Rotary cutters: Why does the cost vary so much between brands?

[Hilltop Hillbilly]

Of all implements I've shopped for, I've never seen a wider range of prices for what is essentially the same thing than I have with rotary cutters. For such a simple tool with a decades old standard design, why does the cost vary so much?

For example, I can get a Countryline (King Kutter) 6' rotary cutter from TSC for about $1000, or I can buy a 6' Land Pride version with a slipclutch for $2000. Both have the same gauge steel, same thickness blades, and same tailwheel design. A 100% difference in price. The slipclutch can't add more than $200 to the cost, so why the massive difference in price? I can't think of any other implement where this kind of price disparity (100%!) exists for such a similar tool.

With other implements there are, at a minimum, some feature differences that distinguish themselves and justify a higher price, but with rotary cutters it's just a crap shoot as to what you pay.


HH

 

[nybirdman]

Gear boxes are the weak point on BH's.What are they rated at? 50HP vs 90HP?

 

[Hilltop Hillbilly]

Gear boxes are the weak point on BH's.What are they rated at? 50HP vs 90HP?

That's a good point. The KK is rated at 40HP, the LP doesn't list a rating, but the spec says it's recommended for up to 65HP, although both are listed as cast iron with the same gearing mechanism. So you could speculate some increased cost due to the better gearbox. $50? $100?

Let's assume $100 for the gearbox, and $200 for the slipclutch. Now we're comparing a $1000 KK to a $1700 (adjusted) LP. Still, that's a 70% difference for what amounts to the same metal, same basic design.

I still think it's out of whack.


HH

 

[TripleR]

Then by all means buy a KK, I'll stick with LP, Woods, Bush Hog.

 

[Hilltop Hillbilly]

Then by all means buy a KK, I'll stick with LP, Woods, Bush Hog.

I'm not trying to argue for one or the other. I'm genuinely trying to figure out how LP can demand the higher price. Obviously brand name carries weight, after sale support carries weight, parts availability, etc., but I'm not convinced those factors come into play here, as KK is also a big name brand. And it certainly doesn't create a gap that's worth a 75% premium.

Really, I just want to know if anyone has more insight into why such a price gap exists.


HH

 

[TripleR]

I'm not trying to argue for one or the other. I'm genuinely trying to figure out how LP can demand the higher price. Obviously brand name carries weight, after sale support carries weight, parts availability, etc., but I'm not convinced those factors come into play here, as KK is also a big name brand. And it certainly doesn't create a gap that's worth a 75% premium.

Really, I just want to know if anyone has more insight into why such a price gap exists.


HH

No argument here. Hopefully someone can answer your question better than I. In my experience higher quality often costs significantly more. Thickness of metal does not indicate one is better, worse or as good as the other. I have owned some really robust looking, heavy gauge metal that broke or bent easily.

In gears metal hardness, wear resistance can not be determined by just looking at them; seen lots of broken, worn out parts that looked fine when new.

My brothers and I have owned cutters from KK and under to Woods, Land Pride, Bush Hog etc. The more economical models work fine for a few years, but the higher cost ones outlast them by a huge margin.

My brother prefers the more economical models as he is a good mechanic and thinks nothing of welding a deck, rebuilding a gear box etc. and then when it's beyond repair scrapping it.

Keep in mind, I am going only on my experience and I use equipment hard, very hard at times. Others will have a different viewpoint or experience as valid or more so than mine.

I am not running KK down as they make pretty good equipment.

 

[LD1]

Supply and demand.

It is all about what people are willing to pay for the name "landpride".

Obviously enough people are willing to pay their price or they would be out of business. Same with everything "namebrand" vs "offbrand".

And I am only speculating here because I dont know, but it could also have to do with where they are made.

IF and emphasis on IF, the LP cutter uses an american gearbox, american blades, american steel, and fabbed up here in the good ole USA, that is likely going to cost 2x's as much as a china gearbox, China steel, and China labor.

Dont know if that is the case, just thinking outloud here. Remember the BIG IF I put there.

 

[boggen]

some places just charge more. folks need to shop around. one week i might see 20,000 bucks item, next week a sale goes on, to drop it down to, 18,000 bucks. some times manufacture may get a sale going through dealers, and then offer manufacture rebates. to drop cost even further.

some times manufactures set the MRSP (manufacture re-sale price) and pending on market, dealers may keep to it, or perhaps drop a lot more. all depending on the market.

some dealers may offer a bunch of models from a manufacture, but have things setup for when customer buys something. it gets shipped directly from manufacture to customer. or from manufacture to dealer, and then to customer.

some dealers do not sell a whole bunch of a given manufacture equipment, and manufacture may charge that dealer more for the equipment. vs some other dealer that sells a bunch more of manufacture equipment. and may give the given dealer a bigger discount.

scrap metal prices do go up and down, perhaps one company bought metal at wrong time when prices were high. and trying to re-coop there cost with higher prices.

hardness of the metal can make a large difference. goto a good hardware shop. and you can find different grades of "bolts" like grades can be had for metal for a bush hog. and gear box, etc....

some manufactures, just pay for higher grade metal and stuff and place it in the equipment and be done with it, so there is less calls from customers of things breaking. while others just offer something that can be cheaply made as possible but last for a few years.

check against economical model vs heavy duty commercial models. one manufacture may be better setup up with dealers that sell more to commercial, vs another manufacture the sells more to private owners. commercial models more likely stronger heavier duty metal. vs what is going out to private owners.

if rotatory cutter comes with a PTO shaft. one may come with shear pin vs slip clutch, one may offer a cheap pto shaft, rated for lower HP. while other PTO shaft rated for a higher HP.

shipping costs could be part of pricing. perhaps one of the manufactures make the rotatory cutter near you. while the other manufacture is clear across the world and extra shipping costs come into play.

perhaps one manufacture is trying to get there name and equipment out into a given market. and willing to sell stuff at lower cost.

perhaps longer warranty comes with one vs the other.

i have seen some rotatory cutters, with dents all over them. from rotatory cutters kicking up a rock or limb or something and pushing it almost most through the metal. i have seen bolts "shear" that held the 3pt hitch connection on bush hogs.

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it is all a guessing game in above. specifications of metal and like are about only way you will be able to fine tune things down. of what may be better. vs being charged more for the same basic thing.

 

[sweep]

One reason TSC prices are lower because they are buying tens of thousands per unit per year versus your local dealer buying maybe 35-40 per year if that.

Local dealers are probably making more per unit than TSC and it is cheaper for the manufacturer to deal with one large company such as TSC versus thousands of dealers across the country...especially with shipping.

I know people who have the TSC cutters are are very happy with them. I do have a Brush Hog brand but it was a package deal when I bought he tractor.

 

[DAY]

Speaking of TSC and buying tens of thousands of units, there is another loooong thread about 72" ratchet rakes on sale at TSC. They must have ordered those "tens of thousands" and then realized there were not too many 72" buckets out there!

Some company slogan says the "quality goes in, before the name goes on."
I bought a Chicago reciprocating saw at Harbor Freight, on sale, $39 bucks. The REAL Sawzall is about ten times as much, and if I was a contractor, using it every day, a bargain. My clone will last a long, long time, because it mostly sits and waits. Same thing with a "bush hog"- five acres, twice a year, vs someone maintaining a 100 acre horse farm.