Thoughts on zero turn mowers
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Jacobi sells a ton of those Cubs. That's true. And I buy them all when the buyers trade them back in. I weld the decks back together, get the pulleys and belts right, rebuild the engines, and usually upgrade the wiring. I send them on their way to new owners. Come to think of it, you're correct. Cubs are great.
A psychiatrist who works only with abnormal psych patients thinks the whole world has issues. A mechanic that only works on Fords thinks that all Fords are rubbish. Etc, etc, etc.
Certainly. But I do get zero turns, other makes of tractor styles. I'll also say another brand that I see troubles with are Scags. We can all only go by what we see. That's part of being human. It's whatever you like. Some people love Dodge trucks, some like Chevy. Me, I prefer Toyota.
I guess what I'm saying is I'd like to see people who spend over $1500 on a mower get more than 2-3 cutting seasons without mishaps.
They likely do......that was my point. Most all regular residential mowers get 300-500 hrs of usage on average.....(properly cared for with general maintenance) If there are 500,000 regular mowers in your area in regular use.....and you repair 10 a year......then most people are likely getting well above "2-3 seasons without mishaps." (this is a hyperbole, of course)
.....but completely agree. Why anyone buys from a big box store over a local dealer escapes me? Much better product going to a local dealer.
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I too would like to see people get much more than 2-3 seasons out of a $1500 mower.
As a retailer though, we see people come in to the dealership all the time and say I have $1500, 5 acres to mow, and that's the mower I want. We do our best to tell people that purchasing a mower is simply an investment and in the case of a $1500 mower mowing 5 acres, it's not a wise investment. 50% of the time the customer says that's my budget, do you want to sell me the mower or not, so of course we do.
The customers who purchased from a box store simply don't get the education we try to provide before a customer makes that purchase. We have people who bring their Cubs or Deeres they bought from a Lowes or Tractor Supply in for service and repair and they tell us the sales person at the mass merchant said this small lawn tractor was appropriate for mowing 10 acres when it's designed for 1-2 acres. Usually that mower is totally worn out in a couple years and has a multitude of issues because it wasn't designed for what the customer was using it for. Is that the manufacturer's fault? Maybe. But it's probably the fault of the retailer not educating or trying to learn what the customers needs are instead of just selling them whatever they request.
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Absolutely. I always recommend people buy power equipment from a dealer. And a local, reputable dealer. Even hand-held stuff. It's worth the extra.
10 a year? You underestimate my endeavors. I've knocked out 4 this week. I mean I get ALL of the trade-ins. And from a few different dealers. I'm not a hobbyist. I make an eff ton of money on them. I'd estimate I cleared 7-10 grand, last year. And it was a slow year.
Definition of HYPERBOLE
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Ok. Have it your way. You'd know, not me. Right?Definition of HYPERBOLE
extravagant exaggeration (such as 'mile-high ice-cream cones')… See the full definitionwww.merriam-webster.com
If you do wholesaling with Jacobi, you should reach out. We wholesale all of our trade ins and would be happy to add you to our list of buyers when we get trade ins. We only focus on new unit sales and move alot of inventory.
That Deere plant is in Tennessee too. Now we know why all of those lower level mowers suck, they're made in Tennessee.
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So, transaxle went out of my 20 yo Craftsman. I could fix it, but I borrowed my brothers JD to finish my cutting, and that was a nice mower. Cut much more even than my Craftsman ever did.
I've been shopping, and seems there are no JD's in my price range ($2500-$3000) to be had, sold out, don't know when they'll get more. Anyway, in my research, those mowers have B & S with a oil change feature where you buy there filter with about half the oil required for a complete oil change already in it. That's crazy, you don't change half your oil! And the one's with a Kawasaki engine are more than I really want to pay.
I think I'll look for an older JD maybe, I can work on them. I don't know how to tag Smed or Huber, but I was wondering their opinion on Kohler or a B & S engine. I know I replaced the 17.5 HP B & S OHV on my Craftsman with an old flathead 5 years ago. So, anyone have an opinion on engines?
I've been shopping, and seems there are no JD's in my price range ($2500-$3000) to be had, sold out, don't know when they'll get more. Anyway, in my research, those mowers have B & S with a oil change feature where you buy there filter with about half the oil required for a complete oil change already in it. That's crazy, you don't change half your oil! And the one's with a Kawasaki engine are more than I really want to pay.
I think I'll look for an older JD maybe, I can work on them. I don't know how to tag Smed or Huber, but I was wondering their opinion on Kohler or a B & S engine. I know I replaced the 17.5 HP B & S OHV on my Craftsman with an old flathead 5 years ago. So, anyone have an opinion on engines?
Just bought a Grass Hopper. Didn’t like spending the money but I’ve had the old Scag 3 wheel rider over 20 years so I needed a newer model.
Hope it hold up to the price tag.
Hope it hold up to the price tag.
My Husqvarna was getting old. I gave it to my son and bought a Deere at Lowe's late last summer. It's a much better mower mower than the Husq. and so far I'm very satisfied with it.
