CEO of Husqvarna Calls it Quits on Lawn and Garden Tractors (Petrol), says U.S. is Too "Challenging".

[MossRoad]

Husqvarna CEO recent quotes...


"Gardening machinery group Husqvarna HUSQb.ST said on Tuesday it will restructure its struggling Consumer Brands division"

"The company blamed rising commodity prices and a “challenging U.S. retail market environment"

"CEO Kai Warn told Reuters that Consumer Brands’ loss in the quarter meant he no longer expected the group to reach its 10 percent operating profit target this year"

"Husqvarna said the Consumer Brands division would exit lower-price segments such as petrol-powered lawnmowers and garden tractors"

All above qoutes sourced by link provided toward bottom of page.

Dear Husqvarna,

I can't help but wonder if your "losses" have had a little something to do with your (still NOT "robust") frame/chassis problems on your Lawn and Garden Tractors (GT, TS).

Sorry to hear us pesky U.S. consumers expected you to honor your warranty and produce what your company claims in it's mis-leading adverts. Your corporate strategy of at least “10%” in profit may have been achieved by having a more professional and dependable consumer oriented business model.

Is this how Husqvarna plans to fix it's 16 year failed, weak, 26 lbs. GT/ TS Lawn Tractor chassis...... By quitting, because it's too challenging for them? (Chassis was started by AYP under Electrolux in 2005)

View attachment 704632

Examples over the years,

2008,

View attachment 704636

2009,

View attachment 704630

2012,

View attachment 704634

2018, My full story found here,

View attachment 704631


Sticky BEWARE OF HUSQVARNA GARDEN TRACTORS (PART 1)

2020,

View attachment 704635

This is what Johnny Products will show you, (the TS GT Husqvarna/ Craftsman Chassis is weak, the lawn tractor chassis is not)

View attachment 704633

For the rest of us, if you are planning to buy whats left of current reduced production and stock, good luck. My advice, RUN FROM HUSQVARNA.

I also wonder who will be making parts for what is already produced? MTD, Stanley Black and Decker?

You can read the CEO of Husqvarna's words here below (link). Pay attention to what Husqvarna says is important to them. Notice all of their “restructuring” plans and “losses” began in PRE-COVID years (this is not “pandemic” related loss).

Garden tools maker Husqvarna hit by weak U.S. retail market

Gardening machinery group Husqvarna <HUSQb.ST> said on Tuesday it will restructure its struggling Consumer Brands division, which makes petrol lawnmowers and garden tractors, after it slumped to a loss in the second quarter on a weak retail market in the United States.

www.reuters.com

GT

Did you put a johnny bucket on a garden tractor and bend the frame?

 

[shooterdon]

I have a 48” rider bought from Lowe’s in 2012. Been a good machine. I cut 2 acres. Use it to pull a sprayer and spreader as well.

Selling it to a neighbor for $1000 so cannot complain. Must have got one of the good ones.

 

[MichUser]

Well this news really SUCKS. I just bought an expensive (to me) Husqvarna TS248G ride on mower. With the grass catcher and taxes the total cost was about $5,000 CAD. Now I read this may be a major problem waiting to happen. So far I love this thing but it only has about 10 hrs on it.

Hoping I get lucky with this one.

You are probably good . Frankly, had I been educated about the issue that ultimately killed my Husqvarna YTH24K48 tractor, I would have driven it differently in some areas where gusts of wind send dry leaves up into the air. I actually had the tractor for a number of years, cleaned and washed it every other mow. It looked almost new, and ran like a champ- I guess I was lucky, and didn't have some of the issues that others mentioned. I was rather devastated when the tractor burned; to me it was one of the family. I didn't buy another tractor until we moved north into our retirement digs, and the heavier duties the current ride serves works much better than the YTH24. Up here I need ground implements, and a much larger transaxle. Still, even my current tractor has reached its limits, and I need a larger beast. Unfortunately, due to the soils here, even a larger tractor won't do; I will need to change vehicle types. Good luck with yours- I really did like mine.

 

[Tony H]

I'm going to play devil's advocate here.... What codes, restrictions and guidelines does the US put on these companies? Just maybe the US standards are forcing these companies to build something lighter weight then their European counterparts.

 

[RandyT]

I'm going to play devil's advocate here.... What codes, restrictions and guidelines does the US put on these companies? Just maybe the US standards are forcing these companies to build something lighter weight then their European counterparts.

Two things driving the market. The EPA emissions standards that keep getting tighter and consumers expecting quality but not willing to pay more than they did 20 years ago. Battery technology hitting the market, but Husqvarna, Stihl, Echo, Makita have an uphill battle due to customers already having battery tools, and their respective batteries. So the Dewalt and Milwaukee tool owners are going to stay with that brand due to battery interchangability.

