I just wanted to give you an update on the Raven MPV-7100. This is the start of year two. Many of you are considering the Raven. It has been a great machine.
I stored it in the garage this winter with fuel stabilizer in the fuel. I had taken the deck off and that was stored in a back shed.
Around February 1st I plugged the 48 volt charger in and charged the batteries. They only needed about 3 hours on the trickle charger to top them off. The charger has an indicator that turns green when the batteries are fully charged.
The snow didn’t melt around here until April 1st so I didn’t bother to move the Raven until then. When I did I used it in electric mode for the first few moves around the garage. The second week I changed the oil in the gas generator and then tried to start it. It started right up!
Since I probably won’t mow with it until at least May 1st I decided to add some lights and just give the Raven a complete inspection. I removed the front fenders to easily install the lighting. It took me a little while to find the 8 cap head bolts that hold them on but once I found them all the fenders and hood come right off. Having them off exposes all the frame and makes adding switches to the dash very easy.
This is one of the first mowers I have had that has plenty of room to add extra lights so I installed a new front headlight, side lights so I could see the deck at night and a back-up light in the rear. I used HID LED lighting so once I installed them I would never have to replace bulbs or worry about the lights burning out.
Here is the lighting I installed I installed:
Front light. KAWELL® 36W CREE 60 Degree Ultra-thin LED Flood Light
Side Lights. Waterproof Aluminum High Power 6W White COB LED
Rear Light. KAWELL® 18W 6500K 90 Degree LED
Here is a picture of the front light installed. WOW is it bright! I can highly recommend this to anyone who needs an off road light for their ATV. You can easily see 400 feet. It is tucked in nicely right above the bumper.
Mulch Kit
I wanted to show you a few pictures of the mulch kit. I was really pleasantly surprised when I opened the box and saw the discharge cover was Metal!
Feel free to ask comments below.
Craig S
now that raven has gone out of business, anyone know where to get the deck motor? Deck Motor Number 31930-H200200-0001
Paul
Hi Craig? How do you know that they are out of business? Call 1-888-321-5700 to get your parts from them.
Josh Frommie
Thanks for the quick response! I am somewhat nervous about my purchase just because it is so different. But all the reviews I have read speak so highly of it. Just don’t want any buyers remorse!
Josh Frommie
Hello,
Thanks for all of your input, I just ordered my Raven! I am wondering how you wired your lights, switch? Photos? I need to wire a switch for a towable sprayer and want to install lights like you did, just wondering about the power supply.
Thanks again
Paul
Hi Josh, I can right off the 12 volt starter battery. I ran wires from it to switches I installed in the dash and then to lights I mounted in the fron and rear. It is a 12 volt system that starts the engine and that controls the 48 volt.
James Copeland
I have contacted the the company. The part number they gave me for the deck motors yields ZERO results on every search engine I’ve tried.
The part number they gave me is 31930-H200200-0001.
I am trying to build a front mounted flail mower, but no one at the company help center can get me the controller/motor specs for the OEM deck… which is what I intended to power the flail mower with.
Does anyone have any contact info for an INFORMED maintenance tech?
Paul
Hi Jim, it should yield zero results. The part numbers for all lawn equipment are brand/manufacture specific. On top of that the parts are made overseas and the units are assembled overseas so there is no “overstock” sitting around. Alibaba would be the only place that may have those types of parts. I’ve seen a little on ebay also.
The only company doing anything here in the U.S. is MTD. Their Cub Cadet electric ZTR is the same voltage and deck size so the parts/tech may be the same.
Unfortunately there really is no market for aftermarket repairs on this stuff yet. Denver Global, MTD and Husqvarna would have to get well over a million units sold of these types of electric vehicles for it to be worthwhile setting up an aftermarket network. In addition the tech is changing so rapidly that….
Personally, I’d start with searching youtube. People are showing stuff they built and there are quite a few guys working in the electric vehicle area.
Michael Burke
Ok, Thank you for the timely response.
Michael Burke
I have a MPV 7100, purchased 07/2015, just wondering if there were any current updates, if I heard correctly from a friend there was a update on air cleaner?
That is one concern I have, operation manual says clean every 25 hours, replace every 100 hours.
It’s quite dusty here, and I have to clean the filter about every 6 to 8 hours.
Possibly a update, maybe a larger, new design air cleaner.
Thank you.
Paul
Hi Michael, I talked to them last week and they did not have any updates. The 200 plus updates where all done in 2013-2014 and the air cleaner was done then. Your machine has the latest stuff.
It never hurts to replace the filter before the recommended time.
David Mullins
Hi Paul, I just purchased the Raven 7100s and notice it did not come with the trickle charger for the 48v battery. I have been trying to find a place to buy one but haven’t found one yet. Do you know of a place I might get one?
