GT48DXLS
Bronze Member
- Joined
- Jun 21, 2018
- Messages
- 89
- Tractor
- Very Modifierd Husqvarna/GT48DXLS
I was inspired to write this after reading through a thread started by DerekF, (thread dated 06-03-2019), titled;
"Does Anyone Make a REAL Garden Tractor Anymore?"
I thought this was a very good question.
It's been a mission and obsession of mine to warn people through honest discussion and the compiling of facts, whom are thinking of entering the Garden Tractor market.
For those that found themselves already owning something that did not live up to it's promise like myself, I hope to offer possible solutions (or keep the discussion alive so others can share their solutions) to help make their purchase still usable in spite of cleverly worded worthless warranties, confusing Corporate lawyers, Miss-Leading Corporate Adverts, and unethical Dealers, potentially. It's a maze that can be confusing at best.
I really like DerekF asking;
"Does Anyone Make a REAL Garden Tractor Anymore?"
By asking the question using this word "REAL" it brings to mind the power of virtual reality in today's market. If you have enough resources you can make anything sound, look, and feel legit. With enough resources you can create fake reviews, fake news, fake interest, and hide criticism on web pages (bury the bad in the back, keep the good in the front, etc).
With the strategic application of enough resources the average consumer can be directed to investigate or follow through with "due diligence" prior to buying, so they can reasonably be confident of making an informed purchase (Caveat Emptor), yet the credentials are faked too.
All this to do one thing, induce sales through miss-representation, miss-direction, and lend credibility to the deception by offering Warranties that create belief, but are honored at the manufacturer's convenience, knowing most consumer protection is without teeth.
The way these Companies deny warranty claims by systematically blaming the customer without offering facts, or offering flimsy reasons that won't hold up to a simple phone call is shameful. I call this "Customer Abuse".
I learned much from making the decision to take on one of these Corporate Giants (and have mounds of evidence collected), and I often find myself asking this same question "What IS REAL?" these days.
So, I read DerekF's question like this;
1) What is the definition of a Garden Tractor?
2) Is there an industry standard?
3) If there is a standard, who defines it?
I think all other questions can actually be answered by one of these three, but primarily the first one.
The most authoritative definition I have yet to find on the Garden Tractor to date, is defined by OPEI, OPEI has been responsible for the definition near as I can tell over 40 years, at least in the USA.
OPEI Defines the Garden Tractor as this;
"Garden Tractors are designed to supply sufficient power for home lawn, garden
and yard attachments: moldboard plows, tillers, cultivators, snow throwers,
sweepers, leaf mulchers, etc. Fifty percent of garden tractors are used for areas
larger than two acres."
And then in 1979, a periodical for self sustainability, quoted OPEI then, as follows;
"Self-propelled riding vehicle designed for general purpose lawn and garden
work which must have all attachments removable . . . and be capable of pulling a plow."
It looks like OPEI has adjusted their definition a bit, by making it more specific, verses vague? This is helpful to us the consumer, but how many people actually know this is how the market is defined, or what it means?
This is who OPEI is;
OPEI;
Outdoor Power Equipment Institute.
THE ASSOCIATION OF EQUIPMENT, ENGINE AND UTV
MANUFACTURERS AND SUPPLIERS.
The membership of manufacturers that make up this organization, define the terms that they are to market accordingly. This is a list of all the members. If you find your brand among this list, how have they done to live up to the standard that they define?
1) A. Schulman, Inc.
2) Active Exhaust Corporation
3) Agri-Industrial Plastics Company ALTOZ Inc.
4) American Honda Motor Company, Inc. Ariens Company
5) B.W. Elliott Mfg., LLC BASF Performance Materials
6) Bemis Manufacturing Advanced Technology Group Blount International
7) Briggs & Stratton Corporation Brinly-Hardy Company, Inc.
8) Bush Hog Inc. Chervon HK Limited
9) Club Car, LLC Continental Automotive
10) Custom Engineered Wheels, Inc. Custom Products of Litchfield, Inc.
11) Deere & Company Delta Systems, Inc.
12) DSM Engineering Plastics Duramatic Products
13) E-Z-GO Textron East Penn Manufacturing Co., Inc.
14) Echo Incorporated Excel Industries
15) Federal-Mogul Motorparts Femco, Inc.
