Ferris Zero Turn

[jaybee]

Can anybody give me a first hand report on the Ferris zero turn rider with a 61 inch deck and the Kawasaki 23hp motor.

[lawnMaster5000]

never tried it nut only heard great stuff about it. Thats the one w/ independant rear suspensioin right?

[Davis TLC]

A few of the LCO's here have some of them. Local dealer asked me about trying one. Told him I didn't think so, he asked why?, I told him I drive by some lawns cut with one everyday, the quality of cut doesn't impress me. Stripping quality was lacking real bad, and clumping was real bad.

[Evan528]

davis, I agree with you. Though the independent suspension is great the quality of cut wasnt so great. It was ok but didnt compare to the cut of my z master.

[Eric ELM]

Evan: I think it makes a differance on who is operating a machine, how it cuts, because I saw a crew mowing a lawn across the street with Z Masters that was clumping big time on a lawn that doesn't look like it ever gets fertilized. It was wet, but so was the lawn I was mowing and mine wasn't clumping. I don't know what they were doing, but it looked very bad. It hadn't grown a whole lot either and it seemed like I was cutting taller grass than them. I know you said you can't make yours clump in wet grass, but they sure could.

[Lazer]

The 18,400 fpm Z-Masters cut far better than the 16,000 fpm Z-Masters.

Cutting Ryegrass vs. Bluegrass, moisture and different lawns changes the equation as well.

I think you need to run 2 mowers side-by-side the SAME lawn, the SAME day to accurately compare.

[jaybee]

I agree on mower comparison. Side by side, same exact lawn. As for clumping. I found that wet grass clumps no matter what mower I use. Exmark Lazer or turf tracer hp. Dry grass , no problem, but here in the northeast there hasn't been any dry grass all year.

[Eric ELM]

I agree with Lazer and Jaybee, what I was trying to say is, it may not be the mowers fault. Evan has said in past posts that his Z Master cuts wet grass perfectly, but I saw the same brand clumping, so it must be something the operators were doing wrong. The grass they were mowing is right across the street from where I was mowing and right next to another lawn we mow. They might have been cutting an inch shorter or something like that when they should have been cutting at the same or higher than the previous week. I have no idea, but it wasn't looking good. They might of had a deck that was completely clogged up too. I agree that I could make any deck clump up a lawn if I wanted to. It's just that some can't make a lawn look good, in any conditions.

[steve]

On the Ferris the dealer is suspsosed to level the deck before it sells. That one may of never been leveled, that the reason for a lower quality of cut.

I've heard it can blow away any other Z on the market!

[fdew]

I have a Ferris ProCut 22 61 inch. (Not a ZTR.) It is built like a rock. I love it. The guy that sold it to me replaced it with a seconed Ferris ZTR.

[Evan528]

I still insist that toros do not clump even in soaking wet conditions. The only time my z master will clump in wet grass is if too much wet grass builds up under the deck reducing the "super flow system". To prevent clumping in wet grass i scrape the bottom of the deck every 5-6 lawns. I garentee the people you saw using the z master has 3 inches of wet grass builup under the deck! Yesterday on about my 6th lawn of the day (rain all day) My z master started throwing clobs of grass... i stopped... scraped the deck real fast and went back at it... it cut like the grass was dry again...

[rats5656]

grass wil clump in rain

[Evan528]

rats, have you tried a z master with a 62 in deck in the rain? I was amazed the first time i used my machine in the rain... i thought like you that all mowers clump in the rain.

[nysnowman]

Ive got a Ferris i/s 23 hp 61 inch cut.Sometime it cuts great and other times it doesnt.Depends on conditions.My only problem is that my motor seized up today.I only got 250 hours on it.thank god for warranties.

[Lazer]

Bluegrass has a waxy surface which prevents clumping.

Rygrass has tissue striations, which tend to stick to each-other.

No question about it, the Toro SFS is the best "wet-weather" cutter.

[jaybee]

nysnowman, is that the Kawi 23 that seized up on you after 250 hours?

[luckylawnboy]

This spring I bought a Ferris Pro Cut Z IS 23. I can tell you now that I have already sold it. The mower its self is great as far as handeling. Great on hills an unlevel groung. But the fact of the matter is that it didn't stripe all that good, blades Could not keep up at speed and the quality of cut was not all that great. I switched to a Dixie Chopper Flatlander 2500-60. Wow, what a machine. Cuts great at 13mph and lays the best stripe in my opinion. Oh yea the Ferris is a turtle in reverse, 4mph, Chopper, 13mph, you do the math. They make decent walk behinds, but Go Dixie Chopper ZRT. I did and trust me, My customers are much happier.

[MJB]

If only the Dixie Choppers wern't so darn ugly.....lol

[nysnowman]

Jaybee,Yes,its a 23 hp kawasaki.

[Eric ELM]

I don't buy lawn mowers for looks, I buy them for the way the lawns look after mowing with them and how well they hold up after using them for a few THOUSAND hours. What good is a Pretty Lawn mower, if it's in the shop all the time. I'll stick with the Dixie Choppers, because I feel they make lawns look nice. That is what my customers see. What lawn mower do you think looks good? I think they are all ugly, but they make us all money. :)

[Evan528]

Eric, i think my toro is beutiful! ;)






It also makes my lawns look beutiful!

[powerreel]

I have used Ferris for a time and I always mow at speeds greater than 4 mph. I like reverse, and i like the fact that on their wb's hands off- blades off, L&I is expensive enuff!LOL!

[John DiMartino]

Dixies and Scags are the ugliest mowers out there.I think the Rnsomes Bobcat is the best looking.

[MJB]

Eric,
I don't care what they look like either as long as do a good job. In fact I would buy a DC if I liked the finished product and beleived it to be dependable. I have read your posts about your DC's and how good they have been to you.

The only experience I've had with them is when a friend/ competitor bought one 5 yrs ago. I looked it over and didn't think it would hold up, and that one didn't. That was also before the suspension seats came along and improved the ride. That one was a back breaker. I'm sure they have improved since then. I was impressed with the stripes your made.
I like the Exmark Lazer Z looks especially with the hood over the 22 LC Kaw. I get comments on both the stripes, the cut, & the looks of the mower. Just as long as we make money who cares?