What else is going to fail on my new Ariens Apex 52" Zero Turn Mower?

Your gas tank will spring a leak.

@chyna Thank you! That is something to check. The unit went down hard. Maybe something was shaken loose.

The seat will suddenly decide it is an ejection seat and propel you 50m into the air, causing you to break your neck when you collide with the ground.

The lock nuts on the blades aren’t lock nuts . . . . .

Sounds like the assemble facility is lacking a QC or quality audits ! ! ! ! !

How long is the warranty for? I am wondering what’s going to happen when the warranty expires and the dealer tells you it’s time to start paying the piper.

Honestly, they probably have good engineers. Problems like this are usually caused in accounting and supply chain/procurement. “Hey we found a cheaper bolt with the same-ish spec, order those instead” etc.. That is a symptom of a broken value chain process. Expect more problems.

The service guy just came out and walked with me to the orchard. “It’s always the left wheel.”
He loaded up the parts but forgot the tire so he has to go back to the shop . Another hour…

He has to pull the hub, fender, roll bar. He said it seems like Ariens is having some issues.

@jca2 I’m not sure how long the warranty lasts. I will check it out. It used to be Ariens stuff was bult like a tank and lasted forever like the old Cub cadets. Now I am not so sure.

@ragingloli You are not far from the truth. The fancy weight-balanced seat does not have a lock and release mechanism to prevent it from flipping the rider out of the machine in a crash or tip over. That $40 locking device only comes standard if you have the high roll bar installed. I can not have the high roll bar since it would hit too many apple tree branches.
The machine come with a retractable seat belt that keeps you in the seat – as it dumps the seat onto the deck.
@Tropical_Willie You just scared the crap out of me! I will look at those lock nuts now (I have an hour until he gets back here.)

@LuckyGuy I’m wondering if you wouldn’t be better off (or if you’d even be allowed to) give it back and get your money back. To spend that much money and then be wondering what’s going to fail next, on a machine where there’s so much potential danger – it just seems like bad news.

Sounds like a Lemon Law case.
You are correct in that this is a big, dangerous machine. About 1000 pounds with blades spinning at commercial speeds with a 60 inch cutting path. I got the same engine and transmission but wanted a slightly smaller deck so I could fit between some paths in my woods and orchard.
I know it is very expensive for them to come out here and take care of these issues. They are not making money on this.
If I have another problem before I get to 100 hours I will make a lot of noise.

@LuckyGuy If I were you, I’d let them know (and let the higher ups at the manufacturer know) that you have serious concerns. So much money and non stop problems without a lot of use, and you’re concerned when the warranty runs out, you’re going to be left holding the bag.

The ZTR fails

Large equipment can be weird, huh? It’s like if the particular person putting yours together was out drinking with the plant inspector the night before, screw ups can happen and make it all the way to the showroom, even if the company’s specs are better conceived than what you got. At least they replaced things for you without a lot of hassle.

But since we’re playing a game: I think the control handles will break off, locking you in a violent, two wheeled spin, the centrifugal force jamming the seatbelt, preventing your unbuckling and leaping to safety, and forcing you push with all your might just to keep the weight (including the arm and leg weights you wore that day) balanced, while continuously vomiting, until the gas runs out, lest the beast fall upon you. Good luck and let us know how it goes!

I would return it at this point and get something else.

Your oscillation overthruster will fail to connect the dots.

Check the fluid in the Flux Capacitor…..
The 52’s have poor quality gaskets around the main temperal electromagnetic fluctuate (TEF.)
You could get a better gasket. But with the labor of getting into the electromagnetic harmonizing balance bell house, you may as well get a better mowing system.

I recommend the 52 gen 6. That model has better quality gaskets, AND has several sexual functions…

Calling it “Zero Turn” was really asking for it, it seems to me.

