John Deere vs. Craftsman

[The Sauce]

Mowing 15 acres is a bit of a chore with a pusher. I have been looking into tractors and it looks like you can get the same specs on a Craftsman for 1/3 less than a Deere. Anyone know if there is really a difference other than the name to justify spending so much more on a John Deere?

 

[wbresson]

Deere = :thumbsup:

buy one used, mine is 15 years old and still runs like new

 

[TitanDiddly]

Have you looked into sheep? PM sheepathon.

 

[ribbon13]

I drove a Lamborghini. That was fun.

 

[Goosemaster]

Deere: Expensive "Landscape Specialist"

Crafstman (when compared to Deere): Dusty immigrant who will undercut the "specialist" and still do a decent job....no Green though..

...card that is...

 

[Zenmervolt]

They're both crap. The home-level Deere equipment is not made by Deere and is farmed out to cheap suppliers with the Deere logo being tacked on.

My personal preference is for Simplicity, though I've heard good things about Cub Cadet as well. For something that will mow 15 acreas expect to be spending about $6,000.

ZV

 

[Ornery]

Are you outta your mind? No way you're doing 15 acres with a little garden tractor! That calls for a serious gang mower attached to a real tractor. WTF?

Bah, screw that, get a Zero Turning Radius Rider

 

[The Sauce]

Ok ok. I do have 15 acres but it's not all needing to be mowed. A lot is forest but I still want a good tractor for general purpose work, hauling, mowing...maybe even snow-blowing or plowing.

PS - I presently have a Husqvarna but only like 14 HP...can't get much done with that.

 

[wbresson]

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt
They're both crap. The home-level Deere equipment is not made by Deere and is farmed out to cheap suppliers with the Deere logo being tacked on.

My personal preference is for Simplicity, though I've heard good things about Cub Cadet as well. For something that will mow 15 acreas expect to be spending about $6,000.

ZV

There is a Deere factory 75 miles from here, Deere runs it, Deere workers work it, Deere home mower comes out the doors, how is that a 3rd party with a Deere logo tacked on ?

 

[SuperSix]

Craftsman's lawn equipment (and service) suck ASS.

I went round and round with them on a mower repiar - they finally fixed it - (replaced the tranny too), and now the NEW transmission is going out - and they don't care.

And now the motor's knocking - less than 2 years old and it's on it's last legs.

I am NOT a Sears newbie - the last mower I had from them lasted 16 years, and I have many other Craftsman/Kenmore items.

Just hope it doesn't break down. I will pay the extra $$$ for a Snapper, Troy Bilt or Deere next time.

 

[Zenmervolt]

Originally posted by: wbresson

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt
They're both crap. The home-level Deere equipment is not made by Deere and is farmed out to cheap suppliers with the Deere logo being tacked on.

My personal preference is for Simplicity, though I've heard good things about Cub Cadet as well. For something that will mow 15 acreas expect to be spending about $6,000.

ZV

There is a Deere factory 75 miles from here, Deere runs it, Deere workers work it, Deere home mower comes out the doors, how is that a 3rd party with a Deere logo tacked on ?

Perhaps the higher end home products have some corporate supervision, but from people who have sold the things I am assured that most of the "Deere" equipment within the reach of the home-owner is farmed out.

And the quality on the home equipment is nowhere near the quality of their farm equipment.

Ny recommendation for what he's doing would be one of these: http://www.simplicitymfg.com/legacy_xl.php

ZV

 

[MikeMike]

We have a Deere, an old International, and anothre Older Honda. The deer is such a nice tractor. we mow probably 4 acres and every once in a while we mow the back of our house where we let it grow more since its not visible at all, and that itself is 5 acres.

have a 52" deck on the thing and it cuts great. no complaints.

but it was a costly 7K

MIKE

 

[The Sauce]

Ooh, wow. 10K for that Simplicity is a bit steep. Does look nice though.

 

[wbresson]

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt

Originally posted by: wbresson

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt
They're both crap. The home-level Deere equipment is not made by Deere and is farmed out to cheap suppliers with the Deere logo being tacked on.

My personal preference is for Simplicity, though I've heard good things about Cub Cadet as well. For something that will mow 15 acreas expect to be spending about $6,000.

ZV

There is a Deere factory 75 miles from here, Deere runs it, Deere workers work it, Deere home mower comes out the doors, how is that a 3rd party with a Deere logo tacked on ?

Perhaps the higher end home products have some corporate supervision, but from people who have sold the things I am assured that most of the "Deere" equipment within the reach of the home-owner is farmed out.

