On a muggy Thursday at the edge of suburbia, you can spot a familiar red mower eating up someone’s acre. That’s a Ferris—favorite of landscapers who care more about uptime than Instagram. But between online whisper campaigns and Facebook group rants, the question keeps coming up: Is Ferris Mowers going out of business?
Short answer: No, they’re not. They’re not even limping. But let’s put rumor up against reality with stats, real stories, and a straight look at what Ferris is actually doing now.
Ferris Mowers: The Workhorse With Attitude
Ferris isn’t just some generic badge on a box-store shelf. You’ll find them grinding through tall grass on local ball fields, parked next to utility trailers at dawn, dusty and dented—used, in other words, by people who depend on the equipment to earn their mortgage payment.
The company is best known for its commercial zero-turn mowers, like the IS® 700 and ISX™ 3300. These machines are built to take a beating: think heavy-duty suspension, fat horsepower numbers, and decks that treat crabgrass like an afterthought. By one count, Ferris has been in the mower game for almost a century—changing hands, yes, but always circling back to the core mission: rugged, work-first design.
What’s Really Going On? The 2025 Status Report
Backchannel talk is cheap, but the dealer lots tell a different story. If Ferris were circling the drain, you’d expect to see empty shelves, outdated models, and tumbleweeds in the “new arrivals” section. Instead, their 2025 catalog just hit the street, stocked with fresh models and some flashy upgrades.
The IS® 700 and ISX™ 3300? Not just in the brochure, but arriving at dealerships with factory-fresh paint as of August 2025. Several major equipment retailers across the U.S. reported “full pipeline” status for Ferris shipments through summer, with online inventory trackers showing steady restocks on parts and units. So much for a disappearing act.
Ferris’s own site and press releases confirm ongoing manufacturing, dealer training webinars, and new product rollouts—plus, their warranty claims system is still humming. You don’t invest in system upgrades for a shuttered brand.
The Industry Rumor Mill: Where Does It Come From?
But what’s behind all the “Ferris is going under” noise? Three things: scuttlebutt, misunderstanding, and the fact that the commercial equipment market gets rough whenever the economy sneezes.
There’s no shortage of skepticism out there. If you’re a lawncare pro who lost $6,000 worth of landscaping contracts when a supplier folded last year, you get jumpy when brands go quiet. And Ferris’s parent company, Briggs & Stratton, did go through bankruptcy a couple years back—which spooked a lot of people who rely on these mowers.
But a deeper look tells the story: no official closure announcement, no “end-of-the-line” press releases. Ferris is still onboarding dealers, updating equipment, and (maybe most importantly) keeping parts in stock on their service network.
If you follow industry forums, you’ll notice the “going out of business” rumor pops up any time there’s a shipment delay, a backordered part, or a new competitor running a deep discount. The turbulence is real—especially when global supply chains hiccup—but there’s no hard data to support these extinction theories.
Challenges? Sure. Closure? Nope.
It’s true that commercial mowing is a tough sector. Lawn care companies are notorious penny-pinchers: profits shrink when fuel prices climb or when the summer is wetter (or drier) than usual. Newer brands are always sniffing around for market share with discount mowers shipped on pallets from who-knows-where, promising dealers “disruptive” margins.
Still, Ferris is doing what you’d expect from a business that intends to stick around: rolling out updates, investing in training, and running real dealer events—not just “virtual expos.” They’ve expanded parts support and introduced financing offers (as recent as this quarter) for small businesses and franchisees. “If Ferris was done,” as one dealer put it, “they sure picked a weird way to bow out.”
2025 Product & Innovation Push: More Than Just Lip Service
Here’s where the pedal hits the floor. New for 2025: Ferris’s updated IS® and ISX™ models come with revised suspensions, improved comfort, and upgraded engines in the mid-$7,000 to $15,000 range. In an industry where one or two new models can make or break a season, Ferris is hedging its bets with a full refresh.
