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Ferris IS700 Mower-Not Worth the Money

#1

G

geehaw

Poor cutting deck!! (I tried to post this exact info on the Ferris Factory site and it was turned down as containing inappropriate language)
I purchased this mower in March, 2017 and I had run it for 27 hours and have had the deck belt come off two times. The second time I researched the problem and found that this has been a problem for several years and Ferris was still building this mower with the same problem. This time my dealer replaced all the pulleys with different ones from the manufacturer, all under warranty. Why would Ferris continue to put out mowers with this problem after that became aware that there was a problem? And why not recall this mower for modification before it breaks down? This to me shows that Ferris will put out a product that has a defect even though they are aware of the problem. In my case I am out of $140 that I had to pay to have my lawn cut while my $6000 mower was in the shop waiting for parts from Ferris.

Save your money!!


#2

J

Jeanine.

Check out my post on the defect in the front suspension system. Customer service told us that we were experiencing "very unusual" issues with the wheels busting off. But they gave the dealer a much different story. Apparently, they are aware of a defect in the hubs and the tires but Ferris is not taking proactive steps to correct these safety issues.


#3

G

geehaw

Thanks for the tip on the front wheels. I will question the dealer on this when I see him. I know him personally and it will be interesting to see what he has to say.


#4

G

greenguy

Sometime late last summer, the belt jumped off my new IS2100Z. I assumed a stick or something contributed to this. Put belt back on and continued to mow. Fast forward to this summer, cleaning deck after mowing, noticed a cut in the belt, removed belt, also found large chunk missing. Called dealer,said belts are a normal wear item!!!!! It has 132 hrs., my John Deere X720SE has over 600hrs. w/ no belt issues! Contacted the warranty guy @ the dealer, said it looks like rodents chewed the belt(there are no teeth marks and it is kept in my garage). Contacted Ferris via email, no response. The problem is, when mowing fast(that is what they are designed to do), objects get thrown onto the deck and into the belt. I didn't design it or build it, so who is responsible????


#5

G

geehaw

My guess-based on my experience with Ferris-is that they will not stand behind their product. Notice in my first post they would not, after several amendments of wording by me, post my review on their website. The factory knows fully their problems but turns a blind eye. Having a personal relationship with my dealer has been a great help to me, but I would not buy Ferris again.


#6

Y

yvesbigras

Worst unit I have ever owned and worst customer service and warranty I have experienced and its not even close. Brand new 2022 bought last year. I put 14 hours on it stored it in my heated garage over winter, and transaxle failed on it in the spring on first start up. 6 weeks later its still in the shop as apparently they are having an issue sourcing the part needed. Do yourself a favor buy a Deere or a Kubota


#7

Hammermechanicman

Hammermechanicman

You do realize Ferris is owned by Briggs & Stratton!

I have a 10 year old IS3100Z with the 36hp engine. It has been a great mower with very few problems.


#8

Y

yvesbigras

I do realize that, which makes it all the more deplorable. Perhaps Briggs and Stratton values it's US business, but they got rid of every single one of the market reps in Canada last year, ( I know as I tried to contact them) so now you're left with the dealer. The minute this POS gets out of the shop I'm bringing it to my local Kubota and Deere dealer and the one that gives the most for it on a trade is where it's going. If you're a manufacturer and your 6 weeks out on a part that brings your machine down, you should get out of the business as you're embarrassing yourself, you buy a lawnmower to cut the grass, now to plow snow, taking 6 weeks to fix anything is lunacy.


#9

S

slomo

I do realize that, which makes it all the more deplorable. Perhaps Briggs and Stratton values it's US business, but they got rid of every single one of the market reps in Canada last year, ( I know as I tried to contact them) so now you're left with the dealer. The minute this POS gets out of the shop I'm bringing it to my local Kubota and Deere dealer and the one that gives the most for it on a trade is where it's going. If you're a manufacturer and your 6 weeks out on a part that brings your machine down, you should get out of the business as you're embarrassing yourself, you buy a lawnmower to cut the grass, now to plow snow, taking 6 weeks to fix anything is lunacy.
If your mower didn't have any issues you would be praising it every day. But come on here and whine about most of your issues being operator contributed. A mower, sitting in a heated garage, does not have any issues. UNTIL someone climbs on board and starts to mow.

