draining it's power in during down time. Raven is sending me a diode so I can fix it. The seat switch lever is too flimsy. Again they are sending me a new and improved version to replace the weak one. The positives. This thing is awesome. It has a two speed rear end, so I can drop the mowing deck and use it as a ATV. The factory tires are typical lawn and garden types, so I ordered some decent ATV tires a few sizes bigger and installed on the rear, plus I fabricated a mount on the front and installed a winch. Yeah it has a few bugs, but I am reasonably handy with a wrench and meter, heck I built a towable back hoe last year and it works great, so I figured the Raven would not be a huge undertaking. Hope this helps answer some questions you may have.View attachment 309992

It looks like you have the rear tires reversed from normal forward pulling. Did you put them of that way for a reason?

aczlan · Mar 26, 2013

peavey said:
Aczlan,
To run in all electric mode you just get on the machine and turn the key to the battery symbol, release the break and select forward or reverse and press the pedal. The specs suggest it will last approximately 1 hour on the battery without running the engine. And yes, there are only 120 volt outlets on the generator, with the exception of a 12 volt dc outlet (cigerete outlet), and a 48 volt recepticle for plugging in a optional 48 volt d/c charger.

Thanks for the info.

Aaron Z

peavey · Mar 26, 2013

Honestly I did'nt pay attention to how they were mounted. I will say this about the tires. I have a steep bank in front of my home and the raven trammed right up the bank with no problem at all. Kinda of fun, but the wife chastised me for it, saying I will wreck. Gotta be carefull to make sure she does'nt see me do that anymore.

SPYDERLK · Mar 26, 2013

Gofast said:
The recall took too long I bailed. I will wait until next year when the add 240v to the generator.

Darn right. Is it confirmed that they are going to a 240 gen? That is so essential to supplying emergency power that I would not consider buying without it.
larry

TurkeyHerder · Mar 26, 2013

I looked at it at Lowe's also. Neet idea but the mower deck apeared cheaply made and small. I will keep an eye on the reviews over the next year and if they are good, i may end up with one.

peavey · Mar 26, 2013

Actually I measured the metal on the deck and it is about 1/8 on an inch thick welded steel Not spot welded, actual welds. It's pretty strong, much stronger than my craftsman deck I've used for the last 6 years. Heres a pic of a section of the deck that shows the welds.

AchingBack · Mar 26, 2013

peavey, I looked at the pdf for this mower, and could not find the specs for maximum cutting height. I need to cut as high as possible. Thanks for the info. The deck appears fairly substantial in the picture.