Jump to content

Unofficial Home of Old Simplicity & Allis-Chalmers Garden Tractors

Sears to sell Snapper


ac.d17iv

Recommended Posts

I'm not sure if this is good or bad, but Sears is going to start selling a line of Snappers this spring. http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS145287+08-Jan-2008+PRN20080108
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Like you, I'm not sure this is a bad thing... It could certainly be worse. Facing competitors who put their products in Home Depot and Lowes, putting them in Sears at least guarantees a couple of things that those HW stores doesn't provide: 1. Some level of service will be available after the sale -- where you bought the machine 2. Some level of parts support will be available after the sale -- regardless of where you go Last I knew, Sears sells more appliances now than anyone. Years ago in the military I started buying Sears appliances because I knew parts and service would be available regardless of where I moved in the US. I think Sears also likely sells more lawn tractors than anyone. They've been selling a one-generation old version of a Simplicity ZTR for a few years now... I guess what I'm saying is that if you must go to the mass-retailers in order to survive, going to Sears is a step above Walmart, Home Depot and Lowes, in my opinion... Most importantly I want this brand to survive...
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Those Snapper mowers the big-box stores will be selling are not really what most people think of when you talk about Snapper pushmowers. They are a conglomeration of Murray parts with the some of the Snapper deck design elements. Remember, Briggs owns both Murray and SimCorp, which includes Snapper. They use Murray handles, wheels, and drive components, and they also use the cheaper engines. However, they aren't a terrible mower. We have sold quite a few, and have seen minimal failures. The good mowers are still available at dealers, but hold on to your shorts- prices have gone up about 7 percent in the last two years, IIRC. I think the OHV model runs about 650... Anyway, I think the move is not entirely bad. It will give service business to the local dealers, and the dealers will have good parts availability and pricing. However, I also think it is a double edged sword. These lower line mowers are not half the mower the heavy duty ones are, and I believe that if they do not hold up to people's expectations, the brand may develop a negative stigma, like we have seen with all the good names that get sold off to the big box. However, this is probably not going to be an issue, as Snapper has been in the big-box stores before, and it didn't go well. I think they learned their lesson and will go about it differently. Also, John Deere has proved that it can be done, even though I think most of the Deere dealers around here still don't like it. Kent, does your local Sears provide in house service? Ours, before it closed, did not. They sent everything to St. Louis with about a 4-6 week turnaround. I think you are right about Sears selling the most tractors. However I'd bet there are more MTD's sold than those AYP/Roper/Murray tractors. Also, Which model is the Simplicity copy? Last I knew they were all AYP/electrolux models... Andy
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Snapper push mowers have been sold in Lowes for a while under the John Deere name, but I think deere is just buying them from Snapper, so if it goes bad its old JD's problem. Andy, Sears provides mobile service for lawn equipment and home appliances, but I know that whenever I had to have home electronics fixed under warranty, I had to bring them to their main St.Louis store.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

quote:
Originally posted by andrewk
Kent, does your local Sears provide in house service? Ours, before it closed, did not. They sent everything to St. Louis with about a 4-6 week turnaround. I think you are right about Sears selling the most tractors. However I'd bet there are more MTD's sold than those AYP/Roper/Murray tractors. Also, Which model is the Simplicity copy? Last I knew they were all AYP/electrolux models... Andy
Yes, Sears provides in-home service here. I wasn't suggesting Sears outsold all of MTD's brands, only that Sears sells the most machines of any store or dealer network -- i.e. they move product. Andy, I'm not sure of the model number of the Simplicity ZTR sold by Sears. It was red, with coil-spring front suspension.
Link to comment
Share on other sites



Is this the one Kent. The deck is the same as the 50" deck on my Prestige except mine has the rollers instead of the wheels. http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_07127790000P
Link to comment
Share on other sites

quote:
Originally posted by RayS
Is this the one Kent. The deck is the same as the 50" deck on my Prestige except mine has the rollers instead of the wheels.
I'm not sure, since I haven't looked for them in a long time (over a year ago). I thought the one I saw originally here was red, though it may even have been a 2005 or 2006 model.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The first year they were red, then for the last couple years they have been black, they also have a model with the 44" deck.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

quote:
Kent, does your local Sears provide in house service? Ours, before it closed, did not. They sent everything to St. Louis with about a 4-6 week turnaround.
On major home appliances, I think they still provide in house service. Not sure about tractors, etc. Sears has closed most, if not all, of their service centers. For small electronics, our local center would send them to Grand Rapids, MI. My dad took them a fax machine that he bought at Sears, with a maintenance agreement. It sat at the local service center for 2 weeks, before they even sent it to be looked at. Not very timely customer service, IMHO.....
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.
  • Who's Online (See full list)

    • bkassulke
    • tadams
  • Recent Status Updates

    • gwiseman

      gwiseman

      Site programming updates were made 3/23/2024. As a result some things have changed including dues payment options. We will continue maintenance and work with technicians to regain credit card payment option and clear up minor challenges. On positive it appears attaching pictures is now easier. Good day. Gene 
      · 1 reply
    • gwiseman

      gwiseman

      Site maintenance scheduled to begin 10a CDT on 3/16/24
      · 0 replies
×
×
  • Create New...