Yes belts are wear items. Pulleys are wear items. Bearings are wear items. And this 7 year old post is wearing me out.

Fix your mower and move on with life. Should be easy to do with 7 years of parts upgrades now.

Same old guns kill people and lets outlaw all guns. No it's the human idiots BEHIND the guns doing the killing. Guns have ZERO to do with any killing. Think about it.


#10

Y

yvesbigras

If your mower didn't have any issues you would be praising it every day. But come on here and whine about most of your issues being operator contributed. A mower, sitting in a heated garage, does not have any issues. UNTIL someone climbs on board and starts to mow.

Yes belts are wear items. Pulleys are wear items. Bearings are wear items. And this 7 year old post is wearing me out.

Fix your mower and move on with life. Should be easy to do with 7 years of parts upgrades now.

Same old guns kill people and lets outlaw all guns. No it's the human idiots BEHIND the guns doing the killing. Guns have ZERO to do with any killing. Think about it.
"Fix your mower and move on with life. Should be easy to do with 7 years of parts upgrades now." completely agree it should be easy, but apparently Ferris' definition of easy is 6 weeks and counting. If the thing would have been fixed in 3 to 4 weeks I likely wouldn't have had an issue. It's important anyone thinking of buying a Ferris and doing some research on it hear from not just those that are happy. When the mower was actually working, yep it was good, but the quality of a manufacturer is not on how they handle business when things work...but how they handle their business when their equipment breaks down. I wish you continued great mowing with your Ferris, personally I'm not going to take a chance that this things breaks down again and I have a wheat field growing in my yard because of it again, I'll stick to Manu's that actually take sourcing and stocking parts seriously going forward.


#11

S

slomo

Hate to burst your bubble but long wait times, especially now in peak mowing season is the norm. You think Deere is any better? Good luck. $$$$$

Just another reason to own a second or 5 more mowers. When your Ferris takes a dump you have your others to mow your Jack and the Bean Stock down with LOL.


#12

S

slomo

You know this new world economy has copied the diamond industry right? They only allow X ammount of diamonds on the market at one time. Jacking the price up for you and me. Not hiring back employees and ships not being offloaded, COVID. It was all a master plan to drop this on all of US who are now paying triple for everything all under the Biden Cartel.

None of us, none, ever saw these prices we are seeing now under Trump. Love the guy or hate the guy. When Trump was at the wheel things were cheaper. This is all on Biden's watch people. Kamala is all up in it too.


#13

Y

yvesbigras

Hate to burst your bubble but long wait times, especially now in peak mowing season is the norm. You think Deere is any better? Good luck. $$$$$

Just another reason to own a second or 5 more mowers. When your Ferris takes a dump you have your others to mow your Jack and the Bean Stock down with LOL.
Well I've owned Deere's and currently own one of the tractors, they aren't perfect no manufacturer is, however the dealer network, is certainly much stronger, and inventory I know for a fact on machine down parts have a certain criteria that must be stocked, I know this because I used to work for Deere and Company. My gut told me from the beginning to stick with Deere, but the suspension on the Ferris kind of made me want to go with that, I should have just rolled the 4 acres smoother and stuck with a company with a strong dealer network, and not one that abandoned theirs in Canada last year.


#14

S

slomo

Can't win them all.......


#15

Y

yvesbigras

You are right there.


#16

B

bertsmobile1

Right now there is a big supply problem that is yet to be fully overcome
President Trump started a trade war with China which caused China to restrict supply of some parts to USA manufacturers so the USA manufacturers can not make anything because everything has Chinese sourced components in them.
Then covid struck and the restricted supply became a zero supply
I have waited 2 years to get a loom for a Toro
Right now I have a pile of hand held tools waiting for starter pulleys, carb parts gears, bearings etc.
I have a Swisher still waiting for a hydro fan for over 2 years .
It took 18 months to get belts guards for some Murrays , etc etc etc


#17

Hammermechanicman

Hammermechanicman

When I have to order B&S or husqvarna parts I cringe. Some stuff took over 2 months.


