Ferris IS2000Z Reviews
Owned 14 Years And Time To Review An Excellent Machine
Model Year: 0
This review is for model ZT2352T. I selected IS2000Z as it is the closest match. Ever see a 14-year-old mower review? I bought this mower in 2003 for private use, my wife and I operated this mower to maintain a 5-acre lawn and also used it to maintain fence lines and 'condition' cut a 20-acre hay field every spring and fall. I also use this mower to chop cut hay before baling to make chicken coop bedding/litter. As of April 2017, the Kohler Command 23 has 712 hours, and has been well maintained with oil changes exceeding recommended periodic oil and oil filter changes. For mowing the hay field and chopping hay before baling, this mower easily outperforms my 25-horsepower diesel powered shaft driven mid-mower on my little John Deere 1025R. The Ferris is heavy duty. It has a rock solid fabricated deck with little shake and excellent float. The John Deere heavy stamped deck moves and shakes and has much less cutting torque than the Ferris mower. Other than routine maintenance such as belts, bearings, blades, and oil changes, I have never been surprised with expensive repairs. After 13 years, the engine developed its first oil leak that required pulling the engine and replacing the lower main seal. WOW! Ferris may cost a little more up front but the quality of the tractor and mower pays for itself in the long run no matter what engine is provided on the zero turn tractor. If it is quality you want, buy a Ferris! My Ferris built ZT2352T, originally sold by Simplicity, is finally being replaced with a new IS2100Z. The reason? Although the old mower still cuts like a new mower, 15 years ago the commercial mower did not have rear suspension. Now that I'm old and recently had spinal/ nerve surgery, I need the new all-wheel suspension for the smoother ride. If not for that I would continue using my old super fine. It runs and cuts as if it were new ZT2352T Ferris. Oh yeah, word to the wise, I have found that the manufacture blades are of harder steel, much better metallurgy than aftermarket blades like Oregon blades. If you want a blade that holds an edge buy OEM blades. If you like sharpening blades as a hobby, buy aftermarket soft steel blades. That's my 2 cents worth!
Pros: Heavy duty construction, excellent engineering, long lasting
Cons: Difficult to reach and change oil filter
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Model Year: 0
This review is for model ZT2352T. I selected IS2000Z as it is the closest match. Ever see a 14-year-old mower review? I bought this mower in 2003 for private use, my wife and I operated this mower to maintain a 5-acre lawn and also used it to maintain fence lines and 'condition' cut a 20-acre hay field every spring and fall. I also use this mower to chop cut hay before baling to make chicken coop bedding/litter. As of April 2017, the Kohler Command 23 has 712 hours, and has been well maintained with oil changes exceeding recommended periodic oil and oil filter changes. For mowing the hay field and chopping hay before baling, this mower easily outperforms my 25-horsepower diesel powered shaft driven mid-mower on my little John Deere 1025R. The Ferris is heavy duty. It has a rock solid fabricated deck with little shake and excellent float. The John Deere heavy stamped deck moves and shakes and has much less cutting torque than the Ferris mower. Other than routine maintenance such as belts, bearings, blades, and oil changes, I have never been surprised with expensive repairs. After 13 years, the engine developed its first oil leak that required pulling the engine and replacing the lower main seal. WOW! Ferris may cost a little more up front but the quality of the tractor and mower pays for itself in the long run no matter what engine is provided on the zero turn tractor. If it is quality you want, buy a Ferris! My Ferris built ZT2352T, originally sold by Simplicity, is finally being replaced with a new IS2100Z. The reason? Although the old mower still cuts like a new mower, 15 years ago the commercial mower did not have rear suspension. Now that I'm old and recently had spinal/ nerve surgery, I need the new all-wheel suspension for the smoother ride. If not for that I would continue using my old super fine. It runs and cuts as if it were new ZT2352T Ferris. Oh yeah, word to the wise, I have found that the manufacture blades are of harder steel, much better metallurgy than aftermarket blades like Oregon blades. If you want a blade that holds an edge buy OEM blades. If you like sharpening blades as a hobby, buy aftermarket soft steel blades. That's my 2 cents worth!
