The Lowes Raven MPV Hybrid Riding Lawn Mower / Generator / ATV – Power Player

That look like a space age hot rod from the future that’s been modified to cut grass.

definitely a cool concept. for the price, i would hope so though, ha!

Recalled for poor quality by the time the first article gets published……awesome.

Appears that Lowes jumped the gun. It’s all about money take a great idea
and don’t fully test it just get it on the market to make them big bucks.
great concept too bad it will cost them more money to get it right, which
they shoild have done it the first palace.

I am looking for a new rider this year. I saw these at Lowes and checked them out on the website. The first few comments that were writing just looked like sales pitches, I am glad I held off. Toolsinaction when you get one can you post it? I would love to see what you guys think of it, I still might get one I just need to see a real review of one. Great post. Thanks

Can you guys please review one.

I am buying one, it just looks awesome. Like you said any in any technology early buyers always encounter glitches. look at the Fiskar electric car.

haha it looks like a go cart!

I really want to purchase one of these but need to see more of it. Where can I find out more about it?

I stopped at Lowe’s today and talked to the power products folks. They have 2 in stock and are awaiting a technician to come and certify the interlock in the rider’s seat is connected properly and is functioning properly. I have dibbs one of them….I needed a new tractor and a generator….pretty slick idea John D.

As a Lowe’s employee, I am consistently amused by my employer’s blunders.

Over a decade (I stay because store and district management has been good to me) of being with them, the higher the ratio of Chinese made goods we’ve carried, the higher the number of Quality Alert Stop Sales we’ve had.

This is part of the High Cost of Low Prices folks (as is low payroll, not finding knowledgeable help, being out of what should be basic items…), the LIE that Sam Walton told us, and we swallowed…Hook, Line and Sinker.

Have a problem with Big Box Retail, the lack of knowledge, the lowered quality for your dollar…LOOK IN THE MIRROR at who is to blame.

I agree, as a contractor I rarely ever use Lowes. anytime I do I have an unpleasant experience. The price is always higher than other big box stores, The Lowes aprons are scarce they seem to hide when you go to ask them a question. They have nice stuff, just pricy. Like this guy said they have good garden equipment and i myself use Troy-Bilt. I will be visiting a Lowes soon to check out the Raven and perhaps purchase one. Ill take the risk

The RAVEn looks AWESOME!

The stop sale is off and mine will be delivered Saturday!

went to lowes to get a second look at the raven, and ask questions was told they were sold out[only had two] but was told that the raven has problems and was not a very good buy

Very informative. Looks like the next generation may be the one to buy. I do like the concept. Would really like to buy one.

We were ready to purchase the Raven when the salesperson told us that sales were held by Lowes because of a recall. They told us that the two they had in stock were not within the serial number range that were recalled and that Lowes typically did this as precaution.

I think this is a great concept and something I will definitely watch. However, as I just purchased myself a new mower last year, it will not be a purchase I will be making any time soon. I suspect that other Mower/ATV companies will most likely pick up on this concept and improve on it in the near distant future. It will be interesting to see where this goes. The guys who developed the idea here most definitely have a great idea. In a couple more years after I put some wear and tear on my present mower, it will definitely be something I will be looking into, if for nothing else, the ATV/Power Generator aspect of the machine. By then, most of the bugs should be worked out as well I hope.

Can the generator be hooked up to the house system as a back up. If so what type of connections would I need?

My husband saw the raven and all the things it could be used for and he had to have it. Since we were needing a new riding mower I agreed to get it. We got it home and I was able to drive it out of the crate under battery power. A few days later we had time to check it out. We gassed it up. It took a few minutes to get it to crank. Then I rode it around the yard a while and it was very erratic, like it was almost stalling and going again. Then I started the deck and mowed the back yard. It was still erratic. Then my husband realized it was the safety shut off, so I braced myself to keep pressure on the seat and it ran great. Then we pulled the deck off and switched into high gear to see how fast it was. Wow! It was so fast I couldn”t keep the pressure on the safety switch. We put it back together, then checked out the generator. Plugged in an air compressor and checked the tires. Then we put it back in the shed. Today we tried to crank it but the start battery was too weak, the generator batteries were dead, so it wouldn’t move. We slow charged the start battery for 45 min. Then it cranked but as soon as I released the brakes it would shut down. Could not get it to move so called help line and they are going to send tech to change safety switch.

I will purchase this type of mower/ATV/Power source as soon as a quality American Made one is avaiable. Dont buy chinese made crap. Buy american, spend a litle more and keep this country going. When Deere makes one in a couple years Ill have one!

Back in the 60s the Japanies were the ones making junk. Now their quality is admired by the whole world. The chineese are improving their products as time goes by. I like that this mower is actually built here in America. Maybe this combination will produce a quality product. I would consider one myself because of the versitility of the unit. I think in time we will see a quality product here.

I was seriously thinking about one, but the issue with the seat interlock (supposedly requires 150lbs to trip), along with the lack of a 240v outlet talked me out of it. I guess I can wait until the next gen version comes out and see if they work out the bugs and add the 240v outlet. It it won’t run my well pump, it’s really not that big a help to me!

looks like an electric vehicle.
an electric ATV and an electric mower deck with multiple electric motors for each blade, must be another separate motor for the ATV
with a gas generator for all the electric motors.
sounds like it needs to be plugged in and charging when not in use, like an electric golf cart,
I sure hope they can get some better reviews

Mine’s being delivered in the morning. Whole deal came with a free dumper trailer (steel!), 2 yr parts only warranty. I also bought the 4 yr extended warranty for $329. I’ll keep everybody posted. Not a lot of grass growin’ in upstate new york just yet!

I bought the first Raven sold at my local Lowes about a month ago. I was really excited, but was aware as a new product it would have a few bugs to work out. I found the seat safety switch with in the first 20 minutes and adjusted the lever a little bit, and placed some grease on the under side of the seat so the lever would slide easier. I have not had any more issues with the safety switch. The battery provided for starting the gas engine may be big enough for starting the engine, but thats about it. Don’t expect to power anything else off of it. The generator works great and the mowing deck seems to work well also. Getting back to the dead battery problem. I have experienced the same problems. I contacted Raven and discussed the dead battery, they told me it was a diode problem. After discussing this with Raven, I went to the garage and disconnected the negative battery cable and it sparked, indicating something was draining the battery. I’ll continue to diganoise the problem with my meter until I find the issue.
Now for the good part. I purchased the Raven to use at my remote cabin in the mountains. The generator will plug right up to my cabin and I plan on using the raven to pull one of those plastic dump carts full of fire wood. I put over sized atv tires on the rear and fabricated a bracket for the front bumper and installed a small atv winch just in case I get it stuck.
Over all I am happy with the Raven. I knew what I was getting into when I purchased it, and have not had any major dissappointments yet. Hope this review was helpful.

You don’t need to plug this up like a golf cart, it recharges as you drive it using the gas engine. You must use the gas engine for mowing, towing or generator power. You can run on electric for travelling or as ATV. Easily remove the deck and put in high gear for fast ride. They are working on getting the safety switches replaced and dealing with the weak starter battery issue. When they fix ours, I think we’ll be happy with it.

I’m having trouble posting the pictures of my Raven with mods.

Already did this morning Dan.

Hello everyone,

Lowe’s was good on their word and had my Raven here at 1030 this morning! The dumper trailer is OoS and is ordered. Scott, would you kindly send me your pic’s of the mods you made. My email is: GGrant2@STNY.RR.com. I would appreciate it. As I said, we don’t even have robins here yet, let alone grass! I’ll keep you all informed! Mine is the first delivered in this area (Binghamton, NY)too. Any good ideas on whole house hookup for the generator, BTW?

I received a call from Lowes. They have taken the Raven off “stop sale.”

I was hoping Dan would post the pics of the mods on this site, but I will also e mail the mods to you. Remember if Lowes finds out that the Raven has been altered by the mods it may very well void the warrenty, so do the mods at your own risk.

Whole house hook up should be done by a qualified/certified electrician installing a genset disconnect eletrical switch to your residential service. It’s not rocket science, but I would not reccomend back feeding at all. Way too many problems could arise, as well as liability issues. Remember the Raven currently only provides 120 volt service, so if you have to connect to your home, you will need to shut off any 220 volt breakers at the main breaker panel. These are typically you hot water heater breaker, electric dryer, oven range, etc.

Thank you Scott. I appreciate it!

Ok Dan thanks…..but here’s what I get!!!!

Sorry, you don’t have permission for that!
It will NOT let me view them!

Your welcome Gerry, glad I could help. I can not view the pics either Dan.

I have a raven and love it even though I have a few issues. If it runs very jerky then it is the seat interlock. If you want to test it out, lift the seat, then use some wire or something to temporarily tie off the seat limit and give it a test run. I have found that my 150# is not enough to keep the seat interlock made consistently while using it (spring pressure is set too high in my opinion). Of course for warrenty and litigation purposes I suppose I should remind you to remove your bailing wire tie-down of the seat interlock. Some goverment entity required them to be installed in the first place!

I talked to the Vice President of Raven this morning for about 30 minutes discussing the Raven. One of the topics was the seat switch that originally came with the MPV. He informed me that they have a upgraded switch that will replace the old one. The upgraded switch is designed on the plunger type system, and is suppose to be a simple quick fix. Mine should be here Monday. The Ravens that were first sold at Lowes had the poorly designed switch, however they Company made a mad dash to all the Lowes stores to replace the switches. There are also two diodes that need to be installed in the wiring harness. One diode to prevent the 12 volt battery from draining and the other diode is to prevent what Raven calls a hard shutdown from damaging the motor controllers. This occurs if you shut the engine down with the mowing deck still engaged. From what I understand the diodes are simple plug and play repairs that should not take more than 30 minutes to complete the installs (no soldering or wire crimping). A Raven representative could come around and do the repairs on your MPV if your not comfortable doing them your self.
I’ll have to say I was impressed that Ravens Vice President personnaly contacted me about the seat switch issue and was extremly concerned about me being a happy Raven customer. I’ll continue to pass along helpful information as i receive it on the Raven. Be safe and enjoy the MPV. Scott

I like the Raven and have used mine as a generator to power blowers and chargers. I’ve pulled a bucket around cleaning up the yard and I’ve mowed with it. I’ve had two issues and i wonder if other are as well. I think one issue people may not see yet because most are not mowing grass yet. My blades shut down as I’m mowing. If i let the Raven sit and charge for a bit I get to mow longer but not long enough to mow much. I have an acre to mow. It seems like the blades are powered from the 48v battery but the motor charges the battery slower then the blades draw. I’d like to be able to mow my lawn without stopping. I have only been able to get at most 10 minutes mowing before the blades stop. Sometimes I can restart them and other times i have to let it sit for a while. My second problem is sometimes after sitting and charging it doesn’t want to move.

Dan,

Is the problem that David has with his Raven typical?

You are buying garbage made in china. When something on it breaks, who ya gonna call? Ching Chow?

Kevin, welcome to the w1st century, where globalization and outsourcing rule. Even a good percent of the parts for US assembled vehicles are made off shore. Buying a lawn tractor that is made in the US is challenging. Even John Deeres have parts that are made in other countries. http://www.ask.com/explore/popular-lawn-mowers-made-usa

David,
I will try my Raven out this week end with the mowing deck issue and let you Raven has been more than accomadating to me when it comes to additional information needed and spare parts. Again, this is a new product and there will be a few bugs to work out like any new product. With Lowes being the exclusive dealer, they are quick to make sure you are receiving every thing you need for the Raven, if in fact you need anything for it. The folks from Lowes called me today to see if Raven was living up to their product. I had to say yes. Does China produce some junk? We all know the answer to that question, yes. Is the Raven garbage. Not at all. Check out the Raven web site. Call the support number and discuss any issues you have with them. They have a lot on the line with this mower, and want to make sure your happy. Signed, Ching Chong. Sorry I could’nt resist. Scott

I tried the mowing ability out today and am happy to report there were no issues with it. I mowed in 6 inch grass, quiet thick in one area for about 30 minutes and it kept on mowing. Make sure when you decide to mow in reverse that you press the small button next to the directional switch before attempting to mow in reverse or the mowing deck will stop. A good safety feature for those who need it I imagine.

