AriensCo to manufacture zero-turns in Britain

9/7/2019 5:00:00 AM

AriensCo has announced that production of Ariens brand zero-turn mowers will commence at the company’s factory in Great Haseley, Oxfordshire. It’s believed these will be the first zero-turns to be manufactured in Europe. AriensCo reports seeing an exceptional growth in demand for zero-turn mowers in the UK and Europe. This follows similar trends in the US, where sales have more than tripled since 2003 as the popularity among users has soared. According to industry analysis, zero-turn sales in Europe have grown more than 30% over the last four years, making them the fastest growing category of ride-on mowers and third fastest in the lawn and garden power equipment sector.

“Sales of zero-turns in Europe have experienced exceptional growth over the past three years,” says Darren Spencer, Vice President - EMEA and Asia. “AriensCo has experienced this growth in numerous markets and, based upon extensive research with our distribution partners, we expect the growth to continue. This industry analysis points to the many opportunities to be met by producing zero-turns at our Great Haseley plant. We currently sell into ten different countries within Europe and aim to increase our European footprint in 2020. Future growth will accelerate as the benefits of zero-turn mowers are understood by customers. Zero-turn users are experiencing increased speed of cut and greater versatility over tractors and out-fronts.”

During 2019 AriensCo continues to make significant investment in the Oxfordshire factory in preparation for zero-turn production, including a new production line, fixtures and tooling. The UK will be manufacturing CE zero-turns for European markets only and will initially be producing the IKON, APEX and ZENITH models. Close collaboration with the US will be maintained to ensure products match up to Ariens’ reputation for manufacturing quality.

Zero-turn production in the UK is seen to offer significant advantages, allowing for rapid delivery and improved availability throughout the year. There is also potential for zero-turns to be adapted with features and benefits to meet local market needs. Increased utilisation of the manufacturing facility at Great Haseley will provide operational cost benefits and will generate a number of new jobs for the area. The first zero-turn to come off the production line will be at the end of October.

For further information or to become a dealer for AriensCo, please call 01844 278800 or email uksales@ariensco.com.

I wish my dad had an Ariens APEX all those years ago – Peter Williams reviews the Ariens APEX

8/28/2019 5:00:00 AM

By: Peter Williams,

Ariens Apex Zero Turn Lawn Mower

Peter Williams kindly reviews his new Ariens APEX 52 inch zero-turn mower in this video for the latest Ariens blog.

I purchased this mower early Springtime and I’ve been using it frequently since I purchased it. It was bought from our local dealer, Hertfordshire Garden Machinery.

It’s a fantastic mower, with a great cutting width. I have about an acre and a half of grassland and I purchased this machine with a view of maintaining my lawn and grounds as pain free and easy as possible. Its manoeuvrability is fantastic and goes right around trees, you hardly need to strim afterwards which is a big bonus.

The Apex comes with a Kawasaki FR691V engine – this is a great engine which starts every time with no problems. It has plenty of speed and power to it. If you’re just doing a quick trim, it gets really quickly and easily. It has nice big wheels at the back which goes up inclines really well. Perfect as our garden isn’t flat. The front wheels don’t actually push down on the grass too much surprisingly enough, so no big issues there.

Ariens Apex Zero Turn Lawn Mower

I’ve got the mulching deck fitted as opposed to having a side discharge. It mulches it down to a finer amount of grass. There’s still some grass behind but that’s fine. The seat is fantastic. It is so comfortable. I can sit on there for a couple of hours and get off with no back pain whatsoever.

The machine is very smart to look at with a very solidly built deck. Am I impressed with the mower? 100%. I would definitely buy it again and really wish my dad had bought one when I was a kid as it would have saved me hours of time mowing the family lawn. Out of 10, I’d give it 9.9. Not much wrong with this machine, great value for money and I’d highly recommend it.

Ariens is a growing brand in the UK and Europe, For more information contact Ariens on 01844 278800 or find your nearest Ariens dealer.

A Simple Machine That Delivers

7/25/2019 5:00:00 AM

Ariens Zenith lawn mower

Why the Ariens Zenith is delivering in all aspects of a new grounds maintenance venture with Shropshire Council

Steve Powis, school grounds maintenance officer at Shropshire Council and one of the first to own the new Ariens Zenith when it launched in April, tells us how it's already transformed the grounds maintenance business venture 3-months in, in the latest Ariens blog.

