[Envy Lawn Service]

For those of you that have bought the Ferris Z's with independent suspension, how are they doing long term in the field?

I'm wondering about the performance, cut, durability and if any of you have found a "down side" to the Ferris design.

Also, does anyone know if there is a mulch kit available? Or any plans for a 61" IS 1000Z?

 

[Envy Lawn Service]

Nobody using these mowers? I thought some of you bought them.

 

[MOW ED]

I demoed one for a day earlier this year and it was a 3000IS. It was a well built machine and the suspension did work well. Had nice features overall.
Now I already got yelled at by some that own one so mayby it was just my machine but the quality of cut didn't really impress me. That is just my observation from using one for 6 hours. It could have had dull blades or mayby I was goin too fast but it couldn't keep up at some of the lawns. Not all but some.
It is a good machine and the suspension is truely an engineering feat.

 

[lawn jockey]

We have the 3000is z it is great ! We have not had any trouble with it, we also have a 1000z same results but I dont like it. I really dont know how anyone mows without the IS. I demoed the exmark and the dixie their nice if you have flat and smooth lawns but the Is is supiror to any on hilly rough lawns no skidding doen a hill and a nice smooth ride! I dont beleive they are making a fully IS 1000z they have the front but not rear. Hope this helps any other ? pm me !

 

[work_it]

^lawn jockey, sounds like it would work great on some of the larger properties I maintain with mole tunnels all over the place. I asked the homeowner what he wanted to do about them.........nothing. His choice, but I'm looking for solutions. I'm afraid of ending up with a cracked casters, or worse yet a cracked deck. What did you pay for the 3000is? What size of deck and motor do you have?

 

[mowdini]

Very, very, very heavy machine. Quality of cut nowhere near other mowers.

 

[rob1325]

When I demoed one, it was a very nice machine, built like a tank, cut is good as any other mower, bigger size hydro pumps that others. Only thing I didn't like about it was deck was very hard to lift up other that that great machine.

 

[Envy Lawn Service]

With the mixed results on quality of cut, I figure it probably just boils down to your area, turf and conditions. The only way I'll iron that one out is my own demo.

As far as the weight, I expected it to be more just from looking at all the extra steel and stuff on it. I don't think that will be much of an issue for me though as I already have a lightweight mower.

lawnjocky, sound like it's been reliable for you. I was kind of conserned about the additional stuff on it that's not found on other machines. But at the same time, I think about the beating and punishment both the mower and I take every day. That can't be much worse than the potential of a few extra moving parts that might break.

In considering another mower purchase, I'm conserned about the same thigs as I was the 1st time around. But honestly after owning a ridgid frame Z, I han't help but "think springs" for many reasons. Also I'd like to add that other than just denial, I can't see why everyone isn't thinking springs.

It just seems to reason that I might be able to get more production out of the IS, which is why I'm thinking about a 61" mower anyways. Plus it also stands to reason that the way the deck is hung from the IS and with the rolling terrain I have, that it would be a real plus with a larger deck.

Now back to the denial thing. I notice things all the time on my Z where I think the IS would really help. I think it would certainly take care of some of the little annoying things associated with rigid frame Z's. Plus I feel that there is a good chance the slope performance might be better overall on the uneven hilly terrain.

 

[JCLandWerks]

If you put a set of Scag Hi-lift blades on the IS3000 they cut a heck of alot better.

 

[rodfather]

I've had like 15 Ferris machines over the past 9 years and I have never had a problem with their cut whether I'm using Gators or Hi-Lifts.

Right now we have 5 (3 WB's and 2 Z's). BTW, both Z's are 1000's w/o the IS system. And no Envy, they don't have a mulch kit available or a IS for the 1000 model. You gotta buy the 3000, 4000, or 5000 to have the IS system.

We mow for the largest Ferris Distributor in the U.S. so I know about some things going on with Ferris. Plus the President of the distributorshop and myself are good friends.