And the quality on the home equipment is nowhere near the quality of their farm equipment.

Ny recommendation for what he's doing would be one of these: http://www.simplicitymfg.com/legacy_xl.php

ZV

they look like regular low end home mowers to me, but hey I could be wrong. Personally I don't listen to any info from salesmen though, sometimes they stretch it abit to sell something else instead

 

[Zenmervolt]

Originally posted by: wbresson

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt

Originally posted by: wbresson

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt
They're both crap. The home-level Deere equipment is not made by Deere and is farmed out to cheap suppliers with the Deere logo being tacked on.

My personal preference is for Simplicity, though I've heard good things about Cub Cadet as well. For something that will mow 15 acreas expect to be spending about $6,000.

ZV

There is a Deere factory 75 miles from here, Deere runs it, Deere workers work it, Deere home mower comes out the doors, how is that a 3rd party with a Deere logo tacked on ?

Perhaps the higher end home products have some corporate supervision, but from people who have sold the things I am assured that most of the "Deere" equipment within the reach of the home-owner is farmed out.

And the quality on the home equipment is nowhere near the quality of their farm equipment.

Ny recommendation for what he's doing would be one of these: http://www.simplicitymfg.com/legacy_xl.php

ZV

they look like regular low end home mowers to me, but hey I could be wrong. Personally I don't listen to any info from salesmen though, sometimes they stretch it abit to sell something else instead

Guy was a friend of mine. He sold Deere and Wheelhorse. Told me to buy something else, anything else. That the Deeres were perpetually coming back into the shop with issues, far more than even the Wheelhorses.

ZV

EDIT: There are a couple of things about the Simplicities that I like a lot. First of all, the hood is metal. Second of all, the deck stampings were much thicker than the stampings on the Deeres the last time I compared the two.

 

[Shame]

I have a Troy-bilt Pony with 42'' deck to cut my 1/4 acre lawn. I really, really, really hate to mow.

 

[Yzzim]

Toro Wheel Horse.

Don't know much about them except the company I work with is employed by Toro. Actually the whole town I live in is supported by Toro

So please, when you buy a lawn mower, think of Yzzim

 

[Soapy Bones]

I vote another for Simplicity. We used to sell them for a while about 10 years ago and have 2 of them currently. When we were big into the business of lawn mowers it would not be uncommon to have a 20-25 year old simplicity come in on trade or something, they just dont quit. Solid steel all around, almost no plastic on the thing. Everyone we sold them to has been very impressed with them. Most durable units I've ever used.

 

[Zenmervolt]

Originally posted by: lather164
I vote another for Simplicity. We used to sell them for a while about 10 years ago and have 2 of them currently. When we were big into the business of lawn mowers it would not be uncommon to have a 20-25 year old simplicity come in on trade or something, they just dont quit. Solid steel all around, almost no plastic on the thing. Everyone we sold them to has been very impressed with them. Most durable units I've ever used.

Yup. Until very recently my father had a '76 Simplicity. It ran forever and did a great job, but he ended up trading it in on a 2 year old Broadmoor (the older style, last of the Allis Chalmers designs). It's been great so far as well.

ZV

 

[cardiac]

I have a Wheelhorse/Toro 269H that I just love. I have had Craftsmen, Signature (Wards), and Ariens (Not bad), but the 269H has been my favorite. I mow a few acres with it, and plow a 250ft long driveway with it in the Indiana winters. Has a 19 horse Kohler twin that is about bulletproof. Electric clutch, hydralic deck lift, hydrostatic drive, etc. Would definitely buy again....

Bob

 

[Caminetto]

Another 15 year Deere owner here, and it is one of the few peices of equipment that has earned my respect. Quality everywhere.
Further a significant benefit to a Deere is parts availability - no down time is important.

 

[The Sauce]

Well turns out I have a Simplicity dealer nearby...might go check it out.

 

[Eli]

Well, I only know engines.. Don't they both use Briggs and Stratton?

heh

 

[classy]

I grew up in the country. John Deere.

 

[GeekDrew]

Originally posted by: classy
I grew up in the country. John Deere.

Ditto.

We've run a couple of John Deere lawn mowers into the ground in the last couple of years, but they were older than stone (seriously, older than I am, and I was born in '84). I've been led away from them a couple of times, but in the end, JD won me back.

I've heard few things bad about Cub Cadet mowers, though I've personally had nothing but trouble with them... especially their plastic hoods. Yes, I know that a lot of JD hoods are now plastic / fiberglass, but they still don't break nearly as easily as the Cub stuff I've seen lately is breaking.