ISX™ 3300 Zero Turn Mower Introduction Video
Transcription
1. Hello and welcome to the introduction of the new Ferris ISX™ 3300 zero turn mower.
2. This Ferris ISX™ 3300 replaces the IS® 3200Z. This new mower series carries quite a few upgrades and changes, which I will highlight one by one in this video.
The major upgrade of the ISX™ 3300 is the suspension system. The single arm independent front suspension system that was found on the IS® 3200Z has now been replaced with the new ForeFront™ Suspension system. This ForeFront™ suspension system utilizes two individual control arms for each front wheel that ensure the caster wheel remains in an ideal vertical position throughout the full range of suspension travel. This virtually eliminates caster chatter for a smooth ride and straight mowing lines, even when mowing at full speed. The two control arms are supported by a large adjustable shock absorber which dampens the shock load that is caused by the terrain, allowing it to mow at higher ground speeds.
The rear wheel suspension system remains unchanged and features a rear swing arm principle that connects the two rear wheels with each other. The rear swing arm pivots at the front side, and rests on a large shock absorber left and right. The rear swing arm allows the rear wheels to move in unison with each other that enhances stability and smoothes out the ride over uneven terrain.
The suspension system enables the operator to maintain higher mowing speeds at rougher terrain. So the full available power from the engine can be used to cover more area, in less time. This directly results in a lower cost of ownership and better profitability.
The mower deck is supported by 4 individual deck lift rods that work in conjunction with the suspension system to provide a consistent height of cut. With a mower deck that is hung off the main frame of the machine, the mower deck would dive down to the ground as soon as the suspension compresses. A reactive deck mounting system lets the mower deck float from the suspension and raises and lowers the deck in harmony with the motion of the wheels.
3. The engine at the back of this machine is a 37HP Vanguard® gasoline engine featuring a fuel injection system that has quite a few benefits. Let’s start with the fuel system. The electronic fuel injection system delivers fuel under pressure which results in more efficient fuel evaporation in the combustion chambers which makes the fuel burn better.
The electronic control module of the engine gets continuous feedback of the O2 sensor that is located in the exhaust itself.It ensures that the right fuel and air mixture is delivered to the combustion chambers which in turn benefits the fuel consumption when compared to an equal sized carbureted engine.
Another benefit is that this EFI engine has better governing control and an increased load acceptance which especially benefits you to help you get through those tougher mowing jobs.
This engine is also equipped with an Oil Guard™ System. Traditional gasoline engines store their lubrication oil in the engine sump. This oil is heated up by the combustion of fuel, up to a degree that the oil will actually start to decrease it’s lubricating characteristics by a phenomenon called thermal breakdown.
With the Oil Guard™ System, the oil storage has been moved away from the engine sump, protecting the oil from thermal breakdown. The larger volume of oil and the heat dissipation through the oil tank walls, work together to disperse heat. This helps extend the oil change intervals to 500 hours instead of the typical recommended 100 hours, which reduces downtime of the machine and saves in maintenance costs. Because you would typically use 10 liters of oil and 5 filters within 500 hours of use, whereas with the Oil Guard™ system, you would require nearly 5 liters of oil and only one filter, for the same amount of running hours. But also think about the amount of labor time you save in the workshop.
And on top of the engine we find a large Donaldson®, dual element cyclonic air cleaner that keeps the incoming air clean.
The engine is protected by a new designed rear bumper. The rear bumper wraps completely around the rear of the machine and is tapered at the bottom to increase ground clearance. This comes in handy when driving up ramps, for example with loading and unloading on a truck or trailer, but also when driving up hillsides.
The sides of the bumper are tapered in as well, which will help clearing obstacles when mowing close to a fence or around a tree for example. The rear part of the bumper is made of metal tubes which is strong enough to withstand an incidental impact with an object.
The rear bumper is also extended upwards, to increase protection of the engine for twigs and branches for example.
At the bottom of the bumper we find tie-down points, which are also present at the front-end of the machine. These spots provide a convenient location for your ratchet-straps, to secure the machine safely to a truck or trailer.
4. Below the engine platform we find the transmission drive and the Warner PTO clutch that drives the deck, directly mounted to the engine stub shaft.
The rear wheels are driven by two HydroGear ZT5400™ Powertrain transaxles that are the top of the line transaxles from HydroGear. Now let's get over the mower deck.