After mowing in the wet grass, I decided to challange the electrical connections under the Raven by spraying the under side with my garden hose. Figured if water was going to be a problem I would find out before summer hits. I am glad to report the raven started right up and and the mowing deck also soaking wet. No sounds of wireing frying or smokeing, ha ha.

On another note I realized an important safety feature that Raven has failed to mention in their advertisements. The electrical tram motor acts as a braking system when decending a steep grade when you decend very slow. I drove it up a steep bank in my yard and stopped about half way up. I placed it in reverse and started to slowly allow it to drift back down while holding the brakes. Too much of my suprise when I let off the brake to allow it to roll it hardly moved backwards. It began slowly rolling down the hill that mimicked apllying the brake. Sort of like a engine brake on large trucks, but much slower and without the noise.
Update on the parts I received from raven on the diodes and seat safety switch. Raven kept their word and I received all the parts with instructions. All three installs were easy and a perfect fit.
I will continue to keep everyone updated on the pros and cons of this machine as I encounter them. Scott

Well i saw the raven in the store for the first time yesterday, loved the concept. grimaced at the price. Today I learn that the raven is made by a communist company so there is no way I’m buying one and I’ll be sure to steer my friends away from supporting communism. Shame on you Lowe’s.

i would like to know what would happen if you run over something that would stop the blades from moveing.

Hi! I saw the Raven’s ad on TV, and I was very excited to see it produced. Great idea, and very useful.

But one problem, why didn’t they consider the 240 volt plug in also in this year’s model If I was CEO or President of the manufacturer, I would fire all my design team for being so stupid.

Also, next year’s model, put a big gas tank to hold lots of fuel for traveling/mowing and standby power use.

I need a mower now, but will wait for the new improved Raven to come out.

Thanks.

Paul L

I want one! I hope other manufacturers follow suit and start building these types of vehicles. The quality seems almost there when i checked out one of these units. No grease fittings on suspension parts got me wondering who made it. After looking at the engine and not seeing any recognizable manufacturer I really started wondering! China! I am not against buying foreign products, but China? I also need a larger mowing deck. I will keep this unit in mind in the next couple of years to see if any other similar rigs pop up!

Tom and Mark, i proud to say I used my Veteran’s discount at Lowe’s in Lindale Texas to purchase my Raven, guess I served to defend to freedom to spend your money or not based on any “silly” reason.
****
Note line from article above: “This it not really a bad thing as RATO builds the RAVEN here in the USA giving us jobs.”
*****
Imagine there were no political, regional, religious idiosyncratic myths directing us, but we built what we had the talent to build and sold it to the global market. Stop fearing brothers.

When they put on a two wide seat (and perhaps lower the center of gravity a bit) the golf cart industry is in a bit of trouble, too–make those high backed seats with a roll bar.

For the anti-Chinese among us, when we borrow internationally, because we have been spending a dime for every six cents of tax income–and just love to send our military anywhere and everywhere (for all years since Clinton), someone is getting a lot of cash–to build and buy in the USA.

But you knew this already from your shopping at Harbor Freight, didn’t you?

Oh, and as soon as there’s a small integrated welder (someone already mentioned the need for a 220 V improvement), a lot more ranchers will buy one, too.

Looks like another Sales Stop on the Raven…. According to my local store in Michigan. Something to do with the brakes.

What about attachments like a snow blade, will that maybe in the future of this incredible atv mower???

I heard they pulled the Raven again for safety defects. Yesterday while I was mowing with my Raven, the mowing deck stopped turning. I stopped the machine and pushed the pto for the mowing deck in. Then I tried to drive it forward with out results. Then I placed the Raven in neutral and the Raven just took off with out depressing the gas pedal. It relly startled me. I pressed the brake hard to keep from running into my pool deck and the gas engine stalled. It would not start back until I jump started it with a battery charger. I have had a few issues with my Raven, but nothing like this before. I heard Lowes was going to remove the Raven brand from their line because of the safety problems. If they do this, Altaquip (contractor responsible for warrenty repairs) will most likely end their contact with Denver Global. If this happens repair and or parts will be impossible to obtain from the Parent company. The only leverage I have had to get parts so far is the threat of contacting Lowes.
I am re thinking my Raven. I’ll probably take it back to Lowes for a refund and chalk it up as a lesson learned.
Signed, Dissappointed.

Yeah, I am starting to re-think my purchase option on this unit.

According to the salesperson, Revision 1 was sent to the south, now revision 2 (With the problems corrected) is in the North (they just started receiving them). I was going to purchase one yesterday, but now another stop sale due to brake issue(Scott Beverly, I wonder if your issue is why the stop sale started again).

Sales person was honest with me and suggested me waiting a year. But, Darn, I want one of these. Since it is snowing here, I guess I can wait a few weeks to see if I am going to gamble on this unit or not.

WOW! I’m so glad I searched for reviews before I bought a Raven.
Thank you, one and ALL!

Is this mower even going to be available anymore? I just went to the Lowes website on 4/19 and it says “Raven 46-in Hybrid Riding Lawn Mower Item #: 437234 | Model #: MPV-710 This item is no longer available on Lowes.com.”
I sure hope they haven’t just given up on it. I called a couple stores and they said there current stock has been recalled for a safety recall.I was looking forward to buying one (With the 4 year extended warranty of course, CYA insurance LOL).

Tim,
My wife works for Lowes and told me she was informed that Lowes put the Raven on stop loss because of safety issues that involved several problems. Lowes will completly remove the Raven from their line now. That means no support from anyone if you have problems with a Raven. Customers experienced mowing deck blades flying off, and erractic movement, what ever that means. I was determined to work thru the small issues I had experienced until I found out that Denver Global stopped communicating with me. The only way I was able to get them to help with the few problems I had was to call the Lowes EPP folks in. After I worked thru the first issues I was pretty happy with the Raven until while mowing the mowing deck just stopped, then it started lunging forward toward my pool with out me depressing the pedal. Then it just died and would not start back. The starting battery was extremly weak. So, I thought I would just drive it to the garage on all electric mode. Wrong again. The machine would not move. I pushed it back to the garage while expelling explitives and jump started with a charger. Started mowing again and had the same problem. Apparently the starting battery performs the function of operating the control circuit of the machine. With out a well charged starting battery the whole thing dies. The battery problem has plagued the Raven since day one. I thought I had it fixed with the diodes Denver global sent me, but apparently the problem still exist. What do I think happened? I think that something was still draining the battery, and when the barttery got very low it damages the control circuit and causes it to go nuts.
Bottem line, there are several safety issues that still exist with the raven. Poor quality Control and more importantly no communication from Denver Global. They jumped too fast on the Lowes contract with out first testing the machine in real life situations.
I’m sure these problems will have a negative impact on the reputation of the Raven. I was very dissappointed when I returned my Raven to Lowes. However the return was simple. Lowes did not question me returning it. Lowes told me that every Raven they sold was returned with in a week or less. I was the only one that kept a Raven for two months. So they can not say I did not try.
Raven, great concept, poor execution.
Will I purchase another Raven after they get all the bugs worked out? Probably not. Burn me once shame on you. Burn me twice shame on me.
Think I’ll buy a golf cart with a utility bed, lift kit and put a winch on it. At least I know I can get the parts to repair it.
Scott

I purchased my raven on 4-16-13, the stop sale went in effect on the 18th, only mowed once and have had no problems, I have a hilly yard, and it does a good job on the hills, I have a john deere w/ hydrostat so it’s taking a little getting used to on the forward and reverse,the only thing I can see on mine is the back up beeper does not work ( no big deal ) I would have unhooked it anyway
I’ll keep watching these post for more info, and if I have any issues i’ll be sure to share

Scott, I had about the same problems as you had, with my Raven.

I purchased it at the end March, but didn’t use it until April 13th. Half way through cutting my one acre, one of the blades stopped working. After about 10 minutes of fiddling around with it, I got it working. When I was about 98% finished with cutting, I felt this strong vibration coming from the deck. I thought that I had a grass clog, but didn’t see anything. I spun the blades by hand to make sure it was binding. I started the blades back up, but the vibration was still there. I reached for the PTO control when I heard a big clank. I looked under the deck where I found one of the blades laying on the ground! Luckily all the parts including the bolt was still under the deck. I pulled the deck and reinstalled the blade, while checking the other blades bolt. Other then a big gouge where the blade hit the deck, it looked fine. I haven’t put the deck back on yet.

I used the Raven the next day to pull my cart around, doing some cleanup. When I finished for the day, I rode it up to my garage door and shut it off so I could open the door. I put it in electric mode to ride it into the garage, but it wouldn’t move forward. I started the motor, but it still wouldn’t move forward. I put it in reverse, but it just rolled backwards down the slope of the driveway. I messed around with it for 10 minutes, even trying the transmission lever in the other position. I didn’t want to leave in on the sidewalk, so I tried to push it onto the grass, but since it doesn’t have a true neutral, it’s very hard to push. The 750 lbs is dead weight. I tried it in electric mode again, and it started moving. I rode it into the garage, and haven’t messed with it since.

I went to Lowes on Friday, and found out about the stop order. I’m calling the 800 number on Monday. I really like this machine and want to keep it, so I’ll see what these guys are going to do about fixing or replacing the Raven. Glad I kept my Craftsman mower.

Scott,

Thanks for the info…. You made up my mind “RUN AWAY”… Darn, now off to shop for the Deers

Although I am curious if you had the 1st revision or second + revision on your Raven. I know the 1st revision Safety Switch for the Seat was mounted on the chassis of the unit, the one I was looking at was actually mounted inside the seat (wires going to center of bottom of the seat).

In my opinion, if they have a Stop Sale on these units, there should be a recall on the previous sold units and repaired to the new corrected specs (Especially if it is a safety issue). If this program was in place, I would not be scared of the Raven. Come on Lowes, get with the program.

I am tracking all the comments about the Raven. They are really helpful and I am still wanting to buy one. I can wait and see the outcome of this thread.

Tim,
I purchased one of the first Ravens available thru Lowes in February and it had three initial issues. (1) The starting battery was being drained when the machine was off due to a diode that was put in the starting circuit. (2) Another diode was missing in the mowing deck circuit that suppose to prevent motor controller damage in case the consumer shut the machine off while the mowing deck was still engaged. (3) The seat safety switch was defective.
When I contacted Raven iniatially about the seat safety switch, they were very helpful (after Lowes called them) and sent me the both diodes and the upgraded seat safety switch along with simple to follow instructions. I installed all three items with out a hitch. The new seat safety switch installed between the seat and a flimsy seat pan. So originally I had the old version switch that involved a switch and a lever.
The main reason I returned my Raven was lack of reasonable support from Denver Global. The only time they would communicate with me was when Lowes EPP folks forced their hand. I was willing to work thru the problems as long as I could receive support from them. But when you call and email the company with out receiving any return communications and then find out that Lowes is pulling the product it’s time to cut your losses and run.
I don’t understand Denver Global’s support system. You would think that they would want their products to succede. I assume they saw the hand writing on the wall when Lowes pulled the Raven for the second time. Too bad really, the Raven could have been very successful if they would have put a few more bucks in Research and development and was prepared with a good support system. At least they could answer the e mails. I’m still ticked off some. I put a lot of work in repairs, new tires, and developed a winch mount for mine. I even hooked up a manual remote choke cable to the engine for cold starts.
Good luck.
Scott

I talked with my Lowe’s store and customer service at Lowes. They said the stop sale was due to an “inspection issue.” They both told men that they would get back to me with more information.

