Are Ferris zero-turn mowers really smoother?

[solid30]

If you are after a smooth ride the Ferris is good, but the suspension can actually work against you when moving fast over bumps. It makes it bounce too much and the smoothness of the cut is compromised. My friend has a landscaping business and was using Ferris and Bobcat zero turns. Both were good units with very little maintenance needed. I bought an Exmark after a very thorough search over a full year. When he tried mine and saw the quality of the cut, he was so impressed he now has swithched to Exmark also. He claims they also are the fastest cutting zero turn, which in his world means more money. I run mine slower, as I'm in no hurry. All I can say is, go for a quality machine which gives great reliabilty, a great cut, and has parts readily available. If you're looking for a better ride, go for the optional suspension seat. All those suspension parts will wear out eventually and it makes the machine more difficult to level. Keep it simple.

I just purchased a 2014 ferris 600 48 with Briggs commercial engine, worth every penny. Super smooth ride and cuts great at any speed and on rough ground also. Don't believe I will ever own anything else. Best salesman I have ever met that sold me this ferris.

 

[dieselscout80]

I just purchased a 2014 ferris 600 48 with Briggs commercial engine, worth every penny. Super smooth ride and cuts great at any speed and on rough ground also. Don't believe I will ever own anything else. Best salesman I have ever met that sold me this ferris.

Is this for personal use and how big of a yard are you cutting? I'm looking for a mower for our place cutting plus 3 acres.

 

[solid30]

Yes for personal use and i mow 1.6 acres which is quite bumpy and rough even though i roll every spring. Just purchased the unit and the great thing is ferris just came out with new models and they put a better engine on the 600 model and lowered their price by 1100 bucks.

 

[Gary Fowler]

I bought a new Ferris IS 700 Z with 52" deck and 23 HP Kawasaki engine. I love it for ride quality and speed of cut. It is heavy (850 #) so the wheels do mash down the grass a bit but it has large tires so they do compensate for the ground pressure. It is so much smoother than my Craftsman 6000 ZTR that there is really no comparison to comfort. I have some quite steep hills (22 degrees) which it climbs readily but being as wide as it is, I do have a problem with scalping the low side when mowing sideways on these hills or when I top them when mowing up and down if I go much below 3.5" cutting height. I mow about 6 acres with about 3 of it only mown every other time or every third time as it isn't in the sprinkler zone so it grows pretty slow and it is former pasture which I haven't done much to in the way of filling in the cow tracts. The Ferris will just fly over small bumps so you hardly feel them. I have some sprinkler water line ditches and pot holes that I plan to fill in in the winter when the grass dies so I can find and hitting one of these at 9 MPH will usually pop the front wheels in the air but still isn't a real spine cracking jolt like my Craftsman. With new blades, I find that the mower cuts fine at any speed, other than the scalping. I like the deck adjustment that you raise and lower with your foot and pin in place rather than the electric motor on my Craftsman and it has a much wider range of height adjustment than most mowers I have seen. It is very fuel efficient, I can mow my 6 acres on 3/4 tank of fuel (4.5 gallons total capacity) and the manual choke lets me start the engine without over-revving like the Craftsman that you have to apply past full throttle for choke.

The cons: I do wish that the anti-scalping wheels were adjustable as I think it would help prevent some of the scalping. If it had a center roller in the rear it might also help with the scalping.

 

[solid30]

I unlike you dont have too many spots with scalping issues. I have heard frequently the kawasaki engine is top of the line. I was worried a bit about briggs and stratton, but was comfortable too find out the new models have a better engine and it comes with a 3 year warranty, they also have a supposedly better cyclonic air filtration system, which is apparently better for the engine life with just plain and simple cleaner filtered air to the engine. The unit rides phenomanally better than my gravely and cuts so much better too. When you sit up in the seat if feels like your sitting on a heavy piece of equipement that cannot wait to kick some ***. Mowing is no longer a chore and i dont feel like i just got in a fight with a marine when im done. The sound of the engine/mower is a bit quieter than my gravely and im not bashing gravely by any means. Gravely makes a nice mower and the kohler engines they put on some of their smaller units are nice too. The main reason i bought the ferris is for the suspension, but ive added a bigger smile to my face since it cuts great too and what adds to others too is i dont believe i need a mulch kit either. The deck is designed to cut and discharge clippings and anything else out far and wide and it does. I live with (6) 80' oak , maples, walnuts, apples, pear and a buckeye tree. So you can imagine the leaves, nuts and sticks in my yard come fall. I had to have a mulch kit on the gravely, but not with the ferris. The ferris just chops and blows everything to pieces. This mower is worth the money if you can afford it. Ive also driven a turf tiger, toro, troy bilt, craftsmen and gravely and none can touch the ferris. Period.