#18

H

Honest Abe

Right now there is a big supply problem that is yet to be fully overcome
President Trump started a trade war with China which caused China to restrict supply of some parts to USA manufacturers so the USA manufacturers can not make anything because everything has Chinese sourced components in them.
Then covid struck and the restricted supply became a zero supply
I have waited 2 years to get a loom for a Toro
Right now I have a pile of hand held tools waiting for starter pulleys, carb parts gears, bearings etc.
I have a Swisher still waiting for a hydro fan for over 2 years .
It took 18 months to get belts guards for some Murrays , etc etc etc
Just maybe Trump was right to do so. Darn near everyone knows that the quality of the metal and parts coming from China are inferior; but, alas they are cheaper due to labor costs. So, the issue becomes a Fram oil commercial, i.e. "You pay me now or you pay me later". Just maybe it's time to start making things back in in the U. S. of A. once again and start paying the American worker reasonable wages to do so. I may be wrong, but in the long run the overall costs to the consumer will probably be close to the same as buying from China. Just a thought . . . . .


#19

J

jbugj

Right now there is a big supply problem that is yet to be fully overcome
President Trump started a trade war with China which caused China to restrict supply of some parts to USA manufacturers so the USA manufacturers can not make anything because everything has Chinese sourced components in them.
Then covid struck and the restricted supply became a zero supply
I have waited 2 years to get a loom for a Toro
Right now I have a pile of hand held tools waiting for starter pulleys, carb parts gears, bearings etc.
I have a Swisher still waiting for a hydro fan for over 2 years .
It took 18 months to get belts guards for some Murrays , etc etc etc
BS, and I don't mean B&S. There is PLENTY of political blame to go around, especially where covid is concerned...so its best to keep this repair forum to repairs...


#20

P

pioneerlion

I’ve had an IS700Z for 9 years now. With the 23 hp Kawasaki engine. 327 hours. I mow 3 acres, over all kinds of terrain on my yard - flat, hill, incline, rough ruts, etc. Runs great, cuts great. I get it serviced every winter at the dealer. Never had a belt snap. Blades get worn with all the downed branches in my yard, but that’s expected. This mower is easily the last one I’ll ever buy.


#21

H

Honest Abe

Sometime late last summer, the belt jumped off my new IS2100Z. I assumed a stick or something contributed to this. Put belt back on and continued to mow. Fast forward to this summer, cleaning deck after mowing, noticed a cut in the belt, removed belt, also found large chunk missing. Called dealer, said belts are a normal wear item!!!!! It has 132 hrs., my John Deere X720SE has over 600hrs. w/ no belt issues! Contacted the warranty guy @ the dealer, said it looks like rodents chewed the belt (there are no teeth marks, and it is kept in my garage). Contacted Ferris via email, no response. The problem is, when mowing fast (that is what they are designed to do), objects get thrown onto the deck and into the belt. I didn't design it or build it, so who is responsible????
e
Your Customer Service "Normal wear" comment reminded me of a Chevy S10 I owned years ago (30 year Chevy man until this). Loved that little p/u; but, the dang thing immediately leaked oil on the garage floor. Took it in for warranty repair, which the dealer did 4 times, but it still kept leaking. On the 5th attempt the service department called me and said that any further warranty work was being denied by corporate, without explanation. Well now, I go to the dealership and I ask the service manager to call corporate service so I can talk to them; and, I speak with the head lady who immediately tells me, quote - "That is normal seepage." So, I ask her "at what point in time as I'm driving across US90 should I expect a problem since at some point in time the truck will be out of oil. She immediately hung up on me. Then I drove across the street to our local court and filed a small claims lawsuit against the dealer and GM/Chevrolet. Took the vehicle to another repair shop who found that the oil pan had a tweet in the edge which was causing the "seepage". Won the suit in 15 minutes and recovered the $1,400 repair cost. My next vehicle was a Toyota and have stuck with them ever since......


#22

J

jpreuss

I'm a little late to this response, but, my opinion-BUY ANYTHING BUT A FERRIS!! I have a Ferris Fx800 that I fully expect to eclipse the purchase price by the price to maintain and repair it. It has been in the shop almost as much as it's been in use. It's currently in my side yard, won't start two and one half cuttings after getting it out of the shop with a $1500 bill. this bill did not include replacing the electric motor to lift the deck which burned out last year. junk/junk/junk

PS my next door neighbor with 10X the yard size has very few problems with his Ex Mark-he has cut my yard many times while mine is in the shop. Thank God for him but I do have to take the ribbing.


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