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Just curious if there are problems with distribution of mowers. I'm looking to buy a 30 inch gas powered riding mower. I found a Craftsman that's exactly what I want and when I ask Craftsman where to buy one I get referred only to Lowes. I go to Lowes and the store has zero, you can't order one online and the store can't order one for me. I found the same mower as a Cub Cadet and Cub Cadet says that I can get one at Home Depot. Same story as the Craftsman at Lowes. Can't get one. Went to a Cub Cadet authorized dealer and asked if they could get one and the answer was no, not available. I can buy one on line at a internet store but it's a 2021 not a 2022 model but their price is high and you have to pay shipping and it's delivered by a semi driver in your driveway and you have to assemble the mower. I'm uncomfortable paying over $2,000 for a mower that may be Dead on Arrival and would prefer to deal with a dealer or a big box store but all I'm hearing is too bad, so sad. Anyone know what is going on.

Welcome aboard-

Yes in many areas mowers are hard to find.. Due to shipping backed up. Used market is red hot..

I like to check it out in person, Keep looking.
A USA made model may be easier to find.

I don't mean to rain on your parade but the craftsman and Cub Cadet are probably the same mower just a different color. They are not really that good a mower. I have been in this business for 46 years and to me the best rear engine rider on the market is the Snapper rear engine riding mower. If you can find one they are really well made and last forever. I had one that was over 40 years old when I finally gave it up. I still have one just sitting in the shop that I could put back in use. It is the ultimate Forrest Gump mower LOL. I sold one that was really nice a few years ago to guy that come in looking for a Forrest Gump mower. I fixed him right up and have not seen it back since.

Moondoggy said:

Just curious if there are problems with distribution of mowers. I'm looking to buy a 30 inch gas powered riding mower. I found a Craftsman that's exactly what I want and when I ask Craftsman where to buy one I get referred only to Lowes. I go to Lowes and the store has zero, you can't order one online and the store can't order one for me. I found the same mower as a Cub Cadet and Cub Cadet says that I can get one at Home Depot. Same story as the Craftsman at Lowes. Can't get one. Went to a Cub Cadet authorized dealer and asked if they could get one and the answer was no, not available. I can buy one on line at a internet store but it's a 2021 not a 2022 model but their price is high and you have to pay shipping and it's delivered by a semi driver in your driveway and you have to assemble the mower. I'm uncomfortable paying over $2,000 for a mower that may be Dead on Arrival and would prefer to deal with a dealer or a big box store but all I'm hearing is too bad, so sad. Anyone know what is going on.

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From the top
1) B & S went bankrupt in 2020 and that caused a major disruption & shortage of engines
2) Covid disrupted the supply of components & sub assemblies from everywhere and in particular from China
A lot of USA "made " mowers should have a sticker that says "assembled in the USA for 100% imported parts "
Also there was a shortage of very cheap Chinese steel for the bits that are uneconomic to be made in China to be made locally.
3) shortages of chips for ignition coils
4) shortage of empty containers to ship the stuff in
5) massive back log at ports causing delays & shortage of space on freight ships
6) lots of freight ships quarrentined because of rampid covid outbreaks
7) shortage of supply means that the mowers at the factories will go firstly the full price paying customers ( dealers ) before they get supplied at cost with free shipping to Walmart , HF, Lowes & the like on replacement credit
8) worker shortages at local factories due to covid.
Those 950,000 USA citizens who died were not all homeless bums & aged care residents , some worked at factories involved with mower making .
The 50,000,000 who got Covid & survived also were not available to work for at least a month , then add to that all of the close contacts who had to stay home & isolate for 7 to 21 days.
All of that will have a drastic affect on the supply of everything , which includes mowers .


Last year was a shocker
Everything I had that could be made to run was sold , and there were a lot with no warranty because they were not in good shape but any mower is better than no mower.
Had covid not struck big time down here it would have been worse, but we got locked down for 4 months so a lot of my customers used that time to repair their old mower that they kept because the used market was pathetic ( because of all of the crooks & shysters selling painted & polished rust ) .
Don't expect it to be much better for the rest of this year & most likely a good part of 2024 if not 2025 .

