UPDATE! here is a link to a video update. The owner of Ball Equipment has contacted me, but has Husqvarna? What will or has been done? Check this video out for more! Bad Boy Scag ExMark Kubota Best Zero Turn Mowers 2024! th-cam.com/video/H4Yp8kEb2dM/w-d-xo.html
I had an ExMark. Everything that could go wrong with it happened. Finally one day while I was mowing it blew a cylinder wall out the size of a lemon, how appropriate. Never buy another one.
Sad thing is , the fix is fairly simple, most likely a plate inside has worn and allows the fluid to bypass , causing loss off traction and power. Part is probably 100 dollars or less. Yes I work on mowers.
Like you, I have learned the hard way when claiming warranty repair with dealers and manufacturers. You have to document everything. I record phone conversations and send them a transcript of our call. I took one dealer to Small Claims Court and the documentation won the case in my favour. Sad world we live in.
@@hardworkingmanoutdoorsHonest companies dont exist when the cash meets the road...get everything in writing ...email, fax , letters is your best friend and only friend with companies ......
I also record calls, but you've gotta pay attention to where you're calling and if it's a one or two party consent state. If it's two and you don't tell them it's being recorded, it's not useable in any legal action. Often, call centers seem to be located in two party consent states, and even though they say they record calls, you still have to notify every person you talk to. It gets to be a pain in the ass
@@theamaturepro if they say this phone call is being recorded for quality assurance that is then notifying you that you can record them as well....thats straight from a consumer law lawyer
Sorry to say it’s not just Husqvarna. Most of the manufacturers are using the hydra gear for the drive units., that is where the real problem lies. I have read so many blogs, and this is including myself where the drive has failed after 100 hours sometimes before but usually after warranty.
I was getting ready to say scag, exmark or hustler. Ayp makes decent lawn tractors for average homeowners. but when it comes to a commercial z riders or standers you gotta buy from a commercial mower company. Yeah hydro gear makes a lot of the pumps but the real commercial equipment brands have better grade pumps and wheel motors on there machines. He probably would have better off even with a used Scag or exmark vs that Husqvarna and i like ayp but there not really commercial units. And note to anyone reading this stay away from anything made by mtd. They are total garbage@@tinamorris4641
Dude you absolutely have the patience of Job and I'm praying that God blesses you with fruits way beyond what the dealer and company have put you through. Praying for you bud.
Thank you, I wish I could say I was always this patient but I am not always always. Somehow I have remained calm through this entire situation. I feel I was trying to be easy to work with almost to a fault here.
Update: The owner of Ball Equipment has reached out to me and seems interested in finding out more about my experience. I will post a video update when I know more. Also as far as this mower being or not being a commercial mower, it is listed by Husqvarna as an entry level commercial mower. Either way I’m learning a lot as I go and sharing my experience to hopefully help others.
Looking forward to the update. Thats extremely frustrating and unacceptable for the dealer to treat a paying customer that way. It’s really a shame that only now after TH-cam video with 27k views do they want to try to make it right. Everyone in Richmond Michigan should boycott that place lol
The power of internet persuasion, 😆, they can definitely fix it, the pump I mean, but the faded paint and rusty connections you're unaware of right now, from sitting outside, as well as deterioration in the belts , seat and basically the entire mower, well I don't know if they can fix that. Let them fix it, absolutely no cost to you. Wash and detail it, then use it, don't sell it, use it. My advice.
@mackpowell-vy1qj I'm glad they reached out to you, but don't go in expect much from them. Ariensco "reached out" to me too and I got nothing but more frustrated and more pissed.
Unreal, Husqvarna is billion dollar company. If it’s confirmed that one of the hydros is bad at a 100 hrs corporate should’ve given the go ahead to replace it. Wow WTF waddya hv to do these days, hv video and audio of the salesman’s pitch to get problems fixed ? Ppl just outright suck and lie to your face, such nonsense. Ball equipment should be referred to the BBB.
