Ariens IKON X 52 Review – Why Its the Best Residential Zero Turn Mower

Ariens IKON X 52

EngineMax SpeedCutting Deck
23 HP7 mph52”

Mowing techniques are changing with the advancement in time. And becoming a vital need of our lives because we love to have green, decorated, and manicured lawns outside our houses. Ariens IKON X 52, an advanced and amazing version of zero-turn mower is established to fulfill these advanced techniques and needs of mowing.

Mowing becomes a pleasure if we accomplish it with the most suitable lawnmower. A lawnmower can be a suitable one if it’s fulfilling our lawn needs by providing us with more efficiency, extra power, high performance, durability, and comfort.

Ariens IKON-X52

Mowing is art with style, performance, and experience. Compiling this art with style and performance, The Ariens Co. has manufactured this most desirable and satisfying design in the progressive engagement of zero-turn mowers.

Ariens is manufacturing the comparatively most lightweight designs with uniqueness and style to provide us most sturdy, more efficient, and time-saving mowing experience. Ariens has given a unique and elegant residential design to this iconic machine and assembled it with commercial qualities to make it magnificent and exceptionally powerful. It’s the strongest built residential mower in the market yet.

Ariens has assembled IKON X 52 with the powerful Kawasaki Fr-series V-twin engine. This 4-cycle commercial-grade engine uses automatic compression release technology. Therefore, it provides sturdy and productive yields in an affordable range of your wallet.

Pros
  • Commercially powerful Kawasaki engine in residential price.
  • Commercial-grade 52 inches deck with height adjustment and commercial cut quality.
  • Individual control arms for each wheel.
  • Exceptionally quieter than other mowers.
  • Affordable USA assembled unit.
Cons
  • Attachments are available separately.
  • Non-serviceable hydros.

In this review, we will thoroughly discuss the features, accessories, design, pros, and cons of the Ariens IKON X 52.

Features of Ariens IKON X 52

Ariens IKON X 52 zero turn mower highlights with the following features. Some are residential, and some are commercial to make this an exceptional model.

Let’s go through the detail of these features one by one.

Engine power

The Ariens IKON X 52 has two models, and it comes up with two powerful engine options, the Kawasaki FR-Series V-Twin, and the Kohler 7000 V-Twin engines.

Both versions are assembled with the same feature and have the same classifications. The only significant difference in both models is the engine difference with a little bit of difference in power.

The Kawasaki version has the 23HP Kawasaki FR-series V-twin engine with cast iron cylinders and an internally vented carburetor. That offers commercial-grade power to this engine and mower as well.

V-Twin Intake Engine

This professional-grade has V-valve that allows you to trim your yard professionally. The Kawasaki engine provides an electronic spark ignition for an instant key start, and it has a pressurized lubrication system, which makes the other sensitive parts run smoothly.

IKON X 52 Kawasaki has Hydro-Gear transmission with EZT Transaxles, which allows the engine to run forward with speed ranges up to 7mph and 3mph in reverse. And makes the mower capable of mowing efficiently for more time without refueling.

Comparison between IKON Kawasaki and IKON Kohler

Each of the engines is built with quality and provides long-lasting performance.

Kawasaki is relatively quiet, sturdy, and more effective in performance than the Kohler engine. And is capable of working more than 1000 hrs without any oiling or maintenance.

Whereas Kohler V-twin can able to work only for 400 hrs constantly, it requires fueling and maintenance more than the Kawasaki V-Twin.

Hence, the Kawasaki FR V-twin engine is remarkably more robust and reliable than the Kohler7000 V-Twin engine and some other competitors.

Engine

Therefore, If you want to mow continually for hours without any interruption of fueling or oiling, then you should go for the Ariens IKON X 52 Kawasaki because it’s the best choice for residential, professional and commercial-grade mowers.

Fuel capacity

The Ariens IKON X 52 has a fuel capacity of 2.8 gallons, which is almost 10.5 liters. That is large enough to mow two and a half acres without refueling, which is a striking and stunning feature as a residential mower.

Oil Filter

IKON X 52 features an oil filter, fitted on the upper side of the transaxles.

  • That catches all the dirt and free-floating trash in the oil.
  • It maintains the oil flow and prevents cold start to wear.
  • It ensures the oil cleaning process frequently.
  • The oil filter allows the mower to run smoothly without overheating.

Cutting Deck

The Aries IKON X 52 has an astonishing commercial feature to highlight. That is its 52 inches thick, heavy-duty, commercial-grade, and entirely fabricated 11-gauge steel deck with 3 blades. It’s a pretty large deck for any residential mower. And It also has a comparatively bigger chute than its rivals.

Cutting Deck

Because of this big chute, you can mow about 6 inches of grass without clumpings, and you can do it in one pass. All because of this chute you have got 3 blades under this big, durable deck.

This zero-turn mower can have the automatic parking brakes because of its hydrostatic transmission. That allows the blades to shut off automatically in the absence of the operator.

Deck Heights

It has a comfortable deck assist for deck lift and to provide support to your foot. It is available with 13 different height settings. You can adjust the deck height with the lowest height of 1.5 inches and may set it to the highest level of height of 4.5 inches by using this assist, and you can change the deck height settings by simply rotating a dial. This sturdy deck has deck height adjustment to change the pitch angle side to side or front to rear.

Deck Assist

The Ariens IKON X 52 is offering 11 inches of front caster wheels and 18 inches of thick rear wheels. And has a drive system with a drive wheel adjustment clip right behind both drive wheels to make it run or to make it push whenever needed.

