Made the wrong choice....

Flip221 · May 4, 2006

OK, so here's the deal. I bought a CC1046 2 weeks ago. It does a great job cutting and really is a nice tractor for the money, BUT I also purchased a Brinley 40" plug aerator and aerated my lawn last weekend.

While the tractor did pull the aerator arond my slightly less than an acre lot, it struggled quite a bit and I don't think I can put the tractor through that 2-3 times a year and expect it to last.

I'm now kicking myself (hard) for not ponying up for the CC 2544. I have 5 hours on the 1046. What are the chances of a dealer taking it back with 5 hours on it if I trade up to the 2544? Is that completely out of the question? I did by it from a large local dealer and not a big box store.

I called the dealer today and the guy I talked to kind of gave me the run around and said he'd need to talk to the owner as they'd have to take back a used tractor, yadda, yadda, yadda.

The sad thing is that if I had bought from a big box store, they would take it back within 30 days no questions asked!

Thanks for any advice!

VBReds · May 4, 2006

I bought the 1045 and mine pulls the plug around just fine including up and down a decent hill.

I did get the v-twin upgrade from Home Depot, but yours should have more horses.

Flip221 · May 4, 2006

Yeah, mine has the 23HP v-twin, and it did pull it around ok, but it struggled (pretty prominent whine, and VERY sluggish). I had ~100lbs on the ole plugger so I was pulling some weight, but I'm still kicking myself. I really should have opted for the 2544. As I've read here in a hundred other posts, you should never undersize your equipment )which of course I feel I did). For nothing other than lawn mowing and pulling around a dethatcher, I'm sure the mower would be a great fit, but I have other things I'd like to do, and judging just by the HP of the 1046, I thought I'd be set.

Gamble77, what is typical return policy at a CC dealer? Like I said, it is a bit surprising that the HD honors 30 days and from what I've seen so far, the independants don't. Even a reasonable restock fee would be fine with me. I spent 1899 for the 1046, and it (as I've also read here in the forums) will be quite bitter if I have to live with my mistake and always "wish" I had made the right decision 5 years from now when I have to replace this tractor...

CCinCT · May 5, 2006

You should first check to make sure that the idler pulley TSB was done on your tractor. Gamble or Neil should chime in here with specifics on it, but it sounds like it may not have been done to your tractor.

Flip221 · May 5, 2006

Thanks, I'll check that out. I may just be having a bad case of buyers remorse!

Flip221 · May 5, 2006

Just got off the phone with the dealer. 10% restock fee and my new CC2544 will be delivered on Monday!

I don't think I would have had to pay a restock at a big box, but I am getting free delievery (for a second time). /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

stevebig · May 5, 2006

Well my dealer took it back without the restock fee plus I got my sales tax back when I upgrade to the 2554. This was done mostly because CC doesn't disclose that there 1000 series are not made for doing any heavy work. Seems to me that if you buy a tractor for mowing grass, you should be able to roll and aerate that grass, not to mention use a yard cart once in awhile. So when I complained to the dealer and to CC, that I would not have bought the tractor if they would have had any of that information on-line at their web site or with their printed brochures. They don't seem to want to show that information in the specifications.

MrWiggles2 · May 5, 2006

That 10% is for having to clean it up to resell most likely.

Its still a good deal though. I got rid of my Cub 1515 for the same reason, a roller and aerator did it for me. I kept my 1515 for two years, accumulated 95 hours on it and sold it for $1600. I figure I lost $500 over those two years, but no way I could have found a lawn service to cut my grass any cheaper. So, you got yourself a great deal. That 1042 would have had a lot less value after a couple years and you'd be looking at a lot more cash outlay. Now, when you pull that aerator, you'll have to look over your shoulder to see if its still there, pulls it like nothing.

Flip221 · May 5, 2006

I really don't have any problem paying the 10% restock (why should the dealer have to take a bath becuase I screwed up in the first place).

Anyway, I'm just glad that $189 is all it cost me rather than a broken or low resale tractor in 3 years because I overworked it.

Very much looking forward to the new 2544! Hey, how does everyone like the new seat and hood style? I've seen a few old posts about people thinking the old style one was better but am wondering if people are liking the new style better now that they have been out for a while.

Also, is the "draining the oil" issue fixed on the '06's?

Fordlords · May 5, 2006

I think you made the right choice in returning the 1046 for a 2552 Flip, the extra $ will be well worth it. It seems like there are about two newbies to this forum every week who are not pleased with the performance of the belt driven hydro of their new 1000 series CC. CC should remove the rear hitch from these tractors if they do not have the ability to pull things properly. But I honestly don't think that is the intended case, as hydro tractors from Craftsman, Murray and many of the other inexpensive LT's have the same make but possibly different models of hydro as the CC1000's, yet are not experiencing these types of problems with pulling or running inclines. I think MTD needs to get in contact with Hydro-Gear (who build the 1000's hydro) and figure out why these problems are so prominent with the 1000's, as HG boasts in their brochures about how durable and high performing their hydrostatic transaxles are- maybe there is a possibly of the perticular hydro in the 1000's being mis-matched for the application, or CC is doing the same mix-and match thing with the hydros as they are with engines on the 1000's, with some 1000's getting a hydro model that works and others not.

Anyway (MHO again /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif) MTD Corporation all across the board needs to do more ground proving of their products with actual production parts, and needs to hire more quality assurance personnel at the manufacturing level plus randomly test more production machines off the line. Of course those things cost money, but if not done it's going to cost them customers /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif and at many of the box stores JD is right next door.

-Fordlords-