I like mowing grass. I told my wife this will be the last mower I'll ever buy. The Deere should easily last 10 yrs and at my age that will I will start paying someone to mow.
I like mowing grass. I told my wife this will be the last mower I'll ever buy. The Deere should easily last 10 yrs and at my age that will I will start paying someone to mow.
I have had a grass hopper for 20 years or so. They are very good mowers. I think you will be happy with it. I have 5 acres that I mow. Mine has had very few problems over the years.
Honestly, Briggs and Kohler make so many different levels of engines, from basic, cheap, throw away engines to some of the most top of the line engines in the industry. It's hard to say which one is better without knowing the engine model numbers.
I wouldn't bank on that Deere from Lowe's lasting 10 years without a few big repairs.
I tend to agree, but its possible if you take very good care of it and service it precisely like the owners manual says to do. The units that are sold at Lowes (We sell them too) are not the same quality as the dealer exclusive units in the Deere X series lawn tractors. of course those have a higher price tag, but the quality in which they are built are night and day different.
If I could make a suggestion, if pricing is a factor, you may look at the Cub XT2 lineup. It's the dealer exclusive lineup for Cub, has the same Kawasaki engine at the X series Deere, has the same TuffTorq transmission at the Deere, has a welded one piece frame and cast iron front axle like the Deere, but as a heavier welded, fabricated deck where the Deere has a stamped deck. These are also usually much less dollar wise than the comparable Deere model.
If you want to read up on those, click here: https://www.cubcadet.com/en_US/riding-lawn-mowers/lawn-and-garden-tractors
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I'm not in the market for one. I'm totally fine buying something used that needs repair and fixing it. If I ever do decide to buy new, it will be a Kubota. If I want to take the time and make it look really good, I just break out the old John Deere 210.
I have a JD d130 I bought at Lowe’s working on its 11 year. Replaced spindles, belts and steering gears. 470 hours and it does not use oil. I do all my own maintenance work.
What Huber has said is definitely true. Speaking from the other side, someone who used to manage the reset teams in the KY district for the big orange box, the zero turns are shipped in on trucks to the stores on crate/pallet, unpacked, wiped down and put on display.
Any setting up of specs, checking, they don't do that presumably for liability reasons. Same as why 3PL builds say....any of the grills you see on display.
As far as the advice the employees offer, it all depends on who you're asking. There are seasoned hands that have expert advice, above and beyond what I myself would have known, and then there are rookies who only have word of mouth and minimal training. And that has nothing to do with whether they're young or old, man or woman. You just have to shop at your local box enough to know which employees have been there long enough to offer legitimate advice (that applies to any of the departments of course, but certainly a big purchase like Zero Turns.)
Central Equipment handles all the issues for the big box stores here in Lexington. Different outfit up in Louisville and out in Huntington.
If you're a residential area with 3/4 to 1 or even 2 acres, yeah, the big box ZTs will handle your workload. But for a lot of yall on here out in the counties, farms, real acreage etc Huber is absolutely right. You get what you pay for. It's worth the up front investment to go to your local dealer, get a quality product, and have someone you know personally who knows the machines machines can give you reliable service when the time comes.
Any setting up of specs, checking, they don't do that presumably for liability reasons. Same as why 3PL builds say....any of the grills you see on display.
As far as the advice the employees offer, it all depends on who you're asking. There are seasoned hands that have expert advice, above and beyond what I myself would have known, and then there are rookies who only have word of mouth and minimal training. And that has nothing to do with whether they're young or old, man or woman. You just have to shop at your local box enough to know which employees have been there long enough to offer legitimate advice (that applies to any of the departments of course, but certainly a big purchase like Zero Turns.)
Central Equipment handles all the issues for the big box stores here in Lexington. Different outfit up in Louisville and out in Huntington.
If you're a residential area with 3/4 to 1 or even 2 acres, yeah, the big box ZTs will handle your workload. But for a lot of yall on here out in the counties, farms, real acreage etc Huber is absolutely right. You get what you pay for. It's worth the up front investment to go to your local dealer, get a quality product, and have someone you know personally who knows the machines machines can give you reliable service when the time comes.
To clarify, we only work on the Deeres and Cub Cadet units that were purchased at Home Depot, Lowes, and the others. None of the other brands as we aren't dealers for them, cant get parts directly from the manufacturer, and cant offer warranty. But if you have a need, I have friends that are dealers for most brands all around Central Kentucky and am happy to direct you to a dealer who can repair pretty much anything they sell. 😉
I also agree with @CB3UK that not all box store folks are unknowledgeable. My Step Dad has been a zone manager for the power equipment area for a Lowes in Louisville for over 20 years and is extremely knowledgeable about the power equipment Lowes sells. Mass merchants need servicing dealers and we do partner together well, more so on the Deere side for sure, but I will always believe the best mower purchasing experience will be had at a local, small business, servicing dealer that almost always has the same pricing as the box stores on the exact same mowers. I do realize that I may be a bit prejudice in that thinking though. No disrespect to CB3UK and the HD team.
