A little miffed

[Grumpycat]

The Deere’s sold at Lowe’s and HD are not good quality and you will end up trying g to get any repairs done at Deere. Spend more on a different brand or buy from a dealer that repairs what they sell. This is still poor service for that dealer

We have covered that already. The S140 under discussion is exactly the same model at the box stores as at the John Deere dealers. You are correct in that JD has made special box-store cheapened versions but those have differing model numbers.

However dealers are required to honor warranty service no matter who sold the mower. Do not know how JD compensates dealers for warranty work but often it is below market prices so dealers will balk at warranty work on something they did not sell.

OTOH out of warranty work is work at the rate the dealer sets. So if the dealer doesn't want to service what they didn't sell then it is lost business.

 

[Torvy]

I always thought it was moronic of dealers to balk at warranty for for stuff they didn't sell. Do good work and build a relationship. Sales leads are worth money, so losing a bit on the warranty can net more down the road. Maybe not with every customer, but some will spend later and others will tell their friends.

 

[etpm]

We have covered that already. The S140 under discussion is exactly the same model at the box stores as at the John Deere dealers. You are correct in that JD has made special box-store cheapened versions but those have differing model numbers.

However dealers are required to honor warranty service no matter who sold the mower. Do not know how JD compensates dealers for warranty work but often it is below market prices so dealers will balk at warranty work on something they did not sell.

OTOH out of warranty work is work at the rate the dealer sets. So if the dealer doesn't want to service what they didn't sell then it is lost business.

Thanks for your post. I see stuff like this online all the time, where the dealerships supposedly sell a model number of a machine and it is better than the same exact model number sold at a big box store. This defies logic. I don't know why people believe that a company as big as John Deere would expose their reputation to the harm it would cause by selling two machines with the same exact model number where one machine is inferior. Why do people believe this stuff?
Thanks,
Eric

 

[paulsharvey]

Dealers don't like to do warranty work, because the Techs don't want to do it, they get reduced labor rates on manufacturer warranty work. The manufacturer does cover the cost, But at a much reduced rate then paying work.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

I had a place fight me on warranty work, tried to claim I put bad gas in. I had to raise holy H with them. I bought from them before, but they lost me as a customer.

 

[MHarryE]

Don’t know if things changed but when I bought my mower at Lowe’s, it had a sticker for the nearest Deere dealer on it. That dealer was 40 miles away. Lowe’s stocked common parts (blades, filters) but for work, which I never needed, it was take it to the Deere dealer who had assembled and prepped it for Lowe’s. My place has 2 acres of hilly ground which proved too much for the low end Deere and it’s transaxle was really weak by the end of 3 of our short seasons. I got a 4wd diesel with 1 less horsepower that will mow the lawn in half the time. But for a few years I got to proudly wear the Deere owner cap Deere sent me.

 

[Grumpycat]

My place has 2 acres of hilly ground which proved too much for the low end Deere and it’s transaxle was really weak by the end of 3 of our short seasons.

Hydrostatic transmissions need periodic fluid change. The low end hydrostatic transmissions do not specify a service interval, just replace the entire transmission. The common Hydro-Gear EZT for example. The oil is serviceable (is common 20W-50 motor oil) but only the newest production has a drain plug. Prior versions had to be removed to be drained.

 

[rScotty]

I think your defense comes from someone who has never owned a small business. In the 40 plus years of owning a small business I NEVER slighted a small customer in favor of a big customer. Never. It is just not ethical. Bad business too.
Eric

That's right.
I've had large customers ask for special treatment and they get it - in a certain way. For example I might stay late on a night I normally would go home .... and work until the wee hours for a large customer. He's earned that right. But I wouldn't favor large or small customera just based on money.
Doing that would negate the reason why both kind of customes came to my shop in the first place.

Also, large customers eat up disproportionately more time. For that reason I was never convinced that a large customer was better for me financially than a handful of smaller ones. In fact, I've often wondered about that. Still not sure..... although the smaller ones do tend to be more enjoyable and more of why I went into business in the first place.

rScotty

 

[rScotty]

Thanks for your post. I see stuff like this online all the time, where the dealerships supposedly sell a model number of a machine and it is better than the same exact model number sold at a big box store. This defies logic. I don't know why people believe that a company as big as John Deere would expose their reputation to the harm it would cause by selling two machines with the same exact model number where one machine is inferior. Why do people believe this stuff?
Thanks,
Eric

I agree. It doesn't make sense.
As to, "Why do people believe this stuff?"....

Selling the same model in different outlets has been going on for decades in the mechanical world - long enough to have thought about it.

My thought is that a lot of the misinformation comes directlyfrom the mouth of the salesmen at the big dealers. They may not have any real evidence or knowledge that their own branded product is different from the ones at the competing stores - but it is only human nature for them to imply such.
rScotty

 

[tacticalturnip]

Hydrostatic transmissions need periodic fluid change. The low end hydrostatic transmissions do not specify a service interval, just replace the entire transmission. The common Hydro-Gear EZT for example. The oil is serviceable (is common 20W-50 motor oil) but only the newest production has a drain plug. Prior versions had to be removed to be drained.

Hell, most lawn tractors these days use either the T40 or K46 transaxles, and those are sold as non-serviceable without a drain plug. Yet, at least for the K46, there is a place where a drain plug would go, and TuffTorq has a service interval for it. These things are left out at the request of the purchaser, and that says something.

That said, the K46 doesn't deserve the reputation it has; it's an excellent transaxle for a consumer lawnmower. However a lot of models that once had the K46 now use T40's, and as far as I understand those were developed for rear-engine riders!

You can extend the life of your basic lawn tractor by taking on your hills first, when the oil is at it's coolest.