- Thread starter gitrib
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Anonymous-0
Well-known Member
Our local JD service manager cusses at thoes "box store" units. He says JD don't make them but he is expected to fix them. Not the same machine the dealer sells.
Our local JD dealer loves all the big box stores, they give him more business that he would ever have with all the repairs and service calls. They put on three full time people just to service all the lawn mowers in the area. The best thing is when someone needs a new one, they now come to him instead of the big box store. It"s turned into the best free marketing he has ever had.
Hotflashjr
Well-known Member
- Location
- Western MA
I bought my father a new JD rider last year. Looked at the Home Depot version, LA series, and then the X300 series at my JD dealer. Night and day difference in quality. The JD dealer said that JD expects the LA series to be a 5-7 year tractor in terms of typical use while the X-Series sold through the dealers is expected to be a 20+ year tractor. Got Dad an X340 mower and never gave the ones from the Depot a second though.
It can be easily explained. Many dollars are poured in to branding and connecting a name with value, quality, "your granddaddy owned them", etc. Then, they get someone to build a cheap version that is not worth loading on your trailer to take home. But a cut of consumers are and will always be gullible, ignorant to what is real and what is simply branding and marketing.
In the end, the company makes money and excuses, and the consumer gets the short end of the stick in some cases. This what they call "business" today, but it is not the way it was meant to be.
A fair trade is what it should be, and it gets less fair for consumers everyday.
Most companies would be very profitable if they just did the right things, but a few top paid executives would not get rich quick. Those few have ruined some excellent businesses in the name of "we have to make a profit or go out of business." They eventually go out of business or get bought out because they finally get caught screwing enough customers.
In the end, the company makes money and excuses, and the consumer gets the short end of the stick in some cases. This what they call "business" today, but it is not the way it was meant to be.
A fair trade is what it should be, and it gets less fair for consumers everyday.
Most companies would be very profitable if they just did the right things, but a few top paid executives would not get rich quick. Those few have ruined some excellent businesses in the name of "we have to make a profit or go out of business." They eventually go out of business or get bought out because they finally get caught screwing enough customers.
there is a difference, i have a jd 260, bought at a john deere dealer in 1994, it mows about 3 acres every 2 weeks in the summer, so far its broke 1 belt in all that time, and 2 batteries, thats all, after being so used to it, i drove a box store jd a while back, the difference was imeadate, less features, rough running engine cheap feeling overall, my jd is none of that runs great, smooth engine, [ kawasaki single cylinder 17hp], separate brake and clutch automotive style adjustable seat, tilt steering, you woldn't think there would be a difference but there is, im keeping this one
Who do you think uncrated and setup that lawn mower? It certainly was not the goon at the paint counter in Lowes/Home Depot.
The arrangement is HD/Lowes and all the other BigBox stores get the tractors sent to them in crates...the local servicing dealer comes out and sets them up for the store. When the customer buys the piece and destroys it...because the HD/Lowes employee had no idea what they were talking about....its the local dealership that gets to hear about it and reep the anger.
Sweet deal huh?
The arrangement is HD/Lowes and all the other BigBox stores get the tractors sent to them in crates...the local servicing dealer comes out and sets them up for the store. When the customer buys the piece and destroys it...because the HD/Lowes employee had no idea what they were talking about....its the local dealership that gets to hear about it and reep the anger.
Sweet deal huh?
Probably some deal between Deere, dealer and Lowe's. Why don't you call Lowe's or the dealer, or both, and ask. There's no difference in the quality or design of the JD tractors that Lowe's gets from the ones the dealer gets. The difference is that the dealer carries all the different models and sizes. Example: LA 175 w/54" mower deck. Available at JD dealer or at Lowe's. Sticker price is exactly the same ($2749). Take your pick. If you're a veteran, Lowe's gives you 10% off. Dealer? If you want some other size or model that Lowe's doesn't carry? See a dealer.
What's going on? Basically.... the Deere dealers get to do the setup work, warranty work, repair work and parts support for anything you buy at Lowes or Home Depot or wherever you buy the damn thing... but they don't get to make the profit on the sale.
You should talk to a Deere dealer about that before you buy one at Lowes... cause I don't expect them to be too terribly pleased to see you when you come looking for warranty work...
