How To Determine If A Ferris Lawn Mower Is Right For You And Your Yard

Successfully caring for your warm season grass means regular mowing, and you want a reliable, comfortable mower to get the job done. If you have a lot of green space to maintain, walking behind a push mower may be a great workout, but isn't ideal for weekly maintenance. A commercial-grade, ride-on or stand-on mower like the pros use may be the right choice for your large lawn, and the Ferris brand of mowers is consistently top-rated for intense lawn care. Just be prepared to invest some cash if Ferris looks like the right brand for you, because its mowers can easily run into the tens of thousands of dollars.

Ferris rates so highly due to the brand's comfort, power, and efficiency. A side-by-side comparison of the Ferris ISX 3300 zero-turn mower and a similar Kubota model showed that the Ferris stood out for its smooth operation, comfort, speed, and responsiveness. This model also offers a long service interval, with oil changes not needed until 500 hours of mowing. But this Ferris model will run you up to $20,000 dollars, and is best for commercial uses, farms, and very large lawns. Smaller Ferris models suitable for large residential yards (think one to two acres) cost less, but are still among the priciest mowers on the market, ranging from about $4,000 to $7,000. 

Choosing the perfect lawnmower for your grass type and yard size takes a bit of thinking, and it's easy to be overwhelmed by the choices on the market. The Ferris website boasts plenty of models to choose from, and allows you to easily compare them depending on your needs. For example, if you have an expanse of tall, damp grass and other debris to take care of, you'll want a lot of power to cut through your lawn easily, so choosing a model with a lot of horsepower is important. 

For lawns several acres in size, a wide cutting deck is desirable to maximize the coverage of each mowing pass. Ferris offers powerful mowers with a variety of deck widths, up to 72 inches, which is helpful when comparing models. If you have a lot of landscaping to edge around, a zero-turn mower may be right for you, and Ferris offers several in a range of sizes. The company also offers an "all-in-one" deck that can mulch and discharge clippings to the side or rear, which is a nice choice to have when navigating around landscaping you don't want to cover with grass clippings. 

If you have any kind of slope, you'll need to be cautious about ride-on mowers that could roll over on an incline. Choosing the best mower for a hilly yard or steep areas means finding a mower that is stable. Stand-on mowers are a better option than ride-ons for slopes, and Ferris has you covered with its standing models. The Ferris Z3X standing mower is recognized for its stability and ease of maneuvering, even on steep terrain.

There are many popular brands of quality ride-on mowers that perform well for large yards and will cost you a bit less than Ferris. Consumer Reports rates John Deere as tops for the zero-turn, ride-on mowers it tested. Kubota, Cub Cadet, and Husqvarna are also well-rated brands, with zero-turn options that are a bit less expensive than Ferris. Still, these mowers can easily run three to five thousand dollars, so if you don't need a highly-maneuverable ride, you might want to shop for a basic ride-on mower, which typically cost considerably less than zero-turns. 

The fastest and most powerful mowers on the market are gas and diesel, but if electric mowers are more your speed, Ego and Greenworks have high-rated brands in the five thousand dollar range that can handle larger lawns while giving you long-lasting battery life. Whatever type of mower you choose to make mowing more comfortable and enjoyable, be sure to sit in it and test it out at a local dealer. You want your investment in such a powerful machine to feel right for your body as well as your wallet.