Why do you hate MTD?

gsxr1100 · Apr 7, 2005

Here is my take on it since My wife works for Agaway (marketing and sales)which sells the same cheap opps, mowers as MTD. I think that MTD makes Agaway branded tractors or the same people that make MTD make Agaway. And yes I know what dealers pay on these and they are cheap tractors. You get what you pay for as I have stated for years.

Is MTD good, maybe, maybe not, but compared to what? A BX22/BX23? If so, MTD is junk. If not, the MTD is a cheap throw-away item. That it is. For $999 and buying it at Walmart, you get the picture.

When I worked at Agaway (yes I did) people would bring in there lawn mowers for repair. The repair price was at times, over 30% valve of a new unit. And I knew the guy working on the lawn mowers (not tractors) and lets say, longevity is not #1 here. Plus based on price I would not say they are not designed for a long-life like some of the expensive tractors (over $2K) /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Dargo · Apr 7, 2005

( YUGO cars were junk, that is why you don't see them anymore. MTD seems to just get bigger. Hmmmmmm. )

WorldCom was huge.

BRIGUY · Apr 7, 2005

Power Gen is my living

Enron was huge so was US Gen. There deceptive business practices really hurt the industry as well as grid reliability. Every little old lady-young children will be paying for the extreme gluttony of a few for a long time. America needs to wake up.

We are like a bunch of sheep. We do what we are told and the general public is kept of keeps themselves just poor enough to be afraid and keep there mouths shut.

Spiffy · Apr 7, 2005

Why this works so well is that by the average consumer thinking he is getting something for nothing or for much less. His greed is fueling there greed. 

 
Briguy, you nailed it!!! But, we're still singling out MTD.
Remember, if the consumer's greed still existed but MTD's didn't, JD or craftsman or somebody would just get larger piece of the same sized pie.

Also, two facts still remain:
A cheap machine (with proper maintence; irronically even at a pretty extreme 30% cost every year, you're way ahead of the guy treating the same machine as disposable [assuming you matched size and abuse factors to the machine]) can be [though IMHO seldom is] the right tool for the job. And there are still some quality products under the MTD umbrela, just don't expect to find them at the home or department stores.

Somebody else opend this can of worms, but it looks like I took the bait!

Chad

BRIGUY · Apr 7, 2005

O/K I'll let up on MTD.

I just wanted to prove the point that Americans are not thinking for themselves any more, never mind plan for the future.

MTD is probably the least of our worries, but they do get us used to certain ways of thinking and acting opening the door for the really big offenders like the credit card companys.

I don't hate a company that builds a cheap alternative for light use or someone who needs to get started.

(What I Can't understand is getting on a forum and telling the world how wonderful a bottom of the lline product is)

Maybe later i will get on one of the HI FI forums and rave amout a 2.99$ sanyo AM radio I purchased at Walmart

LBrown59 · Apr 7, 2005

( Why this works so well is that by the average consumer thinking he is getting something for nothing or for much less. His greed is fueling there greed. 

 
Briguy, you nailed it!!! But, we're still singling out MTD.
Remember, if the consumer's greed still existed but MTD's didn't, JD or craftsman or somebody would just get larger piece of the same sized pie.

Also, two facts still remain:
A cheap machine (with proper maintence; irronically even at a pretty extreme 30% cost every year, you're way ahead of the guy treating the same machine as disposable [assuming you matched size and abuse factors to the machine]) can be [though IMHO seldom is] the right tool for the job. And there are still some quality products under the MTD umbrela, just don't expect to find them at the home or department stores.

Somebody else opend this can of worms, but it looks like I took the bait!

Chad
)

 And there are still some quality products under the MTD umbrella
==============
Such as ?
Everybody keeps saying this but nobody seems to be able to tell me what they are where they are or where I can look at them.

gsxr1100 · Apr 7, 2005

( O/K I'll let up on MTD.

I just wanted to prove the point that Americans are not thinking for themselves any more, never mind plan for the future.

MTD is probably the least of our worries, but they do get us used to certain ways of thinking and acting opening the door for the really big offenders like the credit card companys.