Rod
You should talk to a Deere dealer about that before you buy one at Lowes... cause I don't expect them to be too terribly pleased to see you when you come looking for warranty work...
Rod
Anonymous-0
Well-known Member
You have to compare the exact same model of mowers with the same engine and options etc. They are the same. The JD dealer up here actually put a stop on HD selling JD mowers there, but it didn't last long. I think the JD dealer said they weren't going to do the warranty and set up on machines they didn't sell. Mother Deere had other plans! That is to sell more mowers! All companies are in business to make money and JD is no different. They don't make a special machine just for the big box stores. They want to keep some of their reputation for a quality product. Dealers toe the line or suffer serious consequences. It's all about business and making money. Mother deere has the final say. The same as Emerson electric did with Ridgid power tools in HD. Dave
Billy Shafer
Well-known Member
I agree. Worked for a company years ago that did Lowes and Home Depot generators.
I guess I'm missing something here. Why is everybody so upset that they are being called upon to fix stuff? Isn't that what a service department does for a living? If its warranty work, the manufacturer reimburses you; if its not, you charge the customer 50 or 60 bucks an hour to fix it. So what's the problem?
Service departments fix stuff; if the stuff is crummy to begin with, and requires more frequent repairs, you get to fix it (and charge for it) more often. What am I missing?
I get people coming into my law office all the time, apologizing for bothering me with their legal problems. Because I don't want to rejoice in their misfortune, I am able to resist the urge to tell them, "Don't apologize! Bring it on! This is how I make a living!" But that's really what it comes down to.
Service departments fix stuff; if the stuff is crummy to begin with, and requires more frequent repairs, you get to fix it (and charge for it) more often. What am I missing?
I get people coming into my law office all the time, apologizing for bothering me with their legal problems. Because I don't want to rejoice in their misfortune, I am able to resist the urge to tell them, "Don't apologize! Bring it on! This is how I make a living!" But that's really what it comes down to.
Being a KUBOTA dealer for 26 years I can tell you not many Deer dealers a happy with the deal.
Kubota as resisted what we call the entry level market..Johnny gets the erge lat on Sunday and he can run put it on the card load it and go mow. No question it sells some units but sooner or later we usually get a chance to sell him a better unit.. Keep waiting to see the small Deer
tractors setting there.. That will be interesting
Kubota as resisted what we call the entry level market..Johnny gets the erge lat on Sunday and he can run put it on the card load it and go mow. No question it sells some units but sooner or later we usually get a chance to sell him a better unit.. Keep waiting to see the small Deer
tractors setting there.. That will be interesting
Mark - IN.
Well-known Member
I wondered about that. I saw JD lawn tractors in a Home Depot a few years ago, along with Cub Cadet, and I don't recall what else. Anyway, I'm sure I didn't see any garden tractors, just lawn tractors, and nothing like they've got at the Deere guy by me, that's for sure. I wondered about it back then, who fixed them up or maintained them. Then a couple of years ago, my neighbor with 11 acres got rid of his Golden Jubilee and bought himself some JD 1xx he said he got from Lowes. I saw it from afar when he was cutting paths in the over grow before it over grew again, and that was close enough for me. Prior to that I loaned him my little JD 950 and a bush hog one time and he knocked it down with that, broke a coolant hose off when he caught it in brush, so I never loaned it to him again. After that I figured good luck with that Lowes bought JD 1xx lawn tractor, and good luck getting it fixed. I'm sure he doesn't take it up to the Deere guy by me. He must take it to whatever Deere guy is down by the Lowes where he bought that thing, about 30 miles away.
He's a nice guy. Real nice guy, but his 11 acres aint my problem. I think if I were him, I'd have kept and maintained that Jubilee to garden those 11 acres, and there never would've been no over priced MTD wearing JD green, but that's his deal, not mine.
Mark
He's a nice guy. Real nice guy, but his 11 acres aint my problem. I think if I were him, I'd have kept and maintained that Jubilee to garden those 11 acres, and there never would've been no over priced MTD wearing JD green, but that's his deal, not mine.