I also agree with @CB3UK that not all box store folks are unknowledgeable. My Step Dad has been a zone manager for the power equipment area for a Lowes in Louisville for over 20 years and is extremely knowledgeable about the power equipment Lowes sells. Mass merchants need servicing dealers and we do partner together well, more so on the Deere side for sure, but I will always believe the best mower purchasing experience will be had at a local, small business, servicing dealer that almost always has the same pricing as the box stores on the exact same mowers. I do realize that I may be a bit prejudice in that thinking though. No disrespect to CB3UK and the HD team.
I don't work there anymore, got tired of the hassles of management
No offense taken. I don't work there anymore anyway, got tired of the hassles of management, constantly traveling 5 6 days all over all points in between Southern Indiana and central West Virginia. 10+ yrs was enough for me
Like I said, when it comes to product advice on a lot of stuff in there, Lowe's, etc, it all depends on the employee you grab. Some are new and don't know as much. In the 80s and 90s and even 00s HD and Lowes were big on hiring ex contractors and the like who were extremely knowledgeable, paying them a good salary, and now they hire all sorts of folks and have cut their hiring wage significantly. You're not going to attract a lot of people for those positions that have real experience in a given contracting field that either can't do their work anymore or are retired and want something to do, because even if you're retired you gotta make it worth someone's while to show up and you can't ask a bunch of extra bs and not compensate, which is where they were headed on the store side when I left. The best advice I can give to those of you who are customers is ask an employee "who's the best person here today to ask for advice on this plumbing/electric/window install...whatever." Not everyone in there is an expert on every single department.
I remember one day walking in to one of the stores and the paint desk was backed way up. I saw a guy there who worked in hardware for 20 some years. he got stuck back there for automated scheduling reasons that aren't pertinent to the thread. Anyway, point is 3/4 of the customers were in line to ask him about specific hardware question, not paint. The people there knew him from his years working there and knew he was the man to ask, not the green behind the ears new guy who was still learning.
But knowing how things are handled from the big box side, yeah, they just sell them. There's no maintenance. And when you bring it back, it goes to Central Equipment as far as Lexington is concerned. If someone is in the market for a zero turn, I would always suggest going to a local dealer and at least get some good advice on what you actually need for the job you're trying to do. Huber made a great point about the acreage the big box machines can actually handle.
I think my step dad may be one of the last actual zone managers left with Lowes in Kentucky. They all but did away with the position 2-3 years ago, either requesting those guys to quit/retire or take less pay and move to a pay by the hour, normal associate position. I've interviewed numerous guys who had the same position at Lowes over the past few years for job openings at the dealership, and every story is similar and kind of unbelievable as a business owner. You take care of the ones who take care of you, not throw them away for cheaper, less qualified help.
Im sure HD is the same way, but just not the same companies they were 10-15 years ago as everything now is primarily profit margin and making shareholders happy. In most of cases those tactics may be good for profit margin, but it certainly hurts the quality of help and assistance the customers receive, as well as can affect the quality of employee and how much effort they give to their job. I get it, but I don't get it. I also don't have 40,000 employees and a board of directors & shareholders I answer too either.
Im sure HD is the same way, but just not the same companies they were 10-15 years ago as everything now is primarily profit margin and making shareholders happy. In most of cases those tactics may be good for profit margin, but it certainly hurts the quality of help and assistance the customers receive, as well as can affect the quality of employee and how much effort they give to their job. I get it, but I don't get it. I also don't have 40,000 employees and a board of directors & shareholders I answer too either.
I highly recommend @HUBER and Central Equipment. I had a few questions that he answered over a couple phone calls and emails spaced out over the past month. I'm pretty anal when it comes to buying a piece of equipment and take my time researching and getting different quotes.
The actual purchase was about as smooth as it could possibly be. I was in an out with the mower and first oil change supplies in way less than an hour. Also, this is the first piece of equipment that I've ever purchased where the final price was just a hair cheaper than the discussed quote. There is ALWAYS a hidden fee somewhere but not here. Thanks again @HUBER!
The actual purchase was about as smooth as it could possibly be. I was in an out with the mower and first oil change supplies in way less than an hour. Also, this is the first piece of equipment that I've ever purchased where the final price was just a hair cheaper than the discussed quote. There is ALWAYS a hidden fee somewhere but not here. Thanks again @HUBER!
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Mine did, I have changed both spindles, and belts, but that is wear and tear.
I decided to upgrade this spring to a ZTR, Toro 50 inch cut. Nice mower, cuts great, rides smooth, BUT, I have trees in my yard which means I have thin grass, which means dirt. The blade speed on that thing is something, everytime I cut the grass, I stayed in a cloud of dust, and I have allergys. So, after 3.6 hours, i sold it. Lost $300 on it, but glad to see it go.
excellent quality. owned by Toro i believe. get your pocket book ready...