Pros: Heavy duty construction, excellent engineering, long lasting
Cons: Difficult to reach and change oil filter
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Worth The Money
Model Year: 2012
I've owned this Ferris for 4 years and it has exceeded my expectations. I initially thought the 26 horsepower Kawasaki might be under powered, but it is actually a very good combination of torque and fuel mileage. The IS2000 is worth the extra money over the IS1500 because of the dual fuel tanks alone. The only other ZTR I have used consistently was a Grasshopper and that was a very good product, but the suspension on the Ferris makes all the difference in the world. I am over 40 and that suspension is a back saver. It truly is remarkable and you have to do a back-to-back comparison to really appreciate it. Several of my neighbors said, "You don't need a mower with a suspension." Really? Motorcycles, ATV's, cars, etc., they all have full suspension components so why wouldn't you have it on a ZTR? If I had the money I would have bought the 72-inch diesel, but this is a good value at half the cost of the big boy. Unlike my tractor, the ZTR is very stable on steep hills and I frequently mow steep grades. You just need to be prudent and know the limitations of the machine, but it is much more confidence inspiring on hills than my tractor. In a perfect world, I would prefer about 15% more torque because that Bahai grass can grow really high in Texas. The only maintenance issue I've experienced is one broken deck belt at 90 hours. A piece of a Sweetgum tree got wedged between the belt and spindle. I narrowed my purchase down between the diesel Hustler and gas Ferris. The dealer had an older Hustler diesel at a great price, but the suspension on the Ferris won me over. Another nice feature is that the engine is enclosed in a very robust housing so if you happen to back into a rock, etc. the housing does its job. I don't care for the safety switch on the seat. It is very picky and if someone lighter is operating the mower it can temporarily kill the power when you hit a bump. I imagine I will get 10 more years out of this mower and would gladly purchase another Ferris product.
Pros: Dual fuel tanks, good gas mileage, good power
Cons: Bar used to lock mower deck in place to adjust height needs to be longe
Model Year: 2012
I've owned this Ferris for 4 years and it has exceeded my expectations. I initially thought the 26 horsepower Kawasaki might be under powered, but it is actually a very good combination of torque and fuel mileage. The IS2000 is worth the extra money over the IS1500 because of the dual fuel tanks alone. The only other ZTR I have used consistently was a Grasshopper and that was a very good product, but the suspension on the Ferris makes all the difference in the world. I am over 40 and that suspension is a back saver. It truly is remarkable and you have to do a back-to-back comparison to really appreciate it. Several of my neighbors said, "You don't need a mower with a suspension." Really? Motorcycles, ATV's, cars, etc., they all have full suspension components so why wouldn't you have it on a ZTR? If I had the money I would have bought the 72-inch diesel, but this is a good value at half the cost of the big boy. Unlike my tractor, the ZTR is very stable on steep hills and I frequently mow steep grades. You just need to be prudent and know the limitations of the machine, but it is much more confidence inspiring on hills than my tractor. In a perfect world, I would prefer about 15% more torque because that Bahai grass can grow really high in Texas. The only maintenance issue I've experienced is one broken deck belt at 90 hours. A piece of a Sweetgum tree got wedged between the belt and spindle. I narrowed my purchase down between the diesel Hustler and gas Ferris. The dealer had an older Hustler diesel at a great price, but the suspension on the Ferris won me over. Another nice feature is that the engine is enclosed in a very robust housing so if you happen to back into a rock, etc. the housing does its job. I don't care for the safety switch on the seat. It is very picky and if someone lighter is operating the mower it can temporarily kill the power when you hit a bump. I imagine I will get 10 more years out of this mower and would gladly purchase another Ferris product.
Pros: Dual fuel tanks, good gas mileage, good power
Cons: Bar used to lock mower deck in place to adjust height needs to be longe
Ferris IS2000Z 52/25
Model Year: 2010
Incredible Machine! What more can I say? Previous to this, I would spend easily 10 hours mowing all the "mow-able" ground around my home. The first weekend after purchasing the Ferris, after completing all of the mowing, the hour meter registered 3.3 hours. At least 50% of my ground is very bumpy to the point of real physical issues and would have remained that way, had I not had the beefy suspension that the Ferris boasts. Even then, I was a bit rattled. I have driven other non-suspension ZTRs and I know I would be in the chiropractor's office today! Still, I found myself having to slow down through quite a bit of the task. I believe I averaged around 4 mph on the bumpy stuff and close to 8 mph on the rest. I never pushed it to its limits while the blades were running. Some of that was simply getting used to the machine and the rest - I suppose I just cant convince myself that it is truly OK to mow at extreme speeds! The finish on the Ferris is impeccable. I find myself using the compressor and blowing it out after each jaunt into mowing paradise. My daughter told me yesterday that it "still looks new!" I took it as a complement. The pieces and parts are all very tough as befitting a commercial machine. I actually got it hung up on a large metal pipe which I discovered buried in the deeper grass on the edge of my driveway. This thing