Mower prices today

[midnite rider]

Here in the USA today, homeowner mowers are a lot cheaper versus years past, especially when you adjust for inflation. You can get a 12 HP lawn tractor for about a $1000 or so, the same as I paid for my 12HP 40" cut Craftsman lawn tractor new in 1986 over 25 years ago. That has always amazed me how lawnmowers have stayed the same price for so long. Especially when you consider how the US dollar has devalued over the last few years causing the gas prices to rise etc. I can not think of many other merchandise that this is true of.
NAFDA and cheap labor and materials I guess. Maybe also why so many brands have consolidated and been bought up.
Unfortunately it seems that quality and durability have suffered though. Whats your opinion, now that I ask the question in its own thread?

 

[lawn mower fanatic]

I agree, you would think the price would go up, since everything is these days, but I do agree, things are not made how they used to be! :frown:

 

[midnite rider]

i would be interested in what others have paid for their new homeowner equipment over the past 35 years or so.

 

[lawn mower fanatic]

i would be interested in what others have paid for their new homeowner equipment over the past 35 years or so.

I paid $700 for my Honda HRX217HYA I bought this summer.

 

[midnite rider]

I paid $700 for my Honda HRX217HYA I bought this summer.

How much was a comparable Honda 25 years ago?

 

[lawn mower fanatic]

How much was a comparable Honda 25 years ago?

To tell you the truth I don't know. 6 years ago we paid like $400 for another Honda but it is a cheaper model that is still around that price. So...I don't know. :frown:

 

[txzrider]

up until about 17 years ago (since becoming and adult and living on my own) I tended to buy the cheapest mower I could find. That changed when I bought my snapper walk behind. Paid almost $500. Easily the cost of 3 of the types of mowers i had been buying every couple of years. A year after that we moved and I bought my 1st zero turn, another snapper. Well I still have the snapper walk behind, it still runs as well as ever, I finally replaced my snapper ZT with my Country Clipper. Similiar to but much heavier contruction than the pure residential snapper. I paid 2700 for the snapper 33 inch 13hp yard cruiser and I believe you can still buy it for that(although I think they dropped the joystick steering which I came to love!). I paid 2300(around 3600 new) for the country clipper from craigslist. (with 27 hours). I believe you get what you pay for... however the secret to why the low end lawn tractors have stayed at that price point is (I believe) economy of scale by consolidation of many brands in to a few mega brands and they build to a price point with ever decreasing quality of materials and labor. You buy the high end version you will get fab'ed decks, quality engines with well designed filter systems and well designed spindles and running gear. At the low end you get chinese engines and pressed decks.

 

[CZLawnCare]

I paid $700 for my Honda HRX217HYA I bought this summer.

Im driving down to the state to pick up the same mower because they want $1200 plus 15%sales tax down here

 

[SeniorCitizen]

I bought my first push mower new for $29.00 + 2% tax 1965.

 

[bobb_cars]

bought my first 20in 3.5hp mower 15yrs ago for $105 from walmart this year it was $135