I purchased Husqvarna PZ60 over 6 years. The rt hydro went out after a little over 4 years in. Contacted my hometown dealer and he immediately said bring it in. I took it to him and even though it was past the warranty he said he would take care of it and put a brand new hydro on and I had it back in 4 days. Haven't had a problem since. Dealers that take care of their customers are far and in between but when you have a good one count your blessings. My PZ60 was over $9000.00 and is a commercial grade mower.
Bought a commercial Toro MX4800 in 2013 with a Kawasaki FR651V engine and we just love it, it has 571 hours and runs like new. Hope you get that sorted out soon.
Hey HWM Thanks for you sharing this video. You just saved me $6000. I just got approved to buy one of these things from the local big shop. I am now going to the orange one Kabota from here. They’ve been in town for over 30 years. Thank you so much and God bless you . 👊🏽
You’re welcome, from what I’ve learned so far the lack of customer service from Husqvarna will definitely take them off of my list. Customer service is IMPORTANT!!
I bought a Hustler,Fastrak 54 inch,in 2014.Belt broke at 8hrs,ran over a ant bed,I didn't see. Dealer sold me a belt at cost,no labor to put on.Replaced that belt this year at 430 hrs.Around my area Hustler and Bobcat I see the most.Never had a problem with my Hustler. During the winter I run it 10 minutes every 2 weeks replaced the battery last year.Great video.
In my opinion you are better off buying a used high quality commercial mower. I bought a used X-mark zero turn over 10 years ago and it still has the original hydraulic motors.
I work for a Big Dog dealer and they have the best warranty on the market, 7 yes. I forget the hours limit. These are great mowers but they quit making them in 22. It is basically a red Hustler. The dealer I work for stocked up on mowers when they were told no more Big Dog. We just warranted a hydro drive that was almost 3 years old. This was the 3rd time the owner brought the mower in for the same complaint. The previous mechanic said that it was fine. This last time I mowed with it till the problem showed up. Hydraulic systems have to be at operating temperature when tested. We've had several huskies in the shop and the are prone to have electrical problems. Customer service should be a priority.
Sorry you're going through this but we're all learning a lot about Husqvarna and their warranties, especially Ball Equipment. Thanks for this review, it helps us all.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR TAKING THE TIME TO MAKE THIS VIDEO AND SHARE YOUR STORY. YOU HAVE HELPED COUNTLESS OTHERS! COMPANIES SUCH AS THESE DONT DESERVE THE EVERY DAY HARD WORKING MANS BUSINESS OR........MONEY!!! SHAME ON BOTH THE DEALER AND HUSQVARNA. They do not understand the long term value of a customer (you might need something else from them one day).
Please , Please take this dealer to court. Can't stand crooks. !!!!!!!!!! Everybody who lives near by , Should go by there and bless those people out. Please boycot that dealer & Husky equiptment. I'm fixing to get a new mower , And it will Not be a Husky. !!!!!!!! I promise.
"Everybody who lives near by , Should go by there and bless those people out."--@rickyclark9052 Re: "bless". Yeah, one fellow I know would say: "I will beat your ass with all the love in my heart!" Ha ha.
Boycott, spread the word on social media, contact local TV and radio stations, hell even protest at the dealership but without evidence in hand, video and/or audio recordings you'll get nowhere in court.
I’m on my third Ferris over 30 years . Have been well pleased . All three have tanks. First was 8 years old used at a church camp. The last was sold in Cairo Ga. I worked with that dealer for 20 years . Thanks Mrs Beth Butler .
My experience with my Ferris mower has been phenomenal! 4 acres mowed 2x a week for over 6 years without a single issue. I check the oil before each use but never had to add any. I change oil & grease as prescribed in manual. 5 stars!!
Totally agree. I have a Simplicity Stallion ZT2561, made by Ferris. Its a true commercial mower. Bought it used. Its probably 20 years old. I finally had to put a new engine on it last year. This Ferris is bullet proof and heavy duty.
Definitely love hearing stories like this with great dealers. You even remember her name. The Ferris mowers are definitely on my radar for my next one.
