Yamaha Motor Corp. is entering the landscape market in a new partnership with Gravely, an Ariens Co. brand.
Announced at the Ariens Dealer Summit in Amelia Island, Fla., this week, Yamaha’s two new V-Twin EFI engines—the MX775 V-Twin EFI 29-hp engine and the MX825 V-Twin EFI 33-hp engine—are now available for order in Gravely’s Pro-Turn 200 and 400 lines of zero-turn mowers.
The engines are specifically designed for the green industry, said Derek Schoeberle, product planning manager for Yamaha. They’re the product of a four-year research and development process, conducted both in Japan and the U.S. The goal, Schoeberle said, was high power and torque, serviceability and operator comfort.
“Often, engine companies will find something they already have and make it fit the market,” Schoeberle said. “We realized we could bring new technology to the lawn and garden market, and we knew we had to develop it from scratch, specifically for this industry.”
This launches a relationship between the two companies that will likely result in more Ariens and Gravely products powered by Yamaha, both companies said. New products can be expected as early as 2018.
Though Gravely is launching Yamaha’s foray in the market, the deal is nonexclusive. Yamaha will likely entertain other partnerships in the industry.
“We’re honored that such an iconic brand like Yamaha has chosen Gravely to be their initial launch partner,” said Ariens Vice President of Marketing Matt Medden. “This project has been several years in the making, and Gravely, together with Yamaha, can’t wait to see how our customers respond to these new engines. Yamaha has been a trusted name in countless industries for years, and we’re happy to officially welcome them to the outdoor power equipment industry.”
The companies also revealed a streamlined maintenance and repair program, in which users can go directly to the Gravely dealers, rather than the engine manufacturers, for repairs. Yamaha has done “extensive training” and developed additional online training for on-going education to ensure Ariens technicians are familiar with the EFI technology.
“We saw that the industry needed to streamline the maintenance process so that users could just call Ariens, and they’ll be able to handle everything through the same channel,” said Schoeberle. “That’s not often the way it’s done in the industry, and dealers were very excited about that.”
The 29-hp engine can be ordered in the Gravely Pro-Turn 260 and the Gravely Pro-Turn 452. The 33-hp engine is available in the Gravely Pro-Turn 460 and the Gravely Pro-Turn 472.
While engine companies often tout horsepower, and end users are often wowed by it, torque is the true test of a high-performing engine, Schoeberle said. The vertical V-Twin engines are designed to deliver maximum torque.
“What makes the biggest difference, where you really get it done, is when you have a high level of torque at the optimal rpm the machine should be running at,” said Schoeberle. “That also helps control fuel efficiency.”
Other highlights of the engine include:
- a lower, deeper tone, which makes the engine quieter;
- a 75-degree V bank angle shape to the engine, which creates more space around the engine for serviceability; and
- a three-year warranty that includes the muffler.
Dealer orders were nearly double Gravely’s expectations, the company said. The engines are in production and ready for purchase. Gravely Pro-Turn zero-turn mowers equipped with a Yamaha EFI engine start at a list price of $11,899.
Gravely’s new Pro-Turn line, including the mowers equipped with the new Yamaha engine, will be available to the public for test-drives at GIE+EXPO in Louisville, Ky., Oct. 19-21.
