Husqvarna 322T AWD

[Bioman]

I have read a post from 2012 on this topic; but as it is around two years ago I wanted to see if anyone else has taken the plunge and bought one since then or if anyone who already did has a better idea of reliability. I am seriously looking at this, but have a few concerns;
1. Not enough of these seem to have been purchased for much of a good/bad consensus to be available.
2. As a result no idea if I will be running into reliability issues a few years after purchase.
Will local mechanics be competent enough to properly repair if they only rarely have an opportunity.
3. Will parts be available in five or ten years if needed. If this uses the same parts as it's European counterpart then I would think so, but want to make sure.

Any feedback or thoughts appreciated.

 

[DHD]

I have read a post from 2012 on this topic; but as it is around two years ago I wanted to see if anyone else has taken the plunge and bought one since then or if anyone who already did has a better idea of reliability. I am seriously looking at this, but have a few concerns;
1. Not enough of these seem to have been purchased for much of a good/bad consensus to be available.
2. As a result no idea if I will be running into reliability issues a few years after purchase.
Will local mechanics be competent enough to properly repair if they only rarely have an opportunity.
3. Will parts be available in five or ten years if needed. If this uses the same parts as it's European counterpart then I would think so, but want to make sure.

Any feedback or thoughts appreciated.

I know what you mean..... not much discussion about the R322T on this site.
I had some of the same concerns as you, but I wasn't too impressed with anything else in my search for a mowing and snow blowing machine.

One review I found interesting was from the following post on this site: http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/husqvarna/296991-sorry-rider-155-a.html
Even though it's a Husqvarna 155 model a 2 wheel drive version rather than the R322T 4wd, the general reliability issue was impressive.
Parts availability, didn't seem to be an issue on the older 155 model either, which seems promising.

I don't own a R322T yet, but took a chance and did order one about a month ago, should be in very soon.
According to out local Husqvarna Tech Rep., there isn't a Workshop Manual available yet for the R322T,
but the Rider 175 AWD is very similiar to the R322T and there is a manual available for the 175.
I plan to do all my own maintenance, so I'm not too concern with any mechanical support from my local Husqvarna dealer.
Engine (Briggs & Stratton) and transmissions (Tufftorq) on the R322T are not Husqvarna specific, so parts don't have to be ordered from Husqvarna.

I found more discussion on the R322T at a different site,
http://www.mytractorforum.com/showthread.php?t=250230

Good luck

 

[Bioman]

DHD....I look forward to hearing your impressions when you get your 322T....

 

[Iron Brew]

this machine interests me too. I haven't been able to find one to check out, so any feedback on what it appears to be like for maintenance? Regionally is there 'better" places to buy? I know up here in Canada it's usually a higher price, sometimes higher enough to warrant a stateside trip.

Thanks

 

[Gem99ultra]

DHD, we're hoping that you have your new 322T by now and will give us your views on it. I'm mostly interested in how it handles slopes, if you have any feedback on that.

I already have the Rider 155 I've mentioned on here and know about the longevity and quality of the cut, but the Rider 155 (2-wheel drive) doesn't have the grip for my 25 degree slopes.

Green with envy - Jim.

 

[Dan Bollinger]

Jim, I have one on order and it should arrive this week. This is the only mower I could find in the U.S. that had what I wanted: AWD, front-mounted mower, and snowblower attachment. I'm wondering if it will need beet-juice wheel ballasting for extra traction. One section is a 6/12 pitched slope (26°).

 

[DHD]

DHD....I look forward to hearing your impressions when you get your 322T....

Ordered the Rider R322T AWD with 103 Combi Deck and Snow Blower 20 Feb 2014.
The Rider and Combi Deck were delivered to my home on 02 May 2014.....Still waiting for the Snow Blower.

This Husqvarna R322T is the first new Riding Lawn mower I've ever purchased.
All other riding mowers prior to this have been used Wheel Horse of which I still own two, a 1986 414-8 and a 1993 416-H.
Wheel Horse are known for their toughness and reliability, they were built with allot of cast iron parts and plenty of zert fittings. And they'll run for many years with proper care.