16) Fisher Barton, Inc. Flambeau Fluid Systems
17) Freudenberg-NOK Sealing Technologies Gates Corporation
18) Generac Power Systems, Inc. Heraeus Precious Metals GmbH.
19) Husqvarna Husqvarna Canada Corp.
20) Hydro-Gear Inhance Technologies
21) Intimidator Group / Spartan Mowers iRobot Corporation
22) Jacobsen, A Textron Company Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A.
23) KIOTI Tractor Division Kohler Company
24) Koki Holdings America Ltd. / Tanaka Power Equipment Kongsberg Power Products 25) 25) Systems I, LLC
26) Kubota Canada Ltd. Kubota Tractor Corporation
27) Masport Ltd. Mean Green Mowers
28) Metal Powder Products Co. Milsco Manufacturing
29) MTD Products Inc. Newcomb Spring Corp.
30) Ogura Industrial Corporation Outdoor Power Equipment and Engine Service
31) Association (OPEESA)
32) Parker Hannifin Corporation PEER Bearing Company
33) Phillips 66 Spectrum Corporation Polaris Industries
34) Positec Precision Work, Inc.
35) Propane Education & Research Council PRUFREX USA Inc.
36) Pulsar Products, Inc. Revere Plastics Systems, LLC
37) Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics Scag Power Equipment, Inc.
38) Scepter Corporation Schiller Grounds Care, Inc.
39) SGS North America, Inc. Sheffield Financial, Div. of BB&T Financial FSB
40) Shivvers Manufacturing, Inc. Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.
41) Stihl Incorporated Sugino Corporation
42) Sunrise Global Marketing, LLS TCF Inventory Finance
43) TD Retail Card Services Techtronic Industries Power Equipment
44) Textron Specialized Vehicles The Carlstar Group, LLC.
45) The Heritage Group The Lubrizol Corporation
46) The Toro Company TriLink Saw Chain, LLC
47) Tuff Torq Corporation USA Zama, Inc.
48) Venture Products, Inc. Walbro, LLC
49) Walker Manufacturing Company Warner Electric LLC
50) Wells Fargo Commercial Distribution Finance Wescon Controls
51) Whirltronics, Inc. Wright Manufacturing, Inc.
52) Wright Metal Products Crates, LLC Xtreme Outdoor Power Equipment
53) Yamaha Motor Corporation, USA Yanmar American Corporation
54) YAT USA, Inc.
"Does Anyone Make a REAL Garden Tractor Anymore?"
I thought this was a very good question.
It's been a mission and obsession of mine to warn people through honest discussion and the compiling of facts, whom are thinking of entering the Garden Tractor market.
For those that found themselves already owning something that did not live up to it's promise like myself, I hope to offer possible solutions (or keep the discussion alive so others can share their solutions) to help make their purchase still usable in spite of cleverly worded worthless warranties, confusing Corporate lawyers, Miss-Leading Corporate Adverts, and unethical Dealers, potentially. It's a maze that can be confusing at best.
I really like DerekF asking;
"Does Anyone Make a REAL Garden Tractor Anymore?"
By asking the question using this word "REAL" it brings to mind the power of virtual reality in today's market. If you have enough resources you can make anything sound, look, and feel legit. With enough resources you can create fake reviews, fake news, fake interest, and hide criticism on web pages (bury the bad in the back, keep the good in the front, etc).
With the strategic application of enough resources the average consumer can be directed to investigate or follow through with "due diligence" prior to buying, so they can reasonably be confident of making an informed purchase (Caveat Emptor), yet the credentials are faked too.
All this to do one thing, induce sales through miss-representation, miss-direction, and lend credibility to the deception by offering Warranties that create belief, but are honored at the manufacturer's convenience, knowing most consumer protection is without teeth.
The way these Companies deny warranty claims by systematically blaming the customer without offering facts, or offering flimsy reasons that won't hold up to a simple phone call is shameful. I call this "Customer Abuse".
I learned much from making the decision to take on one of these Corporate Giants (and have mounds of evidence collected), and I often find myself asking this same question "What IS REAL?" these days.
So, I read DerekF's question like this;
1) What is the definition of a Garden Tractor?
2) Is there an industry standard?
3) If there is a standard, who defines it?
I think all other questions can actually be answered by one of these three, but primarily the first one.
The most authoritative definition I have yet to find on the Garden Tractor to date, is defined by OPEI, OPEI has been responsible for the definition near as I can tell over 40 years, at least in the USA.