 

[scubafc]

I just purchased a 2016 Ferris IS2100Z with a 61" deck. I am not at all impressed with the ride. Had I known I would never have spent the money I did on this mower. It does not live up to the hype at all in my opinion and on my yard. There is absolutely no flex flex in the front shocks when going over rough spots and bumps. Yes, the shocks are adjusted for the lightest pre-load. It is fast - no doubt about that. You can get an equal ride from a Toro or Simplicity (made in the same factory as Ferris) at half the price.

 

[Poopdeck Pappy]

Then you need to take yours back to the dealer so they can figure out what is wrong with it. I'd driven the IS2100z and the IS3100Z and the ride is many orders of magnitude better than a typical mid-mount zero turn mower.

 

[travlitt]

I unlike you dont have too many spots with scalping issues. I have heard frequently the kawasaki engine is top of the line. I was worried a bit about briggs and stratton, but was comfortable too find out the new models have a better engine and it comes with a 3 year warranty, they also have a supposedly better cyclonic air filtration system, which is apparently better for the engine life with just plain and simple cleaner filtered air to the engine. The unit rides phenomanally better than my gravely and cuts so much better too. When you sit up in the seat if feels like your sitting on a heavy piece of equipement that cannot wait to kick some ***. Mowing is no longer a chore and i dont feel like i just got in a fight with a marine when im done. The sound of the engine/mower is a bit quieter than my gravely and im not bashing gravely by any means. Gravely makes a nice mower and the kohler engines they put on some of their smaller units are nice too. The main reason i bought the ferris is for the suspension, but ive added a bigger smile to my face since it cuts great too and what adds to others too is i dont believe i need a mulch kit either. The deck is designed to cut and discharge clippings and anything else out far and wide and it does. I live with (6) 80' oak , maples, walnuts, apples, pear and a buckeye tree. So you can imagine the leaves, nuts and sticks in my yard come fall. I had to have a mulch kit on the gravely, but not with the ferris. The ferris just chops and blows everything to pieces. This mower is worth the money if you can afford it. Ive also driven a turf tiger, toro, troy bilt, craftsmen and gravely and none can touch the ferris. Period.

The only problem I have ever had with my 61" Turf Tiger was when I ran over a Ferris and bent 1 of the blades.

 

[4570Man]

How does the fuel economy of these fuel injected gas mowers compare to a carbureted motor? A mower shop tells me they will beat a diesel. I know how much gas my Dixie chopper drinks per hour compared to my Kubota diesel and I don't believe it.

 

[Poopdeck Pappy]

I'm not sure if they'll beat a diesel on fuel economy, but they'll be close. By all accounts, the fuel injected motors are showing anywhere from 1/2 to 3/4 of a gallon per hour fuel savings over a similar displacement carbureted motor.

I've got a Grasshopper front mount mower with the Vanguard 29hp carbureted engine, which I like a lot. Seems like it uses about 1.5 gallons per hour, but I haven't measured it carefully. I don't care much about the fuel usage as I don't use enough to worry about it.

 

[dbarufaldi]

I just purchased a 2016 Ferris IS2100Z with a 61" deck. I am not at all impressed with the ride. Had I known I would never have spent the money I did on this mower. It does not live up to the hype at all in my opinion and on my yard. There is absolutely no flex flex in the front shocks when going over rough spots and bumps. Yes, the shocks are adjusted for the lightest pre-load. It is fast - no doubt about that. You can get an equal ride from a Toro or Simplicity (made in the same factory as Ferris) at half the price.

Any interest in selling? I am east of Albany, NY

 

[labhaven]

I have an Ferris is1500z with a 21hp Kawi. Bought it new, forget what year, but have about 375 hours on it. Absolutely love it. I mow a couple acres of bumpy lawn with it. You can see the shocks flexing as you go over bumps. Sometimes I decide to hop on the regular rider so I can steer and hold onto a frosty beverage at the same time. Its amazing how much longer it takes and how much more I get bounced around.