 

[lawn jockey]

Envy If you mow slopes or hilly terrain demo one for a day or 2 you wont buy a ridgid frame z . I demoed exmark and Dixie I liked the dixie alot pretty smooth ride nice cut but it wasnt like the springs. All are properties are lake front with hills and slopes and I dont like to mow with are 1000 ridgid if your not careful it likes to ski as we call it! We will trade it or sell it within the next 2 seasons and buy another 3000

 

[AztlanLC]

Prior to own a is3000z I run 3 whelers ferris and scag, I noticed many problem with scag, few with ferris, my first z is about 3 years old and I can tell you the ride is smooth, compare to dixie which I run with a spreader, I'd recomend ferris to anyone.

Cut quality I think is good, I'll post couple pictures if they show the first couple it's a lawn that wasn't mow for two weeks due to rain, it's mainly weeds and crabgrass I had to double cut, FYI I run doubles.

 

[AztlanLC]

I don't know how to post multiple pictures at the same time, well this were supose to be the first two

 

[AztlanLC]

second

 

[Tvov]

Our 3000is is great, no problems. After using one for a few months, myself and one of my employees went to a show and demoed a bunch of other machines, and simply could not believe how rough the ride is on them. Once you use a Ferris for awhile, you will not want to ride other mowers.

We also got it with the stainless steel dump box vacuum system, and that has also worked great.

As to the weight, I have to double check but our 3000is w/ 25hp Kawi air-cooled is about the same weight as an Exmark w/ 27hp Kawi liquid cooled, so I don't know what the big deal is.

It has been a great machine for us this year, and mowed great with all the rain we had this spring.

 

[Envy Lawn Service]

Thanks everyone for the replies here! I've gotten some good responses.

Now if anyone doesn't mind, what sort of ballpark price should I expect to have to pay for the 61" IS 3000z? Also, do you feel that over 30 miles one way is too far to travel for the dealer?

Also, maybe I confused some of you on the 1000z. Their are 2 different frames. One is a rigid frame (1000z) the other is not (IS 1000z). When I was looking, the 1000z was available w/61" while the largest deck you could get on the IS 1000z was 52" at the time. I was wondering if there were any plans to make it available w/61" as well, maybe for '04 or something?

When I was shopping before, I could have bought a 23hp Kawi 52" IS 1000z for less than what I paid for the Kees. I even drove 200 miles one way to demo one. But the controls were very jumpy on the unit and there were no hills to try it out on down there.

Later on, the Ferris Rep for my area offered to deliver a trailer full of Ferris demo units to my accounts so I could really test them out in my terrain. I declined to do that based on how crappy I felt the controls were on the on I had already demoed.

Turns out that I learned later on, (from a lawnsite member who works at a Ferris dealer) that there must have been something wrong with the hydros on that unit. He described the Ferris controls as being VERY smooth and insisted something was wrong. I ended up feeling that I didn't give Ferris a "fair shake" on earning my business based on that one machines controls.

Ah, enough blabering..... Here is a picture of the IS 1000z.

 

[HOMER]

I cut with an older model that only had the pivoting front end.....no springs. I must say that just having the center pivot made the ride a heckuvalot smoother than my Choppers over bumpy yards.

I don't recall the model, I think it was a 1000 something but it had no springs. The cut was not as good as my Chopper but there were other features that could have sold me on one. I demo'd (briefly) a 3000 at the dealer and followed that ride up with a Hustler and to me...............the Hustler was actually a smoother ride! Maybe the springs were stiff because they were new but for the short time I was on it it did not impress me.

 

[Lawn Tek]

Well been thinking the same thing , my back is getting beat up bad , almost all propertys here are rough as he ..ll . Put a suspension seat on my dixie xt 3000 man whata huge difference , can mow faster , but I want to demo one of these on a large rough property , anyone know ground speed of these ? Any Ferris rep listening , contact me , want an in field demo

 

[Ramairfreak98ss]

im supposd to demo a is3100z or a 4500z IS soon, i like my 1000z but the next one will have suspension and more power!