Lawn Care Forum banner

My scag vride 36" sucks.... Is ferris z1 better?

15K views 57 replies 14 participants last post by  Chuckduck 
#1 ·
I have a scag vride 36" with 19 Hp kawasaki. Two things I hate about it... Narrow tires / heavy.... Rutting issues. Second, on any slope at all... If I mow across the slope, I get uneven cutting. The machine shifts to the low side leaving uneveningly cut lawns. I notice it and my clients see it. My question is... Is a ferris z1 a superior machine in these two areas? Tires appear to be same wideth except the ferris tires are taller. Doubt this will help with Rutting. It's also similar in weight.. So will it shift on slopes equally badly.. Leaving the same crappy cut? Or do I need to go back to a walk behind for better quality results?
 
#2 ·
What’s the tire pressure set at? I noticed on my swzt that has the narrow tires that it will rut just a hair if the ground is a little damp and the tires are set at 12psi. I usually run 10-11psi cold if there’s a heavy dew or damp ground and that’s hauling me on a bullrider with and big league roller also. Also if your getting a uneven cut try walking behind or slightly beside the mower to get rid of some of the top heavyness to help it be more stable on the slope.
 
#4 ·
What's the tire pressure set at? I noticed on my swzt that has the narrow tires that it will rut just a hair if the ground is a little damp and the tires are set at 12psi. I usually run 10-11psi cold if there's a heavy dew or damp ground and that's hauling me on a bullrider with and big league roller also. Also if your getting a uneven cut try walking behind or slightly beside the mower to get rid of some of the top heavyness to help it be more stable on the slope.
I have a 36" SWZ with a 21HP Kohler , same deal, easy rut , tracks up turf easy on damp ground. have tires set at 10# . You actually see a difference in a 1-2# pressure drop? Dang , the pressure rises more than that from morning to late afternoon. I set mine with a quality acu-gauge. So I'm pretty sure it's on. I was wondering if I could sneak a 7.5" tire on there?
 
#3 ·
I have the same machine with the same engine. Let me tell you it beats the pants off the old Exmark Tracer I had before, WAY more comfortable ride (than a sulky), deck cuts very well even when wet, way better than the Tracer. I think you are expecting too much from it. If you haven't already, pull out those damn front weights under the machine they are worthless......this will help greatly with turf tearing, steering, and rutting.

I get the cross slope thing....to me it such a marginal issue I don't worry about it, perhaps your tire pressure is off?
 
#6 ·
Side hill issue is mainly operator error

It's either trying to do something with the wrong tool or rider not compensating for hill by shifting weight,
I can't tell which without seeing the hill
The rutting issue means you're taking the machine where it shouldn't go (wrong tool for the job)
It can be mitigated slightly by letting a few pounds out of the tires
It's a common off road trick , particularly in sand.
The lower tire pressure makes the tires flare, dispersing weight over a larger surface rendering less psi
It a mathematical algorithm which is why so little air pressure makes such a difference in psi on the ground
Or what the off road hillbillies refer to as "tire floatation"

Can't lower tire pressure too much or you will lose the bead on zero turns and change the hoc and angle of deck deflection
 
#7 ·
Side hill issue is mainly operator error

It's either trying to do something with the wrong tool or rider not compensating for hill by shifting weight,
I can't tell which without seeing the hill
The rutting issue means you're taking the machine where it shouldn't go (wrong tool for the job)
It can be mitigated slightly by letting a few pounds out of the tires
It's a common off road trick , particularly in sand.
The lower tire pressure makes the tires flare, dispersing weight over a larger surface rendering less psi
It a mathematical algorithm which is why so little air pressure makes such a difference in psi on the ground
Or what the off road hillbillies refer to as "tire floatation"

Can't lower tire pressure too much or you will lose the bead on zero turns and change the hoc and angle of deck deflection
Ain't that the truth , drop that pressure down and leave mower on trailer on freezing nights, flat by morning. Rutting is not always wrong mower for application. I have a 90 year old lady , well watered Lawn(I set it) rain showers all week , as soon as I finish she kicks the sprinkler on manually. Lawn was already soggy......Can't fix stupid.
 
#12 ·
The ferris or any other 36" stander isn't going to do anything else different.