Some things I didn't realize before purchasing this Husqvarna.
The Combi 103 deck does not have zert fittings on the spindles or any place else on the deck.
I originally thought it did, but I think it's the 48 inch side discharge deck that has zert fittings on the spindles.
So far I haven't seen any zert fittings on the tractor either.

According to the Owners Manual, the two Tuff Torq trans axles use Synthetic 10w-50 oil.
Which needs to be changed after the first 8 hours of use, then every 200 hours after that.
10w-50 synthetic oil is difficult to find in my area.
I contacted Tuff Torq and they recommended 5w-50 synthetic oil, or 15w-50 as an alternative.
I asked them about the more common 20w-50 synthetic, and Tuff Torq would not comment.
I've read of a couple of other R322T owners who do use 20w-50 synthetic oil in the trans-axle system
as was the recommendation from their Husqvarna Dealerships.
I plan to use the 5w-50 synthetic oil as per Tuff Torq's recommendation, I also feel
it would be a better weight of oil for the cold Maine winter temps while snow blowing.

Haven't really got into the grass mowing season yet, at my house here in Maine.
I did find a few areas of mowing to try the Husqvarna on.
Have less than one hour on the hour meter so I only ran the engine up to about 3/4 throttle while mowing.
The attached picture is the same spot I rolled an old Wheel Horse 312-8 over backwards once while mowing.
The WH 312-8 lost traction then suddenly found it again and the really light weight front end flipped up and over.
(no injuries, just a little spilled gas and oil) (the hill seems steeper than what the picture shows but with my Craftsman Protractor I measured 20 degrees)
After that incident I started running front wheel weights on all my Wheel Horse, never had an issue after that.
The Husqvarna R322T on that same hill had no problem at all. In fact it started up that hill from a dead stop from in the middle of the hill. No slipping or tipping.
That's at 3/4 throttle. I don't feel there was any lack of engine power or any lack of pull from the two trans-axle system.

Tried the R322T on two other hilly locations, (Protractor measurement 15 degrees) mowing sideways on the hill, with my butt sitting on the uphill edge of the seat (just like I would do with the WH) Everything seemed to go just fine. No sense of tipping or lightness on the uphill tires like you'd might expect.

Only mowed for about a half an hour, but already I can tell that mowing with this Husqvarna is going to be much quicker than with the WH.
Even faster than my hydrostatic Wheel Horse, just because of the tight turns that the Husqvarna is capable of.

I also really like the quick swing up service feature of the mower deck on the Husqvarna.

The Husqvarna also has much less engine noise and I was much cooler while mowing and I didn't smell like engine exhaust when I was done mowing, like with the WH.
An advantage of having the engine in the rear, rather than in the front, I guess.

With only 1/2 hour mowing, it is too early to form any viable opinion on the R322T
I think the Husqvarna will be the machine my wife will chose when every she feels like helping with the mowing.
It's really much more fun to drive than the two Wheel Horse tractors we've been using.
I really like the Husqvarna R322T, so far.

 

[Dan Bollinger]

So far I haven't seen any zert fittings on the tractor either.

FWIW, FYI: ZerK fitting

 

[DHD]

FWIW, FYI: ZerK fitting

Thank you

 

[DHD]

DHD, we're hoping that you have your new 322T by now and will give us your views on it. I'm mostly interested in how it handles slopes, if you have any feedback on that.

I already have the Rider 155 I've mentioned on here and know about the longevity and quality of the cut, but the Rider 155 (2-wheel drive) doesn't have the grip for my 25 degree slopes.

Green with envy - Jim.

We've communicated before about your Rider 155. (You had just rebuilt your mower deck.)
The positive comments you had made about your Rider 155 was a major reason I purchased
my R322T Rider.

I don't have any 25 dergee slopes to test the R322T on.
I did mow an 18 degree slope today, 30 foot from bottom to top and about 100 foot long.
The R322T Rider haul my 275# up , down and sideways on the slope with no lack of power or traction, and that was running a 3/4 throttle, until I get some more time on the engine.
Attached is a picture of the 18 degree slope I mowed today.

Attached is a picture of the protractor I use to measure my slopes.
I just set the protractor on a 4 foot long 2x4 to even out the roughness of the turf.
How do you measure your slopes ?

