TROY BUILT RIDING MOWER QUESTIONS

RBManufacturing · Jul 28, 2004

I,m looking at a Troy Built rider called the Pony. I believe it is about 12-14 h.p. I have had good experience with Troy Built Tillers. Anyone know who makes Troy Built Riders? Anyone had experience with the Rider they make? Good?Bad?
I have had my Wards 12 h.p. for 20 yrs. She is on her last leg. I cannot imagine how many hrs. the old girl has on her. Hundreds?Thousands? The Troy Built is priced at $999.00 at Lowes. I paid $1100.00 for Wards mower 20 yrs. ago. The wards had a beautiful cut, but would never handle grass over 5-6 inches. Not designed to. The higher you set the blade, to more loose the belt was. Tightened as you lowered it. Is the Troy Built the same way? Hope to get back to Lowes soon to see more. Meantime, I thought I would ask you guys. Thanks, Rick

SteveH_CT · Jul 28, 2004

They were bought out by MTD... I can't comment on how well they are built now as opposed to the products they turned out several years ago. There have been several discussions about MTD and their brands within the Lawn and Garden discussion area.

Here is a link to their corporate website. MTD Products

Chuck52 · Jul 28, 2004

mtd

A friend has a higher grade Troy Built...more horse power, bigger deck, etc...and is quite happy with it, though he isn't impressed with the quality of the machine as indicated by sheet metal guage and such. You won't hear much good about MTD products except from a limited number of the guys, but I bought an MTD at Home Depot earlier this summer that is doing fine for me. It is 21HP, 46" deck, auto transmission, no oil filter. That last part bugged me, but it cost $1199, and I had some Home Depot gift certificates to use, so I did it and figured I'd just chsnge the oil more often. It cuts tall grass. It cuts wet grass. It does this at a speed that can get to be fun, since it has a really tight turning circle. I was zipping around the fence circles I have around my apple trees Sunday. Loop, diagonal to the next one, loop, diagonal to the next one....I was getting dizzy. It rained 1.5 inches the day before and I was making pretty impressive piles of cut wet grass, but it wasn't slowing me down. Will this thing last twenty years....I doubt it, but it should be good for several.

Chuck

RBManufacturing · Jul 28, 2004

Hi Guys,
I just found out the Pony is 17.5 h.p. Quite a bit bigger motor than the old Wards rider. I know if it has hydrostat drive it requires more h.p. But this one is standard with 8 forward gears. Hope it will handle taller grass occasionally. Thanks, Rick

bontai_Joe · Jul 28, 2004

If your Ward's cost over $1000 twenty years ago, and the tractor you are looking at now costs less, figure what wages were 20 years ago and then start to think how can they sell the same type of machine for the same price? They can't. Costs had to be trimmed somewhere to maintain the price. My personal opinion is that MTD is slapping the good name "Troy-Bilt" on machinery that will never deliver on the reputation that "Troy-Bilt" used to have. MTD also does it with the "Bolens" name. Having said that, it will cut grass, but I wouldn't count on another 20 years.

Dave___in___CT · Jul 28, 2004

Hi...

Joe... good point re. cost then & now...

Here's what an Inflation Calculator shows...

What cost $1100 in 1983 would cost $1999.98 in 2003.

Also, if you were to buy exactly the same products in 2003 and 1983, they would cost you $1100 and $605.01 respectively.

Dave...

slowrev · Jul 30, 2004

Products do not necessarially cost more in later years. Take computers for instance. I bought my first hard drive for 399.00 for a 32 meg drive about 20 years ago , I can now buy a much better quality and faster 100 GB hard drive for under 200.00.

A 4 MHZ IBM PC was about 5K 20 years or so ago a MUCH better system now is under 1K.

bontai_Joe · Jul 30, 2004

Computers and other electronic stuff are one of the exceptions to the rule. Todays computers are cheaper and better because they have a lot less parts, smaller more powerfull circuit boards and enhanced manufacturing methods. Whereas today's lawn tractor has pretty much the same parts the 20 year old one does, if not actually more parts, like all the safety stuff that has been added. Maybe there is some robotic assembly to cut labor, but the engine, frame, tranny, axles and wheels all still have to be assembled and painted. If on a $1000 tractor, the motor and tranny represent $600, there isn't much $$ left over for the rest of the tractor, plus shipping, plus profit. They become things the manufacturer hopes he can sell a million of because the profit is so small on each one. That is the Walmart business plan. They can make $.01 profit on a jar of pickles if they sell 20,000,000 jars.