The Mowers You Want: Hustler Raptor vs. Spartan RZ Models

As an experienced property owner, you’ve likely upgraded your mowing equipment over the years to better suit both your lawn’s needs and how you like to mow.

But, have you made lawn mowing truly fun? If you’re looking at your rider and don’t feel inspired to drop everything and saddle up for mowing right this instant, the answer is no. Luckily, the latest zero-turn lineups from a few of our customer-favorite brands, Hustler and Spartan, offer a remedy to lawn maintenance boredom!

What if mowing was more like zipping around the motor speedway in a ridiculously powerful stock car than driving your humble commuter to work? Both the Hustler Raptor and Spartan RZ Pro series mowers can give you this adrenaline-pumping thrill that your current workaday lawn tractor can’t match.

Today’s post gives a little background on both of these standout ranges to show you what you’ve been missing in mowing excitement. And don’t worry—both fleets are available to test drive and fully appreciate in person at your nearest PowerPro location!

The Hustler Raptor Mowers – Rugged Yet Refined

We previously reviewed some of the best Hustler residential mowers—including the full Raptor line—in our earlier post on taking the hassle out of mowing with Hustler. But, these mowers just keep getting better with each new model year.

Currently, there are five individual Raptor mowers in total, each with a unique feature set, but you can expect several strong shared benefits across the family of models. Whether you choose the ground-breaking original Raptor, comfortably upgraded Raptor Limited, performance-focused Raptor SD, premium Raptor SDX, or easy to store and maintain Raptor Flip-Up, you can count on:

• An Incredibly smooth and fluid zero-turn experience
• Hustler’s exclusive SmoothTrak™ steering
• High performance and reliable engines from Kawasaki and Kohler
• Precision mowing from a variety of deck sizes to address any terrain challenges you may have—from 36” to 60”

The rugged yet refined models of Hustler’s Raptor zero-turn riding mower will delight you with impressive engineering that prioritizes durability. Each Raptor design features a sturdy, welded-steel deck—in a fantastic range of size options—and heavy-duty fabricated frame that’s built to last.

What you may not expect is the extremely comfortable ride and fluid mowing experience brought to you by Hustler’s exclusive SmoothTrak™ steering. Step up to the Raptor Limited, SD, and SDX trim levels, and you’ll discover luxury seating and more refined suspension options to make mowing feel nearly effortless. No matter which Raptor best meets your needs, you’ll almost certainly fall in love with the aggressive stance, impeccable build quality, and smooth ride that’s easy on your back no matter how many acres you have to mow.

The Spartan RZ Mowers – Capable and Good-Looking, Too!

As we covered in our earlier post on why you should choose Spartan mowers over the rest, Spartan is a different kind of mower brand that’s relatively new to the marketplace—these mowers only roared onto the scene in 2015, though they’ve been winning fans at a record pace. These mowers may look intimidating with their stealthy black and gray styling, but these are user-friendly riders like you’ve never experienced before.

Made in America and designed for fun—and maybe more importantly—speed, the Spartan RZ mowers perform like commercial grade equipment at a residential price point. They’re built by true mowing enthusiasts to win over the most demanding property owners who maybe don’t love mowing today even though they may want to. Spartan is determined to make you an enthusiast, by maximizing rider comfort while offering precision cutting and incredibly well-designed zero-turn machines!

The Spartan RZ mowers, which come in three different flavors at this point—the RZ, RZ HD, and RZ Pro—all feature everything you want in a zero-turn with an overall uncomplicated design that makes maintenance a snap and onboard tech that’s easy to operate, including a state-of-the-art keyless, push-start instrument panel. You’ll also discover:

• An ergonomic cockpit that offers a commanding view and ultra-comfortable operation
• Spartan’s GT-TRAC system that provides the best traction on inclines
• An array of engine options from Briggs & Stratton, Kawasaki & Kohler
• Precision cutting at 15 different heights from your choice of 48″, 54″ and 61″ deck sizes

Which zero-turn mower is right for you?

It’s true that Hustler offers more individual zero-turn models than Spartan—this is typical of a more mainstream brand versus one that’s a little more niche. To help your decision-making, you may want to consider if you’re often more likely to enjoy tried and true brands that onlookers instantly recognize (that Hustler yellow is hard to miss) or if you’re more of a renegade who’s looking to pretty much intimidate your lawn into almost cutting itself!

But seriously, depending on your property size, terrain, and even how you plan to store your mower, you may have important points to consider that you may not even realize. You’ll want to talk with the experts at PowerPro to help you zero in on the perfect zero-turn.

PowerPro is the premier Hustler zero-turn mower dealer in Pennsylvania—and we’re one of the only Spartan dealers! Visit any of our showrooms to test drive the high-performance Hustler Raptor or Spartan RZ models now, or contact us with your mowing questions. We’re looking forward to working with you as you discover that perfect new mower!