 

[GT48DXLS]

Good riddance . . . Husqvarna should turn their tails and RUN from the American market, they will NOT be missed.

I bought a YTK46 riding mower brand new in 2011 or 2012 has been the WORST piece of mechanical garbage it has ever been my displeasure to own. It seems to be biodegradable - exposure to the air makes it disintegrate (it is kept inside, too, not left out in the rain).

It has a Kohler "Cowardice" engine, excuse me Kohler "Courage" engine. It currently has 202 hours on it, I don't use it particularly hard, it is maintained according to the schedule, and the area I mow is fairly smooth, no rocks, rebars, cement blocks, etc. This mower should be living the life of Reilly, right?

Well, not exactly.

Understand that I'm 74, and have owned and worked on over 150 cars since I was 16 - all kinds of stuff, ridiculous to the sublime, Porsches, nine Jaguars (I learn, slowly, but I do learn), Mercedes (old and new), Lotus Elan (!), Volvo, Fiat, MG, El Camino, Ford, Chevvy, the list goes on and on, also uncounted motorcycles, a three boats (ugh), a couple of airplanes, a tractor and more AND a 4,500 sf building chock full of tools which I have a pretty good idea of how to use and I've taught in trade schools and publish technical books on airplanes and motorcycles, so I have a pretty good idea of which end of a screwdriver to hammer on, and I take care of stuff - good care.

This Husqvarna perfectly fits the description of "Designed by morons, assembled by chimpanzees, sold by charlatans" and the last part is "to fools", and I evidently have to plead guilty. This mower is the worst, least reliable, crankiest, all-around vilest piece of vehicular garbage it has ever been my displeasure to be afflicted with.

Optional sunshade didn't fit, it sagged down over my eyes in ten minutes, bracing it and making sure the hardware was correct and correctly installed made no difference. It was only $60, Lowes was far away, it wasn't worth fighting over.

Both aluminum blade spindles broke - fixed under warranty by dealer (30 miles away).

Anti-vibration straps on hood fell off. I left them off and took the hood off for better visibility and for better service access, which I have needed a LOT.

The gas tank filler is partially blocked by the cowling. You are WELL advised to let the engine cool completely before attempting to fill the gas tank because it is almost impossible to refuel without splashing fuel on the hot engine. The tank itself is opaque plastic so you never know the fuel level unless you check constantly or it overflows on being filled. Talk about dumb design . . .

Two welds on the mower deck broke, dropping it to the ground. Fixed under warranty by same dealer.

Pulley bolt on the deck worked loose (evidently never tightened), ruined the drive belt. Replaced with decent quality hardware, the OEM bolt was as soft as butter. If there is such a thing as a Grade Zero bolt, this is it. You could practically squeeze it gently and leave fingerprints in the metal.

Both front tires dry rotted. Husqvarna supplied inner tubes under "We're doing you a favor" warranty program. (That was inside of six months from date of purchase.) Got the usual "Gee, we've never seen that before" line of BS from them before they asked for my shipping address,

Steering spindles loose, mower steered about as well as an epileptic spider on roller skates on ice. Shimmed with washers, now it more or less goes where I want it to. It'll never be a sports car, but at least now it will go in a straight line. Almost. Sometimes.

Oil quick-drain loose, it was less than two turns from falling out, which would have poured hot oil on my left foot and blown the engine because ALL the oil would have been on my left foot and none left in the crankcase. Teflon tape, tightened and safety wired, so that should be the end of that issue.

Deck baffles vibrated apart, locked up the mower and bent a blade. Not once, but twice. Fortunately, these are on eBay for $12 or so and I'm getting good at changing them. I am also keeping a spare on the shelf, I *KNOW* I'll need it sooner or later.

Muffler vibrated apart - replaced. 135 hours.

Carb rebuilt twice in 200 hours, still ran like warmed over cr*p. Finally bought a replacement carb (eBay again) for about 1/5 of what the dealer wanted, discovered that the intake manifold gasket under the carb spacer (which is why I didn't catch it on the two rebuilds) was installed folded from the factory and there was a big air leak in the intake tract, which MIGHT explain why the mower always ran lean, stank of gas, started hard, backfired and seemed to lack power. After 200 hours of ownership, now it seems to run at least decently. (Keeping fingers crossed.)

One of the carb rebuilds was prompted by large clouds of white smoke from the exhaust, it seems the float sank and filled the crankcase with gasoline. Drained and refilled everything, the carb kit had two different length needle valves with no instructions or any way to tell which was which. Took a chance, at least it didn't run any worse, so evidently I guessed right.