The Ariens offers this mower with a 4-point commercial hanging style deck suspension, that makes the mower capable of doing more even and leveled cutting when mowing over uneven terrain and make it easy to tackle small hills of the yard.

Frame

The Ariens designed IKON-X 52 with fine, famed, and fully welded tubular steel frame to make it extra tough, more reliable, highly maneuverable, and easy to operate. And maintain IKON’s strength with endurance. It’s finishing with rust-resistant coating makes it elegant, increases stability, and makes it more durable.

Zero-turn Radius

Ariens IKON-X 52 is the zero turn mower, which has the potential to make the smallest circular turns of radius almost equals to zero, which makes it a zero-turn mower. So you might be able to mow around circular terrains and trees more efficiently and quickly.

Control Panel

It also has a convenient control panel, which contains;

  • A start switch for ignition and to provide a mower with a smooth start.
  • A choke is provided to activate the start switch.
  • Throttle control to adjust the volume and speed of the mower.
  • Hour meter to show the average usage of the mower in terms of hours.
  • Deck activation clutch which works as an airpower unit to activate or deactivate the blades.

Control Panel

A helpful hidden deflector is also added up to Ariens IKON X 52 zero-turn mower to deflect the exhaust away from the transaxles and to avoid getting them hot, which affects the reliability of the mower.

Comfort

Super comfortable high back cushioned seat with a couple of adjustments here. You can sit on it for more than 3 hours without getting any stress, pain, and fatigue. Seat not only has the mounting slots. So, you can move it back and forth. But it also has an additional adjuster with the side handle to pull up that handle and adjust the position of your seat.

Ariens IKON X 52 comes along with super relaxing armrests to make your arms feel relaxed under the steering bars during mowing, with an option to remove them by folding them up at any time.

Additional Attachments of Ariens IKON X 52

Ariens IKON X 52 comes up with some exciting additional attachments, that make it more versatile and provide ease of use with all-new upgradations.

Mulch kit

A mulching kit changes your mower into a mulcher. That allows the mower to use its cutting blades as mulching blades. The mulching kit recycles the lawn clippings and mixes it back with the yard’s soil, and it eliminates the mess to recollect the leftover from the lawn.

Mulch Kit

The combination of mowing and mulching at the same time saves time and money. It works as a fertilizer and allows the soil to preserve its nutrients to stay healthy, active, and more productive.

Hitch kit

Adding a hitch kit switch your Ariens IKON zero-turn mower into a multi-tasking unit. The sturdy design of the hitch kit allows the mower to pull plenty of accessories such as pull behind sprayers, fertilizer spreaders, and service trailers. Attach the weight according to the mentioned range in the operator manual, which is probably 2.38 lbs.

Hitch Kit

Bagger

Bagger is a grass collector attached to the mower. Ariens IKON-X powered bagger comprises of 2 trap bags, mounted hardware, and has a capacity of 4.6cu. ft. (3.7 bushels). It allows the mower to collects debris other than the grass such as leaves for convenient cleanup and gives a professionally finished mow as a result.

Bagger

LED Headlights

LED headlight attachment gives your mower a pleasant look by making it attractive while you ignite up your mower. These lights help make mowing easy for you in dim light or at night.

LED Headlights

Dethatcher

Dead grass that accumulates above the soil is thatch. It is helpful during the fall to winter season but at the same time can harm grassroots. If the layer of dead grass (thatch) gets too thick, it will restrict the flow of water, air, and light to the grassroots. Also, thatch is home to insects and bacteria which no one likes.

Thus we recommend using a dethatcher to clear up the thatch. It allows your lawn to be more healthy by removing extra layers.

Wheel Covers

Make your mower more stylish and give it a smart look by attaching the Ariens 8 inch Chrome Wheel Covers to the rear wheels of your mower.

Important Instructions While Using Ariens IKON X 52

  • Refer user manual for access to the additional service points.
  • Check your engine, brake, and deck oil before start mowing for better reliability.
  • Regularly check your oil filter and make sure to keep it clean to increase its durability.
  • Before starting, make sure that your lap bars are even.
  • Follow the maintenance schedule mentioned in the owner’s manual.
  • Make sure to perform an oil change along with the oil filter at the recommended time mentioned in the engine manual.
  • Fill engine with the suitable weight, viscosity rating, and quantity of engine oil as mentioned in the engine manual.
  • Always check blade balance, blade sharpness, and their positioning before using it after every season.

Conclusion

When it comes to the best zero-turn mower in a reasonable pocket range, the Ariens IKON X 52 is the ultimate winner. It has all the features of a commercial-grade mower but comes in a residential price tag. One of the most prominent and best features of this mower is its 23 hp powerful engine that is capable enough to deliver work up to 1,000 hours without any oiling required.

Ariens IKON X comes with a 52-inch wide deck that is capable enough of mowing large size lawn. It has a fully welded tubular steel frame that provides extra strong chassis to work with and provide a better stability at uneven terrain. IKON X comes with padded seats and armrest, which offers more comfort for an extended period of mowing and results in better mowing experience.

This model of IKON X zero-turn mower is one of the most stable zero-turn mowers and delivers a perfect and smooth cutting experience even at the uneven surface. It’s a homeowner grade mower but delivers commercial-grade mowing results.

During our 108 hours review of this product, we have found it to be a perfect combination of features in a very competitive price tag. We no doubt loved it and recommended it to anyone looking for an all-around mower.

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