FerrisFan
Forum Newbie
Hello, first post, but hopefully not my last. I'll do an intro then ask for assistance. I'll include some information that hopefully may be useful to others as well.
Dad is retired and had the free time to spend doing the mowing of road frontage, lawns, firebreaks and trails with the an aging residential JD Z445 52" zero turn. It was in no way adequate for the mowing required on this 80 acre property of mixed use woods, fields and lawns. The Z445 needed repairs multiple times per season.
Dad, now in his 80s, has handed to down the full time mowing duties to me. I don't have that kind of free time since I still work 40+ hours a week. It was time to get a "real" mower.
So after months of research into all brands and models, I bought a new ISX 3300 72" at the end of last season for a good price, and only got to do a single yard mow before winter set in. So this is my first real mowing season with it. Call me a fanboy if you want, but this is that "Why didn't I buy this thing years ago?" mower at that buy once cry once price.. I could talk platitudes about the mower but you're already fans of the Ferris and understand it's worth. but I will note that the "Oil Guard" system is a must for me since it will save me time and money with only having to do oil changes every 500 hrs not every 100 hrs.
I've done several multi-hour mows on it and you'll have to pry this mower from of my cold dead hands before I'll let it go.
That being said I've had a few things I felt I needed to make my mowing experience better:
1: A water bottle that doesn't require me to drink as much dust and grass as it does water.
Solution was a Takeya Originals Vacuum Insulated Stainless Steel Water Bottle with a tethered screw down lid over the drink spout. For additional insulation and rattle control I bought a neoprene sleave for it as well. it fits in the OEM cup holder nicely
2: Having only one eye that works, I needed better eye protection than the current wrap around sunglasses that allowed all of the grass and dust to get into my eyes.
Solution was the DEWALT DPG82-21C tinted safety goggles that block 95% of what the sunglasses had allowed. It has ventilation so it doesn't get fogged or too hot.
3: Needed a chute blocker for all the reasons everyone else needs a chute blocker for especially with that 72" deck
Solution was to get a GrassFlap brand model 41U2M70-5L-A12 all metal chute blocker that is easy to use since it has a hands free operation due to the mounted foot switch operation. There is no pole sticking out out from it to get broken or bent by a low limb. They make bolt on, no drill models for many Ferris mowers.
4: Need a ROPS mounted storage solution for PPE and basic tools.
I don't have a solution for this last item. I want something bigger than a shoebox that will mount in the 24" space between the ROPS uprights. Preferably that will still allow full use of the fold down ROPS. All the ones I'm seeing require a minimum 26.5" between the ROPS bars.
If anyone has solved this issue themselves I'd love to hear what solutions you've come up with.
If you're still reading, I thank you for your time and attention. It is greatly appreciated. I look forward to learning and sharing with you all .
Dad is retired and had the free time to spend doing the mowing of road frontage, lawns, firebreaks and trails with the an aging residential JD Z445 52" zero turn. It was in no way adequate for the mowing required on this 80 acre property of mixed use woods, fields and lawns. The Z445 needed repairs multiple times per season.
Dad, now in his 80s, has handed to down the full time mowing duties to me. I don't have that kind of free time since I still work 40+ hours a week. It was time to get a "real" mower.
So after months of research into all brands and models, I bought a new ISX 3300 72" at the end of last season for a good price, and only got to do a single yard mow before winter set in. So this is my first real mowing season with it. Call me a fanboy if you want, but this is that "Why didn't I buy this thing years ago?" mower at that buy once cry once price.. I could talk platitudes about the mower but you're already fans of the Ferris and understand it's worth. but I will note that the "Oil Guard" system is a must for me since it will save me time and money with only having to do oil changes every 500 hrs not every 100 hrs.
I've done several multi-hour mows on it and you'll have to pry this mower from of my cold dead hands before I'll let it go.
That being said I've had a few things I felt I needed to make my mowing experience better:
1: A water bottle that doesn't require me to drink as much dust and grass as it does water.
Solution was a Takeya Originals Vacuum Insulated Stainless Steel Water Bottle with a tethered screw down lid over the drink spout. For additional insulation and rattle control I bought a neoprene sleave for it as well. it fits in the OEM cup holder nicely
2: Having only one eye that works, I needed better eye protection than the current wrap around sunglasses that allowed all of the grass and dust to get into my eyes.
Solution was the DEWALT DPG82-21C tinted safety goggles that block 95% of what the sunglasses had allowed. It has ventilation so it doesn't get fogged or too hot.
3: Needed a chute blocker for all the reasons everyone else needs a chute blocker for especially with that 72" deck
Solution was to get a GrassFlap brand model 41U2M70-5L-A12 all metal chute blocker that is easy to use since it has a hands free operation due to the mounted foot switch operation. There is no pole sticking out out from it to get broken or bent by a low limb. They make bolt on, no drill models for many Ferris mowers.
4: Need a ROPS mounted storage solution for PPE and basic tools.
I don't have a solution for this last item. I want something bigger than a shoebox that will mount in the 24" space between the ROPS uprights. Preferably that will still allow full use of the fold down ROPS. All the ones I'm seeing require a minimum 26.5" between the ROPS bars.
If anyone has solved this issue themselves I'd love to hear what solutions you've come up with.
If you're still reading, I thank you for your time and attention. It is greatly appreciated. I look forward to learning and sharing with you all .
