Forums Archive Index > Outdoor Power Equipment > Snowblower buying "timeframe"
Date: 28 Dec 2005 6:12 am
Egreen's post got me thinking about this topic that I don't think is discussed much. Maybe a blurb should be added to Frank's sticky above about snowblowers. With more people buying snowblowers these days It's important to know when to buy so you can get the machine you want for the winter at hand. It was explained to me (maybe Paul (Snowmann) could chime in here) that snowblowers are manufactured in the summer months and Lawnmowers in the winter.Alot of people walk into a store in December and say I want to order one (build me one) not knowing the factory is supposedly building Lawnmowers. Here on L.I. the big box stores start putting snowblowers on the floor at the end of Sept. The locals alittle after that. They get their deliveries in October and start running out of stock by December 1st. If a person has a specific model in mind their timeframe for buying is between Oct 1 and Nov 15 after that the locals have machines left but usually not specifically what you are looking for. If the year before snowblower sales were slow the locals will say they can't get anymore. If the sales from the previous year were strong and demand is high they will try to get more shipped in but none of them not even H.D. want to get stuck with leftover stock. Maybe Shoveler or Sherri could comment on delivery and buying trends with them. What's say you ? What have you noticed ? -Kris :D
Date: 28 Dec 2005 7:56 am
It's all about the snow.
Anytime before first snow you can get whatever you like without any problem.
Sales pick up the week before a rumor of snow starts. The day of the snow, there is a line too the door of buyers. A first "snowrush" generally lasts about 3 days.
We generally sell out the initial order on the second or third day...then we have too decide how much of what models too order next....what time of the season it is...and the rest is a crap shoot.
If there is the "big dump" in one region then the supply gets gobbled up in the affected area....when it may not have even snowed in another area.
Nobody wants too be stuck with a blower in June...you cant give them away then. They just tie up your money that you need for summer stock. It really hurts if you are using some elses money too finance your inventory.
I am by no means an authority in the retail end of it all...but that is the way I see it from my perch in the shop.
If it snows....you are everyones bestest buddy...
If it doesnt....you spend a lot of time waxing the floors. :cry:
Date: 28 Dec 2005 8:50 am
I have also heard (don't know if it's true) that the warranty/guarantee is running the moment the machine hits the floor of the sellers. Meaning if I buy a '05 leftover in '06 that the warrantee from the factory (if it is 1yr) is over. Anybody hear that one ? - Kris :D
Date: 28 Dec 2005 8:53 am
:lol: Kris,
On both my MTD and Husqvarna snow blowers, warrenty period started on purchase date!
Fred 8)
Date: 28 Dec 2005 8:53 am
Around this area, Toro had new machines at the dealers in August.
The Snappers didn't show up till mid September.
From BSing the the owner of my local OPE dealer....
He said that the big machines, the one that people have been shopping for and thinking about are purchased the earliest and are the first to be sold out. The smaller machines and the spot buy are based on the fears of being stuck without one and are the less expensive machines and smaller sizes/hp and are the last to be sold out.
My OPE dealer said he puts his orders in early summer/late spring time frame, as Linty points out, for the summer build of the winter snow blowers.
Date: 28 Dec 2005 9:08 am
I don't know of any of the major manufacturers that have the warranty period start when the machine hits the dealers floor. It's always at date of purchase, the machine is new until then.
Date: 28 Dec 2005 9:09 am
jubol wrote:
:lol: Kris,
On both my MTD and Husqvarna snow blowers, warrenty period started on purchase date!
Fred 8)
Fred- Did you buy left overs ? (Last years models) or were they the current year ? - Kris :D
Date: 28 Dec 2005 9:14 am
ramit wrote:
Around this area, Toro had new machines at the dealers in August.
The Snappers didn't show up till mid September.
From BSing the the owner of my local OPE dealer....
He said that the big machines, the one that people have been shopping for and thinking about are purchased the earliest and are the first to be sold out. The smaller machines and the spot buy are based on the fears of being stuck without one and are the less expensive machines and smaller sizes/hp and are the last to be sold out.
My OPE dealer said he puts his orders in early summer/late spring time frame, as Linty points out, for the summer build of the winter snow blowers.
Bob- I have noticed that Toro machines seem to get to the local guys sooner than anyone else also. Ariens' deliveries seem to be later. - Kris :D
Date: 28 Dec 2005 9:17 am
:D Kris,
MTD was an 02 model, bought October 02.
The Husky, I bought in March of this year.
It was an 04 model(left over).
I regeristed it on line, they asked for purchase date, warrenty started based on that date.
Fred 8)
Date: 28 Dec 2005 9:19 am
krislu wrote:
I have also heard (don't know if it's true) that the warranty/guarantee is running the moment the machine hits the floor of the sellers. Meaning if I buy a '05 leftover in '06 that the warrantee from the factory (if it is 1yr) is over. Anybody hear that one ? - Kris :D
Mine started from the day of purchase.