The tech came with a van loaded with more tools than Craftsman. He used a hydraulic puller to yank off the press-fitted, splined hub containing the now stripped and damaged wheel lugs. Once that was done, he put on a new tire and wheel and tightened it down. He started it up and drove the machine to his van which was sitting in my driveway. At that point he took off the roll bar so he could get to and replace the broken fender. He buttoned everything up, tested it, showed me how to adjust the control arms and went on his way.
I drove it around for about 10 minutes and everything seems ok. We will see.

I’ll keep an eye on the flux capacitor.

The flux capacitor only kicks in at 88 MPH . . . .

Do you mow at that speed ?

Sorry to hear about this. I know those are big money and cutting a lawn is an important thing. That would frustrate the hell out of me. Enough to drop it off and never go near that brand again. I will stick to my Deere.
I look forward to reading your Airing of the Ariens escapades in the future.

The mower works so well now it’s almost hard for me to remember the bad events. It cuts so well and the ride is so smooth. Is this what it’s like dating a gorgeous, bipolar partner? (Sure she threw my golf clubs out the window, set fire to the bed, and microwaved the cat, But the sex is incredible!)
Since the zero turn mowers are balanced to have so much weight on the rear wheels, when they lose one, the results are spectacular. As we were walking out there the tech said “It only takes a second for these to go from lawn mower to lawn ornament.”

@Zaku The philosopher in you rises to the surface again. Technically, when it was in “lawn ornament” mode it was still performing as a zero turn mower. I should have been 100% satisfied.

^^ No, that’s not what it’s like. She will inevitably cut off you ________!

This sounds like the start of a reality show. I’m interested in future installments!

@snowberry – Squid Games: tractor edition!

Steering, brakes, throttle control. Prepare to bail out!!

70.3 hours. PTO switch won’t engage today! I want to drive this thing off a cliff!

I cannot recommend this mower!

You should buy a female goat. Not only is it a natural way to keep the grass short, but it will also be able to nurse a baby in a pinch!

Just wow. Sorry to hear.
I recently invested in a new EV Lawn Mower for my property in Maine. I have used it 3 times and it does a nice job.
I hope to not have invested in the wrong Manufacturer. Time will tell.

They figure it is the switch but don’t have one in stock. They will order it and will send a tech to my house to install it when it comes in. No charge, of course.

Electric lawn mower is nice because when the battery runs out “it’s Miller time!”

@RocketGuy Exactly. Even with 2 batteries, I can’t finish. The beer I can finish between charges.

Bruh…
New plan. Get the mower fully insured, and then Thelma and Louise that thing (cliff.)..

No cliffs? Train tracks…

Wednesday morning. I’m still waiting for them to get the part. I’m thinking of putting a sign on my lawn “Lawn half mowed by new Ariens Apex, Serviced by…”

Actually I could use my 28 year old Cub Cadet 2084 but I’d have to charge the battery.

@LuckyGuy Have you considered whether or not to tell them you’re done with this mower and you either want a replacement or you want your money back? Or is it too late for that now?

@jca2 I feel it is too late. I’ve had it well over a year and have put ~70 hours on it.
I am going to call them today to find out the status. I’ll let you know.

@LuckyGuy This reminds me of my Kawasaki KLR motorcycle. Somehow, people use these for adventure touring, but when I started riding mine, it seemed like parts just kept “falling off.” After 5–6 months of this, I got tired of it and took the whole thing down to the frame. I torqued every nut bolt and screw, changed a few out and added copious amounts of blue loctite. There were some key spots which needed upgrades that were already identified by the KLR rider’s board, so I took care of all of this also. I found loose nuts, places where the main wire harness was rubbing and a few other issues. I found a handful of cheap parts like plastic switches that did things like turn on brake lights when you pull the brake lever. All that got replaced too. It took a while but was well worth it. There won’t be any black swan events with it because I “know it” and gave it the love it needed. The end result was a motorcycle that I not only trusted, but began to enjoy riding.

Sounds like to need to give this treatment to your mower.