I'm not sure how you might increase the traction on the R322T AWD Rider if needed.
I have seen the Husqvarna accessory manual for the Riders.
It show wheel weights and tire chains, but recommended for use on the 2-wheel drive Riders only.
I don't understand why wheel weights or tire chains are not recommended for the R322T AWD Rider.

I still like my R322T Rider.
Hopefully it will serve me as well, as your Rider 155 has served you.
bill

 

[Gem99ultra]

Great write-up DHD! Sounds like you gave it a good test. I'm impressed!

I found 5W-50 Mobil 1 at Napa Auto Parts, if you have those up your way. Harley shops also carry 5W-50, but they want that H-D price for it On the other hand, in my ignorance, I've always just put straight 30W oil in my TorqTuff46. hmmm - I'm scared to change over now.

I'm wondering about the wheel weights - the wheel weights I bought from Husqvarna for my GHT26V52LS tractor type mower have bolts that go trough the wheels. My Rider has solid rims like those on your R322T, so I really don't know how they'd mount the weights.

Even with the wheel weights on the GHT AND water filled rears, it still has traction occasional problems with the dam banks that I'm mowing. I even built an 'out-rigger' for the Rider to keep from tipping over on the dam banks. It does work (sort of), but spouse put a stop to that - she's tired of washing my jeans with brown seats No doubt the 4WD on your R322T makes the difference - much, much better. I'd sure like to swap my GHT for a R322T.

I measured the angle on my dam banks with an 8' 2x4 with a digital level on top. Granted, that may not be accurate but it does look from the pictures to be a little more steep than your slope. Whether it's 20 degrees or 25 degrees, it's too steep for my Rider or my Kubota L3400. The GHT does handle it okay going north & south only. Sideways? It'd be rolling down to the bottom.

I think you'll be satisfied with the quality build on the Husqvarna. Those Sweds know how to design & build pretty good Volvo's, and from my personal one-man experience, they also know how to design and build a lawn mower.

By the way, I suspect you'll find one zerk fitting on the spindle shaft under the motor. It is hard to see - a Husqvarna tech had to point it out on mine for me. I can't believe they didn't put grease fitting on the mower spindles though. They are "sealed" bearings - which means nothing. They can be greased with the needle fitting that you can put in the end of your grease gun. Some disassembly is required... errr.. a LOT of disassembly But, mine lasted a little over 2000 hours. I don't shoot it with the power washer though. A complete set of spindles all new from Husqvarna cost me about $400.

Thanks again for taking the time to give us a run-down on the Husqvarna R322T. Sounds like you have a fine machine there.

 

[Dan Bollinger]

I was writing a reply to this thread when the phone rang. It was the dealer telling me my R322T was on a truck and headed my way! :cool2:

I have the same protractor that DHD has. A lot of my property is sloped with a small section 26°. My 2WD John Deere LX277 could crawl up it with chains and 60 pounds of lead weights. Going down was more like a tobaggon ride! I'll find out in a few days how the R322T does.

To increase traction on the R322T you could add chains and weights as others have said. What I'm thinking of doing, if needed, is changing from turf tires to ATV knobbys and then filling them with beet juice liquid ballasting.

 

[DHD]

. What I'm thinking of doing, if needed, is changing from turf tires to ATV knobbys and then filling them with beet juice liquid ballasting.

Here is a different site, were a guy (kp646), went to a more aggressive tire on his R322T and filled them with foam.

(Scroll down a little and you'll find it.)

http://www.mytractorforum.com/showthread.php?t=250230&page=38

 

[Gem99ultra]

DHD, I had looked at buying a set of something similar for my Rider 155 (2WD). But after considering the light weight of the front end I was a bit afraid of it flipping if it really hooked up. I wouldn't think that would be a problem for the 4WD R322T.

Adding fluid to the none-steering pair of wheels might be the cheapest way to test the theory. I did try adding fluid to all of the tires on my GHT but had to remove the fluid on the front set due to the heavy steering effort required. I do still have the 50# each wheel weights and fluid filled rears, which gives me plenty of traction with that mower.

Nothing that I've ever mowed with gives the super smooth cut of the Husqvarna Rider mowers though, not even the overpriced GHT.