Thanks, David
Paul
David, You will have to call the company to get the right one.
Troy
I’ve had my raven 7100B for 3 days. I bought direct from the company. I also purchased the mulching kit. The blades in the kit are needed. I cut half the lawn with just the end cap and it left clumps all over. When I compared the blades the mulching blades are thicker and have a much greater winged edged angle to recirculate the clippings. The second half of the lawn was much better with the correct blades.
I do have to add that I purchased the unit based on what I read in your website and seeing the unit in person and trying it on for size. I’m tall and weigh 300+ lbs. When I saw you towing the tree I knew it would not have an issue with me riding on it. I have not attempted high gear driving yet. Tooling around cutting the lawn at full speed is enough. What a pleasure being to run around on straight electric doing ground choirs.
I cut the 3/4 acres in less time then cleaning the unit.
This my second purchase of a product due to your diligent unbiased reviews. Thank you.
Paul
Hi Troy, I hope you like yours as well as I like this one. I uses it to run down to the grocery store and just buzz around the area. It’s quiet.
This is the third year on this one. I started getting only about 20 minutes run time last fall with the batteries so Denver Global switched them out. I also had one blade motor quit last spring and Denver Global quickly got it fixed. I have one of the first ones that were rebuilt and that first batch had a problem with a motor controller on the deck.
I have the new knobby tires on it and it actually steers easier with them on. After 3 years it’s still a lot of fun!
Eddie
Love my 7100. Ben great for two years. Just encountered a problem. Cranks and runs for 6 seconds then dies. Fuel pump putting out fuel well. Has anyone encountered this problem. Worked fine on first grass cutting this year. Thanks in advance for specific to my problem comment.
Billy. Anderson
Ive had my raven 7100 for a month now and with heavy rain all month yard gotta little outta control especially backyard that is heavily wooded. I thought id see just what this machine could do in wet and grown conditions and i was shocked of how well it handled. My old club cadet wouldn’t have came close. Im very happy with my purchase of one but ready to see attachments available.
Paul Sikkema
Hi Billy, Excellent! Right now you can get the mulch kit and blades at Lowes. There will be a really nice 3 bin bagger coming soon. The rest is still a work in progress.
Curtis C
Severn, MD Hi Paul I recently purchased a Raven Hybrid 7100S and I am curious do you think that it could handle pulling a Craftsman Universal Tow-Mount Tiller? Also do you know of any future accessories or attachments in the works for the Raven? Thanks love you website. Very educational.
Paul Sikkema
Hi Curtis, Yes, it can handle a tiller. It has a towing capacity of 550 lbs. The Raven can handle a lot more but the hitch is only good for 550.
There is a mulch kit and extra blades on lowes.com. A really cool three-bin bagger will be available in the next month.
A snow blade it still in development. What else would you like to see for it?
Curtis C
Thanks for the quick respones. I would also like to see a canopy for grass cutting because my yard is open and the sun is hot.
jared b
i am thinking of purchasing this ; but a little hesitant since it is so new and had issues last year. my biggest question: the tires seem on the small size to really handle the bumps and uneven terrain around my property. have you tried this off road much and how does it handle large bumps and uneven ground? thanks!
Paul Sikkema
Hi Jared, It had issues two years ago.
All of those that had issues were returned and Raven went through and made over 200 changes and improvements to it. I received one of the revised models (Raven MPV-7100) and it has run perfectly. I personally know of over 100 owners who bought last year and so far there has only been one. That one had a defective battery that Raven promptly replaced.
I really like the way it mows.
Ok, Let me be clear. It is not an ATV. Is is though a very agile and useful multi-purpose vehicle. It’s not an ATV because it does not have suspension in the rear. You can’t have suspension all the way around on a mower because the deck will bounce up and down. The rear axle is solid cast iron and the whole MPV weigh over 800 lbs! Trust me the tires and weight give the Raven plenty of bite for running around your yard. It is to heavy to jump!
I have a trail out in the woods that is too rough for a lawn tractor. I’ve tried taking my old Craftsman out their and got stuck like 10 times. The Raven has no problems at all.
It does have turf tires so it won’t do well out in the muddy woods.
One more example, my Dad has an old pasture/ravine that is about one mile long. Over the years we used a D-8 cat to dig out a road to drive through it with a pickup. The road is rough enough I would never try a car on it. He’s now retired and we have turned that pasture into a nature area. We keep that old road mowed down with a bush hog. He has two gas golf carts that the grandkids use to run around out on that trail. (some of the hills on the trail are 25% up and 40% straight down) I took the Raven out there and it did fine including going down the “hill”