I agree Bill K., I haven’t quite given up yet so long as I would be covered under the 4 year extended if and or when I went ahead and purchased one. I have gone and looked for an alternate though, the
Husqvarna 24-HP V-Twin Hydrostatic 48-in Riding Lawn Mower Item #: 372785 | Model #: 960450035 is looking real good right now. If the don’t come up with a solution on the Raven in the next week and a half I’m going with the alternate.

Oh my! Thank all of you sooo much. You saved my marriage..
I have been doing all the yard work since I retired. I was trying to talk my husband into buying THE RAVEN.
I would have been stuck with the Raven forevermore. Quote from Edgar Allen Poe’s poem THE RAVEN…
Back to my John Deere manual mower…..

MY 9 YR OLD SON AND I CANT BELIEVE ALL THE NEGATIVE FEEDBACK. RAVENS BAD ASS WE ARE HUMANS SMARTER THAN A MACHINE AND HAVE EVEN TWEAKED IT MADE A FEW VIDEOS TO SHARE WITH THOSE WHO APPRECIATE.IF YOUR BITCHIN ABOUT IT YOJR OBVIOUSLY A DUMBASS OUTSMART THE RAVEN ADJUST IT TO YOUR NEEDS AND HAVE FUN ON NEW TECH. TODAY WE MOWED , TRIMMED TREES, JAMMED TO PANDORA THEN MY SON DROPPED HIS SEADOO IN THE LAKE WITH RAVEN FULL OF ICE COLD BEER IN THE BED WHILE I CHILLED ON THE BEACH WATCHING HIM THEN PULLING HIM OUT WITH EASE. RAVENS MAKING MEMORIES FOR MY SON HE LOVES IT SO DO I.

Anyone who has returned the Raven to Lowes, did you get a full refund or trade in value?

Well, I broke down and purchased the Husqvarna 24hp. Yesterday was the last day they threw in a trailer with the purchase.

Hopefully my next tractor will be the Raven when/if they get the issues taken care of.

FYI, anyone making a big purchase at Lowes, go to your post office and get a moving/change of address kit. It has a 10% off coupon (1 per address). The coupon takes a few days to receive via E-Mail.

The Raven we purchased was exchanged without any problem. We are waiting to hear about a recall.

I purchased the 2nd Raven sold at my local Lowes store. I was actually going to buy a Deere or a Husky but my wife liked the notion of the added generator feature on it so we purchased.

Like Scott, my first time using it saw me unable to make it drive in forward or reverse. I tied down the safety switch under the seat and went from there.

It took a little getting used to but it mowed my lawn (2 acres) just fine. Unfortunately, after mowing and washing the first time, I put it in the garage for about a week and ran into the second identified problem. Dead battery. I stopped by Lowes and they told me that I need to buy a battery charger for it. That seemd a bit excessive for a product that was less than two weeks old but since it was the floor model I figured that maybe all the customers messing with it had run down the battery. So….after charging for 24 hours I again set out to mow my lawn. Here I ran into the third identified problem, This sucker does not want to start when cold. I thought I wsA going to have to put it on the charger again cause I was running the battery down trying to start it.

Finally got it started and started mowing the lawn again. About halfway through the job I heard a loud “clunk” and noticed that about half the deck noise had disappeared and that the discharge had practically disappeared.

Here I ran into the 4th identified problem. The blade on the right side of the deck had stopped working. Nothing I tried was able to get it going again.

Called Lowes EPP folks (I did buy the extended 3 year warranty). they were very nice and set me up with a service call for their contractor to come pick up the mower for repair.

Today I got a call from the repair personnel confirming my appointment with them. during our conversation they mentioned to me that I might not get it back for an extended period of time. This is due to the fact that so many people are having problems with it that the parts supply has run out and has to be ordered from the manufacturer.

I like the concept but not the product. I should have gone with my initial thought and purchased a different brand.

I just made my appointment to have mine picked up because the right blade only works half of the time. You should see my lawn. Half cuts all over the place. My pickup is not until 3/29. If they call and say they are going to keep it for an extended period of time, I’m getting a refund.

I bought mine on 3/29, and it came with a plug in charger that has the cigarette plug end on it. Is everyone saying you didn’t originally get that, and it was an optional purchase, or did you get something different?

Carol,
Lowes was great to deal with when I returned my Raven. They gave me a full refund on the Raven and the extended EPP.

Mr. Soriano, I’m glad your Raven is working for you and your son. You may be one of the lucky ones that purchased a Raven with fewer problems. not sure how to address your comments about letting a machine out smart you. That comment is adolesent and rude. If I pay $3000.00 for a item, I expect it to work as described. All new products have some issues and I think most Raven buyer’s were willing to repair the small problems as long as they receive some support from the company. If you would have read the earlier reviews and comments it would have been clear to you that most people did several repairs on their Raven when they could. Now you may be an electrical and mechanical genise that does not need a company to stand behind their warrenty. For that I salute you sir, however for they rest of the folks that do not qualify at the previously mentioned stature, we made the decision to seek assistance from the manufactor for need help.
Scott

I helped design and build the Raven, We have a Diode and new seat switch that will take care on the problems you are having, call Denver Global Products Customer line and tell them you need both, Thanks

Well folks,,,,I have only driven around the yard on my Raven. Until today, it’s been wet and sunny enough that the grass has greened and is growing. I noticed some things like the seat interlock switch is incredibly sensitive. I weigh 215 and even small bumps would make the blades shut down…I should say blade (more on that in a minute). Using the cruise control I was able to smooth out the ride, the accelerator is pretty touchy. I made two or three circuits and given the angle of the sun and hilly yard (maybe cutting 1.5 acres), it took a while to see only one blade was turning. The other blade is there so it’s not the missing blade problem. I stopped the tractor and the left side motor was fairly warm, the right was ice cold. I did a visible check on the cabling and it appears to be intact and connected. This is a sad statement for a brand new machine. I’m a touch disappointed here and am not making any snap judgements, I’ll call the service center tomorrow and see what’s happening. My other tractor is sitting in the shed with no battery and a flat rear tire…so I’m, as they say, screwed at this point. I was thinking that I’m glad I got the warranty and the ext warranty also, but if there’s no parts availability, so what!! The saga continues……..

Gerry

Bruce,
I installed the new seat switch and diodes and my my problem continued and actually got worse. The battery kept draining and I had to jump start it evry time I used it.

I just went out and with my neighbor’s assistance, I was able to determine that the rt side blade starts to turn and then stops. Bad motor or controller board. Fuel gage is also NFG (non-functioning gear). Nice. I’ll call this afternoon and see…kinda booked up this morning!

This is from the “for what it is worth department.” I just talked with a representative of the manufacturer and they said the stop sale was a “merchandising” issue and had nothing to do with safety or performance.

Roy,

Hmmm, sounds like you got a answer that is Bull Stuff from the manufacture. Everyone here and on other sites are complaining about the same issues?

Granted, they probably fixed some, but I will bet more issues to come. As with any newly developed product, there will be issues once deployed to the public. Raven can test the product to the best of their abilities, but until it gets tested by the public, Raven has no idea what may or may not come up (Look at all the Microsoft updates etc). My main concern was with how Lowes and the manufacture was handling the issues.

I think Lowes was sick of getting the complaints, until the Raven is tested more.

After seeing the comment about the diodes not correcting the problem and possibly making it worse I have decided to make my alternate choice, my primary choice. I will be going to Lowes this weekend to buy the Husqvarna 24-HP V-Twin Hydrostatic 48-in Riding Lawn Mower Item #: 372785 | Model #: 960450035. As my wife pointed out the Raven is Very New, and we just can’t afford to pay the possible price of being the first kids on the block to have what is a really great idea. And then having to turn right around and buy another when the extended warranty runs out in 3 or 4 years. I wish you all the best of luck and thank you all for your wonderful feedback both good and bad. I also commend Lowes in there ongoing effort to resolve issues the manufacturer has neglected to handle.

I agree with all, but I do not mind being a beta tester to help the cause. Is it 100%, no. should it be at 3k yes, because it is sold as completed. but I will help improve it as it is not the first at two fields but 3 fields. so if only two fields work I think it is doing great

Well, we got our Raven back from Alta-quip today. I decided to give it one more try before taking it back. I cranked immediatly, yay, it went forward, yay again. I engaged the mower, uhoh, nothing! The blades did nothing and the mower wouldn’t move while the engage button was up. So I called lowes to talk about bringing it back, he asked if we wanted to exchange it for another raven, are you kidding!! I told him I need something I can depend on, no tjanks. I can’t believe Altaquip sent it back to us without checking it first, they had it 2 weeks! Unbelievable!!

Carol, I would try charging it back up before giving up on it. They could have ran the battery down while working on it and testing.

Atla-Quip is picking mine up on Monday to fix the issue with the right blade intermittently stopping. I only had mine a month, so I’ll give them one chance to fix it before I ask for a refund.

I got my Raven for Easter from my wife. I used it 3 times. Yesterday afternoon while finishing cutting grass i heard a load bang then the blade came flying off through the discharge shut hitting my leg and just missing my son. Lowes is coming tomorrow to pick up mower..

Alta-Quip picked up my Raven yesterday afternoon. Driver told me that he has picked up at least 5 Ravens over the past two weeks for similar problems. He also told me that it would probably be at least a month before I got it back. Part issues due to the amount of product being returned for repair.

LOL, I’m not sure my property can stand not being mowed for a month. I’ll call Lowes and see what remedy they can offer in the interim.

Marc

Well, we took the raven back to Lowe’s and spoke to the manager for a while. He said Lowe’s is not dropping the raven and are doing everything they can to get them working properly and be sure we are satisfied. So we are letting them check it out again and see if we can get it running like was when we first got it. Maybe its just that we need to learn more about how it operates and how to properly troubleshoot our issues. We’ll see, cause we really do like the way it was made and the way it worked.

Oh boy glad to hear it’s not just our Raven having issues, bought ours about 1 weeks ago, have lost the blade, gas gauge was not working when we brought it home, mower deck was not plugged in all the way so we thought we had a problem with that right out of the gait, going down hill is a ride and half it picks up speed quite fast, the blades continue to stop when cutting in dry grass, we have a farm and where so excited about this product, but I do think quite a bit of tweaking is in order to make this an exceptional product. Also Raven engineers may want to consider a hand throttle, this maybe would help in the performace. Hard to set cruse control with foot throttle becuase of bouncing in the seat.

I really like the concept but I am holding off for now

I went in yesterday and returned the Raven. They’ll be picking it up in the morning (Sun). I would like to keep it and work with them on this “beta” project, but I may not be able to be the grass cutter all the time and I don’t want my wife to have to use it…I just don’t trust it. Bought a 54″ Huskie instead…the journey continues! Good luck to all….I’ll keep watching!

Gerry

Gerry,

I got my Husqvarna 24hp Friday… Works great and FAST. Lowes was supposed to deliver on Thurs, but truck problems. They knocked off another 10%… I am not complaining

Tim,

Fast works for me!! I can see where I’m gonna have more hand trimming to do…this 54″ mower just isn’t gonna go in some of the narrower places. Oh well, that’s what being retired is all about…more work! Wait a second….glad to here you’re happy with the Huskie!

