Power for all seasons

POWER FOR ALL SEASONS

The IS 6200’s diesel turbo engine sets it apart in a market where gas engines dominate. The Cat® C1.7 has a life expectancy of 8,000 hours — double that of a typical gas engine — and the rest of the mower’s components are designed to match that lifecycle. The C1.7 is rated at 48 gross horsepower, positioning the IS 6200 at least 10 horsepower above any of its competitors. That gives the mower the muscle to cover big stretches of ground in short amounts of time. But just as important as power is versatility. With more horsepower, landscapers can tackle multiple tasks without needing to buy multiple mowers. They can use the IS 6200 to manicure a golf course or a city park one day, then knock down tall grasses or weeds in a field outside town the next.

Because the mowing season runs spring, summer and fall in many locations — and all year long in others — landscapers prefer to handle any major service work in the off season. During busy months, fi nding time to do more than change the oil and filters is tough. That’s why Ferris designed ease of serviceability into every mower and worked with Cat dealer Milton Cat to keep engine maintenance on the IS 6200 as simple as possible. “It’s a very clean design. The filters are accessible from below, and there’s full access to the sides and top of the engine,” says Dave Nunnally, industrial business manager for Milton Cat.

FROM MILKERS TO MOWERS

If Jesse Ferris and William Uebler were alive today, the two men might not recognize the business they founded together in 1909 in rural New York. In the mid-1980s, after nearly 80 years of serving dairy farmers, the Uebler Milking Machine Company saw its customer base and profits dwindling. Rather than closing up shop, company leaders instead changed direction — shifting from manufacturing milkers to mowers.

It was a big leap that ended up being a smart move. The first Ferris® commercial-grade lawn mower was launched in 1986, and 18 years later Briggs & Stratton purchased the brand. While the transition from milking machines to mowing equipment might seem like a stretch, it made perfect sense to the Ferris and Uebler families. As Joe Ferris, the brand’s product manager and the great-grandson of the co-founder, explains today. “Landscapers aren’t much different than farmers in that they both need quality equipment that can’t fail,” he says.

Manufacturing products that live up to that simple yet high standard continues to pay off for Ferris, which produces a full line of zero turn, walk-behind, front mount and stand-on mowers — plus spreader/sprayers, blowers and attachments. All mowers feature the multi-patented independent suspension system, a technology similar to the shocks on your car. It improves cut quality, traction and operator comfort, resulting in a greater mowing speed. “It can deliver up to a 20% increase in productivity compared to mowers without it, which for a landscaper is like picking up one extra day of work each week,” Ferris says. We’re about helping customers finish strong and feel good doing it, so they can get more jobs done with peace of mind and have the energy to take on tomorrow. 

MOWING BIGGER AND BETTER

For years, the Ferris flagship diesel powered zero turn mower was the IS® 5100, featuring a Cat® C1.5 diesel engine. The company stopped manufacturing this popular model in 2017 due to changing emissions regulations but quickly got to work designing a replacement to meet customer demand for a bigger, more powerful mower.

In 2021, that new model will hit the market as the highest horsepower zero-turn mower in its class. The new Ferris IS 6200 will deliver the all-day productivity landscape contractors, municipalities and large institutions like universities and church dioceses rely on to keep large green spaces in pristine condition all season long.

NO SHORTCUTS IN SERVICE

When more than a simple oil or filter change is required to keep the IS 6200 up and mowing, landscapers need a partner they can rely on for timely parts and expert service. Over the years, Ferris has experienced different levels of support from different engine manufacturers, but it’s the Cat dealer network that consistently rises to the top.

If a customer experiences an issue while at work in a remote location,  or needs an emergency part or onsite visit from a technician to fix a problem fast, Ferris knows there’s a Cat dealer close by to keep downtime to a minimum. That kind of support, just as much as horsepower and longevity, is the key reason Ferris keeps returning to Cat engines. “From performance to service, Caterpillar represents the ultimate in diesel power. Our customers prefer a Cat engine over anything else,” Ferris says.

“FROM PERFORMANCE TO SERVICE, CATERPILLAR REPRESENTS THE ULTIMATE IN DIESEL POWER. OUR CUSTOMERS PREFER A CAT® ENGINE OVER ANYTHING ELSE.”