If you are "rutting" coming through a specific gate, find out what the problem is, excessive mud/water?
Too much shade making weak grass blades?
The mower only goes back and forth there twice per week.
If the turf area there is getting worn out, moderate foot traffic would cause the same issues.

Again weren't not discussing mechanical issues here, this is all operator inexperience, that you're assuming/blaming the machine.

Quality of cut problems, refer to the owners manual trouble shooting guide it's a very good one.

Rutting at every single gate entrance?
You're either exaggerating or misrepresenting what youre looking at/witnessing.

This all common with someone who is new/ish, blowing money on another similar machine isnt going to do anything for you than burn another $7-10,000 dollars for similar results/performance.
 
#17 ·
The ferris or any other 36" stander isn't going to do anything else different.

If you are "rutting" coming through a specific gate, find out what the problem is, excessive mud/water?
Too much shade making weak grass blades?
The mower only goes back and forth there twice per week.
If the turf area there is getting worn out, moderate foot traffic would cause the same issues.

Again weren't not discussing mechanical issues here, this is all operator inexperience, that you're assuming/blaming the machine.

Quality of cut problems, refer to the owners manual trouble shooting guide it's a very good one.

Rutting at every single gate entrance?
You're either exaggerating or misrepresenting what youre looking at/witnessing.

This all common with someone who is new/ish, blowing money on another similar machine isnt going to do anything for you than burn another $7-10,000 dollars for similar results/performance.
I habe no idea how you come up with I inexperienced /operator error. You aren't here to see what I'm doing. And you don't know how many hours I've put in. I've got over 500 hours between my 36 and 52" vride machines. The 52 is awesome. Love that 52. The 36 is somehow completely different performance wise. I bought the smaller vride to get away from the walk behind / sulky at up for gated back yards. At 48 years of age, I truly don't want to go back. But the quality on any slope is bad. Rutting is bad anywhere the grass is thin. Lots of gated areas are thin from my experience. I don't want to give up the small vride, but see little reason to keep it if it leaves less than excellent results for my clients. I will try less tire pressure this week. But I expect even worse performance on my "non laser leveled" slope yards.
 
#19 ·
All 36" and 32" Standers Rut bad here. We got lots of very soft, irrigated soil.

Operator weight over Drive Tires = Bad. Almost all guys running 32" 36" Standers push mow stuff we hit w/Hydro walks, especially after rain.

The 30" Turfmaster is a dud. A Hydro walk can do anything it can do 2 to 3 times faster.
 
#20 ·
All 36" and 32" Standers Rut bad here. We got lots of very soft, irrigated soil.

Operator weight over Drive Tires = Bad. Almost all guys running 32" 36" Standers push mow stuff we hit w/Hydro walks, especially after rain.

The 30" Turfmaster is a dud. A Hydro walk can do anything it can do 2 to 3 times faster.
lol, I have weekly time sheets that say different. Less trim time , faster load time, WAY FASTER deck scraping. Its total job time that counts , not just how fast you can rip around a yard.
Walker did a year long study on a lawn that favors a bigger machine and guess what......TT loses to turdmaster on a 3K yard . Smaller yards where trim time is the deciding factor it gets worse for the hydro walks . This has been reported by many who have owned both. I wish it was not so , I'd much rather run my hydro walk as it's easier on your body.

NOTE; Wright stander also beats TURDTRACER by 2.5 minutes.

Line Font Slope Parallel Design
 
#24 ·
The Z1 best 36" Stander right now but I still got ruts w/it on our soft turf. You can't help standing over drive tires.

I can put a 36" FW almost anywhere soft and leave a clean cut. You got to try ignore db, he's in Love w/the 30 cause of WalkerTalk.

Anywhere our 36" Walks can't hit, which are few and far between, a 70lb 21" the best solution.
 
#28 ·
The Z1 best 36" Stander right now but I still got ruts w/it on our soft turf. You can't help standing over drive tires.

I can put a 36" FW almost anywhere soft and leave a clean cut. You got to try ignore db, he's in Love w/the 30 cause of WalkerTalk.

Anywhere our 36" Walks can't hit, which are few and far between, a 70lb 21" the best solution.
I bought my turfmaster before Walker published their property studies. I love the 30 because it replaces a 21 without losing trim .In its modified form with the original low lift timemaster blade and mulch kit it out mulches any 21 on the market including Toro's. New development, with my deck mod allowing easy airflow into the deck , a g5 blade with teeth removed and flow control baffle removed it is a wet grass bagging king, a 30 inch scag if you will. Very little deck packing and packs the bag. Two bags pack a 36 gallon roughneck just like a small accelerator on a 36.
 
