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I might agree that you can prob find a used machine but if you want to buy new...I worked part time selling outdoor power equipment at Lowes so I'm familiar with these units.
The Troy Built is built my MTD - so at the core it's the same machine that you can get from Craftsman at Sears or Home Depot whatever their version is. In that case, you can shop them hard and choose based on which vendor you like (I prob would choose Lowes). They are not bad machines, do the job and are pretty reliable.
JD is definitely premium priced. Once you walk out the door of Lowes, you will be taken care of by the regular JD dealer network. How close is the nearest official dealer?
Personally, I always liked the Husqvarna's... for a comparable machine you can save a couple hundred compared to the JD. They are true "garden tractors" meaning you can get a huge array of attachments for them. They seemed to be solidly built and very reliable.
You want 2 things that the Husqvarna will provide:
(a) hydrostatic transmission, automatic car-like tranny that gives smooth shifting and lasts forever.
(b) a Kohler V-twin motor... more powerful, smoother, quieter from the balance of the twin pistons (single piston sounds really lawn mower-y). The Kohler motor is superb, so I would definitely prefer that over a Briggs & Stratton. We used to recommend ~20 horsepower engine for snow plowing.
After that you will have options on deck size, I think the small Husqvarna at 46" cut would be big enough.
Further tips:
(1) Wait for a promotion. Lowes has 2 common sales offers: 10% off OR a free dump cart when you buy the tractor. These deals come around fairly regularly, although come to think of it it's sometimes offered for JD, or for Troy Built, or sometimes for -any- tractor. If you can wait, just keep checking the weekly circular until the deal comes. I'll guarantee if you can wait you will get one of these 2 deals (10% off or a free dump cart) before Memorial Day and again before July 4.
(2) You have a 30 day price guarantee, so after you buy it keep checking the sales circular or stop by the store once or twice. If the price is reduced or goes on sale, they will refund the difference.
(3) Don't waste your money on an extended warranty. As with most mechanical devices, if it is going to break, it will break withing the initial 2 year warranty period. The extended warranty is pure profit for the store, and the salesman has a huge incentive to get you to buy it.
posted by 69.124.177...
, Tue, 20 Apr 2010 16:20:38, Mon, 19 Apr 2010 14:50:41
, Mon, 19 Apr 2010 15:57:33
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