 

[DHD]

Just got back from my Husqvarna dealer (got engine oil filter for R322T), and the Husqvarna Representative just happened to be there.

I had a chance to talk to the rep. about tire chains, or adding liquid balast or foam to the tires.

Through out our entire conversation he kept repeating, be careful not to over stress the the trans-axle system and
there should be allowance for tire slippage between the front and rear trans-axles to relieve any over torque situation.

Adding liquid balast or foam to the tires would void the warranty.
Adding tire chains to all four tires would void the warranty.

If I felt, that I needed to ad chains, they should be on the two tires of the rear (steerable trans-axle) only.
Don't ever put chains on the front two tires. Even if I did not have chains on the back two tires.
(I wonder if the TuffTorq KTM 10L front trans-axle is weaker than the rear Tuff Torq K574 ? ? ? or there is probably more weight over the front trans-axle because that's where the operator sits ? ? ? ?)

The rep. also said operating on slopes that are too steep, would be a situation that could easily overstress the trans-axle system .
(As per the Owners Manual, Husqvarna's idea of too steep a slope, is anything over 10 degrees, which is probably more for Operator's safety, rather than machine stress, but a usable argument for them on warranty issues, I bet.)

I guess the 2 key points I got out of our conversation were:
1). to ensure there would be tire slippage to relieve any over torque situation in the trans-axle system.
2). If I ever do want to increase traction, apply it to the steerable tires only.
So far I don't have any need to increase traction, and will probably try and work with-in the limitations of my unmodified R322T.

 

[Dan Bollinger]

DHD, That's good to know! Thanks for sharing.

 

[Gem99ultra]

DHD - Good info on the things NOT to do. Seems I'm guilty of most :-(
Like you, I suspect the thing about 10 degrees is one of those CYA statements.
And, I suppose there is such a thing as TOO MUCH traction. Better to slip than break.

Thanks again for the fine write-up.

 

[DHD]

DHD - Good info on the things NOT to do. Seems I'm guilty of most :-(
Like you, I suspect the thing about 10 degrees is one of those CYA statements.
And, I suppose there is such a thing as TOO MUCH traction. Better to slip than break.

Thanks again for the fine write-up.

Gem99ultra - Hopefully the R322T will be as tough and reliable as your Rider 155,
as you mentioned in an earlier thread,
"Those Sweds know how to design & build pretty good " .
These Riders have already proven to be pretty good in the European countries. We're just a little slow here in the USA to grasp how good they real are.
I've already pushed mine beyond what the manufacturer has recommended and I know of others (in another forum) that have done so also.
I really like reading what other folks have experienced with their Riders.

Thanks for sharing your Rider 155 experiences

 

[Dan Bollinger]

Got my R322T two days ago and haven't been able to mow with it yet. We've had rain every day for a week here in Indiana. Looks like it might dry off later today or tomorrow. Since the ground is so wet, I decided to finish rolling my lawn. I have one of those Agri-Fab 36" poly rollers. I don't recommend using your R322T to pull it unless your lawn is almost flat. Even then, it is a handful. You need to keep a death grip on the steering wheel. The reason is that it is hitched to the steering axle. The hitch is on the end of what is essentially a foot-long lever arm, which means the roller disturbs your steering. When you begin a turn you have to fight the mass and drag of the roller. Then, as you enter the turn the roller's drag tightens the turn. This means you have to resist the movement on the steering wheel. This effect is accentuated when turning on a slope. From experience I can say that about 10° is the safe limit. Above that the the roller lifts the R322T's outer wheels off the ground.

I only roll the lawn once a year, so it is manageable. But next year I'm going to weld up a bracket and hook the roller onto the mower's front hitch like other accessories. The roller will skid in turns, but then the grass is usually wet, so shouldn't be a problem.

 

[DHD]

Dan- That's interesting, how the roller effects your steering.
I haven't tried to tow anything yet, but in the future thought of towing a small utility trailer to haul stuff.

I only roll the lawn once a year, so it is manageable. But next year I'm going to weld up a bracket and hook the roller onto the mower's front hitch like other accessories. The roller will skid in turns, but then the grass is usually wet, so shouldn't be a problem.

So you'll be pushing the roller with your R322T?