Ariens makes good on Gravely promise
After the Ariens Company announced that it was discontinuing its EverRide and Great Dane commercial mower lines to concentrate more on its core commercial brand, Gravely, it certainly delivered on that promise with the introduction of several new and redesigned Gravely products, as well as Ariens products at GIE+EXPO 2010.
Gravely Pro-Ride
Gravely Pro-Walk 24 High Wheel mower
The Brillion, Wis.-based company expanded its Gravely mower lineup with a redesigned Pro-Walk Series, a new Pro-Ride Series and a new Pro-Walk 24 High Wheel mower. The Gravely Pro-Walk is available in gear or hydro drive with Pro-Steer or pistol-grip controls and comes with a unique fixed/floating deck. The Gravely Pro-Ride Series zero-turn mowers boast a high-volume tunnel deck and have a history of performance in the field as the EverRide Warrior. The Gravely Pro-Walk 24 High Wheel mower is a redesigned version of the former Kee high-wheel mower.
For sports turf maintenance professionals, Ariens added four Gravely Turf products: the VAC 35 litter vacuum, an all-purpose litter vacuum designed to pick up plastic and glass bottles, debris and cans on either hard or turf surfaces; the Suburbanite, a towable lawn sweeper with a 36-inch sweeping width and 17-cubic-foot-capacity basket; the Estate Master, a towable lawn sweeper formed by hitching three Suburbanites together for a 100-inch sweeping width; and the Truck Loader, which makes cleanup jobs quick due to its large intake hose and compacting ratio.
In addition, Ariens announced that Gravely has partnered with Little League Baseball and Softball to become the Preferred Lawn and Field Equipment Supplier to the organization for the 2011 season. “The association with Little League is right on the mark for the Gravely brand of sports turf equipment,” said Dan Ariens, president & CEO of Ariens Company. “Gravely products are aimed at maintaining the local sports fields that exist in most communities across the country — where a variety of field sports are played on a daily basis.”
Ariens also expanded its Gravely Chore and Finishing line with several new products, including an edger, power rake, power brush, all-purpose vacuum and two log splitters. With versatile adjustment capabilities, the Gravely Edger may be used to edge, trim, and bevel along walkways, driveways and curbs. The Gravely Thatch-O-Matic is a durable power rake that digs out thatch where any major lawn repair is needed. The Gravely Power Brush 28 with its 28-inch-wide head may be used year-round to clean everything from snow to sand to thatch off almost any surface. The Gravely All Purpose Vacuum (APV) may be used to pick up plastic and glass bottles, debris, leaves, twigs and cans on hard or turf surfaces and comes standard with an on-board hose to vacuum under shrubs and other difficult-to-reach areas. The two Gravely log splitters offer operator ergonomics and Subaru engines to make tough jobs easy; one comes with a 169-cc engine, 4.5-inch bore position, 16.5-second cycle time and 27-ton splitting force and the second with a 211-cc engine, 5-inch bore position, 18-second cycle time and 34-ton splitting force.
Ariens announced that it has not only redesigned the Gravely Treker utility vehicle for increased performance, enhanced user comfort and better reliability, but will be offering it with a series of aftermarket add-ons from Kolpin. For starters, the redesigned Treker features a column shifter — the first in a utility vehicle — which makes it easier for operators to navigate through reverse, drive and neutral. It also has a 22-hp. Subaru engine for 10-percent more power, improved bottom-end torque and more efficient cooling. The new accessories include a Utility Gear Rail System, Gear Grips, Rhino Grips XL, Universal Fit Saw Press II Brackets and Kolpin Fuel Packs.
Ariens Company also announced upgrades to its Gravely ZT42 and ZT50 and Ariens Zoom 42 and Zoom 52 zero-turn mowers with improved mowing decks, enhanced engine performance and a host of features designed to reduce operator fatigue. All four mowers will feature a 12-gauge stamped-steel XLerator deck, a lower center of gravity, fully adjustable and dampened control arms, newly designed handle bars that can be adjusted in three different directions and a new 18-inch high-back seat.
On the heels of celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Ariens Sno-Thro in August with the dedication of the Mando “Steve” Ariens Gardens and a 9-foot centerpiece sculpture titled “Man and Machine,” Ariens Company introduced a pair of snow throwers. It unveiled the AMP 24 Sno-Thro, an all-electric two-stage unit with a 24-inch clearing width, and the Sno-Tek single-stage unit with a 205-cc Briggs and Stratton engine and a 22-inch clearing width.
For more information about Ariens and Gravely, visit www.ariens.com.
