2023 Ariens Gravely New Products! New Ariens IKON.

[@PaulSikkema]

Feel free to leave a comment below. (I do moderate the comments so it may not show up right away) Thanks for watching and please Subscribe!

[@IowaKLR650]

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.

[@PaulSikkema]

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.

[@dougsage3340]

Paul so glad to have you back.

[@lordaresthefirst]

Well done good review Thanks

[@williamstewart6534]

I always enjoy the thoroughness of your reviews. Keep up the good work!

[@tjordan8146]

Thanks Paul! Nice work bringing the latest news from Ariens and Gravely.

[@cardo1111]

As always an excellent comprehensive vid, thanks for taking us along for the ride. Love that 90th anniversary Sno-thro, I'm sure it won't be easy to get your hands on one of those. Despite its rarity would be a shame not to use it if you owned one. Ariens is a great American business/success story.

[@benjaminleslie3155]

That collectors snow blower is such a sweet love letter to tecumseh so cute!

[@PaulSikkema]

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

[@mackRseries]

Loving the Anniversary unit!

[@Doobie2100]

Thanks for sharing!

[@mct8888]

Dang that Stealth!

[@juanpolanco540]

The New iKon looks great. I'm actually getting one in the coming weeks. The 2023 models just started arriving at our local Lowe's stores.

[@Olhous]

Hey Paul - Thank you for these updates - mostly on the Ariens and Gravely products. I am planning to buy a new mower this year to mow my VERY hilly two-acre lot here in Massachusetts. With the snow equipment, you have been great about identifying different units for different conditions. As you write about the mowers, commenting on their 'hill' performance would be hugely appreciated. Out here, many of us need the ability to handle relatively steep hills, bag the leaves, and ideally even tow a small trailer. Any thoughts or comments as your review the various offerings to meet this use case would be appreciated.

[@Olhous]

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.

[@PaulSikkema]

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.

[@Wittyusername82]

Finally got my Kraken in March after a year of waiting. It’s an awesome machine, all the bells and whistles and built like a tank.

[@tedm4932]

I enjoy watching your video !! Do you how much that black stealth price tag ?

[@PaulSikkema]

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

[@MeltingRubberZ28]

I'm sure the new Ariens products are sweet but so glad I bought my XD52 when I did (2999+tax). The following season they went up to 3500/3700 depending on where you bought for the exact same thing.

[@PaulSikkema]

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

[@GaryBarrett-np4pk]

Paul, Thank you for your thoroughness and expertise in all of your reviews. I will be purchasing my first zero turn soon and have decided on the Ariens Ikon 52 or the Toro Timecutter 50 based on your reviews. I appreciate your video on the Equip Exp. Based on what I see in the video and the lower price on the Ikon than the Timecutter, I will likely purchase the Ikon. I see that the Ikon has a pin system deck adjustment instead of the knob from last year. What do you feel is the better system and are the 2023 model improvements enough to pay $200 more than the 2022 model? Thanks again and keep up the great work!

[@PaulSikkema]

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.

[@GaryBarrett-np4pk]

@@PaulSikkema Great. Thanks for the rapid response!

[@Curious_Cat123]

Why are the standard baggers so much money? Are the dealers price gouging? They are often north of a thousand dollars for a $4,000 residential zero turn mower! (Non powered)

[@PaulSikkema]

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.

[@tboldt4973]

Having a hard time find a chute blocker that will fit the new envy deck on the Ariens Ikon 52.

[@PaulSikkema]

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.

[@jamespjackson95]

Does the new IKON have a serviceable transmission or just the Gravely?

[@PaulSikkema]

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.

[@brandonyoung7760]

How damn hard is it just to put a serviceable transmission on the ikon? Especially with how much they cost. Btw still waiting on the ikon video 😢

[@PaulSikkema]

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.

[@brandonyoung7760]

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

[@xavierthomas3966]

Did they fix the belt issues on the ikon?

[@PaulSikkema]

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.

[@billyebensberger9109]

It would be awesome to have a Stealth Kraken to cover both seasons covered.

[@PaulSikkema]

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

[@bigdogbrosadventures8371]

Nice video. I dislike the aggressive rear tires and hope they are not on the new 2023 HD models. Don't need a knobby tread like that on flat property, it just tears up the turf even on a good 3pt turn. Why can't Gravely make the rear fenders functional. Those aren't fenders but just trim to make a mower look cool. Hope they fix the belt problems and other issues.

[@PaulSikkema]

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.

[@jdirt1982]

What's the difference between zenith and ikon?

[@PaulSikkema]

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.