Is Troy Bilt any good?

[Alan0354]

Originally Posted by MikeKle

Why would you wish that? Most people do not like the big box stores. especially for commercial lawn care equipment. They end up putting the mom and pop stores out of business. I wish all the big box stores would suddenly go under and close. then we would go back to having many little shops and independently owned. And again, the label may say Toro, but if it is being sold at a big box store, it has cheaper parts on it. Buy from independent dealers, nobody in this industry should be buying any equipment from Lowes or Home depot, parts and little disposable type stuff..yes, but not trimmers, mowers, trailers, etc.

Because the big box store have some policy standard. You know what you are getting into. You have 30 days return if anything go wrong. They have a reputation to hold up and have across the board policies. AND you know after 30 days, you are on your own.

Dealers are like crab shoot, you can find a very good one, or you can get some really bad one that is dishonest and try to just cheat your money. Service?!! They almost always charge you an arm or a leg. I had bad experience of dealer cheating. Warranty?!! It is all up to the dealer how they justify, how they report to the manufacturer. They can make it sound like it's all your fault. There are enough complains here to back me up on this.

Bottom line is there is no standard of dealers, if you are lucky, you get a good one. But do you feel lucky?? Where is it written that dealer only service what they sell? It is because a lot of you guys are so loyal to them and they get spoil. It is almost like there is conspiracy between the manufacturer and the dealers. When time is good, no big deal. But in this economy, wise up!!!


Why people keep thinking HD sell second rated Echo while ALL people have good experience with the "cheap" Echo??!!!

[MOHUSTLER]

Originally Posted by Alan0354

Because the big box store have some policy standard. You know what you are getting into. You have 30 days return if anything go wrong. They have a reputation to hold up and have across the board policies. AND you know after 30 days, you are on your own.

Dealers are like crab shoot, you can find a very good one, or you can get some really bad one that is dishonest and try to just cheat your money. Service?!! They almost always charge you an arm or a leg. I had bad experience of dealer cheating. Warranty?!! It is all up to the dealer how they justify, how they report to the manufacturer. They can make it sound like it's all your fault. There are enough complains here to back me up on this.

Bottom line is there is no standard of dealers, if you are lucky, you get a good one. But do you feel lucky?? Where is it written that dealer only service what they sell? It is because a lot of you guys are so loyal to them and they get spoil. It is almost like there is conspiracy between the manufacturer and the dealers. When time is good, no big deal. But in this economy, wise up!!!


Why people keep thinking HD sell second rated Echo while ALL people have good experience with the "cheap" Echo??!!!

Man, I better just lock my door and go sell mowers a walmart. Sounds like thats the only future I will have being a dealer.

[yardguy28]

Originally Posted by Alan0354

Because the big box store have some policy standard. You know what you are getting into. You have 30 days return if anything go wrong. They have a reputation to hold up and have across the board policies. AND you know after 30 days, you are on your own.

Dealers are like crab shoot, you can find a very good one, or you can get some really bad one that is dishonest and try to just cheat your money. Service?!! They almost always charge you an arm or a leg. I had bad experience of dealer cheating. Warranty?!! It is all up to the dealer how they justify, how they report to the manufacturer. They can make it sound like it's all your fault. There are enough complains here to back me up on this.

Bottom line is there is no standard of dealers, if you are lucky, you get a good one. But do you feel lucky?? Where is it written that dealer only service what they sell? It is because a lot of you guys are so loyal to them and they get spoil. It is almost like there is conspiracy between the manufacturer and the dealers. When time is good, no big deal. But in this economy, wise up!!!


Why people keep thinking HD sell second rated Echo while ALL people have good experience with the "cheap" Echo??!!!

thats not at all why i wish you could get some of the commercial stuff at lowes.

a lot of it for me has to do with the fact that i live 5 min. away from lowes and my brother and law works there and i can get discounts on things.

i don't mind at all buying the bigger mowers from the dealers because those are the one's that i'm gonna need them to service if something goes wrong. i'd like to be able to get my trimmers, blowers and 21 inchers at lowes though but they don't carry toro.

home depots toro 21 inchers are junk. i purchased one from 2008 and it doesn't even cut good enough to be a home owner model. it's the first and last thing i will ever purchase from crap depot.

[MikeKle]

I may be wrong on this, but I believe you can take a stihl to ANY stihl dealer, not just the one you bought it from for service or warranty work, You could just explain to the new dealer that your old guy was a pain to deal with and you want better service. I think stihl would back you up on this. And your concern about warranty work, where does Lowes or HD send their stuff that needs work done, Ive never seen an engine shop at lowes? You never know who is going to fix your trimmer with them. Most of the people that buy the good brands at lowes or HD are homeowners who do not mow commercially, so it probably will last them for a long time, but used for commercial work, they would not last, as it has been proven the models sold there use less than quality parts, where if you go to a dealer and spend the same money, you get a much better trimmer or blower. BTW, I can return stuff at my dealers if Im not satisfied, and they will gladly take it back.