Now the USA is always waxing lyrical about haw fabulous the free market is and how wonderful it works.
Part & parcel of that is supply & demand
When demand outstrips supply then the prices go up big time. which is the part of the free market economy systems that is always kept quiet in favour of shouting about competition forcing prices down.
It is a two way street & right now all the traffic is going in the other direction .
There is a reason why the US inflation rate is currently 8% and some are predicting more than 10% for the full year, and it is not because you are all flush with money spending more than the system can provide .

Here is a quick rundown. There were a lot of dealers that never received their 2021 stocking order at all. So there was not new mowers for the dealers to even sell, and this year is looking like there will be some stock available, but some dealers may not receive their 2022 stocking order until July/August time frame, just in time for the 2023 stocking orders to be prepared for January shipment. But the dealers that get delayed 2022 shipments will cut down on their 2023 orders which will prolong this supply shortcoming up into most likely 2025. And this is if everything goes right and things start running smoothly.

hlw49 said:

I don't mean to rain on your parade but the craftsman and Cub Cadet are probably the same mower just a different color. They are not really that good a mower. I have been in this business for 46 years and to me the best rear engine rider on the market is the Snapper rear engine riding mower. If you can find one they are really well made and last forever. I had one that was over 40 years old when I finally gave it up. I still have one just sitting in the shop that I could put back in use. It is the ultimate Forrest Gump mower LOL. I sold one that was really nice a few years ago to guy that come in looking for a Forrest Gump mower. I fixed him right up and have not seen it back since.

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I would consider a Snapper Mower like the Craftsman or Cub Cadet but apparently the RE210 has been discontinued and Snapper's website doesn't show any rear engine mowers in their lineup.

I have been waiting on a Ferris I ordered in November of last year. Still no idea when I will get it, or how much it will cost. I have had an hour meter on back order for over a year, and two other parts back ordered for over 6 months. I live outside of Memphis, in north Mississippi. Most small engine shops around here are extremely low on stock.

From everyone's comments it's looking a bit grim for 2022. Here's a question for you.

I chatted with Cub Cadet on their website yesterday after posting my inquiry here and they said that they hope to have 2022 stock available in April but my concern would be finding a dealer locally that could get one in 2022. I found a dealer that has a few new 2021 model in stock and has the manufacturer's warranty. If I purchased it from him it would be shipped to me via semi and delivered to me on a truck with a lift gate curbside in my driveway. Assembly would be my responsibility or I could have a local mower shop pick it up same day and perform the assembly and prep for me. I have the tools needed and I'm reasonably mechanical but I'm concerned about buying a mower online and would prefer to buy one from a big box store or a dealer. Am I making "Much Ado About Nothing" or should I stay clear of any mower sold online?.

Moondoggy said:

From everyone's comments it's looking a bit grim for 2022. Here's a question for you.

I chatted with Cub Cadet on their website yesterday after posting my inquiry here and they said that they hope to have 2022 stock available in April but my concern would be finding a dealer locally that could get one in 2022. I found a dealer that has a few new 2021 model in stock and has the manufacturer's warranty. If I purchased it from him it would be shipped to me via semi and delivered to me on a truck with a lift gate curbside in my driveway. Assembly would be my responsibility or I could have a local mower shop pick it up same day and perform the assembly and prep for me. I have the tools needed and I'm reasonably mechanical but I'm concerned about buying a mower online and would prefer to buy one from a big box store or a dealer. Am I making "Much Ado About Nothing" or should I stay clear of any mower sold online?.

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I've told people this over and over.....I'll say it again, If you want a WARRANTY you can actually count on....buy from a Dealership and not a box store and definitely not online and have it delivered for you to assemble!

mower king said:

I've told people this over and over.....I'll say it again, If you want a WARRANTY you can actually count on....buy from a Dealership and not a box store and definitely not online and have it delivered for you to assemble!

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Here is my view (take it for what it's worth) on warranties, they are provided to protect the consumer in the case of defects from the manufacturer. This means the warranty is very important for about ten minutes during which time 99.99% of defects will reveal themselves. Starting on minute 11, they're worthless.

