Compared to the slow front mow JD F510 I save about 10 minutes on my <2 acers with the newer JD Z320m which is a 6 " wider deck too. Fell out of it picking up a branch leaning down hill..... Kind of hard to get into and out of too for an old guy with bad knees.
Zero turn experiences?
- Thread starter 92saturnsl2
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My IS700 has the 810cc Commercial Turf engine. I know lots of folks only consider the Vanguard engine to be a commercial engine and the commercial turf to be a "prosumer" engine, but it hasn't missed a beat in the 10 years that I have been running it.
My ariens is on its 4th deck.
Regarding the “bucket of bolts” deck rattle sound - 2 of my deck installs have resulted in a silent experience, while 2 have been exactly as you describe. I suspect a harmonic vibration set off by some minor imbalance. Might try rotating one of the blades 90 degrees while keeping the other still, just as a thought.
I have only changed my blades once, so a blade balance idea doesn’t really track on mine.
Regarding the “bucket of bolts” deck rattle sound - 2 of my deck installs have resulted in a silent experience, while 2 have been exactly as you describe. I suspect a harmonic vibration set off by some minor imbalance. Might try rotating one of the blades 90 degrees while keeping the other still, just as a thought.
I have only changed my blades once, so a blade balance idea doesn’t really track on mine.
Do the commercial guys really prefer the Briggs, or do they have the Briggs because that's whats on the mower? How many zero turns are manufactured by Briggs today? I think most pros prefer the Kawasaki engines. I have no proof, just my opinion.
Brigg and Stratton manufacturers Ferris and Stihl commercial zero turns.
Mine's a 2017 and doesn't use a drop of oil. No problems.
They just bought them.
Just bought who?
Ferris has been part of Briggs and Stratton for a long time.
The Stihl zero turns are nothing more than a Ferris mower with a different paint scheme.
That was 2004 when B&S bought the Simplicity group.
Are you sure about that? I just meant they don't make them, just bought the company. Rumor was they wanted that ICD patented deck and were going to close down Ferris after a year when the patent went off. I think it's a good thing they didn't.
The brands with the largest commercial mower presence in my area are Exmark and Scag, with Ferris and Bobcat behind them. Stihl is practically zero, I've seen a few owned by homeowners. The favored engines are Kawasaki and Kohler Command Pro with a Honda GXV or Briggs Vanguard sprinkled in between.
Commercial ownership is usually a regional thing. The presence of servicing dealers have a lot to do with what brands are seen. Exmark, Scag, and Gravely are the most prevalent in my area. Ferris and Stihl are pretty rare. The dealer closest to me carries Exmark, Hustler, and Stihl. Exmark is his biggest seller. John Deere has two dealers close by however, they are not as prevalent. The local Gravely dealer also sells Toro. However, I don’t see many Toros.
We have a pretty big variety of dealers in my state. I'm speaking about commercial landscape company mowers. There are quite a few John Deere, Toro, Gravely/Ariens, Cub Cadet and other brands owned by homeowners.
Agreed. Here in town the dealer is a Snapper dealer and I see several folks using them. Also Exmark and a couple of Ferris. Getting away from town, Exmark, Ferris and Deere as we have several Deere dealers in the area.
Well I highly doubt this thing is 16’ wide LOL.
DIMENSIONS
- Weight (Assembled): 847 lb. / 384.1 kg
- Length: 79 in. / 200.7 cm
- Width (Chute Up): 63.7 in. / 161.8 cm
- Width (Chute Down): 190 in. / 482.6 cm
Personally, I wouldn’t buy anything powered by a Briggs and Stratton engine. You will have a difficult time sourcing OEM parts for the engine. For that matter, I wouldn’t own anything made by the current Briggs and Stratton.
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I’m also talking about commercial.
There are only 3 or 4 major manufacturers (or corporations) that sell commercial or prosumer mowing equipment, so I've seen most of them here being used by the commercial outfits. Not many Ferris, but Exmark, Gravely, Bad Boy I see most often. The Bad Boy mowers I saw at the local Rural King for $5,500 made me happy I upped my budget a good bit.
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