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Here's some useless trivia about that "leaf".

I created that leaf in Illustrator by hand, "tracing" it from a photo I took of it lying on the lawn at my very first client's house.

It's sort of fitting since that client was instrumental in my business startup.

It's not just some random leaf clip-art - it means something to me.

:)

That's a cool story behind it. Cause knowledge is power!:laugh:
 
Discussion starter · #123 ·
Thats a nice walk behind! Give us updates when you start mowing with it. Tell us how the Pistol grips are and if they tire out your hands because i heard that the ECS controls are even more comfortable.
ECS is Exmark, and I've never used one, but there's nothing difficult about these controls at all.
The slightest pressure on the levers and you start to turn. I think there's only about a half inch of travel in the levers overall including the neutral midpoint and all the way for reverse.

I've never used a gear drive mower either, but all of the research I did prior to purchase indicated that a hydro is easier to maneuver, and that's why I went that route.
Is it Toro that has "reverse assist"? Assist, my a$$, I want EASY, and this thing is an absolute dream to move around.

I looked at the Exmark 36" hydro at the same time I bought the Ferris. I was intrigued by the controls since they are supposed to be so operator friendly, but the unit was nearly a grand more than the Ferris, and the Ferris was already at my maximum price range.

I don't use it on every lawn since I'm transitioning from "21" only" lawns to larger lawns that are better suited for a walk behind. I think I have 45 hours on it now.
My only regret is not getting a bigger deck. It's certainly faster than a 21" mower, but not as much as I had thought it would be.
Every time I go through a gate though, I'm glad I started small.

I had a small accident with it today. I caught one of the "operating rods" for the grip levers on something and bent it. Thankfully, it appears that nothing else was damaged, and it can still be operated. I should be able to replace just the rod and be on my way.

Yet another reason to buy commercial - everything is so over-engineered and heavy-duty that only that thin rod bent. If this were a homeowner unit, I would bet that the handle as well as the mechanism that connects to the hydro would have bent as well.
 
ECS is Exmark, and I've never used one, but there's nothing difficult about these controls at all.
The slightest pressure on the levers and you start to turn. I think there's only about a half inch of travel in the levers overall including the neutral midpoint and all the way for reverse.

I've never used a gear drive mower either, but all of the research I did prior to purchase indicated that a hydro is easier to maneuver, and that's why I went that route.
Is it Toro that has "reverse assist"? Assist, my a$$, I want EASY, and this thing is an absolute dream to move around.

I looked at the Exmark 36" hydro at the same time I bought the Ferris. I was intrigued by the controls since they are supposed to be so operator friendly, but the unit was nearly a grand more than the Ferris, and the Ferris was already at my maximum price range.

I don't use it on every lawn since I'm transitioning from "21" only" lawns to larger lawns that are better suited for a walk behind. I think I have 45 hours on it now.
My only regret is not getting a bigger deck. It's certainly faster than a 21" mower, but not as much as I had thought it would be.
Every time I go through a gate though, I'm glad I started small.

I had a small accident with it today. I caught one of the "operating rods" for the grip levers on something and bent it. Thankfully, it appears that nothing else was damaged, and it can still be operated. I should be able to replace just the rod and be on my way.

Yet another reason to buy commercial - everything is so over-engineered and heavy-duty that only that thin rod bent. If this were a homeowner unit, I would bet that the handle as well as the mechanism that connects to the hydro would have bent as well.
Thats great i'm glad that you enjoy it. How is the deck, is it floating? and how is the quality of cut? yeah anything that you buy is best to buy commercial it saves a lot of headaches in the end. Thanks again for the quick replies :)
 
ECS is Exmark, and I've never used one, but there's nothing difficult about these controls at all.
The slightest pressure on the levers and you start to turn. I think there's only about a half inch of travel in the levers overall including the neutral midpoint and all the way for reverse.
Yeah, you gotta love how responsive the controls are on the Comfort Control DD's.
 
Discussion starter · #126 ·
Thats great i'm glad that you enjoy it. How is the deck, is it floating? and how is the quality of cut? yeah anything that you buy is best to buy commercial it saves a lot of headaches in the end. Thanks again for the quick replies :)
You know, THIS model (the 36") is NOT a floating deck. The Ferris literature does not make that clear, as all the OTHER larger models ARE floating decks. This one is just slightly different in other aspects as well (controls are a bit different I think) - they seem to have just thrown this model in with the rest instead of creating a separate category just for one mower.

I like the way the deck adjusts to any height with a few quick cranks. I like that a LOT.

I'm relatively new to this business, but my impression is that it cuts nice and clean. I'm told the timed blades help - I don't know.
 
Very nice machine! I have a ferris walk too and I really like it, when I invest in a new walk behind it will be another ferris. I'm sure you will enjoy that mower for a long time to come!
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You know, THIS model (the 36") is NOT a floating deck. The Ferris literature does not make that clear, as all the OTHER larger models ARE floating decks. This one is just slightly different in other aspects as well (controls are a bit different I think) - they seem to have just thrown this model in with the rest instead of creating a separate category just for one mower.

I like the way the deck adjusts to any height with a few quick cranks. I like that a LOT.

