who makes stihl zero turn mowers

Stihl zero-turn mowers are designed and branded by Stihl, but they are actually manufactured for Stihl by Briggs & Stratton, primarily through its Ferris commercial mower division in the U.S.

Who makes Stihl zero turn mowers?

• Stihl entered the zero-turn mower market through a manufacturing partnership rather than building them in-house.

• Briggs & Stratton designs, engineers, and manufactures the Stihl RZ zero-turn mower line to Stihl’s specs.

• Production is closely tied to Ferris (owned by Briggs & Stratton), with units built in facilities such as Sherrill, New York.

Key points at a glance

• Brand on the mower: Stihl (RZ series zero-turns).

• Actual manufacturer: Briggs & Stratton, via its zero-turn manufacturing operations (including Ferris).

• Relationship: Strategic OEM-style partnership—Stihl sets performance and quality parameters, Briggs & Stratton builds the machines.

Why did Stihl partner instead of building their own?

• Stihl’s traditional strength is handheld and smaller outdoor power equipment, not full-size zero-turn mowers.

• Briggs & Stratton already has decades of zero-turn design and production expertise, including engines, transmissions, and mower chassis.

• Partnering lets Stihl quickly offer a complete RZ zero-turn lineup (residential to commercial) without building new factories.

Quick HTML facts table

Question	Answer
Who makes Stihl zero turn mowers?	Briggs & Stratton manufactures them for Stihl, using its zero-turn mower operations (including Ferris).
Does Stihl build them in-house?	No. Stihl relies on a manufacturing partnership instead of its own zero-turn production plants.
Where are they built?	In Briggs & Stratton facilities, with Ferris-built units in Sherrill, New York noted for Stihl zero-turns.
What are they called?	The lineup is typically branded as Stihl RZ zero-turn mowers (e.g., RZ 142, RZ 152, RZ 552 K, RZ 972i).

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Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.