34 replies to this topic

[jcp7hp]

Whats the deal with these things? Why has it been every year that these things keep getting cheaper and cheaper? Or at least some of the mid priced models! I see these things out in front of home depot and stuff, and they just dont look well built! Not only that, they all seem to be built by mtd now. Why hasn't any brand make a good solid tractor yet? John deeres biggest "x700 signature series" is $10,000 and dosent have the frame or driveline of a base model in the 60's-80's! I think someone should make a new well built garden tractor series! Cause i aint paying 10 grand for something that isint even as good as a 100$ barn find! What are your thoughts? you think they are just as well built? Or think they were built better back then. 

 

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[John Arsenault]

Whats the deal with these things? Why has it been every year that these things keep getting cheaper and cheaper? Or at least some of the mid priced models! I see these things out in front of home depot and stuff, and they just dont look well built! Not only that, they all seem to be built by mtd now. Why hasn't any brand make a good solid tractor yet? John deeres biggest "x700 signature series" is $10,000 and dosent have the frame or driveline of a base model in the 60's-80's! I think someone should make a new well built garden tractor series! Cause i aint paying 10 grand for something that isint even as good as a 100$ barn find! What are your thoughts? you think they are just as well built? Or think they were built better back then. 

The green one on the bottom scares me, I had a new green one and it fell apart on me every other time I used it once it got a few years use. The newer tractors are no where near as well build as the older tractors. 

[secondtry]

If you look back at pricing you may notice the price of the older high end garden tractors was comparable to the price of a car or low end pickup truck at the time. Two wheel drive of course.

    Don

[LilysDad]

With few exceptions such as Kubota, there are no GTs anymore. What they are making are lawn tractors, because most folks are uneducated and cheapskates.

 

Having said that there are two CCs pictured that I would buy; the 782 and the 1250. ($400 with a deck!)

[afarmboy]

Manufactures keep making there machines cheaper and cheaper, hardware wise. Most new equipment is completely software, if something electric brakes, your screwed. When they were tougher built you could use duct tape and bailing wire to fix your problem and keep going... 

[29 Chev]

Consumer demand drives the market and most of the companies that built machines of quality went bankrupt because Mr and Mrs Joe Consumer would not pay for quality and instead opted for the inexpensive looks nice and pretty and requires little maintenance but is throw away in a few years.  Same thing has happened to the majority of items such as appliances, tv's and stereos and even vehicles to a certain extent.  Todays end user wants something that is inexpensive, plug and play and they don't have to get their hands dirty greasing bearings and oiling pivot points so most things are sealed from the factory and bearings are often replaced with bushings because of the cost. If and when enough consumers decide that they want something that will still be working and repairable after 10 or 20 years of ownership and hard use then the manufacturers will start to build quality products again but they will be priced accordingly as well as the parts to repair them.  Would you pay $15000.00 to $30000.00 dollars for a new garden tractor in todays world or would you settle for a used $100.00 barn find that can be repaired with parts and used for 10 to 20 years such as you have just picked up?  Most people starting out life after leaving school (usually university or college) want, expect and sometimes demand everything to be new and go into deep debt as a result.  New appliances, fancy house, two or three vehicles and other toys (motorcycle, ATV, boat, big screen tv, gaming pc, etc.) add up quickly and when the little ones show up the expenses just grow bigger.  Years ago people would do gardening and took pride in keeping a nice lawn, owning a moderate sized house and made do with what they had and could afford to purchase and pay for. It appears that the majority of todays world wants to work with keyboards and touch screens rather than get their hands dirty maintaining and repairing mechanical machines so the throw away products are becoming more and more and the well built heavy duty repairable machines are in a lot less demand.  

[Bud W]

The new machines might as well have a sealed gas tank like a BIC lighter, throw it away when it runs out of gas.

[jms180]

Yes I agree we live in a throw away buy new country these days so sad. Its not only LT but also home appliances. I payed 5k for a new HVAC unit several years ago and the service man said its only good for 10 years why the old one lasted 20 years. He said that is what is being built these day and I agree with him. 

[AdamTheWebMan]

The new machines might as well have a sealed gas tank like a BIC lighter, throw it away when it runs out of gas.

Hey, don't give them ideas. They just might introduce sealed gas cartridges, LOL

Sent from my SM-J727T1 using Tapatalk

[Banjopicker10]

companies don't care for their products any more back in the day companies took pried in there products and while making money they maid good quality products.

[KennyP]

The folks designing 'Garden Tractors' today haven't a clue what they are.

[EricFromPa]

lol I just traded my MTD built Cub Cadet 2000 series "garden tractor" for an old IH built CC 106 the other day. Yes the 106 needs a bit of work but seriously I do not care. 

 

The 2000 series and 3000 series were the last decent Cub Cadet lawn tractors. If you constantly work them like you would an older Garden Tractor they will break in spectacular fashion.  

Edited by EricFromPa, January 07, 2021 - 07:14 PM.

[boyscout862]

Our country has been "dumbing down" for over 50 years. Kids are taught that they are entitled to instant gratification. Things that require an effort and getting dirty hands are looked down on. The "average people" don't look beyond today so, they go for the low initial cost and do not even understand the concept of a life cycle cost. When they shop for low priced crap that is what they get.

Doing things for yourself and being able to fix up older equipment will put you ahead of most people. One thing to keep in mind is every dollar you save is equivalent to earning $1.50 because of taxes. 

Most modern products skimp on quality. Even some of the steel used in bridges is not as good as 30 years ago. 
I keep my old equipment going because I feel it is better and a lot more reasonable cost. I did notice that recently many parts for my full size Ford Tractors and old Chevy trucks have become unavailable. 

Learn as many skills and acquire good tool sets when the opportunities come up. Good Luck, Rick

[Doug E.]

I have a 23 year old refrigerator that needed a sensor about 12 years ago.  The repairman told me to hold on to it, as the new ones with the energy efficient stuff in them would not last.  It is still going strong, and that was the only time it has needed service. 

 

My parents had a fridge from the early 50's that is still going.  Never had any work done on it. 

 

Stuff used to be made better.  Buy old stuff while you can still get it!

 

Regards,

 

Doug

[secondtry]

In 1990 my son in law told me he needed a freezer. I told him i would look. Went to a garage sale where they had  an old relic of a chest freezer that was flat ugly, rusty and bent but running sub O. $20 Set it outside the back door under the carport. It is still working fine, the only additional cost electricity.

Don