# Riding mowers at big box stores



## markfnc (Sep 16, 2003)

Has everyone noticed the lack of riding mowers at Lowes/Home Depot/Tractor Supply? I 1st noticed in late summer, and my Lowes hasn't had any since then. the guy says engine mfg. have a chip issue just like Ford and Gm. I'm in NC, is it the same everywhere? anyone have friends at Briggs / MDF or any other mfg to hear when it will turn around?


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## Bob Driver (Nov 1, 2017)

markfnc said:


> Has everyone noticed the lack of riding mowers at Lowes/Home Depot/Tractor Supply? I 1st noticed in late summer, and my Lowes hasn't had any since then. the guy says engine mfg. have a chip issue just like Ford and Gm. I'm in NC, is it the same everywhere? anyone have friends at Briggs / MDF or any other mfg to hear when it will turn around?


2022 models come out in February. What you see at the big box stores this time of year are "hold overs". If they sold out all of their 2021 models, they aren't sad about it. If you're looking to buy a new machine cheap, and don't mind a 2021 hold over, look at a Dealer. They "floor plan" their machines, the big box stores don't. The longer that Dealer holds a machine, the more they have in it in floor plan payments. If they still have a bunch of floor plan machines sitting around this time of year, it usually will cut into the allocation the OEM is willing put on their floor plan for the 2022 models, so they are more than willing to deal.


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## Groo (Jan 17, 2020)

The big box store negotiate special deals with all their sources to undercut the neighborhood shops. If you, as a manufacturer, can only produce say 1/2 the machines you could in the past years, are you going to produce the lowest profit machines? or the highest profit machines?


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## unsquidly (Jul 13, 2021)

Groo said:


> The big box store negotiate special deals with all their sources to undercut the neighborhood shops. If you, as a manufacturer, can only produce say 1/2 the machines you could in the past years, are you going to produce the lowest profit machines? or the highest profit machines?



Some of the models that you see at a "big box store" you will not find at a dealer of the same brand and there is a good reason for that......Most of the John Deere models you see at Lowes and Home Depot and just for Lowes and Home Depot.....I am sure that other brands are the same way......I try to steer clear of those.....


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## Bob Driver (Nov 1, 2017)

Groo said:


> The big box store negotiate special deals with all their sources to undercut the neighborhood shops. If you, as a manufacturer, can only produce say 1/2 the machines you could in the past years, are you going to produce the lowest profit machines? or the highest profit machines?


The big box stores aren't running a parts counter that has their OEM parts on the shelf, nor do they have a Service Department to handle warranty claims and recalls/service bulletins The OEM's know they can't under cut their Dealer Network on the price of new machines going to the big box stores to the point of where it squeezes them out of business, because then they lose their local parts distribution network. The OEM's also know they have to have a Local Dealer to point their big box store customer warranty claims towards, or they start loosing brand loyalty. What do you think is the biggest question a guy has when he starts looking at a web page like this?.....

What about the Big Box Stores?


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## cptomes (9 mo ago)

I'd rather buy a 12 year old used tractor from a local JD dealer than a new "JD" from a big box store. 

In fact, I did.


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## SidecarFlip (Mar 25, 2021)

If I'm not mistaken most of those 'Box Store JD's are actually built by MTD. One of my buddies bought one, was a total piece of junk. You always get what you pay for in life, no exceptions.


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## DK35vince (Jan 22, 2006)

SidecarFlip said:


> If I'm not mistaken most of those 'Box Store JD's are actually built by MTD. One of my buddies bought one, was a total piece of junk. You always get what you pay for in life, no exceptions.


Every thing I read says the box store vs dealer models with the same models numbers are the same
Are John Deere mowers at Lowes the same? - Construction brigade (eastmanind.com) 
The truth about John Deere mowers at the big box stores - Bing video 
John Deere Mowers | Should You Buy From Big Box Stores? (homeconstructionimprovement.com)


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## SidecarFlip (Mar 25, 2021)

As I suspected.....From your links Vince...

"
MTD makes all of the store brands (i.e., a mower that might have the Home Depot name on it), along with MTD, Dynamark, YardPro, Weed Eater, Noma, and Sears Craftsman. Murray makes MTD. *MTD makes the low end (non-commercial) John Deere tractors*. John Deere makes all John Deere.
Источник: Are John Deere mowers at Lowes the same?


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## SidecarFlip (Mar 25, 2021)

I've always considered MTD mowers to be disposa mowers. Me, I'm not into a disposa mower, I cannot afford them. Rather by quality and pay more up front than have a machine that pukes in a couple years. Having said that I do have an MTD built zero turn but it's a commercial Cub Cadet 60" tank. You won't find them at any box store, ever. Commercial grade engine, top shelf Hydro Gear transmissions with filters and oil coolers, fabricated steel deck, spindles have grease fittings and so does every other moving part on the mower. Even comes with a ROPS. None of that you'll find at a Lowes or Home Despot.