I don't hate a company that builds a cheap alternative for light use or someone who needs to get started.

(What I Can't understand is getting on a forum and telling the world how wonderful a bottom of the lline product is)

Maybe later i will get on one of the HI FI forums and rave amout a 2.99$ sanyo AM radio I purchased at Walmart

)

BRIGUY- Some people think Walfart is the BEST. Again, what I see is price (Rollback) in this store rules. It could be junk and if it is cheap, people love it. Does not matter on the longevity of it. Only thing most care about is price.

I bought 2 dvd’s palyers there for when I run inside on rainy days. And both lasted about 2 to 4 months then they died. So I bought a Sony bottom of-the-line in my book online (around $250) and works much better. Spend more and get more.

Spiffy · Apr 7, 2005

The best example I have decent knowledge of would be Cub Cadet's commercial Turf Tanks, and the next step down ZForce. Of course, with Tanks, now you're talking Exmark, Scag, etc pricing. I don't even want to start what is better there [other threads have already beat to death how that comes down to particular features you might like, local price, local service, and local preference {e.i. "everyone" around here is happy with "Brand A"}]. The point is, these and some of the other Cubs are meant to be used.

In mid-range Z-Turns ($4-5K mid-range?!), cub started making a "residential-commercial" Tank50 (just like Exmark and a few others lately; or Dixon for many years) and a "commerical-residential" ZForce with very similar drive train. Try the $3K Sears [oh yeah, Craftsman who's hand tools I still like, is guilty too...or do we point to Poulon...or Electrolux?] unit then the $3K "home store" Cub RZT and then the $4K Z-force. That extra $800-$1000 will pay dividends over and over if you have any [but not excessive] abuse.

For full disclosure, I recently tested the units above, and almost bought the Z-Force to replace a Cub garden tractor(similar to the 3000 series) that had taken some serious abuse before giving out after 13 years and around 1500 hours. A great deal [but still more expensive] and predictions of more abuse lured me into a [04 demo] SnapperPro commercial unit instead. 5 years from now I may find all my conclusions are all wet, but it doesn't take a rocket scientist to get a pretty good idea of quality with a few hours research, 20 minutes once, twice, & thrice over, and a few minutes test drive of each machine.

It was just for disclosure: I'm definitely not trying to start another brand war here; also please trust me, even at only 1500hrs that poor cub had paid it's dues (though I'd bet the 1970's model it replaced is still going....somewhere...)

Chad

slowrev · Apr 7, 2005

I hate MTD because if I buy the cheapest lawn mover my self esteem will drop. I buy the most expensive mowers I can find so my self esteem will be high and I can berag about how much I paid. Also they are American made, who wants American made junk anyway ?

/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Ben

ducati996 · Apr 7, 2005

( ( Why this works so well is that by the average consumer thinking he is getting something for nothing or for much less. His greed is fueling there greed. 

 
Briguy, you nailed it!!! But, we're still singling out MTD.
Remember, if the consumer's greed still existed but MTD's didn't, JD or craftsman or somebody would just get larger piece of the same sized pie.

Also, two facts still remain:
A cheap machine (with proper maintence; irronically even at a pretty extreme 30% cost every year, you're way ahead of the guy treating the same machine as disposable [assuming you matched size and abuse factors to the machine]) can be [though IMHO seldom is] the right tool for the job. And there are still some quality products under the MTD umbrela, just don't expect to find them at the home or department stores.

Somebody else opend this can of worms, but it looks like I took the bait!

Chad
)

 And there are still some quality products under the MTD umbrella
==============
Such as ?
Everybody keeps saying this but nobody seems to be able to tell me what they are where they are or where I can look at them. )

Lbrown59,
Why do you need others to point it out for you? You have expressed you negative opinions about Cub and MTD on a few threads -but if you dont know the when, where and how
How is it you came to these conclusions and/or opinions? can it be that the Bx23 is the enlightned and chosen brand and all others pale in comparision? /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif Sure glad I have green then

Ducati