The brand continues to highlight its patented suspension technology (a long-standing selling point) and is now pushing more fuel-efficiency features—direct response to higher operating costs out in the field. Dealers at spring demos posted on social media about faster cut speeds and easier controls, not fewer shipments.
Biggest indicator? You’ll spot Ferris booths at regional equipment expos, showing off “coming soon” gear—something you don’t bother with when you’re headed for the exit.
Their sales reps are still hitting the pavement. “We’re seeing a real appetite for upgrades,” one territory manager noted last month, “especially from guys replacing older gas units.” That’s not sunset talk. That’s a company expecting to be around for next year’s mowing season, too.
Who Owns Ferris? The Briggs & Stratton Connection
Understand one big reason for the confusion: Briggs & Stratton, the parent company, hit headlines in 2020 when it declared bankruptcy. When an established multinational starts rearranging its debts, panic tends to ripple through every brand in the portfolio.
Back then, the fear among dealers and gearheads was logical: would Ferris get mothballed, broken up, or sold off piece by piece? Turns out, none of that happened. Briggs & Stratton, after its restructuring and ownership change, kept Ferris—and doubled down, weaving the brand into the new business strategy.
Fast-forward to 2025: Ferris is still owned wholly by Briggs & Stratton. No sign of a selloff, shutdown, or merger. Ferris is still featured in Briggs’s investor calls, quarterly updates, and long-term planning. The ISX™ 3300 isn’t getting marked down for “inventory clearance”—it’s hitting the market with fresh features.
Dealer Network: Is the Faith Still There?
Check the grassroots barometer: independent dealers. They’re quick to drop brands that disappear without support (no one wants angry farmers camping in the parking lot). Most local dealers report active communication from Ferris, timely parts warranties, and support on new model transitions.
This has led to continued buy-in among the shops you trust to keep your business running. “They’re still backing up their dealers, that’s the sweet spot,” a regional distributor in Georgia shared. “You know when a brand is ‘ghosting’ the network—hasn’t happened with Ferris.”
Also telling: Ferris is offering package incentives to dealers willing to floor 2025 inventory—a risky move if you don’t think you’ll have product to fill those slots.
The Numbers Don’t Lie: Still Moving Metal
Nobody runs a full-court press on sales if the end is nigh. Discounts and promo bundles are part of every company’s toolkit when margins are tight, but Ferris isn’t slashing prices to move dusty stock. According to sales data compiled by three dealership groups, Ferris’s 2024-2025 spring season saw only a minor dip from pre-pandemic highs—down ~5% on units, but up ~8% on average sale price (thanks to new tech in the latest models).
In the digital space, Ferris mowers are still being pushed on equipment trading boards, farm supplier portals, and even general listings. If the brand had lost trust, you’d see prices in freefall. Instead, prices have been steady, and some models (like diesel variants) command premiums.
If you want more gritty numbers and business diagnostics, The Business Back tracks small company economics in real-time.
Future Outlook: Ferris Mowers Isn’t Rolling Back
You’ve heard the phrase: “Where there’s smoke, there’s fire”? In Ferris’s case, it’s just the usual exhaust pipe on a reliable old mule—still chugging, still making the morning rounds.
The company is showing up at expos. New products are rolling out, orders are being filled, and parts backlogs are (mostly) short-lived. Dealers report company support. Parent company Briggs & Stratton is keeping Ferris close, not kicking it to the curb. There’s no official word—no verifiable evidence—of Ferris Mowers going out of business in 2025.
Sure, the commercial mower market is a crowded field. But Ferris is proving pretty nimble. They’re innovating, selling, and—most importantly—investing for tomorrow. If you’re a landscape pro or a small-town mower guy betting your spring income on reliability, Ferris is as good a horse to back as any.
So if you’re holding back on that ISX™ 3300 or stalling a fleet upgrade because you’re worried Ferris is circling the drain, you can exhale. The mowers are still coming off the line, still cutting grass, and most of all—still making people money.
Verdict for summer 2025? Ferris is here, and business is business as usual. Reliability compounds, and for Ferris Mowers, that’s the mode they’re sticking with.
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