I have had 6 different lawn tractors ( Simplicity, Toro & John Deere) and 2 Simplicity ZT's.......and none of them ever had a warranty claim. Perhaps I did not own them long enough to experience a warranty issue but Never had to get rid of one because it had mechanical issues. Warranties are great when you need one, but other than a car, I never seem to need one. I still would not purchase a lawn tractor from a Big box store but rather a dealer where I can ask for help or advice.

Joed756 said:

Here is my view (take it for what it's worth) on warranties, they are provided to protect the consumer in the case of defects from the manufacturer. This means the warranty is very important for about ten minutes during which time 99.99% of defects will reveal themselves. Starting on minute 11, they're worthless.

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And that statement is basically true. Most warranty defects will show up within the first 5 hours of operation.

I have never had a warranty issue on any of the walk behind mowers that I've owned but I found out that a local store selling mowers that have been returned to the manufacturers and rehab'ed then resold to stores like his. He's trying to pawn the off as new but they don't come with warranties so I wanted to make sure that if I bought one on line it would at least be covered if something was initially wrong with it. So my question is still this...... If you can't buy a snapper or a Craftsman or a Cub Cadet 30 inch mower from a big box store or a local dealer do you buy online because they have one that your looking for or should I just keep using my walk behind until the dust settles and I can buy one locally. I have a 1/2 acre lot and I'll soon be 71.

I bought a one year old used ferris 3100z that came off a lease with 300 hours on it. Dealer gave me a 1 year warranty on the mower and whatever was still left on the Briggs engine warranty. I forget how long it was. About 9 months in a plastic zip tie on the throttle cable broke and the cable fell down on the muffler melting and ruining it. Dealer said part was covered under warranty but not labor. I asked if i could install it myself. Dealer said as long as i bring back the melted cable the part was covered. I figure that's pretty good service from a dealer

hlw49 said:

I have been in this business for 46 years and to me the best rear engine rider on the market is the Snapper rear engine riding mower. If you can find one they are really well made and last forever.

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Sounds familiar........

I you still have a mower to use, I think I would wait a bit and see if your local dealers start receiving inventory. Go in and get on a call list for when they do. Eventually they all will receive some units as inventory becomes available. My local Farm & Fleet store has some left over Cub mowers they just moved out into the store this weekend. My Home Depot put a few out also. Probably not much difference from a 2021-2022 model so if you find one grab it. I have noticed that most of the manufacturers have posted higher list prices on their web sites already, so a new delivery will likely cost more. Buying on line may turn out to be your only option if you are anxious. You can assemble just as well as any dealer can. They don't require much assembly. Check bolts for tightness, check fluids, level the deck, and assemble any parts that the mfg sent along with the mower. I wouldn't worry too much about warranty. Just make sure what you order is what you want as returns are probably a problem. Will the mower you order cut you lawn as nicely as you expect it to?

Here's an update.

I can get a 2021 model mower via an online dealer. I felt a bit uneasy about ordering online as I had concerns with service after the sale and whether the warranty would be honored by the local dealer so I went back to my local dealer today and they were super helpful. Their concern for me is whether the seller was an authorized dealer selling a new product under warranty or if they were someone that bought mowers from a bankruptcy sale or mowers that had been returned and reconditioned that didn't have a warranty. The local dealer actually called Cub Cadet and used their dealer number to seek info on the seller and I was also able to speak with the Cub Cadet rep as well on their speakerphone. The Cub Cadet rep said that the particular model I was looking for would not even go back into production until May and they could not guarantee when they might make it to small dealers like my local dealer. The Cub Cadet rep also looked up the online seller and confirmed that they are in fact an authorized Cub Cadet dealer and that the warranty would definitely be valid. With that info my local dealer said that even though they would love to sell me a mower but f they were in my shoes they would order one online so tomorrow I'll be pulling the trigger and buying a mower.

Just a suggestion. With a local dealer like you are talking about, I would be getting up early tomorrow morning going to the best bakery in town and buying a dozen of sweet rolls and have it waiting by the front door as he and his staff come into work. You better keep that guy happy, they are hard to come by.

Sounds like a Dealer you wanna treat right.