Date: 28 Dec 2005 9:19 am
jubol wrote:
:D Kris,
MTD was an 02 model, bought October 02.
The Husky, I bought in March of this year.
It was an 04 model(left over).
I regeristed it on line, they asked for purchase date, warrenty started based on that date.
Fred 8)
Ok, that squashes that rumor. I wasn't sure. - Kris :D
Date: 28 Dec 2005 9:21 am
krislu wrote:
ramit wrote:
Around this area, Toro had new machines at the dealers in August.
The Snappers didn't show up till mid September.
From BSing the the owner of my local OPE dealer....
He said that the big machines, the one that people have been shopping for and thinking about are purchased the earliest and are the first to be sold out. The smaller machines and the spot buy are based on the fears of being stuck without one and are the less expensive machines and smaller sizes/hp and are the last to be sold out.
My OPE dealer said he puts his orders in early summer/late spring time frame, as Linty points out, for the summer build of the winter snow blowers.
Bob- I have noticed that Toro machines seem to get to the local guys sooner than anyone else also. Ariens' deliveries seem to be later. - Kris :D
So it just wasn't this year? Interesting.
I wonder if that's because they are in a rush to go back to making lawnmowers? I know Ariens makes mowers, but I've never seen an Ariens walkbehind like we see with Toro.. all over the place. So maybe Toro needs more factory time to keep up with their mower production?
Date: 28 Dec 2005 9:31 am
Bob- I bought my Ariens 10yrs ago and I noticed it then. Now your telling me it's still so. I don't know if Ariens has more than one production line or if the winter and summer stuff is separate or not. If I can make it to the Gravely show at the Ariens factory this Summer I was promised a tour I will let you guys know. For some reason ( I don't know why) Ariens has yet to tap the lawnmower market here in the northeast. I have never seen one in person walker or rider. - Kris :D
Date: 28 Dec 2005 10:45 pm
if it weren't for the engine supply problem I would have had my snowblower :(
We started looking at them in mid October and settled on one in mid-early november and are expecting in January :P uggh.
Date: 29 Dec 2005 6:13 am
EGreen wrote:
if it weren't for the engine supply problem I would have had my snowblower :(
We started looking at them in mid October and settled on one in mid-early november and are expecting in January :P uggh.
Just what I was saying. People should be looking for one sooner. In middle September and deciding by mid October. If you had done that You would probably had your machine with a Tecumseh but by Mid November that when dealers near me start running out of the choice machines.
- Kris :D
Date: 29 Dec 2005 5:56 pm
Well the only reason we didn't really "shop around" was because we were told that the next shipment would arrive around thanksgiving or early December. That didn't happen and when we called around all the dealers were in the same situation, they didn't receive the numbers they wanted and were expecting a shipment that didn't show up.
One dealer has one in but since it’s his only one left he wants it for a show room floor model. That’s sounds odd to me as usually you want to move the merchandise, unless he too has a waiting list for the 926LE. There are some 926DLE available but the price tag of $1500 is much higher than our original goal of under $800 (hence why we were looking at the 7524 Compact at first, but that is just to small), but we were able to squeeze up to $1000 out of the blower budget (before tax, yuck). I'm working on talking my father up to the DLE though :)
Yeah shopping early would have helped a lot but with all the dealers receiving less than expected number of units it was a small window of opportunity that my father and I missed.
Date: 29 Dec 2005 6:31 pm
EGreen wrote:
Yeah shopping early would have helped a lot but with all the dealers receiving less than expected number of units it was a small window of opportunity that my father and I missed.
It seemed like that to me too. Early in the season there was nothing to look at, being it was a new model. Then from about Nov. 1 to Thanksgiving machines were everywhere. But then especially the 926LE and DLE things seemed a little sparse. We are not in a snowbelt or anything though. Hopefully the machines that would be coming here are heading your way.
Date: 30 Dec 2005 8:34 am
Mints, Green- L.I. is certainly not in the snowbelt either and I have noticed the same thing years ago when I bought. When I bought no one had a machine to show me. I saw the machine and made my decision the year before but could not get one so I had to sit out a season. I found that buying window to be very short. I don't know if it has to do with when Ariens makes changes or comes out with new features or not. It's interesting though how there machines seem late to market and they seem like they have not been tested. Ex: the shoot blowby problem last year and the new shoot getting stuck this year. - Kris :D
Date: 30 Dec 2005 9:33 am
There seems to be plenty of snowblowers around here......I think people are spending their money on the higher cost of home heating.....hard to say...we really have not gotten a "big snowdumping" yet....
Frank D.
Date: 30 Dec 2005 9:41 am
faithfulFrank wrote:
There seems to be plenty of snowblowers around here......I think people are spending their money on the higher cost of home heating.....hard to say...we really have not gotten a "big snowdumping" yet....
Frank D.
But Frank, your in the snowbelt. So far it's seems to be a mild winter. You know, I want snow but I almost wish it was 70 degrees all winter long and to heck with the oil companies. - Kris :D