I was just looking for a zero turn used on Facebook market but couldn’t find anything I wanted but ever since ball equipment Promotionals kept popping up on my feed that I was going to buy a zero turn from there tomorrow. I’m taking this as a sign and going somewhere els.
I own a lawn care company, and I chose the dealer and the mower brand based on reputation and recommendations. I buy my small equipment at the competitors dealership because of brand. I would not have chosen this dealer for my mowers because of their lack of professionalism to ALL customers. I saw your update about the owner of the dealer reaching out to you, which is the proper response, but at the end of the day, those same employees or family members will still be working there. Good luck brother.
Hi Heath, that's why I don't go to Ball Equipment anymore, I bought a few things there, never again. Last time I was there it took a half hour just to help them figure out what I needed for an oil change on my zero turn, and he acted like I was irritating him, I won't go back there.
I had the same problem with a scag. How my problem is different is when I took it in and they couldn’t make it duplicate at the dealership, I had the manager take it home and use it. I knew his brother mowed soccer fields. Needless to say the problem duplicated before they were done. Scag fixed it right away. The machine now has 2000 hours on it and has given no unforeseen problems since.
Thank you for this awesome video! It's people like you that really help the customers make the right choices on what to spend their hard earned money on!!! I also have a Husqvarna zero turn and had to deal with their customer service which is awful! Shame on you Husqvarna for treating customers the way you do! My next mower will definitely not be a Husqvarna!!!!!!!!!!!
You are welcome and I do what I can to help others even if it’s through sharing mistakes I’ve made. I will not be buying another Husqvarna either. I haven’t heard one positive comment about their customer service in the past few years.
I appreciate your story about the problem you have run into. Service after the sale is everything to me. I will think twice before buying a Husqvarna mower.
A good dealer makes all the difference! I wish I had done more research into this in the beginning. I will say the owner of Ball equipment has reached out to me but my experience clearly wasn’t ideal.
Thanks for sharing your story. You were treated so poorly by Husqvarna that I will never buy any Husqvarna products as a result. Hopefully another brand will treat you like they want your business. I feel badly that you are stuck with that boat anchor. Thanks again for sharing!
" never buy any Husqvarna products as a result" Me neither. It makes you wonder why the manufacturers just can't make the product of good quality to begin with. Is it not odd that some business operators just do not "get it"?
Hopefully not many have had to deal with what I did. The owner has reached out to me and seems interested in addressing the problem. I will post an update when applicable.
I was getting upset myself watching your video. You have more patience than me. I had a major issue with my husqvarna garden tractor that they knew was a design issue and refused to take care of me. I will never purchase another husqvarna anything again. I recently picked up a nice Gravely zero turn…so far so good.
These videos are so important! People need to do more of this ( and positive interactions also). Companies and people need to stand by their work and products. Thx again
You are welcome, we appreciate the feedback. I think a lot of this was mistakes, but in the end, we should’ve been taken care of much better than we were by both the dealership and the manufacturer. The dealership has stepped up and made it right now.
I bought a BadBoy Outlaw 61" gas powered with the Kawasaki engine zero turn in 2015. Built like a tank and have had ZERO problems. I do yearly maintenance and take good care of it. Great machine.
Studies have shown that a bad customer experience will be shared at least 17 times. Those studies were done before the internet. Good for you sharing your bad experience.
I have had my bad boy MZ magnum for 8 years now. Sure it needs routine maintenance, belts and the simple stuff. Finally this year 2024 the spindles are starting to fail. Other than that. I love the mower. Mind you this mower has been put through its paces. I mean I’ve mowed a pasture field with it. They have lasted 8 years and the mower has 800 hours on it. Definitely would buy a bad boy mower again. To be fair. I mowed 10 acres weekly with this mower and have used and abused this mower. It still fires right up and mows great.
Glad to hear about your experience with BadBoy. After extensive research, due to deck build, it was my choice to buy. Haven't yet, but have 4 acres waiting on it. Thanks.
