cabelas is discontinuing tractor sales

[Handloader109]

Well, I didn't look at or realize NH sold tractors, the store closest to me is in Tulsa and doesn't show any. And most of the stuff that they sell is harbor freight quality, I'd never buy a tractor from them..... I Paid less, and at least as long as cabelas has a service center in my area, and the tractor is under warranty, I'll be holding them to their word of pickup, repair and return.
What do you guys think about belly mowers? I can get one at decent price, but a little hesitant. A pull behind seems more convenient as you can get in corners better, but belly doesn't have the long swing. Opinions?

 

[paulfun9]

3 point rear discharge for me over any belly mount! If your property isn't littered with too many oddly placed things I find that the 3 point mount actually gets under the trees better without getting me under the tree and I can cut just as close to everything else as I ever could with a belly mount. It also cuts my mowing time down a good bit as with the more free flowing discharge I can cut a faster pace and it doesn't leave windrows that I have to go back and deal with when I let it grow a bit too long.
I have also noticed that no matter the design and how easy a belly mount is to mount or dismount when new every year they seem to get harder and harder to deal with and with the 3 point mount it will be easy even when it gets old.

 

[4570Man]

3 point rear discharge for me over any belly mount! If your property isn't littered with too many oddly placed things I find that the 3 point mount actually gets under the trees better without getting me under the tree and I can cut just as close to everything else as I ever could with a belly mount. It also cuts my mowing time down a good bit as with the more free flowing discharge I can cut a faster pace and it doesn't leave windrows that I have to go back and deal with when I let it grow a bit too long. I have also noticed that no matter the design and how easy a belly mount is to mount or dismount when new every year they seem to get harder and harder to deal with and with the 3 point mount it will be easy even when it gets old.

Plus 1.

 

[AxleHub]

Well, I didn't look at or realize NH sold tractors, the store closest to me is in Tulsa and doesn't show any. And most of the stuff that they sell is harbor freight quality, I'd never buy a tractor from them..... I Paid less, and at least as long as cabelas has a service center in my area, and the tractor is under warranty, I'll be holding them to their word of pickup, repair and return.
What do you guys think about belly mowers? I can get one at decent price, but a little hesitant. A pull behind seems more convenient as you can get in corners better, but belly doesn't have the long swing. Opinions?

To me it would depend greatly on what your lawn looks like and whst kind of grass you have. I definitely wanted a belly mower because Massey has a 54 inch mulching deck with 6 blades . . . which means there are no wind rows and no blowing grass into flower beds snd no side discharge chutes.. Its much better for large lawns with tight turns snd lots of slopes IMO. And thick bluegrass cuts with nice striping and clean look even if it was a little long.

 

[Handloader109]

Well, main yard is about an acre or so. Mainly Bermuda, several large Oaks, and some walnuts. A couple of smaller trees are the only with limbs low enough to matter. Mainly flat and open. I think either works, the area that would be a problem neither will work. But is small area and I will but with old mower. Now,my other 2 odd acres is pasture, again about half is Bermuda, other junk is starting to take over.... Have a bit that is sloped, and I think MMM would not work as well. I can see backing up to cut that area. But I'm tempted by the cost savings. I don't know how fast this mower will be to remove or replace either. 3pt will win the speed race.

 

[AxleHub]

Well, main yard is about an acre or so. Mainly Bermuda, several large Oaks, and some walnuts. A couple of smaller trees are the only with limbs low enough to matter. Mainly flat and open. I think either works, the area that would be a problem neither will work. But is small area and I will but with old mower. Now,my other 2 odd acres is pasture, again about half is Bermuda, other junk is starting to take over.... Have a bit that is sloped, and I think MMM would not work as well. I can see backing up to cut that area. But I'm tempted by the cost savings. I don't know how fast this mower will be to remove or replace either. 3pt will win the speed race.

I have some heavy compound slope anlges and some steep straight slopes in the ramge of 15+ degrees. With my mmm on the gc1715 I cut them fine . . But I wouldn't personally want to do tbose with a 3 pt finisb unit . . Especially the compound slopes. The mmm put 215 pounds of ballast in the lower center of rhe scut. I personally would not want to put that weight outside my tractor cog on steep slopes.

 

[TomSeller]

Cabelas now not in the tractor business? They never were.

 

[300UGUY]

Its a very simple principle . . You can get more customers to travel to an area that offers more selection in a close area. In other eords . . . "Make the trip worthwhile".

While you see it as dividing the customer potential . . businesses see it as " getting targetted interest". Some don't realize that Lowe's, HD, and Menards all advertise entirely differently from each other. Look at a flyer for each. Lowe's is full color slick glossy and they advertise "summary categories" which is name brands and broad sections of products. Its the "dream look" and not the pricing specific. HD focuses on appliances, holiday decorating, and tools . . Full color but not the slick look and not general categories. Menards is color on cheap paper and very specific pricing, very specific items and pricing, and tons of rebates. But guess what . . the wealthiest business is Menards . . they have no debt and own more manufacturing suppliers than the others combined and are privately family owned and bigger than you'd guess. They buy land and build on 25% or 50% of it and sell all the rest later on . . just as McDonalds used to do in the good old days. Menards can guarantee quantity flow.

And a Menards customer for nails and plumbing pipe might also look at appliances when they go to look at appliances at HD. But you won't see them built right next to each other . . Each will be a block or two away. Look closely and you may notice thst customers even "look" differently on average. Meanwhile Lowe's likes to be near clothing stores etc. because Lowe's sells "the dream" and that means women.

Now all you need is ONE of the following ( a TSC or Fleet Farm or Farm and Fleet) and you have a party lol.

By the way . . Lowe's typically isn't in areas of less than 100k pop. HD 50k pop and up and Menards 25k pop. and up.

We have a Lowes and HD a couple hundred yards from each other. We don't have anything near 100K. Maybe 20 or 30K in a 10 mile radius.

Locally, the Lowes seems to be more geared toward the do it your self crowd. HD tries to be more contractor oriented. The nearest Lowes is 20 miles away. I used to go to HD more, but I am buying more from Lowes, a new exit from I96 opened up last year, and they are much quicker. Btw, since these companies came here, every lumberyard in the county closed up. A couple tried to be builder's only supply, but that didn't work. Howell, population 10K? had 3 lumberyards before the big boys came to town. Of course, we had a lot of other small stores before Wallmart and others came in. But we have much better selection, and better jobs - the locals never paid anyone much above minimum. Progress is tough, but some folks benefit.

 

[DT86]

Cabelas now not in the tractor business? They never were.

Well, they tried, I guess you could say.

 

[DT86]

About Northern, anybody else remember when they sold (tried to sell?) refurbished Bobcat skid steers? How'd that work out for them?