Forums Archive Index > Outdoor Power Equipment > Toro will soon be part of MTD ? Another good name goes down

Author: faithfulFrank

Date: 13 Dec 2005 10:18 pm

My local OPE master tech told me today he just received info that starting next year, MTD will be making Toro.

I don't know for sure if this is true......He would know.....if true, a sad day in OPE land.

Frank D.

Author: Chris S

Date: 13 Dec 2005 11:05 pm

Did he say why Frank?
C

Author: Mountain Man

Date: 13 Dec 2005 11:10 pm

Toro made by MTD?

My Reply...

Author: Toro726

Date: 13 Dec 2005 11:15 pm

Not that I would know but after a quick google search and no evidence of this... I doubt it is true.

Author: Chris S

Date: 13 Dec 2005 11:20 pm

Unfortunately T726 just because you can't find it yet on Google doesn't mean much.
I hope you are right of course.
If true man who is next.... :shock:
C

Author: tallyhoe

Date: 14 Dec 2005 3:20 am

That would be very depressing news indeed. I really like how well built Toro's are. Maybe we shoud start stocking up on them now.
guy

Author: HONEST TECHNICAN
Subject: TORO---SORRY GUYS IT TRUE

Date: 14 Dec 2005 7:35 am

HI EVERYONE, WELL ITS TRUE I RECD A EMAIL FROM MY SIMPLICITY REP AND @ THE LOCAL SALES MEETING A COUPLE WEEKS AGO IN PITTSBURGH PA. TORO SEIZE PRODUCTION OF 2006 TRACTORS.AS PER CUB CADET REP MTD IS MAKING MORE EQUIPMENT FOR ,HOME DEPOT & TRACTOR SUPPLY TRYING TO GAIN MARKET SHARE.. CUBCADET IS NO LONGER GOING TO BE AVAILABLE IN LOWES IN 2006 BECAUSE OF LOWES DISSATISFY OF THE PROBLEMS THE PRODUCT HAD.CUB CADET STARTED MOWER MD AND IS LOOKING FOR AUTHORIZE SERVICE CENTERS IN EVERY AREA EVEN IF IT A BACK YARD MECHANIC WILLING TO PAY UP TO 25.00 HRLY TO REPAIR MACHINES... SOORY GUYS AND WOMEN BUT ANOTHER IS PRODUCT IS DOME... : :cry: CHAT LATER HONEST TECHNICAN

Author: jubol

Date: 14 Dec 2005 8:54 am

:roll: :roll: :roll: :oops:
What concerns me and Toro blower owners is maintenance and parts.
Will MTD stock the Toro parts made prior to MTD taking Toro blowers over??

Fred

Author: ramit

Date: 14 Dec 2005 9:10 am

Mountain Man wrote:
Toro made by MTD?

My Reply...

That's just terrible news.
A Picture is worth a 1,000 words.....

more money, more money, that's all it's about.

The bean counters get hold of the helm and this is what happens.
Decisions are made not based on what's best for the customers, but for what they think will yield more profit at the end of the year with short term thinking. Which so far, these corporate knit whits can't see from all the past examples, it doesn't work!

Well at least I got mine before the change.
The only good news for those of us that have a pre MTD Toro, is that Toro itself wasn't sold off. Their support is first class. As long as that doesn't change, I wouldn't think of selling off the Toro.

But I fear they will continue further cost cutting goals and attack their dealer support programs.

If it does change and my local OPE winds up no longer being a Toro shop, the for sale sign is going up !

Author: Majorxlr8n

Date: 14 Dec 2005 9:12 am

WOW! MTD is slowly becoming a monolopy in the OPE field. Thats a shame that Toro is changing hands - look what happened when MTD bought out Troy-Bilt! That will make another excellent brand just a ho-hum MTD offering.

On the positive side, MTD still has reasonable parts support for most of the older brands like Troy-Bilt, Bolens & Cub Cadet (IH).

Marty

Author: buttlint

Date: 14 Dec 2005 9:13 am

Calm down Fred :)
It's only a rumor that was spawned at a Simplicity sales meeting.
It's well known that they have open bars at these affairs. :P

Author: ramit

Date: 14 Dec 2005 9:19 am

Even if it's not a rumor..
it's not that Toro was bought by MTD, it's just that Toro is going to have MTD start making their stuff. We can only hope that they do a model at a time. And in the beginning before too many things are made by MTD they realize their mistake.