was 2" across and 20 feet long (half of which was buried in the dirt). Anyway, I got the front wheels over it before I noticed it. By this time, the pipe was past those wheels and popped up under the front of the frame between the wheels and the mower deck and was properly stuck! Being alone, I tried what I hope most guys would - get it off alone. Now this is a 1200lb machine and my 200lb self didn't quite convince it to move, so I climbed back on and started to rock the mower trying to get the pipe back down and under the wheels. After about 10 minutes I succeeded, but not before several winces as I watched this pipe lovingly caress various parts of my mowers anatomy. Embarrassed, I limped back home and hesitatingly got off to inspect the damage. Boy was I surprised - I found one small scratch! The rest was very minor and rubbed off. Anyway, I have put this thing through its paces. I try to clear up any place before mowing to ensure I am not mulching sticks, rocks, golf balls, etc., but there are always a few which escape my notice. I have hit stuff, but so far the blades are in great shape - I check after each mow. I have not yet had to add oil, but check again before each mow. I plan to change it out at 10 hours - may be next spring at this point. Other factors: -The 25hp Kawasaki V-Twin is smooth and easy starting. -The deck is easy to set and move as needed - although I have set it to 3.5" and haven't changed it yet except for transporting. -It will go through deep grass (wet or dry) or a large pile of leaves (kindly left by my youngest) as easily as it takes on a normal mow. Now, this is my first ZTR experience and certainly my first of a commercial caliber, but I feel that this is my final mower. I plan on willing it to my kids when I die - and they'd better take care of it! The only mark I gave below 5 was on my dealer experience. I like the guy I dealt with, but because I got them to drop the price a bit, I feel like I was treated like a 2nd (or 3rd) class customer. I believe it was the owner instructing the sales guy rather than the sales guy himself, but I felt that was unwarranted.
Pros: Pretty much everything.
Cons: I will let you know if I find it.
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Model Year: 2010
Incredible Machine! What more can I say? Previous to this, I would spend easily 10 hours mowing all the "mow-able" ground around my home. The first weekend after purchasing the Ferris, after completing all of the mowing, the hour meter registered 3.3 hours. At least 50% of my ground is very bumpy to the point of real physical issues and would have remained that way, had I not had the beefy suspension that the Ferris boasts. Even then, I was a bit rattled. I have driven other non-suspension ZTRs and I know I would be in the chiropractor's office today! Still, I found myself having to slow down through quite a bit of the task. I believe I averaged around 4 mph on the bumpy stuff and close to 8 mph on the rest. I never pushed it to its limits while the blades were running. Some of that was simply getting used to the machine and the rest - I suppose I just cant convince myself that it is truly OK to mow at extreme speeds! The finish on the Ferris is impeccable. I find myself using the compressor and blowing it out after each jaunt into mowing paradise. My daughter told me yesterday that it "still looks new!" I took it as a complement. The pieces and parts are all very tough as befitting a commercial machine. I actually got it hung up on a large metal pipe which I discovered buried in the deeper grass on the edge of my driveway. This thing was 2" across and 20 feet long (half of which was buried in the dirt). Anyway, I got the front wheels over it before I noticed it. By this time, the pipe was past those wheels and popped up under the front of the frame between the wheels and the mower deck and was properly stuck! Being alone, I tried what I hope most guys would - get it off alone. Now this is a 1200lb machine and my 200lb self didn't quite convince it to move, so I climbed back on and started to rock the mower trying to get the pipe back down and under the wheels. After about 10 minutes I succeeded, but not before several winces as I watched this pipe lovingly caress various parts of my mowers anatomy. Embarrassed, I limped back home and hesitatingly got off to inspect the damage. Boy was I surprised - I found one small scratch! The rest was very minor and rubbed off. Anyway, I have put this thing through its paces. I try to clear up any place before mowing to ensure I am not mulching sticks, rocks, golf balls, etc., but there are always a few which escape my notice. I have hit stuff, but so far the blades are in great shape - I check after each mow. I have not yet had to add oil, but check again before each mow. I plan to change it out at 10 hours - may be next spring at this point. Other factors: -The 25hp Kawasaki V-Twin is smooth and easy starting. -The deck is easy to set and move as needed - although I have set it to 3.5" and haven't changed it yet except for transporting. -It will go through deep grass (wet or dry) or a large pile of leaves (kindly left by my youngest) as easily as it takes on a normal mow. Now, this is my first ZTR experience and certainly my first of a commercial caliber, but I feel that this is my final mower. I plan on willing it to my kids when I die - and they'd better take care of it! The only mark I gave below 5 was on my dealer experience. I like the guy I dealt with, but because I got them to drop the price a bit, I feel like I was treated like a 2nd (or 3rd) class customer. I believe it was the owner instructing the sales guy rather than the sales guy himself, but I felt that was unwarranted.
Pros: Pretty much everything.
Cons: I will let you know if I find it.
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