#35 ·
You kids need to stop catching lawns. Bagging is the single biggest Production Killer in this game.

Your customers dont Insist on bagged grass, they insist on a clippings and clump free lawn. Much better ways than catching to achieve these results.
 
#38 ·
You kids need to stop catching lawns. Bagging is the single biggest Production Killer in this game.

Your customers dont Insist on bagged grass, they insist on a clippings and clump free lawn. Much better ways than catching to achieve these results.
Sorry, not when it's raining during peak growth periods. Bagging is faster , mess is less and every customer is happier. No way is double cutting and then scraping a deck than bagging. Stopwatch does not lie. Gotta say a SWZ or V ride rules in bagging wet grass. Turdtracer, not so much
Many Pools with very short stone work borders. Mulch, keeping entire mower on grass edge and discharge side out. Blowout onto stone will be Only Very Slightly more than running a bag.
That's not the issue with pools , people don't want clippings that bare-wet feet track into the pool.
 
#39 ·
Always faster ways even in wet. Dealing with clippings and stopping to empty bags Huge Time Waster.

If you mulching, clippings are chopped and pushed far enough into turf to prevent Stuck to Foot.

Never once had a customer complain, when Lawn properly mulched, that clippings stuck to feet. We mulch A lot of backyards w/pools.
 
#41 ·
Maybe we lucky but Every Yard here has bushes somewhere. That's where mower stops. Hide w/blower for the Pansies or scoop it in w/hands for the rest of us. Backs need a hit w/blower most times anyway to get patios so Little to No time increase.

If we didn't have bushes would figure out other ways to deal w/dump. Nothing is Slower than Bagging.

we bagged for almost 15 years. I know the times. Would rather double cut than bag
 
  • Like
Reactions: JLSLLC
#45 ·
I'm lucky. I've got a good dealer now. And I didn't even buy my machine from him, but he treats me like I did. He has been in the business all his life as was his father. 50 years plus. Now that I've found him, I will buy my machines from him going forward. If your in the Charlotte NC area and North. RC lawnmowers in Troutman.
 
#48 ·
I have the issue cutting sideways on slopes with the 36" v-ride, but my experience has been that the slope is pretty steep. It's been perfect on mellow stuff. Without outside antiscalp wheels I don't think any deck hanging on chains will be perfectly even if it's too steep of a slope. If your slope is truly mellow and you're having this issue, like previously stated, check your deck level and pitch according to your owners manual.
 
#49 ·
how did he come up with 3%?
he made it up.

"its not much of slope" translates into 3% because I asked a question he didnt have an answer to and he was frustrated.
Women call it "male answering syndrome"
It's actually quite common.

He's coming here looking to get all this information of scag Vrides how it sucks and support to buy a new machine, and he didnt get it.

GOOD advice doesnt frequently come n the form of what you want to hear.

Thing is, there are so many things in play with cut quality issues, without loads of documentation, pics and back and forth, finding out what the problem is is difficult,
also newbs frequently exaggerate what the issues are, when they are most commonly every day things we all deal with.

They see pics or live examples of the perfect cut lawn and think they can just buy a machine and get that result in a single high speed pass and if they dont get it the machine must be screwed up.

You SHOULD be able to go to your dealer, 75% of what I know I was taught by a vendor or dealer.
Ewing, HD Fowler, GJ Pipe & Supply, Brandmans Equipment, Mad Mike the equipment guy.... all great dealers over the years.
BUT... Scag Dealers are notorious for not knowing much of nothing about anything.
We've got a bad one here too.
I'm a SCAG GUY and we aren't buying scags any more, that tells you something.

It's NOT SCAG per se, it's really customer service and support, the mfg or distributors arent making sure the dealers have the knowledge and experience they need to answer questions like "why does my cut look funny and how do i fix it"

However, Ill weigh in with this as well:
Dealers dont have the customer support they used to because the vast majority of their customers are one and done.
They buy one thing and disappear.
All these DIY backyard mechanics not wanting to pay dealer fees.
How do they gain the experience and afford to have a guy on staff if they havent seen the same thing 9 times since may?
They dont have the answers because the repairs arent coming in to them.
Too many people trying to google the answer, which leads them to lawnsite, which brings them here with silly questions, rather than their dealer.

