2023 Ariens Gravely New Products! New Ariens IKON. 

Paul, I just took delivery of a 32inch Mountainere yesterday. I want you to know that I learned more from your videos about the machine than the two huge books that came with it. Thanks so much! Could you do one of your videos on the Mammoth 850, my next projected purchase? By the way I have been a Toro buyer for 38 yrs until I watched your comps. I hope I am happy.

Congratulations! One little trick with the Mountainere. When you get ready to turn around, push down on the handles about 4 inches. That locks rear of the RapidTraks in the wheel position. It is VERY easy to turn around that way. When you are done with your turn just pull the lever under the right handle and the tracks drop back down.

Yes it is. The current LCT is a direct descendent of the Tecumseh OHV

By the way - do you have an opinion on the new Cub Cadet zero-turn mowers with steering front wheels? This is being positioned, at least by dealers out here, as better on hills.

Steering wheel ZTR's are better on hills because the front wheels hold the unit on the hill just like a lawn tractor or your Jeep. Also they are designed so both rear transmissions have equal power to them (no differential so it has traction on the uphill wheel) - With a regular ZTR the ONLY wheel that is holding you on the slope is the downhill rear tire. But - buy a 52 or 60 inch and buy the best you can afford. Why? you want as heavy of a mower as you can get and the wider the mower the better it will be on the slopes. I recommend a ZTS2 50-60 as a minimum and preferably a Pro Z with a 54-60 inch deck. I know they are expensive but the pro models are heavy and they will last you many years. (The decks also cut and bag better) Be careful with the bagger. Baggers really change the center of gravity. If the bagger sets off to the side don't have that side downhill. Don't fill it all the way with green grass and especially don't go up a steep hill with a full hopper of green grass. You may want to think about mulching most of the time instead of bagging.

I understand. I wish I could have pre-bought most of the groceries I need.

I don't have the price. I suggest going to your local Gravely dealer to get the current price.

The 2023 Ikon is a MAJOR upgrade from the IKON XD. Just about every component has been improved for 2023. I'm currently working on an in-depth video going through all the changes and improvements. Please give me a few days to finish the video. Some owners managed to break the dial lift system. The new pin system is stronger and offers more height settings.

@@PaulSikkema Great. Thanks for the rapid response!

Baggers have alway been expense - a bagger for a $1500 Craftsman tractor was $499. Today's baggers (except Husqvarna) are all built much heavier duty than the baggers of the past. The new ones like the one for the Ariens IKON also work a lot better. Larger discharge tube, heavier poly, welded frame, thicker bags.

There is no chute blocker available for the ENVY deck. The deck is not designed to mulch with just a chute cover. But there is a full baffle mulch kit available. You get true mulching with the mulch kit.

The prototype Ariens showed off a few years ago at GIE-EXPO was all flat-black. It was awesome!

Yes, aggressive tires are not the best choice for flat, poor turf. It takes a lot of practice to make them work without scuffing the grass. Gravely does put functional fenders on the stand-ons. Just keep your ground speed under 8 MPH when you are mowing and you won't need a rainsuit when you are mowing wet grass :) The next video I post will show you how they fixed the belt problems.

I'm still waiting on the 2023 IKON. That said, you can get the serviceable ZT2200 on the Gravely ZT X and the serviceable ZT2800 on the ZT XL. Both of the Gravely mowers are the same machines as the IKON with added features like brighter lights and floormats.

@@PaulSikkema unfortunately I already bought the new ikon with a 60" deck. I really like it so far.

The new IKON does not have serviceable transmissions. It has all the basic features that make it a great mower. The Gravely ZTX has more features like the serviceable ZT2200 trans and brighter headlights. The Gravely ZT XL has even more features like serviceable ZT2800 and a rubber floor mat.

This problem is still being actively worked on by Ariens' engineers but at this time it appears to be an issue with the actual belts. Like automotive tires, belts go through a curing process. If the process is not done correctly it can create soft spots in the belt. That said the supplier did find an issue in the process and it sounds like it has been resolved. I'll let you know when I learn more.

A lot. The IKON is good residential mower for up to 3-4 acres of lawn per week. It will hold up for years mowing that much. The APEX is a step up in durability, weight and how much you can mow. It can easily handle rougher lawns and mow 5-7 acres a week. The Zenith is a heavier, stronger mower yet. Farm lawns, big lawns, rough lawns - it's heavy and rides much better because of the weight. It can easily handle 10-15 acres a week. In fact, the Zenith is used as a commercial mower in Europe.