OPEI Defines the Garden Tractor as this;
"Garden Tractors are designed to supply sufficient power for home lawn, garden
and yard attachments: moldboard plows, tillers, cultivators, snow throwers,
sweepers, leaf mulchers, etc. Fifty percent of garden tractors are used for areas
larger than two acres."
And then in 1979, a periodical for self sustainability, quoted OPEI then, as follows;
"Self-propelled riding vehicle designed for general purpose lawn and garden
work which must have all attachments removable . . . and be capable of pulling a plow."
It looks like OPEI has adjusted their definition a bit, by making it more specific, verses vague? This is helpful to us the consumer, but how many people actually know this is how the market is defined, or what it means?
This is who OPEI is;
OPEI;
Outdoor Power Equipment Institute.
THE ASSOCIATION OF EQUIPMENT, ENGINE AND UTV
MANUFACTURERS AND SUPPLIERS.
The membership of manufacturers that make up this organization, define the terms that they are to market accordingly. This is a list of all the members. If you find your brand among this list, how have they done to live up to the standard that they define?
1) A. Schulman, Inc.
2) Active Exhaust Corporation
3) Agri-Industrial Plastics Company ALTOZ Inc.
4) American Honda Motor Company, Inc. Ariens Company
5) B.W. Elliott Mfg., LLC BASF Performance Materials
6) Bemis Manufacturing Advanced Technology Group Blount International
7) Briggs & Stratton Corporation Brinly-Hardy Company, Inc.
8) Bush Hog Inc. Chervon HK Limited
9) Club Car, LLC Continental Automotive
10) Custom Engineered Wheels, Inc. Custom Products of Litchfield, Inc.
11) Deere & Company Delta Systems, Inc.
12) DSM Engineering Plastics Duramatic Products
13) E-Z-GO Textron East Penn Manufacturing Co., Inc.
14) Echo Incorporated Excel Industries
15) Federal-Mogul Motorparts Femco, Inc.
16) Fisher Barton, Inc. Flambeau Fluid Systems
17) Freudenberg-NOK Sealing Technologies Gates Corporation
18) Generac Power Systems, Inc. Heraeus Precious Metals GmbH.
19) Husqvarna Husqvarna Canada Corp.
20) Hydro-Gear Inhance Technologies
21) Intimidator Group / Spartan Mowers iRobot Corporation
22) Jacobsen, A Textron Company Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A.
23) KIOTI Tractor Division Kohler Company
24) Koki Holdings America Ltd. / Tanaka Power Equipment Kongsberg Power Products 25) 25) Systems I, LLC
26) Kubota Canada Ltd. Kubota Tractor Corporation
27) Masport Ltd. Mean Green Mowers
28) Metal Powder Products Co. Milsco Manufacturing
29) MTD Products Inc. Newcomb Spring Corp.
30) Ogura Industrial Corporation Outdoor Power Equipment and Engine Service
31) Association (OPEESA)
32) Parker Hannifin Corporation PEER Bearing Company
33) Phillips 66 Spectrum Corporation Polaris Industries
34) Positec Precision Work, Inc.
35) Propane Education & Research Council PRUFREX USA Inc.
36) Pulsar Products, Inc. Revere Plastics Systems, LLC
37) Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics Scag Power Equipment, Inc.
38) Scepter Corporation Schiller Grounds Care, Inc.
39) SGS North America, Inc. Sheffield Financial, Div. of BB&T Financial FSB
40) Shivvers Manufacturing, Inc. Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.
41) Stihl Incorporated Sugino Corporation
42) Sunrise Global Marketing, LLS TCF Inventory Finance
43) TD Retail Card Services Techtronic Industries Power Equipment
44) Textron Specialized Vehicles The Carlstar Group, LLC.
45) The Heritage Group The Lubrizol Corporation
46) The Toro Company TriLink Saw Chain, LLC
47) Tuff Torq Corporation USA Zama, Inc.
48) Venture Products, Inc. Walbro, LLC
49) Walker Manufacturing Company Warner Electric LLC
50) Wells Fargo Commercial Distribution Finance Wescon Controls
51) Whirltronics, Inc. Wright Manufacturing, Inc.
52) Wright Metal Products Crates, LLC Xtreme Outdoor Power Equipment
53) Yamaha Motor Corporation, USA Yanmar American Corporation
54) YAT USA, Inc.