You hear lot of guys give advice on here "what mower should i buy"
The answer " the one with the best dealer support"
But how many guys ACTUALLY use their dealer vs trying to save money and wrench themselves?
We already know the answer, its a rhetorical question.

How many of us here get phone calls form homeowners doing DIY stuff asking for our time of the phone without wanting to pay for it?
they want free advice so they can do it themselves.
Well at a dealership? Thats 10 times worse than it is at a landscaping company.

If you want a good dealer with dealer support you got to pay for it, which means not buying the machine with the cheapest deal and then not using that guy ever for anything else, assuming "youve already paid enough" because your machine was $10,000.00.

So its really all a catch 22.

There's a hole in the bucket, Lysa.
My SCAG dealer here sucks, and won't even talk to you. Repair times are long and yeah .. they are a TINY shop and they don't say much. Not much of salesman or worried about your machine being down . I'm afraid to ask them anything ! But dammit I want a v-ride 2 so bad. Only alternative is a deere.. for possibly even more.. or a Ferris. Not much a a dealer
 
#50 ·
I've said this in other threads

Find the next closest Scag dealer and buy one from him
This isn't the Catholic Church , no ones forcing you to go to your assigned parish.

So what if the guy is 45 minutes away.
Most of what you will need repairs on, if anything is going to be belts or blades or widgets you broke yourself , not complex warranty repairs.
I'm guarantee the dealer will drop ship parts you order from him directly to you.
I have ferris machines
I'm in Alaska and my closest ferris dealer is in MINNESOTA.
So seriously , don't stress it.

You've got a mower already right?
Keep it as a back up
Go buy a new vride from someone who's not a ****** and in the off chance you actually need a big deal repair you can keep mowing with your back up and drive the hour and a half to get it repaired round trip.

Seriously it's noy going to happen much, if ever.
 
#51 ·
The back up mowers I have are two Honda 21 HRX217HXA’s.. so.. not really.. but I don’t expect much to happen. I plan on keeping at lest 2-3 of each belt that my machine requires and blades( and Oregon blade sharpener) and a spare PTO switch ($34) and oil and filters.. that alone will save me on gas and down time.. and I have worked on so many different machines over the past 20 years.. I best learn how to work on my main money maker.. if I need big parts n work.. then I’ll take it in. I do plan on going go visit the next closest SCAG dealer about 50 miles away.. and they seem like a proper dealer. They also had they highest price on one. They said $8,599 on a 48 and my buddy said the local SCAG place quoted $7,950 on a 52.. but he could have been off 1k.. I’m gonna call, again, tomorrow to see. The Deere is advertised as $8,8599
 
#52 ·
Yeah. I’m not gonna Dealer as much as most people would. I can do a lot of it my self and plan on having parts on the shelf( yeah I know, that’s kinda against the reason for a warranty) but just an oil change or any small stuff could take days at the local SCAG shed, where as on my trailer (full Tool kit) or at my shop.. it would take an hour or lil more. And the downtime is worth more than just the money gained or lost.. your reputation goes to poop when you miss scheduled cuts, esp in the south when the grass grows crazy. They will just find someone else.. and the part that put you down, would have cost what one or two yard would have pulled in.. which is about how long it would have taken to replace said part.
 
#53 ·
Yeah. I'm not gonna Dealer as much as most people would. I can do a lot of it my self and plan on having parts on the shelf( yeah I know, that's kinda against the reason for a warranty) but just an oil change or any small stuff could take days at the local SCAG shed, where as on my trailer (full Tool kit) or at my shop.. it would take an hour or lil more. And the downtime is worth more than just the money gained or lost.. your reputation goes to poop when you miss scheduled cuts, esp in the south when the grass grows crazy. They will just find someone else.. and the part that put you down, would have cost what one or two yard would have pulled in.. which is about how long it would have taken to replace said part.
just FYI...most wear parts ARE NOT covered under warranty.
Warranty is for major failings, engine, drive, spindles, things like that , which are super rare to happen , otherwise they wouldn't offer a warranty in the first place or they'd be out of business.
Warranty doesn't cover blades and belts, unless its shredding belts because something else is broken.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top