So the search begins . . . for a new ZTR

[Gary Fowler]

That looks like they stole the seat off my Kubota B26 and put on the Ferris mower.

 

[Poopdeck Pappy]

I mow a couple of miles of trails, around 150 newly planted trees and about 2 acres of lawn, all except the lawn is pretty bumpy. If your mowing area is pretty flat I don't know if you would see tons of difference between the Ferris and others with some sort of suspension. Where I did notice a difference was in the rough areas the Ferris was noticeably better.

I tried out a Super Z on my property and it was a little bit faster and the ride really wasn't that different in the smoother parts of the lawn. But there was a marked improvement in the ride with the Ferris in the rough areas. I did also purchase the upgraded suspension seat so it made it even nicer.

My dealer took the Ferris in on trade with 103 hours because the previous owner wanted a 72" deck. I really wasn't looking to go with the 3100 but it was one of those deals I couldn't pass up.

It does drink the petrol though. I guess that's why it has two tanks!

Good luck in your search!

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View attachment 379397

That is a fine looking ride you've got there. I'm jealous.

 

[Carl_NH]

Pappy,

Just a short follow up note on fuel consumption -I have the Kawasaki 25HP FH721 w/52" deck on the IS2000 and I just ran 4.5 hours and used a bit less than 4.5 Gallons - so it's pretty efficient almost a gallon an hour - I have 140 hours on it now and run mobil 1 in the engine since 50 hours.

 

[Poopdeck Pappy]

Carl, that is great fuel economy. That's just a little bit more than the Kubota diesels use. Most reports I've seen from people using the Kubota diesels in their mowers indicate about .6gph.

 

[OKnewguy]

I am a little late to this discussion, but thought I could help out some. I have a Grasshopper 720 and my brother has a 721d. I have some neigbors that have various Ferris mowers. I have test driven their mowers and in my opinion my Grasshopper is actually a better ride then their Ferris's. One of the Ferris mowers has suspension on the front and the other on all 4 tires. I do have a Michigan suspension seat on my mower. The seat helps, but half of what makes the front mount mowers smoother is the stretched wheelbase. I used to have a Gravely ZTR (sorry I can't remember the model) and it was scarry on the hills I have, but this Grasshopper is incredible! I had a Bolens lawn tractor when I first moved here and this front mount will even out do a lawn tractor on the hills.
Good luck, Dave

 

[Poopdeck Pappy]

You're not late to the discussion at all, Dave. I looked at and drove a 721d recently. I liked it a lot, but I decided to pass on it because it had the older Gemini transmission and didn't have the powerfold deck. And the hour meter was broken, and the owner hadn't had it very long, so he didn't know how many hours were on it and didn't know much about the service history on it.

A big part of going front-mount vs. mid-mount for me would be the ability to flip up the deck for blade changes and cleaning, so I passed on it.

 

[EddieWalker]

After looking at a variety of different machines and visiting dealerships, I went with Scag for a variety of reasons. The water cooled Kawasaki engine, the way it's built compared to others and most importantly, dealer support. Once you decide on a price range, they are all pretty similar and the most important factor is buying from a place that you can get parts from. The two best dealers that I came across where Scag and Kubota. It was a challenge to decide who was better, but in the end, I felt the Scag was a heavier duty machine.

I mow around my pond, my fence lines, two houses and along the front road. The angle along the road was too steep for me to mow with my riding mower or on my tractor. But the zero turn just hugs the ground and it's not even a challenge. What I was afraid to do in two other types of mower is nothing with this one. For no other reason, I think the zero turn is the best thing out there for mowing steep inclines!!!!

I have the standard turf tires on mine and when making quick turns, they tear up the grass. More aggressive tires would cause even more damage. If the grass is dry, they stick to it wit lots of traction. If it's wet out, or I come across a wet spot, they loose traction quickly and if the tires fill up with mud, it's useless. Of course I don't feel I should be mowing in those conditions, so it's either a small patch that I sort of float through quickly, or I just don't mow. If I had more aggressive tire, I could probably mow during wet conditions, but I think the damage to the grass would be significant, which I don't want.

Eddie

 

[Poopdeck Pappy]

Eddie, which Scag model did you buy? And how is the ride quality?

If I was going with Scag, I'd probably choose the Cheetah for the suspension because my ground is so rough.

 

[Creamer]

I have the standard turf tires on mine and when making quick turns, they tear up the grass. More aggressive tires would cause even more damage. If the grass is dry, they stick to it wit lots of traction. If it's wet out, or I come across a wet spot, they loose traction quickly and if the tires fill up with mud, it's useless. Of course I don't feel I should be mowing in those conditions, so it's either a small patch that I sort of float through quickly, or I just don't mow. If I had more aggressive tire, I could probably mow during wet conditions, but I think the damage to the grass would be significant, which I don't want.

if you are getting damage from turns with turf tires it is because you are turning wrong. It does not matter what tire you have, if you pivot on a stopped tire it will do turf damage. Keep in mind you can have one tire going backwards and the other forward but as long as neither is stopped you should not do any significant damage with turf tires. I almost never see any significant damage with v-treads but once in a while I get a little careless and see a spot. Smooth starts also help to minimize damage. I believe I get less damage with v treads because they do not slip as much on some of the angled surfaces I mow on.

 

[EddieWalker]

Eddie, which Scag model did you buy? And how is the ride quality?

If I was going with Scag, I'd probably choose the Cheetah for the suspension because my ground is so rough.

I have the Wildcat with the 61 inch deck. The seat was probably the most comfortable one I sat in when out shopping for them, but it does not have a suspension of any kind. If you go too fast, it will beat you up is the rough areas.

Eddie