Gerry

Boy am I glad I found this website today. I bought my Raven almost 30 days ago and was an impulse purchase. First day one mower motor would not work. The assembly guy from the local store came out, dropped the deck and found a wire not connected. So were were now mowing but hit any stick in the yard and the mower motor quits. Takes forever to figure out how to restart it. Sometimes and off then on on the PTO works. Others a complete motor shutdown is required. After a couple of those the engine backfires when shut down. Then there is the intermittent decision of whether it wants to move when the forward switch is pushed. I have been vascillating as to whether or nto to return it as my 30 days are almost up but the posts here make up my mind. The concept is fantastic but the implementation apparently has engineering design problems. Plus though my yard is flat it is not smooth and the ride is very rough with the solid rear axle. So rough that if it wasn’t for cruise control I couldn’t keep a steady speed. I have the 3 year extended but now am scared about their ability to do any repairs. Safer to get the 24 hp Husky that another post described, sad to say. I agree that Lowe’s was too quick to want to be on the technological edge with this deal.

Hope the Raven works out

All Ravens that have been sold or In Lowes stores will be Upgraded and made right, we have the problems solved and will do this free of charge at our cost, Hang in there it really is a amazing machine

After we encountered the same problem, (hesitation in forward and one blaced stopped working) with the replacement Raven that we had with the first Lowes allowed us to exchange it for 0 turn John Deere. Wish the manufacture would have field test the Raven before sold it.

Bruce, My 30 days are right now up with Lowes. For $3,000+ would you trust a post on a blog that everything will be corrected?

I forgot to add in my previous post that going down hill is dangerous as it totally free wheels with no hold back except a heavy foot on the brake.
Anyhow I seen major design problems in the circuitry that leads to all of the posted problems from motors stopping to motors not engaging to move the machine. Convince me that you have solved them all being as how this machine was so poorly vetted in the beginning………

Went by my Lowe’s store tonight and casually asked about the Raven. Teh salesperson told me they had been recalled but no one was saying why. He went on to say that they had sold 10 and 7 had been returned!! Since I am #8 that helped make up my mind.
Tried mine again tonight. A blade fell off and it is the cheapest looking blade I have seen. Thin and already beat up from 2 mowings.
Motors quit a couple of times requiring the engine to be shut off and it backfires everytime it is shut off.
So sad as the Raven is a great concept, just poor engineering and definitely some poor construction in order to cut corners and save cost….

So Altaquip came by and picked up my Raven to fix what ails her. The driver had to call his office when he saw he was picking up a Raven, to see if it was ok to bring it in. He wasn’t very clear, because he started back peddling on the comment, but he said they get daily emails about what’s going on with them. He said he had been out all day, and since it was 4pm when he arrived in the 8am-5pm window, he wanted to make sure nothing had changed during the day. The driver said I should have it back in a week, but don’t hold him to that.

Not entirely sure what would have happened if he was told not to bring that piece of junk back here. Today is day 30 for me, so I’m going to roll the dice on a positive outcome with this. Some said they got a free dump cart with their Raven, and I see Lowes is handing out carts now. Does anyone know if there was a free cart offer on March 29th? I’m going to push for some freebies as compensation, so I don’t want to ask for something I should have gotten in the first place.

My lawn looks horrible since it has grown taller after being cut with one blade. The high and low cut areas looks really bad after one week. I emptied my five gallon can in the Raven, so I need more gas for my Craftsman mower. That was almost two months fuel for that riding mower.

I have a very difficult yard to mow; it is 2 acres full of trees, rocks, ditches, hills, holes and it will beat most mowers to death in one season. I was looking at the raven but after reading all these comments I’m thinking twice, my question is what do you think is the best mower out there for my yard since the Raven has too many problems?

We got our raven back. They said the reason it would not engage the mowers and stopped moving, it was in high gear. OK. Now it mows great, the mower has so much power. It does have a couple issues I see, but that is in handling and getting used to it. I was mowing on a slight hill and stopped to back up, it wouldn’t engage and rolled forward. It took me a minute to understand that I need to hold the brakes, set the switch to reverse, hold down the throttle a second then release the brake and it backed up fine. I think it just takes a bit to get used to. And we will use the charger a bit before mowing. Our blades don’t seem thin.

Brian P,

My store in Michigan stopped the cart give away on 4/22. I remember this because the end of the trailer give away was the deadline day I made my final desision from purchasing the Raven, to the purchasing the Husky.

I was just at Lowes today, looks like the Ravens are still all sitting in the back room.

So AltaQuip calls me this morning to return my Raven. I ask them what was the issue with it. The driver, who was going to drop it off at my house, says nothing. That they they drove it around and it ran fine. I tell them that something is wrong with it, because I and many others are having issues with one or both blades stop spinning. That they have been pulled off the sales floor because there is something wrong with the design or electronics. So it has to be something.

I told him to go back and talk to the manager, and have him speak with DGP. I don’t want it back, just to have them come pick it again next week. I’ll give them one more week.

Thats why I returned my Raven back to Lowes when I found out they were going to stop selling the Ravens for electrical and mechanical issues. I finally gave in and bought a UTV to use at my mountain cabin. It won’t cut grass, but I can put my gen set in the bed and haul it anywhere I need too. I hope you folks get your Ravens back and they are trouble free. It is a pain when you depend on a machine and it let’s you down.

Altaquip picked up my Raven back on the 25th of last month. I hadn’t heard anything from them so I called them last wednesday. After listening to the “we will be right with you message” at least a zillion times I finally got a human. She said she would have to look up my paperwork and would call me back within an hour. Last I heard from them. No call back. I called again on Friday and got tired of listening to the wait message so i left a message asking them to call me back. Never heard back. Called again this past Monday and left another message. Still no call-back.

Then I read that the Raven has again been pulled from stock. I call Lowes this time and ask them to assist in determining the status of my mower.

This time I get results. Go Lowes. So the story from Altaquip is that they are waiting on parts and that they are not sure when the parts will be in, nor when my unit will be returned to me. Ok, this sucks….In the next breath however the friendly Lowes rep informs me that should I so choose they would be happy to refund me. Heck i didn’t even ask about a refund yet. she also said that they weren’t even sure that parts would be available or that the manufacturer would be in business long term.

I tell them yes, I want a refund. Now all I have to do is wait on Altaquip to get with me letting me know when I can expect my Raven back. After that I’ll stick it on my trailer and return it to lowes for a refund. (Lowes did offer to pick it up from my house free of charge).

For the 3 grand I paid for the Raven without any accessories I see I can buy a John Deere D140 with bagger, cart, spreader and lawn sweeper.

Any opinion on John Deere or the D140 specifically?

Marc

Marc, can you find out what parts they are waiting on? My Alta Quip service center claims there is nothing wrong with the Raven, so it doesn’t need any parts. When I speak to Lowes, they just say there is some minor safety issue, so they were told to take the Ravens off the sales floor.

Once I pull the plug on this, I’m going to tell Lowes to refund my money and they can pick up the Raven from Alta Quip.

Marc
I did the same thing.I waited to see if The Raven would be repaired as the factory promised. They said they would be replacing the PC board, adding a blade adapter (my blade fell off) and a better battery charging system. All of this they promised would be done in 2 weeks. However when I went back to my Lowe’s store they said that they had $30,000 worth of Ravens sitting in the back with no knowledge of when they would ever be picked up.
So, I bought the John Deere 140 and am very happy. It is a smoother ride than the Raven; quieter; does not scalp my yard and very comfortable. My wife can drive it better.
Go for it and don’t look back……

We’re nearing 120 responses! This has to be the most commented upon article in TIA history, lol.

Brian, I believe that they were waiting on a power module. I think your AltaQuip service center has been smoking wacky weed dude. LOL. For every comment or person I’ve talked to that says they have no problems with their Raven there are 10 that have differing opinions. I mean when even Lowes says let us refund you your money…. well I’m sure you get the drift.

I will probably pull the trigger on the JD mower with accessories just as soon as AltaQuip actually brings back my tractor.

Marc

Marc,
I would tell Alta Quip to drop it off at Lowes… Sounds like Lowes is working with you on this, they will probably coordinate it for you.

Repost from another site and he knows what he is talking about:
Bubba Johnson

May 10, 2013 at 8:08 pm

Other issues I encountered. Hard steering was fixed by lubricating and adjusting the two guides with pins that are attached to the brass steering plate. Engine would not run properly because the gas tank formed a vacuum
and would not let gas flow to the engine. The vacuum was due to the cheap anti tip vent located on top of the gas tank. I just cleared anti tip vent opening and the engine runs fine. The cutting blades mow well as long as the 48 volt battery is fully charged. Otherwise the blades will keep shutting off and on when the battery is low. Several nuts and bolts were loose when I received my unit. I just made sure all things were tight and away I went. They should have sent battery chargers with indicators so people would know how to charge the units. Lowes associates know nothing about this Raven and are no help at all.

Bought the Raven on 4/11, mowed thick 24 inch high Texas gama grass, pulled 25 gal spray rig, one the deck mower got warm and stop after several hours, we are talk rough ground here boys! Cooled off while some spraying, then finished mowing. Started everytime. Anytime there has been an issue of non performance it’s because I did not follow procedure. Mows great in reverse by the way. Will keep you posted. Have experienced chronic backfire on shutdown.

To Royce James

The factory sets the idle very high so the generator can supply enough power when using the mower attachment. I lower the idle unless I am mowing and my unit quit back fireing on shut down. They should have put some type of throttle control on but that would cost more I guess. I love my Raven and use it all the time. It is the greatest Hillbilly Hoveround ever made.

OH Please make sure you only use electric mode while indoors.
HEE HEE

Finally, some raven owners that don’t sound like chickens! We got our raven back and mowed about 2 acres, then there’s a large area under our power lines that we have never mowed . The power company used to bush hog, but last time they just poisoned. It had gotten pretty thick and tall near the road. I decided to see what the raven could do and she is one tough bird! No problems!! I would like to know how to adjust the throttle so it wouldn’t backfire. I also called DGP to see what recalls they had. Of course the seat switch and diodes, but also now blade adapters. I asked about the issue of mower not moving at times and she said they haven’t done any thing for that yet. We decided that since every time our raven gets on the Alta quip truck it comes home with a new dent we would wait for that fix before we send it back for blade adapters. We haven’t had any issues with the blades falling off or stopping.

Have no fear Raven owners, Hang in there we have been working and testing 24/7 and have solved almost all of the problems, once we are satisfied that they are all fixed and fixed for good, all of the Ravens will be fixed 100%,

TO In the Know
If you are for real and have this actual knowledge, sounds grrrreat. I think this product fits me perfectly. I believe city slickers may have trouble understanding all the fuss but rural folks should find many uses for this product.

Bubba loves his Raven.

Went to Lowes today to get a direct answer about the status of the Raven, and to start the process of returning it. The manager confirmed there is a recall on the Raven to upgrade the generator because it is not producing power in excess of what the Raven is consuming, which is depleting the battery. That’s why the blades stop spinning and the Raven stops moving. He couldn’t explain why Alta Quip didn’t know this, so he tried to call them, but of course they were closed on Sunday. I’m going to followup tomorrow to find out when this fix action is supposed to occur.

Not sure why they are keeping this a closely held secret. I’m guessing if you have a fully charged battery, you can cut your lawn successfully if you can complete it before the battery completely runs out of juice. Not sure how that would help you the next time you cut your grass, since the battery charge would be very low.

The wife is pressuring me to return it, then buying it again when they come out with version 2.0. That does make sense, so if I don’t get a warm fuzzy from them about a timely repair, I’ll let it go.

