Home Depot

   / Home Depot #1  

BrokerBob

Member
Joined
Jun 20, 2001
Messages
36
Location
CT
Tractor
Kubota BX1800
I just read that JD has announced that beginning next year Home Depot will be selling their 100 series lawn tractors. If I'm not mistaken, HD is presently selling (among others) the Scott brand which is manufactured by JD. Depending how you look at it, it would seem to me that this is rather ominous news for JD dealers whose business is mostly JD lawn and garden tractors. No doubt the JD sales force is reassuring all their dealers not to worry, but I have no doubt that if Home Depot does a good job, they will be selling the 200 series, 300 series and eventually the X400 and X500.

Dealers will never be able to compete with Home Depot as long as customers are only buying price. I hope JD knows what it's doing.
 
   / Home Depot #2  
I find it hard to believe anyone would seriously consider spending several thousand dollars on a tractor from a mass merchandiser. I am shopping for a 21" mower now, and I really don't feel all that comfortable spending 5-800 dollars on a mower from there,
What kind of service would you get? I would not need help on the simple things that anyone can do, but on the more complicated items, I would. I remember when I was going to school and
was looking for a job, and a Sears store was going to hire me to be small engine mechanic! I had no experience, but , the lady said it was easy to learn!!!
I am priceconscious and love to bargain, but good luck to you if you drop that kind of money at a chain store
Will
 
   / Home Depot #3  
Same thing is happening with Homelite. My old guy local source for chainsaw bars and chains and general repairs also sold new equipment but his prices couldn't compare to the orange box. I have yet to find a 20" bar at the depot, sometimes I can find a chain. He said Homelite now was making it so difficult that he was thinking about giving it all up. Well...God had a different idea for him and now that the old guy went to the big sawmill in the sky, don't know where to look for parts or service now.
 
   / Home Depot #4  
Yep, The Home Depot has the Scotts lawn tractors. I looked at them before buying a Craftsman recently, and a cousin just bought one of the Scotts. And Lowe's and TSC now have the Cub Cadets. I went to the Cub Cadet dealer from whom I bought one in '95 and he priced his at the same price as TSC and Lowe's. Surprised me a bit that all three places wanted the same price for the Cub Cadet.
 
   / Home Depot #5  
I would have to agree, HD does not service them and that has been a big problem with those who bought the Scotts tractors, they end up having to go to a Deere dealer or , ..etc to get service, or service it themselves.
 
   / Home Depot #6  
Bob,You just keep coming over to Deere Buying and stirring the pot don't ya?

I've also heard this,the Deere Dealers are up in arms,go spend you're money with H.D. and then when things happen,the Deere Service Dept. has to repair it.

Sounds like a crook to me...
 
   / Home Depot #7  
I'm dissappointed that Honda & John Deere are willing to risk their good names on a big box retailer like Home Depot, likewise Cub Cadet and Husqvarna at Lowes. The big box retailers charge full retail prices for these items, but the service normally associated with these brands just isn't there. Good service goes a long way in customer satisfaction. A simple fix by a small dealer would be an ordeal at Home Depot. My local Husqvarna dealer typically sells for less than Lowes, plus I get a full tank of gas & a demo. I own 3 Husky tools so far; all purchased at "Bob's Welding", NOT Lowes. I'm not a salesman at a Bob's, just a consumer and as a consumer I have the final choice.
 
   / Home Depot #8  
bout a little over a yr ago, i was in the market for a mower. Wanted at LEAST 20 hp, min. 48"deck and good on side hills. Went to several HD places and talked to them about these machines. only 1 of them would let me drive it, and they had slopes at sides of parking lots. I asked them what to do/who was i going to take it to if i needed warrenty work. 2 of the 3 told me, I would have to call the garden center manager, tell them the problem, he would then write me a letter explaining the problem, and then I could take it to the dealer of THEIR choice.Needless to say, i didnt buy one from them. Bought a gravely 26hp, 60" 0 turn from a dealer. Used at 6500.00. The garden tractor i drove, didnt do that well on the side hills anyway!
 
   / Home Depot #9  
GEE BOB,MAYBE YOU SHOULD WRITE HD AND TELL THEM
TO START SELLING KUBOTAS INSTEAD,THAT WAY THEY
WOULDN'T NEED A SERVICE DEPT? BOB,DIDN'T I HEAR
KMART WAS GOING TO START SELLING THE X500 SERIES
AND IF THEY DID A GOOD JOB THEY WERE GOING TO
SELL THE 4000 TEN SERIES ALSO?I BET YOU CAN KEEP
THAT ONE GOING......
 
   / Home Depot #10  
i hate to say it guys but how could JD not sell at depot? with 1300 plus store its just pure money for them....their cost per unit goes down and their sales volume goes up...it is a win win situation for them and if there quality stays up it is a win- win for the consumer too. i think the idea for deere is that when i consumer is happy wiht his 100 series, said consumer is going to take the step up to a deere dealer! this make tons of sense to me.

as for the dealers they should be happy too! JD is getting rid of saber and scotts names, which from what my dealer told me is what burned them up. as well they are getting free money on service! all these tractors will need tires and blade sharping and parts....many customers will look for alocal jd dealer for work...i would....any dealer that turns there nose up at work is foolish....

i understand how everyone feels about jd selling at depot but if you guys want to make sure deere is around for a long time to come this is a great change!

i think kubota dropped the ball since their colors already match!

as for service i can assure you that you will find none...i am in home depots 5-6 days a week for 40 plus hours and can tell you whole heartedly that most employees dont know jack about most of their big products! you guys need to email bob nardelli and tell him to bring back labor budgets to the stores! home depot used to have the most knowleged sale force in the country but now they have a serve yourself big box in effort to save money! thats where the problem is going to come from. no one is going to drop a grand on a product they dont know about.

anyway thats my two cents.
 
 
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