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

[MossRoad]

Why do you keep talking to yourself?

Trying to get a response from the OP that was lamenting the bent frame. He posted several dozen posts and multiple threads on another website regarding this same machine. I was trying to ask if he put a factory bucket on it and bent the frame, or a johnny bucket on it and bent the frame.

 

[RandyT]

@MossRoad If I remember correctly it was the Husqvarna accessories bucket made by Agri-Fab and when the frame bent tried to claim warranty and Husqvarna denied it claiming abuse.

 

[Slowpoke Slim]

Not sure I'd care to inflict this evil device on any of our TBN members.

Before I use ANY equipment (from push mowers to airplanes), I do a "preflight" to make sure that all fluids and lubricant levels are correct, there's fuel in the tank, tire pressures are correct, nothing is hanging, bent, broken, leaking or smoking, all the various clips, hatches, safeties are secure, and so forth.

I've been told that real men don't read instructions, but I do, and I'm not ashamed to refer to them frequently. I'm also fanatical about following the maintenance schedules and fixing things right - no duct tape or baling wire allowed.

Most of what has gone wrong with this mower stems from poor design, zero pre-delivery inspection (which I have remedied), bad welds from the factory, things vibrating apart, just generally no quality control at ANY point from engineering to assembly to delivery.

I have more hours on my Kubota, which works a LOT harder than this, and has had far fewer problems. All the Husqvarna has to do is cut grass. The Kubota has an FEL, bush hog, belly mower, grade box, pallet forks and it gets used for all kinds of things and just keeps going, all that falls off is a flasher lens from time to time and they are $1.29 at Tractor Supply.

Admittedly, the Kubota cost more than ten times as much as the Husqvarna, but I also have a 30 year old Murray push mower (remember them?) which keeps soldiering along, runs just fine, and cost less than $100 new. I also have two motorcycles which I have owned for fifty years (!) and they also are just fine.

All of these are stored inside so they are not out in the weather, and nobody else uses them.

Like you, I've seen plenty of vehicles where the owner was the biggest problem but in this case I plead not guilty. This mower was evidently assembled on a Friday before a LONG holiday weekend, and the QC crew was very hung over when it got to them the next work day.

Best Regards,

Mike/Florida

There is something rotten in Denmark.

I hate to even admit that I could agree with Rob on anything, but I think the major engineering failure on your riding mower is actually the face that appears in your bathroom mirror.

Just not buying it.

Your "latest tale of woe" is a perfect example.

No way in (you know where) you can hang the blame for the rod falling off your deck on Husqvarna. That one is all on you. It's a mindset. You very obviously put it back on wrong, or with the wrong style clips, and instantly blame the manufacturer. It's always "someone else's fault", right?

I've had my deck off at least a dozen times. Never lost (or bent) a rod. Never even lost a clip. Never broken a weld, never damaged a hub, never had a single breakage or failure of any kind. I'm even on my original belts. All I've gone through is blades. They don't take rock strikes very well at all. But at least I don't blame Husqvarna when I hit a rock and destroy a blade, screaming to the heavens on Husqvarna's crappy design. I put on new blades and try not to do that thing again that broke the blades in the first place (like hitting rocks).

I was pulling carts full of dirt with mine just yesterday. Ran fine, pulled the cart just fine.

Perhaps try changing the way you operate that thing? Or perhaps hand it off to spouse or family member to operate for a season? Gauge the change in "bad design" incidents based on who the operator was at the time of "failure"?

 

[MossRoad]

@MossRoad If I remember correctly it was the Husqvarna accessories bucket made by Agri-Fab and when the frame bent tried to claim warranty and Husqvarna denied it claiming abuse.

Thanks.

 

[plowhog]

There is something rotten in Denmark.

Some time ago, on this forum, there was a thread comparing a Husqvarna GT48DXLS mower vs a John Deere X380 mower.

There were odd things posted in that thread. One "homeowner" owned a Deere X380, endlessly gushing praise about it while frequently criticizing "bent frames" on Husqvarna mowers. Except that member had a history of many previous posts describing intricate and detailed knowledge of 11 different models of John Deere mowers and tractors. How many "homeowners" have detailed knowledge at the service manual level on 11 different machines-- all from one manufacturer? Hmmm.

I believe the OP of this thread is legit-- but that doesn't mean all the responding posts are.

 

[shooterdon]

All I know is that my 48" Husky did a fine job for 9 years on the 2 acres it had to handle. It has a new home now and its new owner loves it.

Not saying someone cannot get a lemon but if they were all junk there would be more complaints...IMO.

Now compared to my $5k Bad Boy Elite ZT....it is a POS!!!! LOL

 

[sunandsand]

I'd happily change my operating procedures if it meant this thing would stop breaking.

If you go back to page two of this thread, there's a list of the problems I've had. I can't claim responsibility for dry rotted tires ;-), for the muffler that vibrated apart at 135 hours, for the loose oil drain fitting, for the bad welds on the mower deck (fixed under warranty, if it had been abuse, I'd have gotten to pay for it), for the folded carb gasket which gave an inlet tract leak, and several other things.

What bothers me is that I have more problems with this mower than with all the rest of my fleet combined, Kubota, airplane, Mercedes, Honda Accord, Subaru Forester, two antique BMW motorcycles, and a push mower dating from the Second Punic wars, all of which I maintain myself. Not even the Mercedes goes to the dealer, I do it and I have no problems.

I notice a lot of commonality in parts and part numbers between this Husqvarna and some Sears/Craftsman riding mowers. Husqvarna evidently found a generic riding mower manufacturer and simply had them put "Husqvarna" decals on their product. Husqvarna's "withdrawal from the US market" simply means they won't be sending any more decals to whoever made the mowers.

If you have any suggestions as to what procedures I can change to improve the reliability of this machine, I'm listening. I always remember that the larger the island of knowledge, the longer the shoreline of ignorance.

Best Regards,

Mike/Florida

 

[plowhog]

I have more problems with this mower than with all the rest of my fleet combined, ... If you have any suggestions as to what procedures I can change to improve the reliability of this machine, I'm listening.

I'd consider selling it and moving on.

 

[two_bit_score]

I'd consider selling it and moving on.

Or just haul it to the scrap yard if it’s so bad he wouldn’t want to push the junker off on an innocent purchaser.

 

[Cougsfan]

If Husqvarna stopped making everything in the home and gardening realm , I would not be overly upset. I haven't owned anything with their name on it that is high quality. (They do make a decent dirt bike, but there is no relationship in parent companies anymore)