Hart 80 volt 30 inch deck riding mower

[Richard001]

Thanks for the kind words.

Richard

 

[rontaki]

Slightly off subject and a bit late, I bought a used Ryobi 80v 30" ZT (joystick control).
I have just over 7 acres, of which probably 5.5 need mowing. There are a few slopes that are steep enough that I do not go sideways on, and the ground is rough and grows a lot of rocks. I replaced the turf-friendly tires with tractor-tread style ones, I don't get stuck nearly as much and have a bit less mowing to do due to the divots the tires make sometimes. I've gotten quite proficient with the joystick, makes maneuvering easy.

While I'd like to get some of the other mowers I've seen referenced here, budget is an issue. I got a great deal on the Ryobi (used), although I had to buy 1 80v "suitcase" battery and a 12ah 40v battery to fill in the empty slots and get maximum range. I bought genuine batteries from reputable sellers on eBay, for much less than list price.The 40v 12ah died in storage over the winter, as it had a few weak cells, and I didn't charge them all winter. Lesson learned. I bought another 40v 12ah battery on eBay, with all the original packaging in case it goes bad and I need to warranty it. I also bought an empty power bank from Aliexpress, to put some of the dead pack's good 21700 Lipo cells into, so as to get some use of them. It's a beast of a power bank now!

My experience with the mower: no suspension, it beats the snot out of me on the rough ground, so I never use its max speed. In turn, I beat the snot out of it in what I ask it to mow, and where I take it on the property. It's held up well considering what I do with it. I cannot mow the whole area on a single charge, it usually takes several or more if the grass and weeds are tall and thick. By the time the batteries are exhausted, so am I. I have solar installed so charging it cost me nothing. "the Sun grows it and mows it." I don't bag or mulch, just side discharge. Gotta keep nutrients for next year's crop of weeds!

When the mower encounters a rock or stick too large, the blades just shut off, and I switch them off then back on to restart them. Never bent a blade, nor broke a hub on it yet while mowing; I broke the center out of a hub by carelessly tightening it while it was not aligned with the flats on the motor shaft after sharpening the blades and cleaning the deck underside. Replacements were under $20 but I had to do my homework to find the proper hubs, as there are similar ones that would not fit correctly but look the same. Not a whole lot of customer support available.

Overall, I am surprised at what this little beast can do, and if the batteries last over the years then I will give it a high rating.

 

[grsthegreat]

You're right... no small riders in the US anymore. There are in Europe though! Check out the Husqvarna R 213C:

View attachment 1056814

Husqvarna R 213C Rider

Efficient Rider with 94 cm Combi cutting deck, offering first-class BioClip® and rear ejection cutting. Suitable for home- and landowners who require high efficiency

www.husqvarna.com

37" articulated rider. I've seen these at dealerships in France. They look like fabulous mowers for a small yard.

They sell these in use also. Had them at dealership herein town. Price was through the roof though

 

[grsthegreat]

You sure it’s not just a rock that worked its way up? I don’t live in a rocky soil area and get one every now and then.

I live on glacial zone. Rocks work themselves up out of the ground yearly. Its a annual, after thaw, job to go thru horse corrals and pull them out so as not to mess with snow plowing the following winter. They start as small bump and grow everyyear. Finally have to pull out a rock that might be too heavy to lift with bucket….. so i end up pushing it to pile.

 

[Richard001]

Update on my Hart Electric rider mower.
For the first time, I had to clean out the bottom of the deck. Really jammed full.

While I had the front of the mower raised up to clean the deck, I decided that maybe some moving parts should be oiled. The owners manual does not have any required lube points. I did put some oil on the steering rack and the tie rod ends.

What is the opinion one oiling parts that can encounter a lot of dust and dirt ?

I have seen people say that the oil just attractants dirt and causes the parts to wear faster. The old farmer in me says that the moving parts need oil.

What say you ?

Richard

 

[2manyrocks]

I won't pretend to know the real answer, but I wonder whether using a dry spray lubricant would be worthwhile?

 

[grass32]

Update on my Hart Electric rider mower.
For the first time, I had to clean out the bottom of the deck. Really jammed full.

While I had the front of the mower raised up to clean the deck, I decided that maybe some moving parts should be oiled. The owners manual does not have any required lube points. I did put some oil on the steering rack and the tie rod ends.

What is the opinion one oiling parts that can encounter a lot of dust and dirt ?

I have seen people say that the oil just attractants dirt and causes the parts to wear faster. The old farmer in me says that the moving parts need oil.

What say you ?

Richard

Hello Richard, I'm considering the Hart 80V 30" Riding Mower. I have a 1 acre yard, fairly flat. Sale price is currently $2500. If you had to do it all again at this price, would you?

Thanks,
Tom

 

[Richard001]

Hello Richard, I'm considering the Hart 80V 30" Riding Mower. I have a 1 acre yard, fairly flat. Sale price is currently $2500. If you had to do it all again at this price, would you?

Thanks,
Tom

Yes, I still like the Hart mower. And the new lower price makes it a steal. Also you may be able to get a discount on the purchase. Check Walmart, they often has a discount or also go to the Hart website to look for a discount.

I can't recommend the bagger system. I have read a lot of bad reports on it, plus it seems overpriced. Last time I looked, they had two versions, one with an assist fan and one without the fan.

Richard

 

[Phil101]

Yes, I still like the Hart mower. And the new lower price makes it a steal. Also you may be able to get a discount on the purchase. Check Walmart, they often has a discount or also go to the Hart website to look for a discount.

I can't recommend the bagger system. I have read a lot of bad reports on it, plus it seems overpriced. Last time I looked, they had two versions, one with an assist fan and one without the fan.

Richard

DO NOT MISPLACE YOUR ORIGINAL PURCHASE RECEIPT. I purchased the Hart H80RM01 in July 2022 from Walmart.com and have been very happy with it until 1 of the batteries died. I contacted customer service to obtain a replacement, but they have just blown me off. I registered my mower and batteries with Hart but because I cannot provide a copy of my sales receipt, they won't help me at all. Apparently, I provided a copy of my receipt to Hart as part of the registration process, but for "privacy" reasons they can't access it. Also, they will not accept my credit card statement as an alternate proof of purchase. Basically, they just don't want to provide good customer service. I purchased the mower from Walmart.com, I was redirected to them from the Hart website. Unfortunately, I completed the purchase as a guest so Walmart cannot provide me with a copy of the receipt because the purchase wasn't made through an established account. It's hard to believe but a new battery costs $1,477.45, and they are unavailable so I cannot use the mower. The virtually identical Ryobi battery is a fraction of the cost and widely available but, by design, they are not interchangeable. Not sure where I'm going to go from here but good luck with your mower and hold onto that receipt!!!

 

[ultrarunner]

Small Claims may sound drastic but often just filing gets things moving in the right direction.

Does your state have Consumer Protection… Better Business Bureau and or TV Consumer Reporter?

I once bought the replacement part and then filed my court case… I had a check 3 days after serving the company…

Remember your warranty also extends for the days out of service for warranty items.

I’ve had success reaching out to corporate legal or other at the top going through the administrative assistant or secretary…

The secretary of a CEO or VP has tremendous power and reachable…