Brian that is simply not true, The generator on the raven will run all the systems and charge the 48 volt Battery even if its dead, The blades cutting out is a software issue and we have a new program that corrects it

Interesting to start hearing explanations finally. Part of my reasoning in returning the Raven for a refund was the lack of information and/or communication. Every Lowe’s store has a different story because no one is telling them anything and certainly the customers hear nothing from the factory which is just very unprofessional. The store states that there IS a recall. Call the mfg. support line and they say there is NO recall. One of my factory calls, a lady told me it was Lowe’s fault for letting Ravens be sold that had weak batteries. I asked her how they were suppose to know that the battery was weak and what could they have done as no battery charger comes with the Raven? She was at a loss to answer. This lack of communication, even when you call the factory, destroyed my confidence. and that is a shame as it was a great concept. Had you trained your customer service people properly and communicated better what was happening I would still be an owner. As is, I was scared if the comapny would even survice this major calamity. And shame on Lowes for selling something so untested……..

In the know, not sure what to believe any more.

I called DGP, and left questions on their website, and they either say they don’t know that there is a systemic issue with the Raven, or I’m ignored and never called back with any inquiries concerning the status.

The servicing company wanted to give me back my Raven they picked up, after saying they drove it around for a while, and it seems fine to them. They claim they weren’t aware that Lowes had put a stop sale on the Raven, and they know nothing about any bulletins or issues with it.

Over the past month, I went in person to three different Lowes to find out what are the issues with the Raven. I was getting, we don’t know, maybe some sort of safety issue. Or, beats me, we were just told to pull them off the floor. I finally found a Lowes manager who picked up the phone to find out the issue. This was on a Sunday when there weren’t hardly anyone to contact, but he tried. He is the one who told me about the issue with the generator. It’s possible he wasn’t exactly clear what the fix action was required, but it points towards the battery charge, and explains why the unit just stops dead and won’t move forward or backwards on either battery power or generator power.

Now we have you, with the screen name “In the Know”, who says it is a software issue. Do you work with, or are the same person called “Bruce” who said there was a fix action in place, back in late April?

I don’t post rumors, but get any information I posted, directly from the stakeholders, which in my case are DGP, the repair company who current has my Raven, and Lowes management. I have no way to authenticate who you are, so I would never repeat anything you post concerning what the is being done to rectify the issues with the Raven. My only stake in this is the Raven I spent $3,000 back in March, and who hadn’t seen their Raven since April 28th, because it is sitting in a shop where it supposedly has nothing wrong with it after being ridden around the lot a few times, and it seems fine. I wanted it fixed, not checked out.

If I can inform others about my experiences with the quality of the Raven and the level of support you can expect from the companies who manufacture and sell it, then all the better. There are many on this site who purchased a Raven then returned it because of all the issues with it. I’m trying to remain optimistic about this mower, but I’m very close to returning it myself. In less then two hours from now, I’m going to a 4th Lowes to see if I get the same story as the manager from the gardening department.

If management isn’t being kept in the loop of a high cost item Lowes sells, then that is a huge red flag.

Harry and Brian P,
if you go back and read some of my last post you will see i ran into similar issues while I was a Raven owner with DGP. Sure the Raven had several issues that needed to be addressed, performance and safety. I only received corespondance from DGP when I complained to Lowes extended warrenty folks. Then DGP could not do enough for me. Heck, the Vice President of DGP personally called and emailed me to rectify the problems I was having. A few weeks later I continued to experience other problems with my Raven and DGP would not answer my phone calls or emails.
I was excited about my Raven at first and very reluctant to return it. I figured I could repair it as long as I received support from DGP, at least until I worked through all the bugs. When DGP refused to provide any additional support and Lowes placed the Raven on stop loss for the second time I decided to return the Raven for a full refund. I would still be a Raven owner if DGP cared about their customers.
Moral of the story. Communication is the most important part of any relationship. “What we have here is failure to communicate”.
When you invest $3000.00 in a product, you expect some similance of satisfaction. Not the run around by people that can’t answer your questions or concerns, or worse refuse to provide answers or help. If the DGP folks treated their family like they treat their customers I bet some husbands and or wives would be coming to work with black eyes.

Scott, I took your experiences in consideration while deciding a course of action.

I went to a different Lowes today, and asked for a manager when the dude at the lawnmower department said no one has told him what’s going on with the Raven. He wanted me to fill him in on it once I found out.

All I could get was an assistant manager, who I asked what is going on with the Raven. He had no clue, other then they were told to put them on stop loss. He volunteered to go find out so he disappeared for about 15 minutes to get answers. He didn’t know any more when he returned. I then told him I had purchased one, and gave him the list of issues that I and everyone else was having with the Raven. He left again to find out what was going on with mine, because he was shocked that Alta Quip had mine for almost a month.

He came back again with no answers, but took down my contact information with a promise to find out and call me tomorrow. I told him if I didn’t hear a firm plan to fix these issues, I would want a full refund. After today, I’m pretty fed up with putting this much time and energy into a lawnmower.

My Craftsman riding mower works just fine. It sits in my garage. It starts as soon as i turn the key. And it cuts my grass when I make the effort to go out there to cut it. There is nothing exciting about a lawn mower, which is why I wanted the Raven, because it was a cool multipurpose tool. I’m a techie, and I know there are way more serious issues with the Raven then just a firmware upgrade, which only takes a few minutes to load into an ECU. No company is going to take a huge loss by taking inventory off the floor, or stop production for over a month for that. DGP and Lowes are losing millions of dollars by idling the assembly line, and paying for inventory that is just sitting in a warehouse. I’m getting more ticked off as I type out my thoughts. My reluctance to give it up has waned.

Scott, you have given me the push I needed. Thanks.

Scott
You expressed my thoughts exactly. Ironically as I was rifing my new John Deere D140 tonight I was thinking how I would still like a Raven and might have still been an owner if the factory had done a better job of communicating with their dealers and customers.Seems to me like a sign of a Chinese run company as any tradegy in China is never talked about. No informations is shared as it might be a sign of weakness. Boy they do not know the American customer. They could have won our loyalty by being up front and having a dialogue when we call the customer support line. IF they even answer the phone you will get a different story every time.

The concept of the Raven is great but I think waiting for the Raven 2.0 or maybe even 2.5 is a better idea that the Raven 1 with a band-aid on it. Maybe the next gen will have a better ride (suspension system) a 240 volt outlet and some beefed up parts where they scrimped to save $. (China always shaves a few thousandths off any part as being too thick in their opinion. I have bought enough parts in mfg over 30 years to know this well)

One 38 inch cut lawn tractor $ 850
One generator $ 500
One ATV $ 4000
One Raven Priceless

From reading all the comments, I think there is some truth in the matter of the generator not keeping up with the power required to run the mower. People have had problems with the blades stopping, but then chareged the battery for several hours, then the Raven ran great. Come on, if I have a dead battery in a car, I can jump start it and use it. The alternater in a car keeps up with it even though I am running my A/C, stereo, lights… etc.

In my opinion, you should be able to jump start the Raven with a dead battery, and the generator should keep up with the power required by the mower while also charging the battery. I have swapped batteries in my car while the car is still running, Raven should be able to do that also.

In the Know:
If you work for Raven, I thank you for your information. I also have a few suggestions for the next revision:
1. Change mower deck to be more rounded
2. Add Mower deck wash (may not be possible due to the electric motors)
3. Have people COMUNICATE to your customers.

Bubba
I am so happy for you that your Raven works so well. You must have a one of a kind because mine did not cut my standard old grass anything special the way you have bragged about cutting Texas grass. I just don’t see it. So enjoy, including looking down your nose at the other 98% of us who had had or are having problems and are frustrated at the lack of communication from the manufacturer. I think Lowe’s should be held responsible for not forcing better communication to their own stores on the situation.

Harry,

Bubba is not “looking down your nose at the other 98% of us who had had or are having problems and are frustrated at the lack of communication from the manufacturer.” He is giving us sound advice on how to fix some of the problems that he “had” and ‘we’ are seeing. I see very good fix action from him!! I hope more comes for any other problems.

Just got a call back from Lowes assistant manager, who spoke with Alta Quip.

Alta Quip say they drove my Raven around and can’t find anything wrong with it, so they have nothing to fix. I tell this Lowes guy how I am having issues which is the exact reason why you aren’t selling the Raven. He just says he has no information that supports that statement!!!

I’m trying my best to keep this on an adult professional level, but he talks to me like I’m some kind of idiot. He gave me two options, either have Alta Quip return the perfectly working Raven to me, or have Alta Quip drop the Raven off at Lowes, and he’ll refund my money once they get it. I chose the latter.

What kind of bizarro world are these two companies living in? This is why I don’t believe the guy, In the Know, when he claims he works for DGP, and says the issue is just a firmware upgrade. Had they done the upgrade immediately after they picked it up, I probably would have believed them and took it back. And why not just do the upgrade anyway, just in case, then give it to me? I’m thinking because there was no software upgrade.

If they ever fix the Raven this summer, I’ll wait until next Spring and maybe buy one. I doubt that will happen, because I don’t trust a company that won’t communicate with the customer, and lies to them. Or is it withholding the truth?

Until I get my refund, I still have skin in this crazy game.

Almost 40 hours on my Raven. Have had about 6 issues and just worked through 4 of them and the other 2 can be fixed in time. An old hillbilly like me likes the challenge with the Raven. I do not look down on anyone and am just having fun here giving information and getting some about the Raven. Some people, like me, always complain but sometimes we forget to compliment. The Raven is a hassle but I still love this product and find so many uses for it. Lowes is also a great company and always stands by a really decent return policy.

Bubba,
Us darn “City Slickers” do not want to rewire a brand new $3000 lawn mower. LOL

I am so glad I went with the Huskey!

Another Bubba Raven tip
The plastic cover ” grass shoot or discharge” is very long and lays close to the ground. This throws the grass lower than normal and causes clumps to be left after cutting. I drilled two holes in the plastic shoot where the plastic meets the metal. By placing 2 inch bolts with nuts and washers I was able to raise the shoot just enough to allow the grass to discharge without leaving clumps. Of course never try any of Bubba tips at home unless you are a certified Hillbilly.

I was also wondering, could Raven owners end up like the Edsel owners?
I bought one of those once too.

Brian, AltiQuip can’t do the PCB Upgrade because they dont have it, we are still testing, All of the Upgrades will be done by DGP at one time, as I said earlier EVERY Raven will be fixed at our expense, and fixed right our parent company is behind this 100%, The Chinese are not to blame for these issues

Lowes came through for me big time. My last post, round about the 16th indicated that Lowes was going to refund me for the Raven. They did, no questions asked. I didn’t even have the tractor back from Altaquip yet.

In its place I purchased the John Deere D140 with spreader, utility cart and lawn sweeper and I still got money back. I wanted the bagger also but Lowes didn’t have one. Will have to go to my local JD dealer for that. I am very happy with my new JD. The battery was a little weak and wouldn’t start after i got it home but a quick jump solved that problem and it hasn’t failed to start since.

I do a lot of work on my mechanical equipment, from my motorcycles to my pickup. I’ve read the comments detailing all the little fixes folks have done to make their Raven work better. IMHO if I had purchased an old used Raven that needed work i would have been happy to do the repairs. However, I just can’t see buying a brand new 3000 dollar piece of equipment that I have to jury rig to make work. Kudos to those that did not give up and have managed to enjoy tinkering and making their new Ravens work properly. I’ll stick with my new John Deere and save the tinkering for working on my ’85 Honda Magna w/153k on the clock. LOL.