I guess I better buy my Toro mulcher now.. find a left over.

Author: ramit

Date: 14 Dec 2005 9:54 am

Found this from another OPE forum via some googling..

"RE: Toro rear bagger - Worst ever ?
Posted by: XXXXXXXX on Sat, Nov 19, 05 at 10:30

"Are Toro engineers really stupid?" No, they are just handcuffed by Toro/LB Sales and Marketing. As a former Toro/LB insider, I can tell you exactly why the SR4 bagging system is sub-standard - It is the same bagging system used on the 22-inch Recycler model. In there infinite wisdom, Toro chose to use the grass bag from a $300 - $400 mower on a $450 - $600 mower. Can anyone say "Cadillac Cimarron"?
Why was this done? To save development, tooling and production costs. From a manufacturing standpoint, it was a great way to leverage existing part cost and reduce product cost. The mistake Toro Marketing/Sales made was that they chose to ignore three years of consumer survey results, which indicated the grass bag was the "worst" (in terms of consumer satisfaction) feature on the 22-inch Recycler models. So what do they do? Put the entry level grass bag on their premium lawnmower.

However, Toro Marketing/Sales really missed the boat by not understanding that a dissatified customer with a $300 lawnmower purchased from home center will only complain on the survey, and maybe to his friends and neighbors. A dissatified customer with a $600 lawnmower purchased from a dealer will demand their money back. For you Toro employees out there, let's all say "Cadillac Cimarron" together.

Maybe this has been discussed here already... But, for you hard core outdoor power equipment lovers out there, rumor has it that Toro will be introducing a branded MTD rider for their mass market/dealer network in the coming months. Yes folks, Toro will be selling an MTD with a Toro decal on it. "

So more so it sounds as if Toro is doing sort of what Ariens did, directly what JD and others have done.. get a cheaper model made to sell in the big box stores and see how it goes.

Author: AZinOH

Date: 14 Dec 2005 3:54 pm

First of all, I view all of this as mere hearsay until a verifiable press release or news report confirms it. Secondly, I've read several previous discussions that Toro's production of consumer-grade lawn/garden tractors simply wasn't profitable enough to warrant trying to compete, so a development such as this isn't exactly a surprise...if true. But I don't view it as a prelude to a wholesale sellout to MTD now or in the future especially when it comes to snowblowers. There are already enough MTD snowblowers in this world. And if it really is true...it'll be kinda like putting a Cadillac nameplate on a Kia. They won't be able to get away with it indefinitely.

AZ

Author: OldToroOwner
Subject: Re: Toro will soon be part of MTD ? Another good name goes d

Date: 14 Dec 2005 4:03 pm

faithfulFrank wrote:
My local OPE master tech told me today he just received info that starting next year, MTD will be making Toro.

I don't know for sure if this is true......He would know.....if true, a sad day in OPE land.

Frank D.
Don't even kid!!!.. :evil:

Author: OldToroOwner
Subject: Re: TORO---SORRY GUYS IT TRUE

Date: 14 Dec 2005 4:04 pm

HONEST TECHNICAN wrote:
HI EVERYONE, WELL ITS TRUE I RECD A EMAIL FROM MY SIMPLICITY REP AND @ THE LOCAL SALES MEETING A COUPLE WEEKS AGO IN PITTSBURGH PA. TORO SEIZE PRODUCTION OF 2006 TRACTORS.AS PER CUB CADET REP MTD IS MAKING MORE EQUIPMENT FOR ,HOME DEPOT & TRACTOR SUPPLY TRYING TO GAIN MARKET SHARE.. CUBCADET IS NO LONGER GOING TO BE AVAILABLE IN LOWES IN 2006 BECAUSE OF LOWES DISSATISFY OF THE PROBLEMS THE PRODUCT HAD.CUB CADET STARTED MOWER MD AND IS LOOKING FOR AUTHORIZE SERVICE CENTERS IN EVERY AREA EVEN IF IT A BACK YARD MECHANIC WILLING TO PAY UP TO 25.00 HRLY TO REPAIR MACHINES... SOORY GUYS AND WOMEN BUT ANOTHER IS PRODUCT IS DOME... : :cry: CHAT LATER HONEST TECHNICAN
STOP YELLING.
The "shift" key is your friend... :wink:

