Started to buy some equipment for the season today

[merrimacmill]

Well I went down to MB tractor today to the landscapers show, and made the first big investment towards going into the grounds maintenance business. We bought a 2008 Exmark Metro 48 inch walkbehind, grass gobbler, and a redmax HTZ2401 hedge trimmer. Yesterday I bought a 5X10 open landscape trailer from a friend.

For those who don't know, we're a property management company, and have decided to go into this business. We already have quite a bit of equipment, but this is what we needed to really get things going right.

I have pictures of the hedge trimmer now. But I'm picking up the mower on tuesday. So I'll post it when I get it.

[lawnpro2210]

sweet i love new equipment lol

[J&R Landscaping]

Best of luck with it!

[deere615]

Nice hedge clippers, I look forward to seeing more pictures

[TazLandscapes]

merrimacmill does Mb Tractor sell redmax equipment.Because i am in the market for a new blower and the dealers up here in maine are just plain A**holes.I have always thought mb only sold echo and stihl.

Mike

[merrimacmill]

merrimacmill does Mb Tractor sell redmax equipment.Because i am in the market for a new blower and the dealers up here in maine are just plain A**holes.I have always thought mb only sold echo and stihl.

Mike


MB sells redmax. It looks like they sell mostly redmax and echo. I'm not sure I saw any stihl. Everyone was buying redmax when I was there, and I bought redmax because we already have 2 redmax trimmers and I am very happy with them.

I got kind of pi$$ed today with them though. I went in about 2 weeks ago and looked at mowers. The exmark metro 48 inch was $2,990 and the 36 inch was $2790. I know because I wrote it down at the time. So I went in yesterday and the SAME mower is priced at $3199. And with the big "sale" they were raving about for monthes, it was $3011. I was telling the sales man about how I'm positive it was less before. He continued to assure me it wasn't. So then I stop in today, the day after the sale, and the mower is priced at $2,999. Its only 12 dollar difference from what I paid but the principal of raising prices for a sale, then selling the same thing cheaper after the sale really ticked me off. It was a pretty sneaky thing to pull as far as I'm concerned.

I was walking out the door about to let the whole thing go, and the secretary goes, is there anything else I can help you with, and I was like ya and explained the whole thing to her and she got the sales manager out there to talk about it. So the sales manager starts showing me price lists saying that the real price is $3199. Then he told a worker to take the sign for $2,999 off the machine and said that the price was wrong.

At first I was pretty ticked off and if it wasn't for those ecs controls, I would have taken back the check and gone down to another dealer i know and bought a bobcat. I honestly don't know whos right in this. Part of me thinks they're jerking me and everyone else around, and the other part of me thinks it was a mistake. I don't know. For now I'll give them the benefit of the doubt and assume it was a mistake.. I'm not bashing them at all, they seem like a pretty serious dealership, but what do you guys think of this??

[IMAGE]

Merrimac- I think they were jerking everybody. I would be pissed also. I would of stopped the deal right there.

Kind of like the local Walker dealer here. I really want a walker, but he looked me in the eye and lied to me. He is also an LCO, and he told me "I dont even bid for XXX properties, they go to cheap." A couple days later I found out HE is the one that gets almost all of that property managers companies.

Long story short, I am buying exmark because I can't trust the walker dealer. Sucks that I really want a walker. Hopefully exmark comes out with a high dump for the navigator soon.

[merrimacmill]

I'm also in the same situation, I would have loved to bought a deere, but the deere dealer around here is AWFUL. I always said the next compact tractor I would buy from mb, but I'm not so sure now. But I really have no other option now. Around here its deere or kubota, rosencrantz or MB.

[DoetschOutdoor]

Merrimac- I think they were jerking everybody. I would be pissed also. I would of stopped the deal right there.

Kind of like the local Walker dealer here. I really want a walker, but he looked me in the eye and lied to me. He is also an LCO, and he told me "I dont even bid for XXX properties, they go to cheap." A couple days later I found out HE is the one that gets almost all of that property managers companies.

Long story short, I am buying exmark because I can't trust the walker dealer. Sucks that I really want a walker. Hopefully exmark comes out with a high dump for the navigator soon.

I dont understand how guys can run a dealership and have a company at the same time? Isnt running his shop taking up all of his time?

[PORTER 05]

merrimac - i think youll be pritty happy with the new metro, i have a 2006 48" exmark metro with the ECS controls -- we mow about 30 lawns a week not many but enought to keep it working, we also do cleans-up in the spring and fall with it, its really a good commercial mower at a low price, ive had mine 2 seasons now and its held up fine, i bought it for $2,999 from dons power supply in peabody, they really treat you right there, and have a great service dept!

by the way where is this MB place you buygear at??wouold like to know thanks!

[supercuts]

stop back in and see if that sign reappears on the mower for $2999

[IMAGE]

I dont understand how guys can run a dealership and have a company at the same time? Isnt running his shop taking up all of his time?