Marc

I liked my Raven, it ran well for 6 weeks with a few minor problems. I believed that I was lucky and had one of the good ones. I felt that the minor problems were outweighed by its versatility. I really liked all it’s features and used them. But the problems kept growing. The right blade flew off. After I fixed that, the left mower motor stopped working. Then I read that on May 14th the Charlotte Business Journal reported that “Ten top executives at Denver Global Products Inc. — including Roger Leon, president and chief executive — have left the company in a dispute with its new Chinese owners.” It looks like both, customers and management are dissatisfied with the new owners.

On Saturday, I went to Lowes and said that I have a Raven with a problem and I was told to bring it in and they will give me a refund. Since I do not trust Raven support and no one seems to know how to fix the problems and how long it will take to get repaired, I asked if they would pick it up and they said yes. They took it back yesterday. Lowes handled this very well and gave me a full refund.

If Denver Global Products ever solves the problems, (there is no reason why the can’t ) and comes out with an improved hybrid, I might get one. But, I’ll wait.

For now, I will stick with one of the major brands of Garden Tractors. They are not perfect, I’ve had some problems over the years, but I can get any part that I may need from many suppliers and people know how to fix them. Their manual even tell you the torque setting for the blades, while the Raven manual doesn’t have that basic information.

Just taking a break from cutting wood. I hooked up two small type trailers in tandem to the Raven. Loaded each with wood and up my hill I went. 3 trips so far and the Raven with turf tires climbs loaded up without a problem. Being able to use this thing like this makes it worth the hassles for some of us. Cutting some grass is just a bonus for me.

LOVE IT

In the Know, if what you are saying is true, why doesn’t DGP, Lowes, and Alta Quip, communicate this information to the customers who have purchased a Raven?

As I stated before, I don’t relay rumor and gossip, which is what I still consider your revelation. I gave Lowes every opportunity to give me a reason to keep my Raven, by asking them open ended questions. They continue to tell me they have no idea why they are not selling the Raven. And Alta Quip, who I assume is in the loop, since they will have to perform the fix action, still claims there is nothing wrong with my Raven. If I was to take their word that nothing is wrong with my Raven, that has the same issue that this PCB is supposed to address, I would have a Raven that doesn’t have this upgraded PCB, and whose grass I wouldn’t be able to cut with it.

Who am I suppose to believe? Yours? A person who claims to work for DGP, but there is no corroborating proof that you actual do, and who claims a PCB is going to fix all the Raven’s issues? Or Lowes, who say there is nothing wrong with the Raven, but can’t explain why they have a stop on the sale of it?

So the paradox is either you are telling the truth, and Lowes is not, or you are aren’t telling the truth, but Lowes is, yet they can’t explain why they aren’t selling the Raven?

There is a huge failure to communicate, and we the consumer, are the ones caught in the middle, and who have ponied up $3,000 to be possible beta testers. Since I do know the Lowes and DGP aren’t being forthcoming about the Raven, I decided to to get a refund. I also will not buy any other product from DGP, because they aren’t communicating with the consumer.

In the know
I am a raven owner and have registered my warranty on the DGP site. You know it would make good sense for the company to keep owners informed as to understanding our concerns and what plans are to resolve these issues before so many owners had given up! I am hanging in for the final fix but could you please formally notify owners of your plans and keep us updated via personal email. Or letters.

Bubba,

By the time you get that darn thing fixed, you will have gone through 3 miles of duct tape…. LOL

Its very Complicated with as many of the Top Execs being Fired or Quitting, Its not the Chinese that made the mistakes…..Do the Math, We who are left at DGP were and are commited to building Quality products, The Customer Service is now being run properly but we are not going to do this piece meal, if you leave me your email i will contact you and explain as much as i can

Bubba Review
Complaint: Hard to Steer
Fix: Lubricate and adjust brass steering plate and guides
Complaint: Will not move or engage cutting blades
Fix: Charge both batteries fully before use
Complaint: Backfires on shut down
Fix: Lower idle except while mowing
Complaint: Gas engine will not run
Fix: Cleared anti tip valve
Complaint: Clumps of grass left on Yard
Fix: Raised plastic discharge shoot
Complaint: Will not mow in Reverse
Fix: Altiquip this winter Cant live without my Raven right now

You know, I realize you raven owners have real complaints and problems, but how many of you are cell phone owners or lap top owners? Have you never had a problem with them? They freeze on you and do weird things, too.
We own a raven, we’ve had the seat safety switch and diodes installed. We have never had a blade fall off, but we do check them often. We have never had the mower blade motors stop on us except for when trying to use the RMO. Our RMO and backup beeper never worked, but today we looked closer and found that the wire connectors we not attached at the RMO switch. We plugged them up and now it mows in reverse and beeps! I spoke to DGP and know they have a blade adapter they want to install, however, every time Alta Quip took our raven to their shop,they returned it with damage. A dent on the rear plate twice and the front red bumper has several places where the paint has been scraped off to metal. They only other problem we have had is that it occasionally refuses to move in either mode. A couple of times I realized it was because I left the Generator switch ON, or had tried to back up while mowing and the blades would shut off. I realized that I needed to push the red mower engage knob back down before it would move again. A couple of times I couldn’t find a reason for it not moving, unless maybe it had overheated because that was after I had been running it a while.
The raven has proven to be an extremely powerful mower to me, It has cleared a rough field of high thick grass and briars. Moved wagons loaded with dirt, ran an electric hedge trimmer several hours.
For the problem we had where it seemed to take forever to get it cranked, we looked closer at the throttle linkage and pulled back the wire loop that actually moves the throttle into the choke position. Fires right up as soon as the key turns.
I do hope that Lowes will stand behind the Raven and protect the customer if any thing else goes wrong.
I have looked at the Denver NC News and read up on the fact that
10 top execs have left DGP and there may be a law suit. They have installed new top execs and are continuing to try and resolve their issues to get their company on line. Hope things work out.
We do love our raven, I don’t think I would be happy if we had to take it back.

To Carol
The Raven is worth the hassles for some of us. I love mine and use it all the time. Seems like so many people grab their smartphone or computer to solve their issues. Hope you realize that some will now LOL because you used your own common sense and can do it yourself attitude to solve your problems.

Hey Bubba run a ground wire from the Gen to the frame, It will keep the blades from shutting off

To in the know
There is a ground bolt with a nut attached on the front of the generator.
Are you talking about the frame of the Raven or the frame of the cutting deck.
Thanks for the info

Just from the frame to the engine Bubba, 12 gauge right under the seat is a good place

Finally got my money back on my Raven. The Asst. Manager kept me waiting for about 30 minutes, then finally gave customer service the authorization to refund my money. He still maintains that he has no idea why they aren’t currently selling the Raven, and will not admit that I actually had a problem with mine. I’m just a customer who bought mower, then two months later decides they want to return it for a full refund.

I spent the holiday weekend in Atlanta, and went to two additional Lowes to ask about buying a Raven. One Lowes told me they never stocked the Raven, but will order one for me if I want it. The other Lowes just says they don’t have any in stock, but will be selling them as soon as they get more.

I’m subscribed to this thread, and want to see how much more bailing wire and duct tape Bubba, will put on his brand new $3000 machine until he returns it. If I could buy a used Raven for $500, I would keep it on battery chargers and jury rig parts on it to keep it running like he’s doing. I’m not doing that for a piece of equipment I paid full retail price. You shouldn’t have to do that for any product put on the market for sale.

I would be willing to keep the Raven if DGP was actively fixing all the issues and keeping me apprised of the status.. But since I have no clue what they are doing because they and Lowes are either lying or omitting the truth, I have no confidence that I won’t be left hanging with a $3000 mower that doesn’t run.

Good Luck to the few who decided to keep the faith with DGP and Lowes. I stayed as long as I could.

To Brian P
You sound angry so please just take it easy Pilgrim.
Rest assured I will keep the above list updated for everyones enjoyment. Number 7 is the ground wire I will be attaching from the frame to the engine block. Maybe the American engineers and workers were supposed to attach this wire and forgot? I promise not to use duck tape this time but must admit duct tape really is my friend.

Brian, I know your mad and I have tried to reasure you that your unit will be fixed along with all the others, You choose not to believe me and thats OK, I will not be posting any more as I am not being taken seriously except by Bubba, The reason the wire was not put on before is that we didnt realize it was needed it was discovered a few weeks ago along with the new software it takes care of most if not all of the shutting down and drivability issues.

I hope in the know will keep posting comments (he said he was stopping) I believe he knows what is going on. at least more than the rest of us.

In the Know, I’m not mad at anyone. I just wanted to have a mower that works. And the only person I will believe and listen to, is the store that is holding my money. I’m pretty sure you don’t have the authority to refund my $3000 when this whole thing goes totally wrong down the road. You are the only entity that is saying that the Raven is being fixed. No one, which includes Lowes and DGP, are saying anything. They claim there is nothing wrong with it.

My Raven has been in the repair shop since April 28th. My acre of grass needs to be cut once a week, so if I had sold my old Craftsman mower, I would have been screwed. The Raven was screwing up my grass from the first time I used it, because the right blade kept stopping. The yard looked horrible because it was only getting half cut. So just promises from you wasn’t going to keep the grass from growing. And even if Lowes had told me the the Raven would be fixed someday in the future, I still need to cut my lawn.

I don’t have any proof that you work for DGP, or do the Admins on this site, but you have been saying the Raven is being fixed for over a month. And even you haven’t said there is a definite date that this is going to happen, but that parts are on order. Do I listen to you until June 30th, then when the issue is still not resolved, I find out I can no longer get a refund because I owned the Raven for three months?

Since Lowes isn’t telling me anything, the only way I would take you seriously is if you would personally guarantee to write me a check for $3000 plus tax, no matter how long I waited for the testing and fixing to be completed. If you can get DGP to brief Lowes on the status of the Raven, assuming they don’t already know, you would be taken serious by everyone.

Another thing you should look at is all of your wiring. We pulled the deck and saw one of the wires was being crushed so we zip strapped it to a safer position, then looked around and zip strapped anything that looked like it might get damaged.

I just finished cutting about 4 cords of wood. The Raven hauled every bit of it up my big hill this year. I usually use my Farmall A with a larger trailer but wanted to test my new toy. The Raven worked comparable to the Farmall A as far as the amount of time to complete this task. The Raven was pulling tandem trailers loaded with wood and even pulled a couple of front wheeles in the process showing off its power. I used electric mode at times and saved some money on gas too. I have owned tractors for years and the Raven was problematic at first but is working well doing different tasks around my land. If someone is looking for just a lawn mower then the Raven is probably not for them. As a country boy, I love this thing even with the barbed wire and duck tape. HEE HEE

I meant to say the Raven pulled 2 smaller trailers in tandem. Just in case someone actually read my story.

In the Know, according to this news article, http://www.denverncnews.com/?p=7205 there aren’t any employees left but a skeleton crew to fix anything at DGP. The other 300 employees have been laid off.

So who is there to fix the issues, then implement them across the nation?

Now I see why Lowes wasn’t saying anything. Anyone who heard about this turmoil at DGP, would take their money and run. Lowes is probably on the hook for all the Ravens they purchased from DGP.

I’m going to go out and celebrate saving myself $3200 on a white elephant.

To In the Know
Thanks for the information about using a dedicated ground. It seems to help. It may help with a charging issue I have been having with the starter battery. I have not charged that battery for 3 days and my Raven is still working very well.

We got a call from DGP today. They are ready to fix the raven now. Bring it to Lowe’s or call Alta quip for pick up.

My frustration was that they would never acknowledge there was anything to fix. If I had let Alta Quip bring my Raven back, I would have to turn around and send it back so they could fix my Raven now, which they claimed was running perfectly. In the mean time, I would have a Raven that couldn’t cut my grass.