At the back there you see the v-belt that is powering the deck by the PTO clutch. Actually there are two belts that drive this mower deck. The primary belt coming from the PTO clutch drives the middle blade and the left-hand blade.
A secondary belt that runs from the middle spindle, drives the right hand blade. This two-belt deck drive system uses fewer backside idler pulleys than a conventional deck drive system, which results in less belt stress and cooler running belts. With this belt system we increase belt life which means less down time.
5. The ISX™ 3300 has two mower deck options. Either a 155cm or a 183cm mower deck which both come with TRIPLE mowing technology. This TRIPLE deck hosts multiple mowing configurations in a single deck design. Traditional mowing methods, regional preferences, climate differences, as well as changing seasons, and grass varieties, they all require different cutting and discharging methods. This TRIPLE deck system eliminates stress of choice for the owner and comes with three discharge options. By arranging the baffle layout underneath the deck, you will have a choice of side discharge, rear discharge and also mulching. Out of the factory, the deck comes standard with mulching blades fitted and is set up with a shallow rear discharge baffle. This is the most versatile setup for most mowing conditions because it can cope with various grass lengths without the need of making adjustments. The deck will mulch the grass until the cutting chambers are filled, and then discharges the excess grass out of the rear of the deck leaving a nice spread of clippings. There is another rear baffle that comes with the machine which is a tall rear baffle and this baffle is used for full featured mulching and also when the deck is set up for side discharge. No matter the circumstances, the best mower configuration is always at your disposal and all parts are included when you purchase this mower.
6. The ISX™ 3300 is equipped with a premium high back seat and an adjustable headrest. It has an adjustable fore and aft positioning, and an integrated retractable seat belt. Above the seat you find the Roll Over Protection Structure that is foldable, and comes with a new pin locking design that eliminates the rattle by an eccentric pin design that puts a little tension on a rubber insert that pushes against the hinge bolt of the ROPS.
The seat can be tilted forward and underneath we find the battery, transmission oil expansion reservoirs and underneath we find the transmission drive system. Below this protection shield over here we find the electric hydraulic pump that actuates the hydraulic deck lift system.
7. The foot rest is removable and gives access to the top side of the mower deck for daily cleaning and maintenance. Also the middle blade spindle can be accessed easier through this area for lubrication.
8. The footrest is angled and equipped with a rubber pad to provide a secure grip when maneuvering with this zero turn mower. Especially at rapid direction changes and during deceleration, or bringing the machine to a full stop.
9. In the middle of the footplate we find a foot switch that activates the hydraulic pump for the deck lift system that operates the hydraulic cylinder at this side of the unit.
A deck release lever is positioned just in front of the right hand fuel tank. With this lever the deck can be released to be lowered and locks automatically in place when the deck is raised again until the transport position. The deck release lever can also be positioned open with this lockout latch, which then allows lifting and lowering the deck over obstacles.
10. Also in this area we find the parking brake lever, and the height of cut adjustment. Simply put the restriction pin in the matching hole for the desired cutting height and lower the deck down. The deck will then stop at the preferred height.
11. So how to read the height-of-cut decal correctly. Horizontally we find 5 rows that display full inch measurements from 1 to 5 inches on this machine. Vertically, we find 4 rows that each represent ¼ inch measurements. So choosing 3 ¼ inches, we first look for the horizontal 3 inch row and then look vertically to find the ¼ inch row. Where these lines cross each other, that’s where we find 3 ¼ inches. Each cutting height position on the decal also displays the cutting height in cm, just in case.
12. On my right here, we find the operator control panel. This clean organized control panel hosts the ignition switch, throttle lever, PTO switch and hour meter. The hour meter measures both engine hours and PTO hours which can be read out individually.
13. On my left we find a storage compartment and a cup holder. Both the control panel and storage compartment are integrated inside the shape of the fuel tanks. These two fuel tanks hold a total combined volume of 42 liters liters of fuel.
These fuel tanks are selectable from a tank selection valve behind the seat. When one of the tanks is drained, you can easily switch over to the other tank.
And each fuel tank has a clear fuel gauge that is positioned in front of the operator for easy visibility. These rotational molded tanks are made of 4.75 mm walled high density polyethylene and can withstand some rough handling.
14. So. I think we covered the most important features of this ISX™ 3300. Do not forget to visit our website to find out more about this mower, and the rest of the Ferris lineup.
15. Goodbye for now and I see you in the next Ferris video!