Ferris 1500 Best in Class?

[coobie]

Hands down, Kubota is on the back of more trailers than any others. Then John Deere then its a toss up. HUGE Kubota dealer in area drives the popularity, same with JD. The tractor market seems to influence the mower market.

I am going with the Scag, just trying to decide which model.

What is vital and what is just gravy???

Liquid vs. air cooled
Crankshaft out of bottom or back.
Mechanical drive for deck or belt?

You say you have a huge Kubota dealer in you local area.Dealer support is paramount IMHO in buying a product,that is the reason i bought a kubota pro 326 ZTR this week.there are 4 Kubota dealers within a 100 mile radius of my home.Have them demo a unit and bring it to your house to try out.I looked at Scag,gravely,ferris and a few others,but the Kubota seemed my best bet.Good luck on your choice.coobie

 

[jeffmazz]

koop,
Did you buy a machine yet??

 

[art]

koop,

If you're only cutting a few acres any Scag will probably out last you. Vertical vs. horizontal engine doesn't really make any difference. Belt drive vs. shaft drive is a matter of opinion. Belts are easy to change, they will dry rot before they wear out unless you're using the machine for commercial use. Liquid cooled engine is a nice feature because it extends engine life. Air cooled is nice because there are fewer componenets to fail...(radiator, water pump, hoses etc.). An air cooled Kawasaki engine used for residential use will most likely out last you.

Jeff

Just thought I'd add waht I've seen from the years here not to discount the statement of basic life of the mower. Horizontal crank cylinder engines last longer! Air cooled engines can't have torque rise and liquid engines do. A good engine built today not to get into brands and models but mind you I said good engine will often last 2500 hours plus on air cooled and add about a thousand to water cooled with proper service and good oil. More parts on liquid cooled, yes can they be a problem yes, but more then often not.

 

[jeffmazz]

Art,

I have heard mixed reviews on horizontal vs. vertical engine life. I know that years ago horizontal engines were preferred due to extended life over vertical engines. The newer V-twin engines with pressure lubrication, I believe, have significantly closed that gap. Most commercial mowers in the past almost always used horizontal engines due to their extended life span. Today you'll find more vertical engines being used in commercial equipment. This is not to say that todays horizontal design will not outlast todays vertical but is there a significant enough of a difference for concern?

 

[ducati996]

I personally like Wright Standers -

 

[koop]

koop,
Did you buy a machine yet??

Well it is a done deal. I am now the proud owner of a 61" Scag Turf Tiger with the 27 HP Kohler motor. It is a horizontal motor with all belts at the back and a mechanical drive to the deck. I had the dealer swap a suspension seat on to the machine to improve the operators comfort.

I have about four hours on the machine and I love it!!!

Thank you to everyone for your help and advice.

 

[art]

Art,

I have heard mixed reviews on horizontal vs. vertical engine life. I know that years ago horizontal engines were preferred due to extended life over vertical engines. The newer V-twin engines with pressure lubrication, I believe, have significantly closed that gap. Most commercial mowers in the past almost always used horizontal engines due to their extended life span. Today you'll find more vertical engines being used in commercial equipment. This is not to say that todays horizontal design will not outlast todays vertical but is there a significant enough of a difference for concern?

It really gets down to who put's the maximum hours on an engine to wear one out and the type of failures. The Stihl 041 saw design was considered one of the best, it was higher reving which enhanced cutting but for long life do you see any new saws coming out with the cylinder laying down? The design left the cylinder so the bottoms egged out after time which is the same as any lay down cylinder design. Just look at the saws in the store today and when working they have the cylinder in a near vertical position. The ideal would be straight up and down like an old six. The metals have improved drastically over time and it is a matter of economics as to rebuild or replace.

Interesting enough is another factor in this. We sure do change a lot more crank seals on vertical shaft vs the horizontal shaft cranks.

On the other side of manufacturing, to transmit the power from the engine to the drive using a lawn mower as an example what is most commomly used but a belt! Not to much in design and engineering costs here or to manufacture.

When thinking in terms of the lawn mower, how much maintence is to much to the owner before they make a change? Some have no tolorance for down time and they swap quite often, even when it might just be normal maintence. By that I mean we see a lot that are actually below two and three hundred hours traded.

 

[jeffmazz]

Congratulations koop,

That's quite a machine. I'm sure you'll be happy with your decision. Enjoy it!!

 

[alberto05]

hy i need help with my purchase i want to know more about Ferris is 1500 20 hp Kawasaki or gravely compact -pro 44 at now is 1,420.50 difference on prices gravely is 7,849.48 and Ferris is 6,314.92 that's the total price on this equipment.please let me know what is the best choice thanks.