I dont think he is out there mowing. He is the largest LCO in town, he has over 600 accounts. He has multiple crews running. When I was in there the sales manager told me they run 17 walker mowers. They also do big snow accounts, he had a couple 3.5 yard payloaders in the shop and some larger push boxes. He has a pretty nice office, leather couches and all, I think he runs the whole show from there now.

[merrimacmill]

by the way where is this MB place you buygear at??wouold like to know thanks!

This is the first time I've bought from MB tractor. I've been around looking at skids, and larger tractors. But haven't bought anything from them.

For basic power equipment, I always go to Merrow's of amesbury, MA. They're a real family owned and operated dealer and they really treat the customer right. I went in and bought a husquvarna chain saw once there, and they treated it like it was the biggest deal. They had me come back a couple times to make sure it was running alright. Then I get a call 2 monthes later just to make sure that I'm happy with my chain saw. When I bought the mower at MB, it seemed to be "just another 3,000 dollars" to them. I haven't done enough business with them to make a real decision on them yet, but with this whole price tag ordeal, its not off to a great start. Its really to bad merrows doesn't sell exmark. They only deal bobcat and husquvarna. And I just had to have the ecs controls...

[riverwalklandscaping]

its illegal if they claim the retail price is 3199, and they've never sold one at that price and it always sells at 2999. People do it tho because its almost impossible for you to prove they've never sold one at 3199.

[merrimacmill]

How/why is it illegal? I'm not doubting that what your saying is true, I'm just wondering why for informational purposes. Thanks for the response.

I wouldn't doubt that a couple people from that dealership are on this site right now reading this. Maybe they'll take note of it and I won't see it happen over there anymore. Its stuipid to even try that. Its ONLY 12 DOLLARS! But the principal is what really ticks me off. If of course this is really the case..

[merrimacmill]

Picked up my new mower today. Works great. I drove it around my yard for awhile and tested her out.

What would you guys recommend for a sulkie/velkie? I want that one that transfers the weight to the front of the mower, but I cannot remember the brand name of it..

[02DURAMAX]

Nice mower!!..is that a 16HP?..and for a sulkie i like the velkie X2.

[TheLawnBarber]

As for sulkies, I have a set of Jungle Wheels made by Jungle Jim and are really nice. If possible you should check out the new suspension sulky made by Wright MFG they look really cool.

[IMAGE]

Merrimac- I think they were jerking everybody. I would be pissed also. I would of stopped the deal right there.

Kind of like the local Walker dealer here. I really want a walker, but he looked me in the eye and lied to me. He is also an LCO, and he told me "I dont even bid for XXX properties, they go to cheap." A couple days later I found out HE is the one that gets almost all of that property managers companies.

Long story short, I am buying exmark because I can't trust the walker dealer. Sucks that I really want a walker. Hopefully exmark comes out with a high dump for the navigator soon.

I dont understand how guys can run a dealership and have a company at the same time? Isnt running his shop taking up all of his time?

Well the dealer in question called me today to invite me to an open house next week. I told him what I told you guys, that I wasn't too keen on his dealership because of the XXX deal.

Well I guess there must of been some confusion when I talked to him, because he told me that he does bid on them, but that he gets almost none of the apartment properties from them because his bids are too high, but that he does get most of thier commercial work. Anyways he appologized for the confusion, and I now feel alot better about working with him. I am still not completely decided on what I will be doing for mowers now, but I do need to decide soon...

[merrimacmill]

Nice mower!!..is that a 16HP?..and for a sulkie i like the velkie X2.

Thanks! Its the 15 HP kawasaki. I've been using it all this afternoon, just getting used to it. I'm not going to be the one using it to often this season, but I'll be the one who has to show an employee how to operate it. Only problem so far, is I think the grass gobbler I bought is to small.

This is the first gear drive walk behind I've ever bought, so does anyone have any pointers on things to watch out for/do operating, or maintenance wise?

Thanks for the help everyone. I should have gotten a picture before it got all dirty, but I was just so excited I couldn't wait. So I just grabbed that cell phone picture.

[SNAPPER MAN]

Dont shift on the fly, you will tear up the transmission fast. Be careful when turning to not tear up the turf.

[merrimacmill]

Thats interesting. I always thought it would tear up the transmission, but the guys at the dealer were telling me it doesn't matter and to just kick it with my knee to shift. I asked if it was bad to do that while moving and they said not at all. It seems to me it would be horrible for it, so I'll go with your advice on that.

[deere615]

Nice mower

[SNAPPER MAN]

Yes it is terrible for the transmissions. I worked at a dealer last summer and the only reason people would bring in the mowers for the transmissions is because their workers would be shiftin on the fly, it tears up the transmissions fast.

[Supper Grassy]

Nice new Equipment