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About Hustler Turf Australia
Founded in Kansas in 1964 as a division of Excel Industries, Hustler
Turf Equipment began as an innovation for a lawn care need. When a
local machinist’s wife grew frustrated with her grass-cutting duties,
the inspiration for a new riding mower emerged.
It was in 1963
that John Regier came up with the beginnings of the first Hustler mower
in Moundridge, Kansas. Regier’s wife grew more and more irritated with
the chore of cutting grass on the family’s home site. Determined to
come up with a solution, Regier worked on modifying the design for a
steering system and transmission used on haying equipment.
With its jumble of drives and belts, Regier’s mower was different than
anything anyone had seen before. It could also cut grass like no one
had ever seen before, turning - as they say - on a dime. It could
reverse directions in a turn with a radius of, exactly, zero degrees –
a feat unattained by any other driven machinery. The sought-after
zero-turn mower had emerged.
In 1964, Regier sold the first
rough models. Operating out of his own home workshop, he built and sold
24 of the new mowers. As just one man, he wouldn’t be able to keep up
with production alone for long. Soon after, Regier took his design to
Excel Industries in the neighboring town of Hesston to show it off. The
timing was perfect, as Excel was looking to expand its product base
beyond manufacturing tractor cabs.
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When Roy Mullet and his
team at Excel first saw Regier’s mower in action, they were impressed.
Recognizing the opportunity to expand beyond tractor cabs, the team at
Excel took the Hustler under its wing. Excel quickly started assembly
line and factory production of commercial grade Hustler mowers at its
plant in Hesston.
Since then, Hustler has become the
fastest-growing turf care brand in the world. Focused on providing the
most dependable, useful, and time-saving products in lawn care, Hustler
now covers a distribution network of more than 1,200 United States
dealers and more than 40 worldwide distributors. Hustler has remained
steadily committed to providing quality customer service, making sure
each dealer is ready to answer questions and provide maintenance
assistance to each customer. In dealership outlets across the globe,
the Hustler name signifies high quality, useful innovation, and
superior customer care.
Over the years, the Hustler product
line has evolved drastically, undergoing numerous re-designs and
expansions under the watch of Excel. The company continues to operate
in a fluid manner, updating and introducing machines to allow their
customers to get more work done in less time. Regardless of model or
destination, each and every machine that leaves the Kansas production
lines bears the time-honored Hustler standards of functionality and
durability.
A Timeline of Technological Innovation
Hustler’s most recognizable and treasured innovation is zero-turn
technology, introduced in 1964. Since then, many companies have
introduced their own interpretations of zero-turn technology, but
Hustler Turf remains the inventor of original zero-turn technology.
Further Advances Provided By Hustler Turf Include:
- 1966 - Hustler Turf produces the first
commercial-duty tractor and mower deck with offset trim capability,
allowing for more precise and aesthetically pleasing results for
large-area jobs.
- 1970 - The first dual-path hydrostatic drive system is introduced by Hustler Turf.
- 1982 - Clippings or other debris can now be
gathered, with Hustler Turf’s introduction of the first vehicle-mounted
collection system attachment, called the BAC-VAC.
- 1983 - Hustler Turf mowers increase productivity
with the first wing mowing attachment, called the Range Wing,
effectively doubling mowing capacity without doubling costs.
- 1984 - Collection and removal of debris is
enhanced, as Hustler Turf introduces the first Hi-Lift BAC-VAC,
allowing users to lift and dump clippings and debris into a pickup or
trailer for speedy removal.
- 1985 - Hustler Turf presents the first mid-mount zero-turn riding mower, the Compact 250.
- 2000 - Safety and functionality are enhanced with
Hustler Turf’s release of the first zero-turn riding mower with an
automatic park brake.
- 2001 - Speed and effectiveness combine on a new
level as Hustler Turf unveils the 15mph Super Z, a rider that gets
precise mowing done in much less time.
- 2005 - Hustler Turf continues to impress with new XR-7 and Rear-Discharge Decks for its machines.
- 2008 - Hustler Turf launches a new line of golf
products with Shibaura technology, set to improve the way golf course
maintenance gets done.
- 2008 - Hustler Turf introduced the world's first all electric zero-turn mower in October
- 2009 - Hustler ZEON electric mower won a Popular Mechanics' Breakthrough Award
