No John Deere snowblowers??

[Chuck_Lind]

I've been searching the John Deere website for JD snowblowers...all I come up with is Frontier.

I have JD 8-28 John Deere snowblower that is the greatest. What happened??? Is the Frontier a cheaper import or did John Deere change their marketing strategy?

In my opinion, Frontier is a "cheaper" version of the premier John Deere line of products.

Feedback anyone??

Thank you...Chuck

 

[beenthere]

I think the Frontier is the same as the Deere was, and that was made by Ariens Corp. in Wisconsin. I could be wrong, but when working on both the Deere and the Ariens a couple years back, they seemed identical. Not real sure that the Frontier is made by Ariens now, but think so. I think they quit sno-blowers under the Deere name two years ago (at least one).
I doubt sno-blowers are a big item for Deere to handle, and often the snows are unpredicatable and they end up with too many or too few at a dealers lot.

 

[JDGREEN4ME]

My father bought a Frontier model snowblower last year and he loves it. My JD dealer sells Frontier and Ariens but I do not know if Ariens makes the Frontier line...

 

[Dutch445]

The old JD snowblowers like you had were Ariens built. That changed 3 years ago, when Deere and Ariens ended their agreement to have Ariens build the Deere machines. After that, Deere contracted with somebody else to build the Frontier snowblowers (MTD I believe). Ariens continues to build their own line of snowblowers, which are still built like your 828. They still offer machines with the cast iron auger gearcase, and the easy change style differential lock. The Frontier machines have held up ok, but do not have the weight of the Ariens machines, so I can't speculate on long term usage.
Personally, I wasn't impressed with the Frontier, and our store didn't order any this year, since we did take on the Ariens line when Deere dropped them. (there was a year delay where Deere didn't offer machines before the Frontier machines came out)
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[Chuck_Lind]

Thank you...folks. Some good info here on the Ariens/John Deere/Frontier/MTD connection.

If I have to replace my JD - which I doubt - then it will be an Ariens.

 

[Junkman]

Last year I put my 12 year old JD snowblower on eBay and the bidding ended at $1200 for a 10 HP, 38" (if I remember correctly) snowblower. The machine was in great condition having lived in the garage for the past 11 years without being used. It was too small for my property and it somehow got buried in there and forgotten. The fellow that purchased it came from Wilkes Barrie PA to pick it up.... an 8 hour ride. He told me that the old JD's were the "bulletproof" snowblowers and that nothing made today compared to the quality of the old ones. When I compare that old machine to the blower that goes on the front of the Kubota BX, I believe that he was right. The BX is a fine machine, but the base weight of the metal in the JD was much heavier than the $2500 Kubota blower and the Kubota is a 50" model!!! Just like almost everything made today, the quality is less and the price is more. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

 

[Scrounger]

I have a 826 Deere blower that still runs and looks like it did when it was brand new. It is an iron clad machine. I would like a Honda but they are running $2K when I looked at one last. I wonder what the ole 826 would yeild on eBay. Maybe enough to offset the cost of a blade on the BX. javascript:void(0)
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[bontai_Joe]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I have a 826 Deere blower that still runs and looks like it did when it was brand new. It is an iron clad machine. I would like a Honda but they are running $2K when I looked at one last. I wonder what the ole 826 would yeild on eBay. Maybe enough to offset the cost of a blade on the BX. javascript:void(0)
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Scrounger,
Are you seriously thinking about selling the ol' Deere? I drive through your area every night on my way home from work. Contact me at joseph_hartwick@yahoo.com with the particulars. I might be able to save you the cost of listing it on Ebay.