Having recently started a new enterprise alongside Shropshire Council, offering schools and other commercial settings, a complete grounds maintenance package; I needed to specify a cutting solution that would suit the operational, financial and logistical needs of the venture.

I’ve been operating horticultural machinery for over 15-years in a variety of applications including grounds maintenance, formal grounds, open spaces, sports and recreational areas. Having used a variety of different machines to maintain the above including zero-turns, I decided to research what machines were available on the market that would tick all the boxes I was looking for. After getting numerous machine packages and quotes, Paul Butter, Contracts Manager at Shropshire Council and I, consulted with Gary Edwards at Wyvern Garden Machinery, explaining that we wanted a mowing solution that would deliver a great cut and look the part. We decided to go-ahead with Gary and use him because of his excellent technical knowledge and demonstrating to us that the machine he recommended, an Ariens zero-turn, would do what he said it would.

Ariens Zenith lawn mower

Before long we were demo-ing an Ariens Apex 52 zero-turn at one of the schools I manage, not only were Paul and I impressed with what it could do, the school was too. The long grass was 6-12 inches tall, thicker at the bottom where it hadn't been cut since September. The Apex made light work of the grass, leaving a great finish. I knew then that this machine was exactly what the business venture needed. Paul who's also very familiar with mowing machinery available in today's market, commented that he hadn't seen a machine that could cut and leave the finish it produced in one pass.

Confirming with Gary that this Ariens zero-turn was exactly what we needed, he advised that a larger zero-turn with a 60-inch deck would be available imminently. I pre-ordered it straightaway, without even seeing it. If I could have a machine that could achieve the cut and finish I wanted, took half the time of other, more traditional mowers, available in a larger size, I was sold.

Ariens Zenith lawn mower

I've had the Zenith now since April and have used it every day. What a machine! I maintain several schools and numerous other sites through Shropshire. Everyone has commented on how nice the finish is.

There are so many benefits to the Zenith. As the operator, I need machinery I can rely on. Downtime is a big no-no as I'm not working and subsequently not earning. I purposely avoided cylinder mowers as they're often out of action if the blades hit concealed debris or extreme temperatures distort the blades. I haven't got time to get my tool kit out and bring it back on-cut. I've used the Zenith in a variety of differing weather conditions, it doesn't have a problem in the wet. You do have to take it slower but you're still cutting and keeping your commitments. The Zenith is actually quite light given its size. Lightweight and the large tyres help it to cope well in wet weather, without leaving the grounds in a mess.

Ariens seems to have got it right with how much of the power the engine produces, its directed to where it needs to be i.e. at the business end. The power is directed straight down to the drive and also the independent drives on the motors to the wheels. It is a nuts and bolts product, the deck height is adjusted with the foot pedal, there are no unnecessary sensors and electronics that could go wrong. It's a simple product that just works.

The Zenith is versatile. It can get into small and defined areas which saves me time as I'm not having to strim around trees and bushes as an additional process. Fuel consumption is very attractive. Despite it being a petrol engine, it's very efficient. I can get 3.5 solid hours of mowing with its 20-litre tank. This is increased when the grass is shorter and cut fortnightly. I am can easily cut two schools' grounds in a day. Before it would take me a lot longer.

Appearance is everything! The Zenith looks the business. Schools are very competitive and want to be seen to be doing well, the Zenith fits right in. I like to take pride in what I do and not only does this machine deliver the nice finish but the machine looks good when its mowing. I was asked what my favourite thing about the Zenith was and if I had to pick one thing, it would be the seat. It's very comfortable. As a sufferer of sciatica coupled with the fact that I am mowing for the majority of the working week, I need a seat that offers continuous comfort and support.

As the business venture grows, I can see the possibility of specifying further Ariens products in the future. It's not often you purchase a product that continues to delight. It looks great, delivers a great cut in less time without compromising on quality. It’s efficient and is making money by enabling me to visit more sites per week than I ever have before.

Simple machine—excellent results, I would highly recommend the Ariens Zenith; in fact, Ariens zero-turns in general.

Ariens Zenith lawn mower