 

[Mrspock]

When my John Deere Z-Trak lost the right pump and a wheel-motor simultaneaously (3 months beyond the warranty period), I decided to trade up. At first I brought home a Ferris IS1500Z. I liked the precise steering, smooth handling and high cut-speed. It was way better than the Z-Trak. Unfortunately, after only 25 hours the B&S Intek motor froze-up. While it was back in the dealership, I did some research and decided I did not want to own a B&S Intek V-twin. I had to resort to lemon laws to get them to hold their claim while I exchanged e-mails with the mothership. Meanwhile my grass grew and I was inspired by my neighbor to "rent" his Exmark Lazer a couple of times. He's a professional landscaper and swears by them. I really liked the Exmark. I will admit it was a little rougher in the ride but everything about it screamed quality. I was determined to buy one, but alas the sticker shock (over 10k) sent me packing. Meanwhile the talking heads at Ferris decided to make a counter offer. There was a demo IS2000Z with a Kawasaki motor, that I could upgrade to for just an additional $1500. I asked if I could mow my 2 1/2 acre lawn with it before I decided and they agreed. I remember my thought at the time was it's ride was even better than the IS1500Z, but cut quality, and overall form & fit-up, were not as good as the Lazer. I decided to buy it. That was 6 years ago. I just turned it over to 1000 hours yesterday. The only problems have been one starter solenoid and one electric clutch. I have mowed for money a few times with it, and towed carts of hay and firewood from the fields with it. I even entered it in a mower race during a neighborhood picnic (took second). I would say its been a good value, and yes, it rides a little smoother than most.

 

[MinnesotaEric]

I need to make a video of my is2100 and air seat. It is sort of like like riding a short-travel UTV that mows. Very comfortable.

Downside? Heavy. So heavy that it struggles on 13% grades to hold a line.

 

[4570Man]

The IS2100Z I mowed with rode much smoother than my Dixie chopper or any other mower I have. I was thoroughly impressed. Even my Dad who has always hated a ZTR because of how rough it rode ( I think he might just be jealous because of how much faster I can mow ) was sold on the ferris. Put a suspension seat on on one and you'd have the smoothest ride in town.

 

[scubafc]

I need to make a video of my is2100 and air seat. It is sort of like like riding a short-travel UTV that mows. Very comfortable.

Downside? Heavy. So heavy that it struggles on 13% grades to hold a line.

Please do and post it. What air seat do you have? Cost? Thanks.

 

[coolnick73]

I'm in the market and am looking at the Ferris IS2100z. Is there really and difference between the Ferris and the Simplicity Cobalt? They are both owned by B&S. I think the Simplicity only comes with the Vanguard where you can get a Vanguard or a Kawasaki in the Ferris, but other than that, they look identical other than the paint job.

 

[scubafc]

I'm in the market and am looking at the Ferris IS2100z. Is there really and difference between the Ferris and the Simplicity Cobalt? They are both owned by B&S. I think the Simplicity only comes with the Vanguard where you can get a Vanguard or a Kawasaki in the Ferris, but other than that, they look identical other than the paint job.

Looks the same to me. I believe they are assemble in the same factory in upstate NY.

 

[hawkeye08]

The only way to tell how it is for you is to try the mowers you are interested in on the same lawn. I have the IS700Z Ferris and it is smoother than the box store rider we had for almost 20 years. I enjoy mowing more now for sure. If I had the money, I might have gotten the IS2100Z, which takes the front suspension to the next level (my 700 has a simple setup, the 2100 is more complex, but appears to have a even better suspension). I would have loved to be able to have the mowers I was looking at delivered to my house for a comparison mow, but that did not happen.. I have the B&S commercial turf engine and so far it seems fine.

If your lawn is smooth or nearly so, you might not ever notice a difference in mowers with suspension and those without.

 

[Gary Fowler]

I need to make a video of my is2100 and air seat. It is sort of like like riding a short-travel UTV that mows. Very comfortable.

Downside? Heavy. So heavy that it struggles on 13% grades to hold a line.

That is bit weird. I can mow a 30 Degree side slope with mine (IS700Z) with no problem other than trying to stay in the seat.