Mark
Same exact machine can be purchased at Deere dealer. I know, priced them in both places. Local Deere dealer has one sitting in front of his store right now. Only one of the cheap models though, all the rest are the better machines. I am told Deere bought out one of their competitors years ago and that is where they build them. Funny thing is you won't see much information on any tag on the machine. I worked at Deere dealer in service dept last four years of active time clock punching employment. Now retired, don't punch time clock, just work, they call it self employed.
Sign at my dealer "If you bought your machine at a big box store, bring it there as they are better equipped to repair it then we are". I respect him for that as he wants to be able to spend more time with real customers that will come back.
Case in point. On one visit a while back I saw him trying to explain to a customer that his Husky chainsaw (purchased at Lowes) was toast because he ran it with straight gas instead of mix. Good part of 15 minutes it took of him going back and forth with this dimwit. Husky will not pay him under warranty to repair such a saw nor the 15 minutes he wasted arguing with the customer. He also lost 15 minutes of his time tending to real customers.
Needless to say he has a line of real customers every time I go, and the best advice and service around.
Case in point. On one visit a while back I saw him trying to explain to a customer that his Husky chainsaw (purchased at Lowes) was toast because he ran it with straight gas instead of mix. Good part of 15 minutes it took of him going back and forth with this dimwit. Husky will not pay him under warranty to repair such a saw nor the 15 minutes he wasted arguing with the customer. He also lost 15 minutes of his time tending to real customers.
Needless to say he has a line of real customers every time I go, and the best advice and service around.
smallbaleboy
Member
being in that business it is simply dollars. Youwant a 1400 mower buy it lowes or some other store. you want spend 3000 get something good you won't find it at stores only goood dealers. Simple as that. we fix alot of those cheap units but hey parts and time is money. spend more up front yopu will spend way less on that unit while you have it. quality poducts result in way less repairs period. cheap buys mean more parts and service for us.
Because they lose money on warranty work, get paid buggerall to do the setup work, make nothing on the original sale and have to deal with the problems that result. That's the problem... all while Lowes makes the money on the sale. So most servicing dealers are none too happy to see those things coming in. Kinda like you being told to work on legal aid rate... and you have no choice.
Rod
Rod
Well said. Now, what I am confused about is how they can reason out that treating someone who bought an MTD mower in green paint like something they swore at when they stepped in it in the dog kennel is going to persuade that potential customer to buy a more expersive machine from them? I have been in dealerships before that act aloof and I can tell you for CERTAIN they won't ever get one thin dime from me. Conversely, I've been to others that are polite, helpful and honest and I've gone back many times for both service work and new equipment over the years.
I found a answer.
On May 13, John Deere signed a five-year agreement with Lowe's Companies, Inc. to sell John Deere brand products starting January 2006, with lawn tractors being the first products available in all Lowe's stores nationwide. John Deere broke the news to its dealers through a June 3 letter from Bob Hove, Deere's vice president-worldwide sales, and Lowe's announced the deal publicly June 6.
"Lowe's is proud to supplement our portfolio of top-line outdoor power equipment with the John Deere brand," said John Kasberger, Lowe's senior vice president and general merchandising
If I understand this right. Equipment is the same and the JD dealer indicated on the sticker will provide the warrenty service. When you buy at Lowes the warranty is filled out and goes to JD dealer.
My personal thought is I bet the dealer gets a cut off of the sale. Just like having a bunch of salesmen.
gitrib
On May 13, John Deere signed a five-year agreement with Lowe's Companies, Inc. to sell John Deere brand products starting January 2006, with lawn tractors being the first products available in all Lowe's stores nationwide. John Deere broke the news to its dealers through a June 3 letter from Bob Hove, Deere's vice president-worldwide sales, and Lowe's announced the deal publicly June 6.
"Lowe's is proud to supplement our portfolio of top-line outdoor power equipment with the John Deere brand," said John Kasberger, Lowe's senior vice president and general merchandising
If I understand this right. Equipment is the same and the JD dealer indicated on the sticker will provide the warrenty service. When you buy at Lowes the warranty is filled out and goes to JD dealer.
My personal thought is I bet the dealer gets a cut off of the sale. Just like having a bunch of salesmen.
gitrib
From what I was told several years ago by one of those servicing dealers.... they do not get a cut. They simply get stuck with the warranty work and lose the initial sale.
This was in reference to the Home Depot deal they have here... but I doubt that Lowes is any different.