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## DK35vince (Jan 22, 2006)

SidecarFlip said:


> As I suspected.....From your links Vince...
> 
> "
> MTD makes all of the store brands (i.e., a mower that might have the Home Depot name on it), along with MTD, Dynamark, YardPro, Weed Eater, Noma, and Sears Craftsman. Murray makes MTD. *MTD makes the low end (non-commercial) John Deere tractors*. John Deere makes all John Deere.
> Источник: Are John Deere mowers at Lowes the same?


Yes, confirms just what I said.
Box stores generally sell the non commercial mowers.
The non commercial models from JD or the box store with the same models numbers are the same
From the same site.
*There is no difference between the d105, d110, d125, d130, d140, d155, d160, d170 at your local big box store, local hardware store or corporate John Deere implement dealer*


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## Bob Driver (Nov 1, 2017)

DK35vince said:


> Yes, confirms just what I said.
> Box stores generally sell the non commercial mowers.
> The non commercial models from JD or the box store with the same models numbers are the same
> From the same site.
> *There is no difference between the d105, d110, d125, d130, d140, d155, d160, d170 at your local big box store, local hardware store or corporate John Deere implement dealer*


Yep... That's a real sore spot with the JD Dealers. You buy it at a box store and if anything goes wrong with it, they end up handling the warranty claim.


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## SidecarFlip (Mar 25, 2021)

Nothing 'Runs like a Deere', until it don't run.


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## unsquidly (Jul 13, 2021)

DK35vince said:


> Yes, confirms just what I said.
> Box stores generally sell the non commercial mowers.
> The non commercial models from JD or the box store with the same models numbers are the same
> From the same site.
> *There is no difference between the d105, d110, d125, d130, d140, d155, d160, d170 at your local big box store, local hardware store or corporate John Deere implement dealer*


I don't know of a John Deere dealer within 50 miles of me that sells the d models......It was the same way when Lowes and them had the L models.....But yes, they still have to do the warranty work on them and they hate it......


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## Groo (Jan 17, 2020)

The biggest thing with a riding mower/lawn tractor/garden tractor is the transmission. All the engines are "good" these days. Your engine will likely outlast your transmission if you maintain it.You can't easily maintain the transmissions. Your frame shouldn't break ever. Your pulleys can be replaced and upgraded. It all comes down to the transmission. A JD with transmission XYZ = a CC with transmission XYZ = a Husky with transmission XYZ, in my book. When I was last shopping for a riding mower; once I figured out one with a good transmission was out of my price range, I got the cheapest one I could find with the features I wanted (less the good transmission of course). JD doesn't make the engine, the transmission or the clutch these days. You've got to get at least an 1 series to get a Deere transmission and a 5 series or bigger to get a Deere Engine these days. Then you get to deal with Deere Corporate, fighting you to keep you from repairing your own crap.


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## SidecarFlip (Mar 25, 2021)

Hate to break your bubble but JD don't make ANY of the engines used in their lawnmowers, don't matter if they are made by MTD or at JD in Horicon, Wisconsin... Same with transmissions. Made by a supplier and installed in the chassis.

At least Kubota manufactures the diesel engine used in their high end zero turns but you'll pay for them, dearly.


Me, I don't really care. I know who built my my Cub Cadet 60" tank and who built the engine and transmissions. Says so right on them. Hydro gear and Kawasaki.


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## tacticalturnip (9 mo ago)

The Deere 100 series are built in Greenville, Tennessee by John Deere, they're not made by anyone else. They've all got little stickers on them saying where they were built.









John Deere Factory & Test Site in Greeneville, TN


Photos from our visit to the John Deere, Greeneville, TN factory where they produce the D100 series, EZTrak and S240 Sportster riding lawn mowers.




charlesandhudson.com





I quite liked my D160, but I treated like a lawn tractor, because it was a lawn tractor. 🤷‍♂️


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## Bob Driver (Nov 1, 2017)

unsquidly said:


> I don't know of a John Deere dealer within 50 miles of me that sells the d models......It was the same way when Lowes and them had the L models.....But yes, they still have to do the warranty work on them and they hate it......


The thing I love about Lowes & HD is you have to dig through the entire bunk of 2x4's to come up with six that are straight and without a dozen knots in them. A young girl came up to me last week and was giving me a hard time about digging through the 2x4's. I told her.... "Hey Darlin', I'm building a helicopter and this crap has got to be straight"..... She actually help me dig through the pile.😂

The ironic part is I retired from the Distributor that sells the lumber to them. Makes sense... Every time I went to get a cup of coffee, the pot had a 1/4" left in it, or was baked to the point it looked like somebody had just brewed up a pot of Bar's Leak.


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