I have a Bad Boy, the cheapest Bad Boy that I bought in 2021. At about 60 hours (1 year for me) the hour meter stopped working. When I called Bad Boy about a replacement I learned that I never completed the warranty registration, my bad they were right I had no records of registering. The part was about $60 so no big deal but when I thought I was ordering the part the customer service representative said, ok your warranty is registered (9 months late) and I have a new hour meter headed your way!! I was very impressed with how they handled this issue. I wouldn’t hesitate doing business with them in the future. Also I’m at about 300 hours now with no other issues. I mow about 2 acres in Texas, several times a month from March till October!
The dealership bought it back for full price and we now own a new Bad Boy and a Yakta. We have a few videos of them up on the channel with more to come. ExMark is definitely a better choice!
Well told story...unbelievable. Ball Equipment, Richmond, MI...if anyone sees this video that would be in your area for service or purchase, I cannot imagine they would come to you. Fortunately, albeit over a year from your video...the owner now has bought back your mower. No doubt, due to the response from your vid. If he hadn't, a lawyer was my suggested next step. Read through a lot of comments and am glad you have our support and lawyers, as well. Good luck with your new zero turn.
Toro Titan with the My Ride seat system.. Mine threw the belt in the deck drive belt. The dealer sent out a tech to find what happened. It picked up a stone in the pulley, which kicked off the belt. The belt was ok, he put things in order, sharpened the blades, put it through on warranty. The mower was two years old at the time. TORO makes mowers.
@@hardworkingmanoutdoors Dealer is about fifteen miles away. Showed the tech a quick tip on sharpening. Cordless angle grinder, flip the grinding disc around and use the guard as a guide.
I bought my Toro Titan back in 2013, so far, 2 batteries, 2 deck belts, 1 drive belt, 2 new rear tires, and routine maintenance. Can’t complain at all.
Does your mower have the ZT3400 HydroGear? If so, there is a bypass valve inside the pump that is notorious for coming unscrewed, allowing the pump to go into bypass. This causes the pump to lose power. This happened to my Dixie Chopper, after it was out of warranty. The shop I bought it from wanted $1,000 dollars to repair it, and $1800 to replace the pump. I could not afford this, so I began looking for options to do it myself. I could not find a good video on rebuilding it, but I found one that was similar. After ordering the seal kit, I removed the pump and busted it open. After cleaning the pump, I put some thread lock on the bypass valve, tightened it to spec, then buttoned her up using all the seals that came with the kit. It only took me a couple of hours. That was about 4 years ago, and I have not had any issues since. I'm not saying that this is your issue, but it sounds exactly like mine.
Hopefully everyone will read this ,, that's exactly what is wrong with his mower, as I stated a fairly simple fix. That dealer is just a volume dealer, not a repeat customer type dealer, but I work on mowers, and most every dealer is a liar.
Well that has me a little concerned now. The new john deere Z760r I just bought has hydro gear 3400 trans. I've mowed 2 times and have 5hrs on it now. My kubota I just sold had the 3600 trans. I had 260hrs on it trouble free. 1st service at 100 hrs and then again at 215hrs.
@@hardworkingmanoutdoors ZT3400 is a nice Commercial Hydro. You should consider if you don't want to touch it yourself, just take it to a reputable small shop to have that bypass valve issue fixed. Personally I own a old 2008 Commercial Toro with ZT2800's (small mower only 48 inch deck) and a cheap ass 2006 Cub Cadet RZT50 and neither of them have hydro issues. Point is, fix it right, take care of the machine, and it will last for decades, saving you lots of money in the end, as newer ZT's only get more expensive, and the common homeowner grade ZT's these days are complete utter garbage. Keep the older Commercial stuff!
Great share. I think this is something that should always be done - share the experience so people understand that they may also experience with a dealer and manufacturer.
Thank you, that is what we are doing sharing what we’ve learned as well as mistakes we made along the way to hopefully help others avoid them. I prefer to recommend good products and companies, but sometimes you have to share the bad experiences too so others don’t have to go through them.
I own Gravely and Scag zero turn mowers. One John Deer lawn tractor. Neither zero turn has demonstrated a single issue over several years of service. I've had the John Deer for twenty Yeats and have replaced the blades and belt once. I've been blessed. Sorry for your troubles. Hope your future purchase brings better luck.