Rod
This was in reference to the Home Depot deal they have here... but I doubt that Lowes is any different.
Rod
I got a new John Deere ZTR mower from the local John Deere dealer. The same model was at Lowes for the same price. I asked about pricing and was told that John Deere Corp. sets the price on the consumer grade mowers and it is non-negotiable. The only thing the dealer can do is work with the buyer on a trade in mower.
What warranty work? Any company worth 2 shakes has figured out that the best warranty is the one that is never used. The average warranty on a mower (or anything for that matter) runs out long before any repair is needed. Doing warranty work is a great way to go out of business slowly.
A smart dealer should realize that if an individual couldn't buy a John Deere at a box store then they wouldn't own one. Translation: the average consumer will buy whatever mower is available at the big box store. If there is only an mtd or cub then that is what they will buy. If the customer buys a cub they get squat, not even service income.
A smart dealer should realize that if an individual couldn't buy a John Deere at a box store then they wouldn't own one. Translation: the average consumer will buy whatever mower is available at the big box store. If there is only an mtd or cub then that is what they will buy. If the customer buys a cub they get squat, not even service income.
OKAY people here is the scoop. I was a sales manager at a John Deere dealer for many years just retired a few years ago.
The L and La series you can buy at Lowe's are made by John Deere in a plant in Greenville Tenn. (MTD owns Cub Cadet never had anything to do with JD) John Deere started this about fifteen years ago with a different name Saber made by John Deere, that flopped. The premium mowers are made at Horicon, Wi. One problem is that when I sold a L130 lawn mower at full list, we made one hundred and forty dollars. The state sales tax was more than what we made.
As for warranty: The engines are warrantied through Briggs or Kohler. Another supplier to have to deal with. Dealerships never make a profit on warranty work. Parts are reimbursed at dealer cost, no freight paid, labor paid at flat rate, which is never right on lawn equipment. Try to bill a "new" mower owner for pick up and delivery or labor shortage. Pigs will fly first.
John Deere's reasoning is that only about fifteen percent of the total mower market is the premium market. Fifty percent is the economy market: Sears, MTD, etc. John Deere has seventy percent of the premium market but only about ten percent of the economy market. So they wanted to sell more units. They found that the average economy buyer would never come into the main line dealerships, even if they had the economy product. So they started the agreements with the big box stories.
The problem is that the L and La are good mowers compared to the other economy products but the economy buyer thinks that they bought a premium mower BECAUSE it says John Deere on it. Just like the guy above that was mowing timber paths with one. About the same as the city guys that move out to the country and buy one acre an then act like they own the King ranch.
The L and La series you can buy at Lowe's are made by John Deere in a plant in Greenville Tenn. (MTD owns Cub Cadet never had anything to do with JD) John Deere started this about fifteen years ago with a different name Saber made by John Deere, that flopped. The premium mowers are made at Horicon, Wi. One problem is that when I sold a L130 lawn mower at full list, we made one hundred and forty dollars. The state sales tax was more than what we made.
As for warranty: The engines are warrantied through Briggs or Kohler. Another supplier to have to deal with. Dealerships never make a profit on warranty work. Parts are reimbursed at dealer cost, no freight paid, labor paid at flat rate, which is never right on lawn equipment. Try to bill a "new" mower owner for pick up and delivery or labor shortage. Pigs will fly first.
John Deere's reasoning is that only about fifteen percent of the total mower market is the premium market. Fifty percent is the economy market: Sears, MTD, etc. John Deere has seventy percent of the premium market but only about ten percent of the economy market. So they wanted to sell more units. They found that the average economy buyer would never come into the main line dealerships, even if they had the economy product. So they started the agreements with the big box stories.
The problem is that the L and La are good mowers compared to the other economy products but the economy buyer thinks that they bought a premium mower BECAUSE it says John Deere on it. Just like the guy above that was mowing timber paths with one. About the same as the city guys that move out to the country and buy one acre an then act like they own the King ranch.
Anonymous-0
Well-known Member
Right on, Schmuck 1. I have told many business people that the only thing they have to sell to me is service. If I don't get the service, they don't get my money. By services, I don't mean they have to kiss my rear, just respect and treat me as a valued customer - there seems to be a great shortage of that these days.
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