Has anyone verified which parts or types of service DGP is now authorizing? No one will say at DGP or Lowes. I will try with Alta quip tomorrow. No point wasting time without my Raven unless someone knows what they intend to do. FYI to the 3 or 4 of us that may have kept our Ravens,,, I had been trying to receive a 48 volt charger from DGP for almost 2 months. Even after offering to pay for one they still never sent it. They said today again, they would send me one now for free. HEE HEE

Alta quip says there is no specific part or procedure. All they know is DGP is supposed to have their techs and Alti quips techs look at each unit. Guess it is a show and tell type of mission. I would love to know how it all goes. I will keep my Raven perched at home for now.

Bubba,
Run out of duct tape?

Altiquip will have nothing to do with the rework, each unit will be brought to our NC plant and reworked by DGP employees, we have a specific number of items that will be addressed on each unit, and essentially each unit will be brought up to current specs

To Tim
Not sure what you mean.
No certified hillbilly ever runs out of duck tape.

Bubba, that was my experience.

Alta Quip had my Raven, then called me saying they drove it around for 15 minutes, and they didn’t see any problems with it. I told them to get with DGP, then let me know. They called back a few weeks later saying they can’t find anything to fix, so they can’t do anything.

So they aren’t replacing any parts on the Raven unless they actually see a problem. No one can answer the question why has most everyone returned the Raven, and why isn’t Lowes selling them if there is nothing wrong with it. If there is an issue with a module or motor, then they should be replacing it on every unit. The fact they wanted to look at each individual unit rather then performing a repair on all of the units, made me decide to return it.

They all have the same issue, and the fact they want to be selective in which units get the fix action, leads me to believe they are concerned at the cost to fix every Raven. They aren’t willing to spend money on them unless they absolutely have too. It’s cheaper for them to inconvenience the consumer by having them return the Raven multiple times for repair, until they can witness it having an issue. That’s why I told them to keep it, rather then return it to me only to have to come pick it up again for the same issue.

You are now seeing the same thing I had already reported. These guys are on different pages, and each have their own agenda. They already have your money, so they can string you along as they wish, since anything they have to fix, costs them money. Eventually they will have to fix it, but if they can put if off as long as possible, it’s better for them.

I had the same exact issue with my new 1989 Hyundai. I had to take it back six times until they could personally witness my transmission locking up when I downshifted to 1st gear. Only then did they remove the transmission to find a clip on the output shaft was broken, which made it slide out of position under certain conditions and seizing up the shifter. One month outside of the 36 month warranty, the entire vehicle imploded, leaving me with a vehicle that needed thousands of dollars to repair. I vowed to never buy another.

To In The Know
Glad to see you back here. Hope you stick around and Thanks again for the advice about the dedicated ground. Something that simple really did work.

To Brian
DGP is making a lot of mistakes and their customer service is awful. Instead of ignoring me, they now call me daily to see if I dropped of my Raven. HEE HEE

Bubba, of course you are free to do as you please, but this company and product is on life support. http://news.consumerreports.org/home/2013/06/speedy-raven-tractor-grounded-again-perhaps-for-the-season.html

http://www.lincolntimesnews.com/?p=62122

Lowes is finally admitting the problems with the Raven. If the CPSC issues a recall, you may have no choice but to return your Raven. If you keep it, you may be left on your own to repair any future issues. Kinda crazy to throw away $3000 on blind faith for a company that doesn’t really care and may not be in any position to help you if they close shop.

Not to often you get to see the writing on the wall just before it all goes south.

Brian, You have no idea how much we at DGP and RATO “Care” I have worked more hours in the last 2 months than any man should, The mess was caused by the previous leadership at DGP, Period. DGP is owned by RATO a 10+ Billion dollar a year company, RATO is and will spend whatever it takes to make this right, DGP and RATO North America are building our new plant which will produce a number of products here in Lincoln county, The news artical you pasted is a load of BS by a Butthurt ex employee Who got fired, it has taken a little bit to try to pick up the pieces that were let and get things up and running, but they are and thats why the calls are being made daily, again we are going nowhere

For anyone that cares

A Bubba Update

Any owner of a Raven probably considered the protection plan offered by Lowes. I rarely purchase one of these because I usually take the item and fix it myself or make it worse because that is just me. In this case I purchased the 4 year extended warranty from Lowes. Usually this needs to be purchased within thirty days but my local Lowes store manager had allowed me even more time before I made that decision. Anyway, I love the Raven and have trusted Lowes since they came to town years ago. My local Lowes has not let me down on other products or services. Over 50 hours on my Raven. 2 issues left, starter battery will not stay charged and will not mow in reverse.

In the Know, what is your job role at DGP? Are you upper management? Engineering?

Bubba, I had DGP call me this morning to ask if I still had my Raven. I told her no, and the reasons I returned it. She was calling to have me contact Alta Quip to have my Raven picked up for an upgrade. When I asked what was the upgrade, she just said it would make the Raven better, more reliable, and fix all the issues people were having with it. I could not get her to be more specific on the upgrades, but I could tell she was just some individual paid to make phone calls.

She apologized for the issues I was having, and hoped I would buy another Raven in the future. Yeah right.

Bubba, I hope you get yours back, and it runs better then ever if you decide to have it upgraded. You can be the “I told you so” guy!

To: In the know
accurate, consistent communication is critical in this type of situation if you are serious about your credibility. We are registered raven owners and have not received any direct contact from DGP. They left a message with our daughter because they had her information when they sent the ac/dc adapter. We would be thrilled to know that DGP is 100% committed to the raven and their customers, we do love our raven. I’m sure with such a large investment in this idea and such a unique design that has really drawn so much attention and interest that DGP wants to make it right and viable. Don’t fail us, and don’t fail your community.

To: Bubba
We haven’t had any trouble with the battery since we figured out the choke. About mowing in reverse, reach under the fender behind the RMO switch, our wires were not plugged in. It’s a little difficult to hook up, but now it works.
Also, check your wires on top of the deck, we had one that was being crushed so we zip strapped it to a safer position and checked all other wires for possible damage.

Are you pushing the small red RMO button before you go into reverse? That allows the Deck to run in rev, you have to press it every time you go into rev while the deck is running Bubba, as far as the battery it sounds like yours is weak or the AVR is not functioning properly, with the inline diode it should not discharge when shut off, try pulling the 30 amp fuse when you shut it down at night, that takes the battery completely of the 12 volt system, if it still goes dead then the battery is bad, we will send you a new one

As I have said I will talk to you off the public websiteabout the specifics, If you contact Dan and let him send me your email I will do my best to help you

CUT OFF MY LEGS AND CALL ME SHORTY

THANK YOU IN THE KNOW
Things are changing at DGP

Got my FREE 48 volt charger in 2 days as promised this time. I will try the fixes you just posted and will send in my Raven for the updates but probably not till winter. Best times on my Raven are right now with early morning electric mode rides checking cattle fences. Sorry I do not have any cattle but do check my electric garden fences every morning.

Thanks Carol

I read all your previous posts and did check for loose disconnected wires to no avail earlier.

Thanks to you too Brian and you never know, you maybe, could be, might be a Happy Raven owner Someday??? Whatever you finally decide about DGP or the Raven will not be questioned by me. We all have the final decision about what affects us.

To In the Know
I truly believe that you are sincere and passionate about the Raven and intend to make it work if at all possible.. I am a former owner and believe the concept is fantastic if the engineering can be worked out. It is just my opinion but the main concern I see in these posts is e frustration and anger people feel at the lack of communication. Not your fault but both your company and Lowes made major major customer service errors in the lack of honesty and any form of communication to owners, to Lowes stores and to alta quip as well. Rumors have abounded as stores have tried to guess or offer their opinions on what is going on. DGP may or may not have been influenced by the Chinese parent in terms of how to handle but Lowes has no excuse and I am appalled at their dropping the ball and not being pro active. They could have prevented a good majority of the backlash, returns, and comments on line.

I appreciate your posts and Bubba, I’ve come to really enjoy your posts, your laid back attitude (money must not matter) and your down home style of approaching any problem. If I can afford it I might come back for the Raven 2.5 as I am sue that more changes will come if everybody makes it through this….

Sounds like DGP is now communicating with customers. Now, DGP is calling customers and telling them they are going to fix them. Although I beleive this is to little and to late for most. DGP should have done this months ago. Even if DGP did not know what the problem was, they could have E-Mailed everyone to tell them they are aware of the issues and are working on them and are going to repaire them.

Several have returned the Raven due to the problems and DGP’s lack of comunication. If DGP would have comunicated months ago, I would have been a proud owner of the Raven.

When DGP proves the fix the problems, along with adding 220 to the gen set (would be nice to power the house after a storm), I will re-evaluate the purchase of this item.

DGP, Keep up the communication, you have a great concept going. Unfortunatlly you left customers hanging and we lost loyalty in your product.

I am also setting up a fund for Bubba to buy Duct tape… Please send checke to :

Bubba Johnson Duct Fund
1234 I am Kidding street
Dont Send Any, MO 54321

Harry, Thanks but the Chinese are the ones that are behind the push for Top Quality and Customer service, They have engineers from China working with us to solve all of the issues, that kind of flys in the face of what we in the US think we know about the Chinese but thats the truth, Dont believe what you read in Lincoln NC Newspapers

The Chinese are coming so people better get used to it.
I remember quotes like “jap crap” which now is the 3rd largest economy.
I apologize for that quote and and please forgive me.

Raven Update
No new news because my son wrecked his car and I had to reopen Hillbilly Auto body and fix his front end.

Thanks for the laugh Tim. My wife and kids get a kick out of doing that too. FYI “Hillbilly Helping Hand” sends care packages to Hillbillies consisting of duct tape, wire, greeze, and bandaides. You may like to consider a donation?

RAVEN owner since 4/13/13
My machine is used in a rough rural environment in East Texas, lots of timber, all kinds of grass, vines, brush and mix of soil including sugar sand that eats mowers blades. The RAVEN has towed in excess of 500lbs, limbs. Spray rig with 25 gallon tank up 45 degree inclines. If anyone needs videos please make a request.

Before making my purchase I read every publication and post on the RAVEN, it became apparent that many consumers did not anticipate how the technology would perform and behave compared to a Deere or Craftsman in the 46-54in/20-26hp class. My RAVEN started work the second it rolled off the trailer, it cranked up first try (and ever since) mowed a clean path through 18in weed and native gamma grass better than my 26hp ever did! I maintain all my equipment beyond recommended due to dusty rough HOT conditions.

First mow resulted in right deck motor shutting off after 3hrs, shut down for 30min, because I am lazy, continued work for another 2hrs. Next use my wife mowed 3 acres forward backward up an down wooded hills. Shutdown after striking a 4in diameter stump! She drove back to garage thinking she had destroyed the machine, told her to take a break calmly. 10mins for no special reason started the RAVEN switched on the blades, they were fine, she completed mowing.

Third time out, pulled deck to have the experience, checked blades, needed changing. No one had blades, LOWES- F-, they did not have spec plugs, air filter or blades! Management and staff very clumsy for the most part, but polite. They directed me to the shop doing their warranty work (I have extended coverage) for parts, they would sell parts due to the machines in repair and directed me to Denver Global, DG said they were not sending out any parts until the RAVEN was returned for upgrades and modifications, this was on June 16, IN THE MIDDLE OF MOWING SEASON! That day I had rangerrd@me.com the machine for eight straight hours mowing, spraying and running a power washer with no problems.

Repairs I have made- sealed and re-attached mowing deck power converter cover resulting in grounding problem. Found safe reversible way to override the over engineered switch on seat. Adapted universal blades for use using good old lock washers.

