Page 9 - OPE Nov 22-Feb 23

Husky’s long life ZTR workhorse
THE HUSQVARNA Z554L professional series
ZTR is designed for a long working life, high productivity, durability and cut quality with high ground speeds and superior traction.
Features include a premium suspension seat for all-day comfort, a new automatic parking brake, top of
the line HydroGear ZT5400 transmission, convenient deck height adjustment,
easy-access service points, a Roll Over Protection System (ROPS), all powered by a 27 hp Kawasaki FX
Series V-twin.
www.husqvarna.com/nz/
THIS TIME LAST year, suppliers, servicing dealers and no doubt end users were bemoaning the on
again, off again, state of the supply chain. This year, as with so many aspects of
home and garden improvement, the supply lines for outdoor power have become much less inconsistent.
Steelfort GM Gavin Lowndes for one is pleased that shipping has freed up for his Cub Cadet ZTRs: “Suddenly there’s a lot of stock arriving which is a good thing. We are going into our season, so it’s really good to have that stock available!”
Mike Roberts, Husqvarna’s New Zealand Country Manager, is also happier now with the state of his supply chain: “We have seen a strong improvement around ZTR supply on the previous two years which has been pleasing.”
“In saying that,” he qualifies, “we are still seeing some supply challenges due
to manufacturing and availability of key componentry as a result of unprecedented global demand which has impacted the delivery lead time to reach our market.”
Still, says Mike: “All indicators suggest componentry supply will continue to further improve as we move forward into next year.”
And that’s just as well because ZTRs have been selling well...
ZTR’s “phenomenal” year
Gavin Lowndes agrees that the overall
Kiwi ride-on market across side discharge, catcher and zero turn has had “a phenomenal year, there’s no doubt about it.”
What’s more, he says: “Sales are up and as a percentage, zero turns have certainly grown within that sphere.”
Not only have Cub Cadet’s steering
wheel ZTRs been “going gangbusters,” says Gavin, but standard lap bar models have also increased and Steelfort has increased its ZTR offering accordingly.
“It’s the same in Australia. ZTRs over there are just going from strength to strength and we are starting to see that here as well.”
Is that at the expense of other ride-on formats I ask?
Possibly catcher machines, says Gavin. And who’s been snapping them all up? “Definitely the lifestylers. It just feels
like they have had a bit more money; they haven’t travelled, they haven’t been overseas until now.”
Armed with the Z Turn range, Husqvarna’s Mike Roberts agrees that lifestyle block owners have delivered the ZTR market’s biggest growth but adds that
commercial operators are also now seeing ZTR as their preferred mower format over tractor-style ride-ons, thanks to their manoeuvrability and ability to deliver a quality cut rapidly in broad open areas.
Looking for quality, not discounts
The most positive aspect here is that lifestyle ZTR buyers at least have been buying into
a higher level of quality / functionality compared to previous seasons.
Despite some component shortages and faced with significant inflation (of which more later), Andrew Peacocke, Marketing & Sales Manager at ZTR Mowers Ltd, with its Grasshopper ZTRs, and Wright Standers, remains positive about what is being bought.
“It’s a more educated market now,” he says. “It is a pleasant surprise that, even when the price goes up, the demand is still there, but it’s not a surprise that people are interested in a quality product.”
So the team at ZTR Mowers have been busy, like others: “We’ve been selling a lot of Grasshoppers and a lot of Wright standers, and we are just looking ahead to what’s coming. But we are also just concentrating on selling what we’ve got at the moment, and we’ve got plenty to sell.”
Andrew Peacocke is another to have seen ZTR buyers looking upmarket rather than down, at his front deck Grasshoppers for example: “With these machines costing good money, people are looking for a model to really fit their needs.
“Although everything has got more expensive, we have found that hasn’t affected the sales of our bigger units, especially Grasshopper,” with their front mount deck option.
Just on the cusp – battery ZTRs
The domestic mower market and that for handheld outdoor power equipment is certainly switching to battery power. What about ZTRs?
Has the interest in electric ZTRs shown by commercial operators in the last couple of years turned into sales?
Mike Roberts at Husqvarna says it is early days in this respect: “We are starting to
see a few brands start to enter this battery ZTR space, but there is still some hesitancy around battery run times and performance of battery zero turns in the commercial space over traditional machines.”
Still, he says: “This will change in time with product development and as battery run time improves.”
Masport ANZ Sales & Marketing Manager Steve Huddleston, with his
MARKETPLACE
Zero Turn Mowers
more at www. facebook.com/NZOPEmagazine NOVEMBER 2022-FEBRUARY 2023 NZ OUTDOOR POWER EQUIPMENT 09