I'm relatively new to this business, but my impression is that it cuts nice and clean. I'm told the timed blades help - I don't know.
Wow that is surprising, I guess i would just have to test drive a ferris and a Exmark and build an opinion for myself. Thats a super nice machine though.
 
Discussion starter · #129 ·
Here's a pic of the damage from the freak accident I mentioned the other day.

I thought I was going to lose the Ferris to a hillside when it got hung up on something, bending the transmission rod. (I think that's what it's called - goes from the pistol grip lever down to the hydro)
It got caught on a ladder hook that was on the side of a storage shed.

(the rod on the left)



Nothing else appears bent/damaged. When it bent, it just "opened the gap" of the left lever more than it should be, but everything appears fine otherwise.

It still works, but the levers aren't "in sync" now if that makes any sense.
 
Oh man you were in a tough situation there haha I would rather that than it going into the lake any day. It should be a easy fix if you can bend it back or replace it if you think it needs to. Have you thought about putting a sulky on it so you don't have to walk all the time?
 
Bloody hell I really really LOVE that logo, might be the best I've seen
 
Discussion starter · #132 ·
Oh man you were in a tough situation there haha I would rather that than it going into the lake any day. It should be a easy fix if you can bend it back or replace it if you think it needs to. Have you thought about putting a sulky on it so you don't have to walk all the time?
No. I don't have enough flat, large lawns to justify it at this point.
I mean, I see guys running them on lawns the size of a postage stamp, but it just seems ******ed to me. I mean, if you have it, use it, I suppose, but I don't need one yet.
 
No. I don't have enough flat, large lawns to justify it at this point.
I mean, I see guys running them on lawns the size of a postage stamp, but it just seems ******ed to me. I mean, if you have it, use it, I suppose, but I don't need one yet.
Yeah you make sense at least you are reasonable about it. How many houses do you use this mower on?
 
Youd be surprised how much quicker it is with a sulky even on smaller yards. I was waiting for a new tire for mine and when i got it back we were able to finish yards quicker and add an extra yard or two a day because of it. It takes practice on the smaller yards but its easy
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Youd be surprised how much quicker it is with a sulky even on smaller yards. I was waiting for a new tire for mine and when i got it back we were able to finish yards quicker and add an extra yard or two a day because of it. It takes practice on the smaller yards but its easy
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I would have to agree with you as well. Im pretty good at using the sulky or jungle wheels or whatever, wherever they need to be used haha :dancing: Have you seen the new kage caddy i believe thats what it's called. It's like a new and improved sulky very nice i think i might get one as soon as i get a walk behind.
 
Congrats on the machine man! She's sexy as hell!! I was really considering getting one.. But the Snapper version of it. It looks well made! Should last years upon years if taken care of properly. Did you pay for it all at once or did you get it financed?
 
Discussion starter · #138 ·
Yeah you make sense at least you are reasonable about it. How many houses do you use this mower on?
There may be a few I'm forgetting, but I'd say about 12.
Last season was my first full season at lawn care and since I started with a 21" mower, all my lawns are sized accordingly.

This season I tried to take on only lawns that I could use the walk behind on. I passed over a lot of jobs this spring! I didn't spend all that money just to continue to bust my hump with a push mower.

So many of my lawns have hills and steep slopes, or irregular surfaces that are not "big deck" friendly. I'll weed them out in time as I take on larger, more profitable work that the walk behind is better suited for.
Right now I only take the trailer out on Mondays and Fridays.(and every other Tues)
The other days I do smaller lawns in the city and just take the 21" Toro SR4.
 
Discussion starter · #139 ·
Youd be surprised how much quicker it is with a sulky even on smaller yards. I was waiting for a new tire for mine and when i got it back we were able to finish yards quicker and add an extra yard or two a day because of it. It takes practice on the smaller yards but its easy
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"Practice" was another reason I didn't get a sulky yet. I wanted to get used to the thing beforehand.

Speaking of handling...

I'm wondering how well this thing would work with a sulky. Seems to me you'd want a machine that could be controlled fully without needing to remove your hands from the controls - speed up, slow down, etc...

The Ferris requires you to push/pull that cruise control bar to adjust speed. Once "set" all turning and reverse is done by squeezing the levers, but I think it would be rough trying to control it "at speed" while on a sulky.
I don't know though - I've never used one.
 
Discussion starter · #140 ·
Congrats on the machine man! She's sexy as hell!! I was really considering getting one.. But the Snapper version of it. It looks well made! Should last years upon years if taken care of properly. Did you pay for it all at once or did you get it financed?
Thanks. Yeah, I didn't know about the "Snapper versions" until after I bought this. It wouldn't have made a difference though, as I don't think my dealer carries Snapper. I was going to get a Toro since that's his main line, but Toro doesn't offer a hydro in 36". (and I wanted a hydro)

0% financing for three years.

I was planning to buy used, but couldn't afford it. A private seller isn't going to take payments and I didn't have $1,500 lying around. Plus, while I'm not a total re-tard (apparently "r e tarded" is an unacceptable word and was censored in my prior post), I'm not a mechanic, so buying new lessens my worries about down time.

I looked at the finances and decided five grand was the max I was willing to finance. This fell in just under that, so it all worked out.
 
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