I got my LTX1040 from Home Depot. Our local dealer is a locally owned big farm supply store. Other than getting sent to the end of the line.
So what is so bad about buying one?
So what is so bad about buying one?
What's so bad about a box store tractor?
Tall Grass
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I got my LTX1040 from Home Depot. Our local dealer is a locally owned big farm supply store. Other than getting sent to the end of the line.
So what is so bad about buying one?
So what is so bad about buying one?
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628 Posts
nothing really
some say service is an issue, but that can happen anywhere
and cheap chinese parts ... yadda yadda
dont built em the way they used to
some say service is an issue, but that can happen anywhere
and cheap chinese parts ... yadda yadda
dont built em the way they used to
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3,930 Posts
all I can say is they dont build them like they used to, You'll never see me buy a new mower......I'll stick with my bolens
but if you take care of your new tractor it should do the job
but if you take care of your new tractor it should do the job
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290 Posts
The biggest thing is that Cub Cadet and John Deere seem to have really cheapened up their tractors so the price can compete against the much less expensive brands sitting right next to them at Home Depot or Lowes or whatever. And it used to be that the models you could only get from the independent dealer were still built with much better quality...but now it really seems like even those ones are slipping in quality to make the tractor less expensive to sell more. Just my opinion
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3,038 Posts
I don't think that it's the cubs or JD that are sold at big box stores that have gotten cheaper, I believe it's LTs/GTs as a whole. There are a few current threads out there with this type of topic floating around, but the 1st of July I just spent with tax close to $4,000 for a new GT2544 Cub, had it a week and the plastic hood snapped. That kind of money and all you get is a plastic hood, or at least I thought I should have gotten more for my dollar. I could get the $899 yardman at Lowe's and get a metal hood.... JD's are just the same I know a couple of guys with newer X series JDs who had problems right off the bat too. Granted my dealer took care of my problem quickly and never gave me the first ounce of grief and even took the blame saying that they probably over torqued the bolts when the put the hood on.
I believe it's a general consensus that a true dealer who specializes in just yard care/outdoor equipment will (should) give you a better setup machine right out of the box, vs. a big box where you may or may not get something setup right, that goes back to management.
I believe it's a general consensus that a true dealer who specializes in just yard care/outdoor equipment will (should) give you a better setup machine right out of the box, vs. a big box where you may or may not get something setup right, that goes back to management.
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290 Posts
I agree that GT's as a whole have gotten cheaper...But it seems it all started when Big Box started selling them, and that the high end models that the box stores don't have were still good quality...but now the whole lineup is built on less quality to sell at better prices.
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True, I am definitely no authority in the matter, but over the past month I have been "learning" about what was and what is as far as cubs go. It seems to me that the saying "back in the day" is more true to GTs and stuff now than anything else. I've read stories about what a 7hp cast iron Kohler can do and I wonder if my brand spankin new 22hp Kohler command could do the same. In a way I regret not putting some money into a good IH Cub, but eventually I want to, just to say that I have a "real" GT.
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290 Posts
Well, part of that is marketing hype...It all depends on where you measure the HP first off. Then back in the day they prolly measured with a certain load...now they measure the HP at the output shaft of the engine with ZERO load, and a basically impossible environment with IDEAL circumstances. Its quite amusing that if you look at the GT1554 at Home Depot you can get a 27 HP Kohler, but if you look on Cub Cadet website and look at the true GT's (the website doesn't consider the 1554 a GT, but they label it as one to sell at HD) the biggest motor for the 2500/3000 series GT's is 23 HP. Why would that be, supposed to be more of a tractor, but has less engine power?? The 27 HP at Home Depot is 27 MHP (Marketing Horse Power) while the 23 HP GT is more truthful...not completely, but more...still falls under the scheme of measuring differently than the old days
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507 Posts
If you put half of what your "brand spankin new 22hp Kohler command" cost you, into an IH Cub Cadet, you will have a machine that will work circles around most anything that you can buy today, PLUS it will last 40 years AND you will be the envy of all your neighbors. It just doesn't get much better than that!
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I HIGHLY disagree.... You can have a better built machine today if you are willing to spend the money... 10K buys you a tank that is going to last forever and will do anything you can throw at it.. So how much were those IH Cubs brand new back in the day? Contrast that with the value of the dollar.. I'm betting owning that shiny new IH Cub "back in the day" was a tall task for most.