It’s a great machine, one that we need out here on the rural route.

RangerRD
Royce D James

To Carol May 26, great informative post. I adopted the RAVEN out of need and background of living on the bleeding edge of technology all my professional life. At some point you have to stop investing in old technology and move forward. UP THE RAVEN mi Amiga!

To In the Know,
When do you think the issues will be resolved to start selling the Raven again?

I only had my 2 or 3 weeks told Lowe’s 1 blade fell off they convince me to let Lowe’s come a get it and when a new one came in they would replace it. Boys that was a mistake I should have fixed it myself because the next day they had this last stop sale. I keep calling DGP they tell me about a week ago they have everything needed to do all fixes. Then I asked when will start up again. She tells me there is no release date yet. I went to 3 Lowe’s and asked 1 said 1 of year,2 said never,3 said they haven’t heard yet. Only thing I’m asking the right hand and what is the left hand doing.

For such a supposed simplistic fix, this upgrade to the Raven is taking an awfully long time. Of course if there aren’t hardly any employees to do the work, it would take a long time. My grass would be 10 feet tall by now if I hadn’t returned mine.

I found this article in a search:
http://www.friedmanlaw.com/blog/2013/06/potential-recall-of-lawn-tractors-could-affect-nebraska-consumers.shtml

It states the Raven is dangerous, has serious design flaws, and a recall is near. I doubt replacing a module, a ground wire, and updating firmware is going to make it safe and reliable.

Just FYI.

WOW even a Lawyer group is adding a reply on Raven maybe trying to drum up work. Work must be slow there. LOL

LOL, Darn lawyers…. They can invent a case from anything, you have to laugh (and cry) at all the ambulance chasers out there. Now we know why insurance is so expensive!

I will be call tomorrow to see what's up at DGP, I really want a replacement which Lowe's promised me.

Well tomorrow I will be calling DGP to see what’s up, I still want my replacement they at Lowe’s promised me hopefully it won’t be much longer. But if I knew know what was going to happen I would have also got out the duck tape and kept it till they were ready again. I was to pick up a new one the next day after they get the other one back but then the stop sale started just my luck. You would think they would get tried of me calling we even on first name bases now LOL.

Well called again same same still not ready for release date. Guess the squeaky wheel won’t get the grease, this time just hoping that if I call enough maybe I would get it first LOL . Can’t blame me for trying.

Crawford,

If I were you, I would tell them to refund your $. Wait for the new ones to come out (if they do) and replace it.

Well maybe the squeaky wheel will get some grease. DGP call me ask if I still wanted the Raven. We will see

I Loved My RAVEN.
This should not have been marketed as primarily a mower, although it is a good one. Buyers should have been told they were Beta testers and treated as such. These machines do not behave like a Craftsman or Deere and users were not ready for that. Electric motors cutoff when hot and need to cool off, my experience was 2 to three hours in HOT Texas heat. It enabled me to do work I would not physically be able to do, I have a bad back. The generator allowed me to use electric chainsaw, electric power-washer, the "real" seat and spring suspension provided comfort for back. The deck removed easily, but the blades were a non-standard. because no one would/could sell me the stock blade I was forced to make a 23 inch MTD work and it actually cut better than the stock blade. There was no support from the retailer in providing blades or filters that need frequent replacement in sandy, dusty and wooded areas. I took my RAVEN back for service and upgrades as instructed by the Distributor and Retailer on July 7, but then they called and said there was a national recall, I could have my money back or the RAVEN, but would not be covered under the extended warranty I purchased! Betrayed, I loved the RAVEN, it is a forward thinking design and a multi-use machine that I and many others need!

I Loved My RAVEN.
This should not have been marketed as primarily a mower, although it is a good one. Buyers should have been told they were Beta testers and treated as such. These machines do not behave like a Craftsman or Deere and users were not ready for that. Electric motors cutoff when hot and need to cool off, my experience was 2 to three hours in HOT Texas heat. It enabled me to do work I would not physically be able to do, I have a bad back. The generator allowed me to use electric chainsaw, electric power-washer, the "real" seat and spring suspension provided comfort for back. The deck removed easily, but the blades were a non-standard. because no one would/could sell me the stock blade I was forced to make a 23 inch MTD work and it actually cut better than the stock blade. There was no support from the retailer in providing blades or filters that need frequent replacement in sandy, dusty and wooded areas. I took my RAVEN back for service and upgrades as instructed by the Distributor and Retailer on July 7, but then they called and said there was a national recall, I could have my money back or the RAVEN, but would not be covered under the extended warranty I purchased! Betrayed, I loved the RAVEN, it is a forward thinking design and a multi-use machine that I and many others need!

I Loved My RAVEN.
This should not have been marketed as primarily a mower, although it is a good one. Buyers should have been told they were Beta testers and treated as such. These machines do not behave like a Craftsman or Deere and users were not ready for that. Electric motors cutoff when hot and need to cool off, my experience was 2 to three hours in HOT Texas heat. It enabled me to do work I would not physically be able to do, I have a bad back. The generator allowed me to use electric chainsaw, electric power-washer, the "real" seat and spring suspension provided comfort for back. The deck removed easily, but the blades were a non-standard. because no one would/could sell me the stock blade I was forced to make a 23 inch MTD work and it actually cut better than the stock blade. There was no support from the retailer in providing blades or filters that need frequent replacement in sandy, dusty and wooded areas. I took my RAVEN back for service and upgrades as instructed by the Distributor and Retailer on July 7, but then they called and said there was a national recall, I could have my money back or the RAVEN, but would not be covered under the extended warranty I purchased! Betrayed, I loved the RAVEN, it is a forward thinking design and a multi-use machine that I and many others need!

Tim they did refund my money but was promised when new one comes out. I would get it with out a price change. I can’t see them not changing price after all things needed to be fixed.

The Raven is coming back and has been tested pretty thoroughly. I’m hearing a Sept launch. It’s a great machine.

Thanks for your feedback on the new and improved Raven Mike, Its a much improved machine, Thanks again

Ya know, as a long time Lowe’s employee, I am more and more perplexed by the decisions my employer makes vis a vis product.

“Raven” is just a glaring example.

Biggest piece of crap I have ever bought! Has so many problems. Save yourself some trouble and don’t buy this mower!

well Oct 1 still have heard about release date I did see 2 tests being done. The second one was kind of dum going through 3 feet of grass as fast as it can just mowing it flat. How was that a test but all in all seeing what he pointed out on improvements looks very promising. as far as Mat and what he says He really has no Idea and how things are built tested it just wasn’t really tested. This was a first of a kind mower never before was this system ever built. It was just in it’s baby steps. When this is right it will make other mower company s scramble to try to play catch up. I was in Machine shops for 40 years + making may types of equipment it just happens, but trial and error but it will happen in the end.

I think it is a great idea. I can’t wait for the improved version with the kinks fixed. What is the date we can expect to see these back in the stores?

When I first saw this mower “The Raven” at my local LOWES Store,my jaw dropped. I had been thinking of getting a Gennerator for any power outage coming down the road. They had a cattolog next to the display model wich they said I could have. That is the closest I have ever came to buying a big ticket item without ever buying it. I went back a few weeks later to get it and they had just stoped selling them. Kid said the had 12 of them in the back if I wanted to go play with one but they couldn’t sell them and he had no idea why. Well now we know why and hope the bring them back next spring and I will be a buyer. You wonder why no American builders ever came up with this idea. Deisel Electric trains have been around for 75 years and they can’t make a mower or a car/PU that runs on a 12 hp brigs and Stratton engine.

Well I can see where this is headed. I just wrote a comment and try to post it and it said I already made that comment before. Well I guess I hit a nerve when I said any auto worth their salt could have long ago made a car or pu that could be run on a 12 hp Brigs and Straton generating power for a Electric motor through a generator stuck under the seat. Must the Auto indestrie has this website by the shorthairs as well.

Funny story. I left my Raven at Alta Quip in April where they were supposed to fix it. They claimed the nothing was wrong with it so I went to Lowes in May and told them I wanted my money back. They wanted me to return the unit first, but I said it was at Alta Quip, so get it from them but I want my money now. They returned my money after verifying the Raven was there.

Last week I get a call from Alta Quip asking me when I was going to come pick up my Raven because it was taking up space!!! They wait five months to follow up with me. If it was worth keeping, I would have told them to deliver it, but I told them the truth that they need to deliver it back to Lowes.

This is why I will never buy another mower from Lowes. No one knows what’s going on. Lowes refunds me $3000 for a product they never took possession of, and didn’t take off their books. And Alta Quip takes in a customers mower for service, but never attempted to fix or return it to them.

DGP head of customer service say it may be out Nov 7 and I said for sure ,reply is maybe LOL

cant find this mower at lowes do they still carry it. I just read where lowes is no longer caring this mower is this true?

Saw one today at lowes in Alcoa, tn

I have had my 7100 for about 3 months been great steering was improved could still be a little better in my opinion ,blades are staying on they have now studs at end of motor shafts with locking nuts. soft ware improvement with gas pedal and keeps all batteries fully charged. one thing, I don’t like they took away the knob for it’s tilt wheel now you need a socket and wrench to adjust it. Also Lowe’s price is 3999.00 a grand more. I have have 30 hours on it just change oil not oil loss. All in All it’s a great toy and I have put it through it’s paces really hard never had one problem like the first one I had the 710.

We looked at one yesterday at Lowes. Glad I read your article first. While we liked the look of it, and as two people with physical handicaps and who have a tough time getting around we thought it would be ideal for us in many ways. We have a big yard, husband hunts, we have non hunting dogs we run in the woods, etc. After reading this article though, we are leery of buying it. Noticed of the four available at Lowes, three were returns after service. I don’t want to buy someone else’s problems.

We have Golf carts and ATVs and gators all over and Amish on tractors even smaller mid size tractors ,but if I even ride my lawn mower once down the road…just for seeing the site half mile down from my place…, bike or mountain bike, a certain family thinks they own the road… goes bonks over this, they will claim crime stuff and you were never arrested for anything of the such or call you crazy and or a stalker (Down my road at least !)……but then they come down passed all the time and all day long! It’s time to have a DOT have a sheet of everything so we know what is and what isn’t ileagle for your area! Leaving farmers and Amish/Mennonite’s out of this argument so they don’t get hurt and can Carrey on with their jobs also! These aggressive people and not all of them (mostly not! Just some with money or big family) are making life miserable for those who want to be able to do the same thing even though we don’t have the money to by the ATVs and or the Gator or golf carts they are riding!
And I back : All terrain lawn tractor.com and lawn mower riders of America.com and The Raven Lawn Mower Makers who produce these new Multi BOTH an ATV and Lawn mower 17 miles an hour and does the same as an ATV… ( The Raven!)that are sold in our store all around the USA!
Richard Petty also sold a mower that was used for just riding and he rode everywhere….. in the race grounds ….just to get to place to place for his racing hobby!

Great Review! I purchased on in 2015 from Lowes and have been extremely pleased with it overall. I ran into my first problem today while mowing, the mowing deck disengaged and wouldn’t engage. I pulled off the deck, cleaned underneath out real good and tried again nothing. Waited a day or so, tried again, still nothing. Both blades quit so unsure the problem. Finding a person that works on Hybrid Mowers here in Louisville has been a challenge, but Lowes Service Advantage is working with me to find someone that may be able to fix. So that is a downfall to Hybrid Technology. If anything else, I now have a really good ATV/Generator…LOL

Inquiring if the 2013 Raven Mpv-7100 is still getting refunded by Lowes. A friend has one and wasn’t aware of a recall.