How one Stihl super fan added the company’s new zero-turns

Eric Bills, owner of Precision Lawncare and Landscape says his positive experience with Stihl’s handheld equipment motivated him to purchase two of Stihl’s zero-turn mowers. (Photo: Precision Lawncare and Landscape)

Eric Bills, owner of Precision Lawncare and Landscape in Hammondsport, N.Y., has been a Stihl fan since he founded his primarily residential lawn care, maintenance and snow and ice business in 2013.

“I’ve been using Stihl power equipment from the very beginning,” he says. “I trust the reliability and the quality of the equipment is something that I need.”

Bills uses Stihl backpack blowers and string trimmers. He said he wanted to work with one dealer for all his equipment. His dealer for mowers was about 20 minutes away and had trouble getting parts to Bills. Bills said he hoped to get another season out of his existing mowers, but when that became an issue, he demoed a Stihl zero-turn mower and several other mowers on the market and opted to go with Stihl.

Bills credits his Stihl distributor, Titus Hoover, owner of Hoover’s Small Engine in Branchport, N.Y., for setting him up with Stihl mowers. Stihl announced the product launch in October 2022 at the Equip Exposition and started shipping them to dealers early this year.

“As soon as he got wind of (the Stihl zero-turns), he called me right up and he was super excited to get a line of commercial mowers on his property for sale,” he says of Hoover. “The dealer support that I get from Titus … is huge for me. A dealer that’s readily available for pretty much anything that I need. He answers my phone calls, and he’s pretty much everything that I could ever want in somebody that sells the equipment that I use.”

Getting started with Stihl

Bills purchased Stihl’s RZ 760 and RZ 960 models from Hoover’s Small Engine. He says after picking the mowers up in late July, he didn’t waste any time getting them up and running.

“We took them to a big property of mine that we take care of,” he says. “From the very beginning, it was kind of bittersweet getting a nice brand-new mower covered in grass. They’ve been great so far. I’ve been on these machines for quite a while and so far, so good. I enjoy the electronic fuel injection that they both have. The power, the speed, the cut quality, they’re just what I want in a mower.”

Both of Bills’ Stihl zero-turns have 60-inch decks and independent suspension on all four wheels, which Bills says is a nice added feature that makes for a smooth ride. His RZ 960 also features a suspension seat.

“That makes a big difference when you’re on a mower for eight or 10 hours a day on some pretty rough ground,” he says.

Know what you’ve got

Bills says he doesn’t regret his decision to purchase two zero-turns from Stihl’s relatively new mower line. He says a big driver in his decision was to ensure he and his crew had reliable mowers to tackle his jobs.

“I’ve been a diehard Stihl fan from the very beginning, and I continue to support the name and the brand and the company,” he says. “It’s just an overall enjoyable experience being on a quality product.”

He says anyone considering Stihl’s mowers should know “they’re getting into a product that will last them a long time.”