FOUR batteries so far, it needs a new one every 24 to 30 months, mower is stored inside, never gets cold, and on a charge maintainer. Good old WalMart, $27 a pop, at least they are close.

Deck washout plug broke off/fell apart, evidently from the extreme stress of being exposed to sunlight. Replaced.

Slap it together and get it out the door. Lowes' warranty is (or was, it is long expired) "Bring it here, we'll get back to you within six to eight weeks, it could be more."

I've had old, tired 50's vintage Fiats that ran better and were more dependable than this Husqvarna mower, and that should tell us something.

I'm now mowing with the Kubota, and there is a zero-turn mower in our future, which is why I'm reading this thread. The Husqvarna is going to be used as an aircraft tug, we'll see if it likes that better. Or maybe I'll just blow it up and claim it as a casualty loss.

Friends don't let friends buy Husqvarna garden tractors.

Best Regards,

Mike/Florida

I SOLUTE YOU SIR!!!

My Wife and I laughed so hard we got tears in our eyes, not over the trouble of course, but your writing skills are first rate.

We share a lot in common, more than just living in Florida, I too have had numerous cars (over 60 now), most were Land Rover, VW, Audi, Porsche, and Volvo, Cafe Motorcycles, numerous sit-down and stand- up jet skis, a boat, and never got to the airplane, but do have my private pilot license. There is nothing I can't rebuild, and won't pay a man to fix my prized euro's or water craft. I'm a bit envious at your shop, and Jaguar? Are you referring to the electronics from H@ll- Lucas? My first Land Rover had Lucas, stuff worked when it wanted to. I love the post!

Boy I sure don't know why they would exit such a nice market. Mine was built like a tank!

View attachment 704813

Uh, GAS tank, that is.

Under the front of the cowling, there is an enclosed 'Leaf Catcher'. In the 'Leaf Catcher', is where the exhaust from the engine exits. Nice design.

Wow, just wow.

I got word from a Husqvarna Corporate Rep that bought a TS3 series for himself a couple years back and had the older, stronger "C" channel chassis put on, doing away with the failed pan chassis it comes with. I thought I'd share, it should make people think.....

GT

 

[KennyG]

I'm going to play devil's advocate here.... What codes, restrictions and guidelines does the US put on these companies? Just maybe the US standards are forcing these companies to build something lighter weight then their European counterparts.

My guess is that U.S. market for low end lawn mowers has become so price driven and dominated by big box retailers that there isn't much profit left in it. While the members of this forum use the machines to their capabilities, the big market is homeowners with 1/4 acre of grass.

 

[MossRoad]

Did you put a johnny bucket on a garden tractor and bend the frame?

Why do you ask?

 

[RandyT]

My guess is that U.S. market for low end lawn mowers has become so price driven and dominated by big box retailers that there isn't much profit left in it. While the members of this forum use the machines to their capabilities, the big market is homeowners with 1/4 acre of grass.

Throw in the fact that most push mowers are ran 12 hours per year and replaced every 3.5 years, and riders are run on average 38 hours per year, and replaced every 4.5 years. So the manufacturers have engineered their products behind that replacement average. I remember when Snapper a few years back announced that they were changing the quality of the rear engine riders to have a 5 year life expectancy. Remember that is the mower that up to that point would last over 30 years on average.

 

[Gem99ultra]

Good riddance . . . Husqvarna should turn their tails and RUN from the American market, they will NOT be missed.

I bought a YTK46 riding mower brand new in 2011 or 2012 has been the WORST piece of mechanical garbage it has ever been my displeasure to own. It seems to be biodegradable - exposure to the air makes it disintegrate (it is kept inside, too, not left out in the rain).

It has a Kohler "Cowardice" engine, excuse me Kohler "Courage" engine. It currently has 202 hours on it, I don't use it particularly hard, it is maintained according to the schedule, and the area I mow is fairly smooth, no rocks, rebars, cement blocks, etc. This mower should be living the life of Reilly, right?

Well, not exactly.

Understand that I'm 74, and have owned and worked on over 150 cars since I was 16 - all kinds of stuff, ridiculous to the sublime, Porsches, nine Jaguars (I learn, slowly, but I do learn), Mercedes (old and new), Lotus Elan (!), Volvo, Fiat, MG, El Camino, Ford, Chevvy, the list goes on and on, also uncounted motorcycles, a three boats (ugh), a couple of airplanes, a tractor and more AND a 4,500 sf building chock full of tools which I have a pretty good idea of how to use and I've taught in trade schools and publish technical books on airplanes and motorcycles, so I have a pretty good idea of which end of a screwdriver to hammer on, and I take care of stuff - good care.