[yardguy28]

Originally Posted by MikeKle

I may be wrong on this, but I believe you can take a stihl to ANY stihl dealer, not just the one you bought it from for service or warranty work, You could just explain to the new dealer that your old guy was a pain to deal with and you want better service. I think stihl would back you up on this. And your concern about warranty work, where does Lowes or HD send their stuff that needs work done, Ive never seen an engine shop at lowes? You never know who is going to fix your trimmer with them. Most of the people that buy the good brands at lowes or HD are homeowners who do not mow commercially, so it probably will last them for a long time, but used for commercial work, they would not last, as it has been proven the models sold there use less than quality parts, where if you go to a dealer and spend the same money, you get a much better trimmer or blower. BTW, I can return stuff at my dealers if Im not satisfied, and they will gladly take it back.

usually you can take your equipment to any dealer as long as they sell it. doesn't have to be the one you purchased it from. i've done that before.

i have a small garden shop 5 min. away from me and they are a toro, stihl dealer. thats where i take my toro and stihl equipment because it's so close. it's also where i'm gonna start buying my stihl equipment because the other dealer is use is a pita.

he married into the owners family so he's not the greatest.

already this year i had to do all the leg work to get my strip kit ordered for my grandstand. when i called him up he said there wasn't one. i posted the question on this site and the toro company got back with me with a part number and price. i gave it to him and it was weeks before i heard back. i finally got on his @ss and he said he hadn't heard from his rep. yet. i emailed him another week later and finally he told me it was on back order. i'm still waiting for it to come in. he assures me it will be in before the mowing season.

i'd take all my business to the small garden shop but they don't deal with the large commercial mowers. they sell commercial 21 inchers, and home owner toro mowers and stihl anything but no commercial ztr's.......

[Alan0354]

Originally Posted by MikeKle

I may be wrong on this, but I believe you can take a stihl to ANY stihl dealer, not just the one you bought it from for service or warranty work, You could just explain to the new dealer that your old guy was a pain to deal with and you want better service. I think stihl would back you up on this. And your concern about warranty work, where does Lowes or HD send their stuff that needs work done, Ive never seen an engine shop at lowes? You never know who is going to fix your trimmer with them. Most of the people that buy the good brands at lowes or HD are homeowners who do not mow commercially, so it probably will last them for a long time, but used for commercial work, they would not last, as it has been proven the models sold there use less than quality parts, where if you go to a dealer and spend the same money, you get a much better trimmer or blower. BTW, I can return stuff at my dealers if Im not satisfied, and they will gladly take it back.

I agree you that box store only have cheaper model like Echo SRM210 or Husky 125L. They are both about $200. BUT they are very good. This is backed up by posts after posts here. HD and Lowes don't have service, that is given. As I said they have standard policy and you can take it or leave it. My point is there are good dealers and bad dealers. You have a good dealer, good for you. I don't and that is my point. A lot of people here don't have good dealers either.

Service, you really pay for it. My dealer actually told me they do not service things they did not sell. That is the inconsistent that I am talking about. Find out from others before buy from a dealer or else you might be into a big surprise. If it is true that Stihl require dealer to service their brand regardless they sell it or not, that would be a bigggggggg plus of Stihl.

As For cheap equipments. If you buy a trimmer for $350, two service for $120 each. That would be $590 for maybe a 5 years useful life. You think if would be cheaper than close to 3 of the Husky 125L?? For small equipments, you might be cheaper getting that, if it break, save it for parts and keep swapping parts. Buy a carb and an ignition coil as spare and do blind trouble shooting if anything fail!!!

Point is you have to look after your pocket book.

[Bumsi]

So is the message...buy snapper? I need a good lawn mower that will last, is quiet (sorta) and easy on the wife as she cuts and I ride .

I also do not want to go broke as we only use it for tight spots and trimming around trees etc. on our 3/4 acre yard. No real hills, no bumps, just pretty much a nice lawn.

Suggestions????

[joel29m]

I have went to about three dealers in my area that carries the srm-230 but not the 210. The 230 gotta have good ratings,and I see alot of stihl, echo, and shindawia equipment on trailers, to me it don't really matter on which one of these I have, they are commercial products. Now if you have a bunch of troybilts, weedeater, homelite and yardmachine handhelds, I can understand that you are full of s$&t and have a problem. That's like a thread on here about the echo pb 251, it's a good blower with good ratings for the cost of it, and everybody wants to down talk it and say it's not good cause it's sold a HD, but alot of dealers carry it also.
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[joel29m]

Originally Posted by Bumsi

So is the message...buy snapper? I need a good lawn mower that will last, is quiet (sorta) and easy on the wife as she cuts and I ride .

I also do not want to go broke as we only use it for tight spots and trimming around trees etc. on our 3/4 acre yard. No real hills, no bumps, just pretty much a nice lawn.

Suggestions????

I priced a commercial 44 inch snapper ztr for 4400.00 and I don't think that's a bad price. That's what I have my eyes on in a few months.
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[MikeKle]

Originally Posted by Alan0354

I agree you that box store only have cheaper model like Echo SRM210 or Husky 125L. They are both about $200. BUT they are very good. This is backed up by posts after posts here. HD and Lowes don't have service, that is given. As I said they have standard policy and you can take it or leave it. My point is there are good dealers and bad dealers. You have a good dealer, good for you. I don't and that is my point. A lot of people here don't have good dealers either.

Service, you really pay for it. My dealer actually told me they do not service things they did not sell. That is the inconsistent that I am talking about. Find out from others before buy from a dealer or else you might be into a big surprise. If it is true that Stihl require dealer to service their brand regardless they sell it or not, that would be a bigggggggg plus of Stihl.

As For cheap equipments. If you buy a trimmer for $350, two service for $120 each. That would be $590 for maybe a 5 years useful life. You think if would be cheaper than close to 3 of the Husky 125L?? For small equipments, you might be cheaper getting that, if it break, save it for parts and keep swapping parts. Buy a carb and an ignition coil as spare and do blind trouble shooting if anything fail!!!

Point is you have to look after your pocket book.

Yeah, I know some people that go that route, as in buying a cheap trimmer, and just repairing or replacing it when it is due. This may work for some, and I understand the logic behind it, but I prefer to spend the money and get something that I know will start everytime I need it to. I personally do not like Stihl, Echo , or Husqvarna. I will always buy Redmax. and dealers servicing stuff they did not sell, as long as it is a brand they stock, will fix it, its not only stihl that does this, but most commercial brands, I know my redmax can be taken to ANY redmax dealer for work, It does make it nice!