What you see at a box store is consumer grade, if you want a true work horse you go to the nearest friendly (insert brand name here) dealership and buy the real deal, and spend a lot more than 3-4K.
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290 Posts
I sort of agree. Yes, the CC Tank will last you a long time, as will an Ingersoll tractor. Yes it is getting to the $15,000 mark to get the good stuff...but the Tank is a lawn mower...doesn't do anything else, I guess they do make a snow blade for it, but still seems like it'd be odd plowing snow with a zero turn.
If you look at the 3000 series GT's compared to those even 15 years ago they are much cheaper built. And the ones 15 years ago are nothing compared to the original IH Cub Cadets.
Yeah, they still make some great equipment, but the GT itself doesn't do a very good job holding its name. But it still neck and neck with John Deere with who builds the best GT (excluding Ingersoll, that is, cuz many people are prolly unaware that they still exist.)
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400 Posts
Well I figured this would happen...chinese craftsmanship is way better than your old american tractor, you figure what a bolens 1050, or a cub 100 cost back in the day, then with the same amount that is cost to purchase them in todays world and go buy a lawn mower, and see what that piece of chinese junk can pull...i can tell you right now its not gonna pull as much I bet that it does not pull half of what an old bolens, cub, or mtd can pull. Theres your good chinese craftsmanship
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Obviously never looked at like a John Deere X748... 1850lb capacity... Yeah.....
Don't expect a 3K box store machine to move mountains and live.. Even I knew when I bought my ******** that it was a mere toy compared to what I could get at a Deere Dealership (and will spend 4x the money). I don't have delusions of grandeur from my tin toy with the flexi-frame... If I want to do work, I know where they sell that equipment.
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box stores machines, of ANY brand, are made to do a certain job within a certain price range. in order to get that price low, certain things are lower quality than a "dealer" line model would be. that is the reason why each manufacturer offers models in different ranges of price and function, to suit each person's needs. they could all just offer 1 model in LT/GT size, 1 in SCUT, 1 in CUT, and then a few in full sized tractors for the farmers, but where would the fun be then?
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3,930 Posts
Just figured I tell you what the bolens 1050 cost back in the day in 1966'
Bolens 1050 retailed for $920.00 with no attachments
you can find what the others cost on a thread I posted a while ago on the bolens forum, named "Interesting Bolens info" its probably a few pages back its an older post
ok, found it http://www.mytractorforum.com/showthread.php?t=87244
Still money ahead to refurbish a 20+ year old Cub JD Ariens case even some of the Sears Wards etc mowers of the day; spend less and have "more tractor"; definitely more tractor for the buck; I have an Ariens and a JD 314; between one or the other I am going to rehab 1 for my "keeper"; even if it costs me $1K (it WON'T) to get it where I want ti to be, I'll have way more than $2K could buy me at Lowe's.
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Correct me if I'm wrong, younger age (28) probably has a factor in it. The first general IH cubs were aimed at families who wanted to have a garden in their suburban acreage, right? At least that's what the brochures seemed like they were selling. Hence the name Garden Tractor. The price of these machines were never over $2,000.00 at the most. Value of the dollar aside or not. They were intended for ground engaging work on a smaller scale. What you spend $10K for now is aimed at larger acreage (5+) and for much more than was originally aimed for the "home" garden tractor. Brett-JD mentions spending more than 3-4K at a dealer for the "real thing", what exactly is considered a "real" garden tractor now for the intended target? I know the 3000 series cubs are around 5-6K, the JD x500/x700 series are 5K+. I don't know about simplicity, Craftsman, Toro, or what else is out there currently. Do you consider something with a belt drive a true garden tractor.... I just don't know what is considered qualifying, a GT badge on the side? Does it have to be able to hook a plow to it, does it have to be able to do (insert here...)... I would hope that the $4K that I just spent for a cast iron rear end, 800 lbs, and shaft drive is more than a glorified lawn mower.
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Current data is only available till 2008. In 2008, $920.00 from 1966 is worth: $10,754.61 using the nominal GDP per capita
http://www.measuringworth.com/uscompare/
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