Author: ramit

Date: 14 Dec 2005 4:17 pm

yes I second that... Old Toro Owner....

all lower case is much better than all UPPERCASE if you don't want to bother with the shift key...
Anything other than ALL CAPS,TO HARD TO READ.
tnx
Bob

Author: robmints

Date: 14 Dec 2005 5:40 pm

What is the matter with Toro supplying a low cost rider? Is it bad if they are getting MTD to make it? Some companies that made consumer equipment did not offer a low cost alternative. Companies like Bolens, Troybult, Cub, how did that work for them? Simplicity and Snapper got bought out by a company that builds, among it's products, a low cost offshore product. Why wasn't the topic of conversation at the Simplicity meeting about how many engines and parts Briggs was making and planning to make in Asia. They better make sure their own house is clean before they go telling somebody else how dirty their's is. Sometimes having a low cost alternative lets you have a broad enough market to stay in the premium business. There are a lot of people that don't need a Legacy, X series Deere, 500 Toro, Kubota, or other expensive machine to mow their lawn.

What am I missing?

Author: ramit

Date: 14 Dec 2005 5:59 pm

The bad thing was if it was true on how it was first presented..
that MTD may make ALL Toro stuff.
That was the jest I got from the first posting.


MTD might as well just buy Toro at that point.


What I found later, reportedly from a Toro factory tech.. is a different story and makes more sense.
Yes I agree, what's wrong with that. They are going for a different market.
So long as the good stuff , made by Toro, can still be purchased from my OPE dealer, and the top rate dealer/customer support doesn't fall victim to a cost cutting attitude.

Author: mml4

Date: 14 Dec 2005 6:53 pm

Hi Guys!
Re Toro- If you remember I let my wallet do my talking 2 years ago when I purchased the Pro series Toro walk behind 21" lawn mower. I had trouble with Toro trying to get the latest model here in New York because they had too many left overs in their warehouses in the NorthEast. This was for a $1200 item. Customer service was no help at all in helping me get the new model
In addition the Kawi on my mower was an early production unit and was one of the ones that seized. When I called Toro their attitude was TOUGH $HIT!! They didn't even refer me to Kawasaki who had an ongoing replacement campaign on that engine and replaced it free of charge. I found out by accident.

As far as MTD is concerned I have a pre MTD Troybilt snow blower. It was built for Troybilt by Bolens. MTD still stocks all the parts for that unit and I have bought some spares from them as backup. Dealing with customer service from MTD is a PLEASURE. The exact opposite of TORO.

No I wouldn't buy a new MTD Snow Blower because I don't purchase budget line box store ope. But I am looking at their large size Leaf Vac Chipper Shredder and I must say it looks nice. It is the old Troybilt design that has been out of production for some time.
In short the only problem I see with MTD is that the overwhelming majority of their products are aimed at the budget market and not at OPE nuts like us. If they start making high end equiptment and continue to have good customer service it's good by me.

As for Toro-No tears here!!
Marc

Author: snowshoveler

Date: 14 Dec 2005 7:02 pm

well...
MTD is certainly capable of building some very good stuff if they want to .
they do build the new cub cadet tractors 4x4 deisel and all that stuff and they are good stuff.
if they have indeed taken over Toro then it might not be all that bad.
just look at briggs and what they have done with Murray...Yikes.they took over 50000 parts numbers out of inventory...that means no longer available a lot . im glad i have no murray product,support is going to be poor t best and the aftermarket wont make it all.
and most people have a good respect for briggs.
sooner or later its gonna come to 6 or 7 companies owning or operating all the OPE stuff.the choices are going to be very similar.
chris

Author: HONEST TECHNICAN
Subject: old toro dealer

Date: 14 Dec 2005 8:52 pm

Sorry for the capitals....

Author: faithfulFrank

Date: 14 Dec 2005 10:27 pm

No problem Jim.
It is a common mistake newer forum posters do on many of the forums I visit.
It's just harder to read and looks like the writer is yelling.
Thanks again for the help.......

See ya,

Frank D.