Ferris Diesel Mowers

[ToolcatWonka5610]

We've been eyeing the Ferris IS4500Z; 28hp CAT Diesel 61" Mower and the IS5100Z; 33.5 CAT Diesel 72" Mower to replace our existing Zero Turn Mowers.

Anyone have any experience with these Mowers?

 

[Diamondpilot]

Not with the diesels but my neighbor mows for a living and swears by Ferris. He also swears by Kawasaki. He now runs 3100 series 72" cut with the 37HP Kawasaki. This is his 3rd set of Ferris mowers, all with Kawasaki power, and they have all been good units. I do all the maintenance and that is very little. Just sharpen the blades and change the oil. He crunched the numbers for a long time and just could not make the diesel work on paper because of the initial cost.

Unless you are set on the 5100 series take a look at the 3100. Its a lot of mower for the money with the 72" deck and that 37HP Kaw is a torque monster that will handle most anything.

Chris

 

[ToolcatWonka5610]

Not with the diesels but my neighbor mows for a living and swears by Ferris. He also swears by Kawasaki. He now runs 3100 series 72" cut with the 37HP Kawasaki. This is his 3rd set of Ferris mowers, all with Kawasaki power, and they have all been good units. I do all the maintenance and that is very little. Just sharpen the blades and change the oil. He crunched the numbers for a long time and just could not make the diesel work on paper because of the initial cost.

Unless you are set on the 5100 series take a look at the 3100. Its a lot of mower for the money with the 72" deck and that 37HP Kaw is a torque monster that will handle most anything.

Chris

Thanks.
Me and my Dad are Diesel people. We've had Gasoline machines before and they just didn't cut it. We are now completely Diesel except for the Zero Turn Mowers we still have. The only time we'll take Gasoline engines; if it's Fuel Injected. But Diesel is the way to go for us. It is more expensive but when you get right down to it Diesels are well worth it. EFI Gas is ok, too.
Smoother running, More Power, Less Fuel usage, longer life.

 

[framer]

Test drove a gas ferris very noisy controls jerky.Tested kubota zd 26 diesel.
quieter very smooth controls.Bought it oh it was cheaper to.

 

[ray66v]

Thanks.
Me and my Dad are Diesel people..... It is more expensive but when you get right down to it Diesels are well worth it.

I would argue that in the end, if you cut a lot of grass, the extra cost of the diesel engine is paid back in fuel savings. (Don't forget you can also easily avoid paying road tax on diesel fuel).

I was a long time diesel hater. I found out the hard way, on a tractor, or mower, it is the only way to go.

 

[MessickFarmEqu]

I sell both Ferris and Kubota. I'd own a Kubota.

 

[ray66v]

I sell both Ferris and Kubota. I'd own a Kubota.

I would have thought the suspension system would trump any short comings the Ferris has against the Kubota?

 

[art]

Driven both, demo'd both, Kubota sells! Things people have stated, the seat is better on the Kubota, The deck cuts better, easier to service, Like hydraulic lift, quieter. to name a few.

 

[Dargo]

I had a Ferris IS1500 (I think that was the model) and I thought it was a really great mower. Most of the commercial mid mount mowers seem to be built tough. They are actually built tougher than I am because they absolutely beat the living snot out of me because when I mow, I mow fast so I can get it done. The Ferris definitely rode better than any other of the mid mount mowers I've had or used. My issue was that mid mount mowers leave larger areas uncut on inside corners, can't get under pine trees or reach out over the edge of my lake to keep me from having to use a weedeater any. After I put the Ferris in the lake for the 3rd time I realized that it just wouldn't work for me.

No mid mount mower rides as well as front mount mowers. Even without suspension, my front mount Grasshoppers ride better than the Ferris. However, you cannot get as many front mount mowers on a trailer as you can mid mount mowers and front mount mowers cost more since you literally have a self contained machine with a detachable mower deck out front. If I was to ever buy another mid mount mower, it would be a Ferris.

On a side note, I had two mowers that were identical except one was diesel and the other was gas powered. Both had 3 cylinder Kubota engines but one was gas and the other was diesel. Each machine had the same sized decks and within 1 hp of each other. I could mow the 10 acres around my house twice and have a little bit of fuel left in the 8 gallon tank with the diesel. I'd run out of fuel with the gas powered unit before I could finish mowing once with the same sized 8 gallon tank. So, based on my experience, the diesel mower gets just over twice the economy as a similar power gasoline engine.

 

[ToolcatWonka5610]

Test drove a gas ferris very noisy controls jerky.Tested kubota zd 26 diesel.
quieter very smooth controls.Bought it oh it was cheaper to.

Last Summer at Mid State Equipment, Fenton Mchigan (They sell John Deere and Ferris), I tested out a IS2000Z or something like that and my uncle tried the IS5100Z with the 33.5 hp CAT Diesel. The IS2000Z was loud and the control were jerky and hard to move. Then my uncle let me drive the IS5100Z and man that thing was sooo smooth. The Controls were easy to use and it was very quiet. I also could not believe the size of that thing! It was a monster!

Also, if anybody out there is looking for a really quiet machine, I've learned that 3 cyclinder Liquid Cooled Gas engines are very quiet. I checked out a Ventrac 2 months ago with a 31hp B&S 3cyl Liquid Cooled Gas engine. I could not believe how quiet it was! I could clearly talk to my uncle standing at the front of the tractor (I was at the side near the operator) The Grasshopper 729 with the 29hp Kubota 3cyl Liquid Cooled Gas is also really quiet. Their quiet, but still really powerful.