Mower brand

[lawn mower fanatic]

I think that the point made here by Ric is the key to unrealistic expectations by some mower shoppers. If you buy a Cub Cadet, John Deere or any "name brand" at a big box retailer like Lowes or Home Depot and you expect the same quality as buying that same brand through a "dealer" you are just kidding yourself. My original post in this thread, where I quoted my niece having major problems with a Cub Cadet was indeed a residential unit she purchased from Home Depot. Unfortunately(she didn't ask me for advice), she just replaced that mower with a John Deere lawn tractor from Lowes(instead of going to the John Deere dealer half a mile from Lowes). I looked at the JD's at the local dealer when I was shopping for ZTR's and considered buying a 645, and I asked the sales manager if the JD's at Lowes were the same quality as the lawn tractors he had....he just laughed and shook his head. Yeah, my niece probably saved a couple hundred bucks from getting a similar lawn tractor from the dealer, but it's like the old addage..."you get what you pay for":0)

Exactly! I agree!

 

[Ric]

I think that the point made here by Ric is the key to unrealistic expectations by some mower shoppers. If you buy a Cub Cadet, John Deere or any "name brand" at a big box retailer like Lowes or Home Depot and you expect the same quality as buying that same brand through a "dealer" you are just kidding yourself. My original post in this thread, where I quoted my niece having major problems with a Cub Cadet was indeed a residential unit she purchased from Home Depot. Unfortunately(she didn't ask me for advice), she just replaced that mower with a John Deere lawn tractor from Lowes(instead of going to the John Deere dealer half a mile from Lowes). I looked at the JD's at the local dealer when I was shopping for ZTR's and considered buying a 645, and I asked the sales manager if the JD's at Lowes were the same quality as the lawn tractors he had....he just laughed and shook his head. Yeah, my niece probably saved a couple hundred bucks from getting a similar lawn tractor from the dealer, but it's like the old addage..."you get what you pay for":0)

You said if you buy a Cub Cadet, John Deere or any "name brand" at a big box retailer like Lowes or Home Depot and you expect the same quality as buying that same brand through a "dealer" you are just kidding yourself and I agree that's why I said people need to understand what they're buying and know they are buying a low end mower at best. I also agree with the old adage..you get what you pay for, as one of the sales people at HD told me stupidity makes money.

 

[Carscw]

If you go to lowes and look at a mower then go to JD dealer and look at the same exact model they are the same exact mower.

JD does not make the same model mower different for the dealer then they do for lowes.

Sent from my iPhone using LMF

 

[Carscw]

The dealer will match lowes price most of the time.

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[SHIMERGOLF]

Both lowes and the john deere dealer sell the 100 series tractor made in tennessee. Only the john deere dealer sells the 300, 500, and 700 series made in horicon wisconsin.

 

[djdicetn]

If you go to lowes and look at a mower then go to JD dealer and look at the same exact model they are the same exact mower.

JD does not make the same model mower different for the dealer then they do for lowes.

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So if they are exactly the same, why would I spend between $2,800 and $4,000 for a John Deere model D170 lawn tractor or an EZtrak Z425 zero turn at Lowes instead of going to the John Deere dealer to purchase one? And can you be absolutely certain that Lowes doesn't "custom order" the models D170 or Z425 from John Deere and specify less expensive(quality) components so they can sell them cheaper than the dealer? I relate this to Sears selling you a "Craftsman" lawn tractor that is manufactured(to Sears specs) by Husqvarna and the identical Husqvarna model having much better components/materials used in it's construction. Personally, I wouldn't take a chance on a Lowe's JD, but would opt for buying it from a dealer who would/could service the product's warranty after the sale.

 

[lawn mower fanatic]

I am pretty sure that the mowers from Lowe's are worse quality, but I could be wrong.

 

[djdicetn]

I am pretty sure that the mowers from Lowe's are worse quality, but I could be wrong.

LMF(you didn't by chance pick a forum user name with the same initials as the forum did you:0)
Yeah, the one resounding piece of advice I got on this forum that stuck in my mind when I was shopping for a ZTR was...."if you are gonna spend several thousand dollars on a piece of lawn garden equipment, stay away from the big box retailers and buy from a reputable dealer.....a good dealer's importance will only be recognized when you have problems with the equipment after the sale"!!!!! To me there's no price(or discount) that substitutes for peace of mind.
The day I picked up my Gravely, I noticed a couple of scratches on the motor cabin shield on the back that showed bare metal. I said something to the sales manager at the dealer and he ordered a can of Gravely red touch-up paint and called me a couple of days later to pick it up(of course at no charge). I don't think Lowes would do that for a scratch on a JD mower that they sell(but I too reserve the right to be wrong:0)

 

[Carscw]

A JD sold at lowes and the same model sold at the JD dealer is made at the same factory by the same people and sold to both for the same price.
Either way they are junk.
I would buy from the dealer always
They will test it and make sure all is right.
The dealer will sell it at the same price as lowes.

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[lawn mower fanatic]

LMF(you didn't by chance pick a forum user name with the same initials as the forum did you:0)..............................I don't think Lowes would do that for a scratch on a JD mower that they sell(but I too reserve the right to be wrong:0)

haha!:laughing:
I agree with you, Lowe's would not have done that. I was demoing a mower at a dealer once and something was broken when I got it. They took it back and "fixed it". When they were going to deliver it back to me, the driver tested it to make sure it ran, but it had the same problem that I took it in for. So they worked on it again, and actually fixed it. If I would have demoed a mower at Lowe's (if you can even do that), and I had a problem, they would fix it, and if it still didn't work, they would have just given it back, not spent the time to make sure it actually worked. Definitely buy from a dealer!! They stand behind their products!