This Husqvarna perfectly fits the description of "Designed by morons, assembled by chimpanzees, sold by charlatans" and the last part is "to fools", and I evidently have to plead guilty. This mower is the worst, least reliable, crankiest, all-around vilest piece of vehicular garbage it has ever been my displeasure to be afflicted with.

Optional sunshade didn't fit, it sagged down over my eyes in ten minutes, bracing it and making sure the hardware was correct and correctly installed made no difference. It was only $60, Lowes was far away, it wasn't worth fighting over.

Both aluminum blade spindles broke - fixed under warranty by dealer (30 miles away).

Anti-vibration straps on hood fell off. I left them off and took the hood off for better visibility and for better service access, which I have needed a LOT.

The gas tank filler is partially blocked by the cowling. You are WELL advised to let the engine cool completely before attempting to fill the gas tank because it is almost impossible to refuel without splashing fuel on the hot engine. The tank itself is opaque plastic so you never know the fuel level unless you check constantly or it overflows on being filled. Talk about dumb design . . .

Two welds on the mower deck broke, dropping it to the ground. Fixed under warranty by same dealer.

Pulley bolt on the deck worked loose (evidently never tightened), ruined the drive belt. Replaced with decent quality hardware, the OEM bolt was as soft as butter. If there is such a thing as a Grade Zero bolt, this is it. You could practically squeeze it gently and leave fingerprints in the metal.

Both front tires dry rotted. Husqvarna supplied inner tubes under "We're doing you a favor" warranty program. (That was inside of six months from date of purchase.) Got the usual "Gee, we've never seen that before" line of BS from them before they asked for my shipping address,

Steering spindles loose, mower steered about as well as an epileptic spider on roller skates on ice. Shimmed with washers, now it more or less goes where I want it to. It'll never be a sports car, but at least now it will go in a straight line. Almost. Sometimes.

Oil quick-drain loose, it was less than two turns from falling out, which would have poured hot oil on my left foot and blown the engine because ALL the oil would have been on my left foot and none left in the crankcase. Teflon tape, tightened and safety wired, so that should be the end of that issue.

Deck baffles vibrated apart, locked up the mower and bent a blade. Not once, but twice. Fortunately, these are on eBay for $12 or so and I'm getting good at changing them. I am also keeping a spare on the shelf, I *KNOW* I'll need it sooner or later.

Muffler vibrated apart - replaced. 135 hours.

Carb rebuilt twice in 200 hours, still ran like warmed over cr*p. Finally bought a replacement carb (eBay again) for about 1/5 of what the dealer wanted, discovered that the intake manifold gasket under the carb spacer (which is why I didn't catch it on the two rebuilds) was installed folded from the factory and there was a big air leak in the intake tract, which MIGHT explain why the mower always ran lean, stank of gas, started hard, backfired and seemed to lack power. After 200 hours of ownership, now it seems to run at least decently. (Keeping fingers crossed.)

One of the carb rebuilds was prompted by large clouds of white smoke from the exhaust, it seems the float sank and filled the crankcase with gasoline. Drained and refilled everything, the carb kit had two different length needle valves with no instructions or any way to tell which was which. Took a chance, at least it didn't run any worse, so evidently I guessed right.

FOUR batteries so far, it needs a new one every 24 to 30 months, mower is stored inside, never gets cold, and on a charge maintainer. Good old WalMart, $27 a pop, at least they are close.

Deck washout plug broke off/fell apart, evidently from the extreme stress of being exposed to sunlight. Replaced.

Slap it together and get it out the door. Lowes' warranty is (or was, it is long expired) "Bring it here, we'll get back to you within six to eight weeks, it could be more."

I've had old, tired 50's vintage Fiats that ran better and were more dependable than this Husqvarna mower, and that should tell us something.

I'm now mowing with the Kubota, and there is a zero-turn mower in our future, which is why I'm reading this thread. The Husqvarna is going to be used as an aircraft tug, we'll see if it likes that better. Or maybe I'll just blow it up and claim it as a casualty loss.

Friends don't let friends buy Husqvarna garden tractors.

Best Regards,

Mike/Florida

I like most, am totally impressed with your experience and skills. What you're missing is a little good luck, errr - and overload of bad luck. It seems you managed to buy the single mower that possessed every bad feature of every Husqvarna mower ever built.

Like most others, I have been the fortunate one to have not experienced the dissatisfaction that you perhaps have with either of my two Husqvarna mowers. One of those two has well over 2500 hours; the other about 220 hours. However, I certainly agree with you in this case, it's time to 'throw the baby out with the bath wash'. Or maybe that time is far overdue.

I envy you with being able and ready to go Kubota. You can expect to put your tools away for a long time.