Hi Heath, Twenty years ago, my model RC club demoed several mowers. One was a Grasshopper ($12,000 new). The club bought two Husqvarnas. I don't cut grass at our field, but I think they've had good luck with the Huskies. I have about an acre and a half to cut at home. I bought the Grasshopper. Never a problem. Twenty five HP Kubota diesel. Never looked back and no regrets. Still running strong. WARING! NEVER POSITION YOUR FACE OVER A DEAD BATTERY!!! Ever see one blow up? I have. They can explode like a bomb. Shalom/gw. PS. I was a Husqvarna chainsaw dealer for eight and a half years. Their customer service is in no sense what it used to be. It's a shame. I think they still make great saws. But you can never talk to an actual human being.
I was in the power equipment business for 30 years. I was a distributor service manager. My job was to provide support for dissatisfied customers. When the factory receives a complaint they would forward the complaint to me for local handling. I'm proud to say I had 100% customer satisfaction. I taught the dealer service schools. All warranty claims crossed my desk for authorization. I had complete authority for out of warranty claims. I did have my favorite shops. There were a lot of Ball Equipment like shops back in those days. But there were mostly good dealers in our network . My advise is to contact the manufacturer directly a defect is a defect no matter how long the warranty is. You can find help through the manufacturer. Each one has a national service manager . Thats who to get it touch with.
Thank you for the advice, I tried several times to contact Hus Varna through phone calls and emails and never was able to speak with an actual person. All I got was generic replies from a bot or AI. I call the manufactures of mowers. I am considering to see if I can actually talk to a person.
I received the Vtoman X1 as a Father’s Day gift. It was purchased because of this review. I have already used the tire inflator. I am pleased with its performance. Thank Hard Working Man for the review.
Also as a previous employee of a lawn equipment dealership I'd like to extend an apology that you have gone through this. No customer should have to jump through that much to get some help with a faulty product.
Hey Brother. I hope this video gets a million views . I might get a letter from an attorney sent to Husqvarna . Let them know this isn’t over . You know a lot of people…. Bad advertising hurts . Go for it ….thanks for sharing. Craig. Pa.
I'm a retired CAT&CUMMINGS knuckle buster and really no nothing about zero turn mowers! Have several people I know have this type of mower; a very good friend had had one given to him and it wouldn't travel in a straight line!? He is a DIY er and pretty knowledgeable when it comes small engine repairs; I actually take my string trimmer to him when it gets cantankerous! Well after spending a few $$$ on the zero T and not making any progress he asked me a few questions and told me what he had learned. The thing that surprised me was that the marjorie of these machines don't have a spin on hyd filter and it's a sealed system that there is only one manufacturer that supplies that market!?!?!? I recently by accident watched a video about these mowers and learned that currently there are only a couple of manufacturers that now are producing serviceable hyd system. Also another acquaintance of mine just recently bought a new Kubota zero T and I asked him if his had a spin on hyd filter!?!?!? He said that the hyd system was completely serviceable including changeable FILTER.
This mower did have a serviceable transmission with the spin on filters, but did not even last until the first fluid change recommendation. My next mower will definitely have a higher grade drive system in it.
Believe it or not I have a 2007 Cub Cadet ZForce 50 that was built in the good old USA right before they got bought out. It has sealed transmissions and I still mow with it.
My Ferris ISX2200 has spin on oil filters on the hydros and a 5 qt oil tank with a cartridge oil filter in the top of the oil tank for the engine. You don’t even have to bend over to change the engine oil filter. You get what you pay for.
$3k for a Snapper ZT Lemon. Had problems when I picked it up. I should have immediately asked for my money back. My mistake, I regretted later. I had one problem after another. When the deck fell off, I had it welded then got rid of the thing. I got a little John Deere lawn tractor that was way too small for my 2 acres. Even so, it lasted 7 years before I wore it out. Good service and a great dealer. I returned, bought a commercial JD ZT for $9,000 and never regretted it. I'm still using the original battery 4 years later. Just replaced the blades this season (and I have oodles of fire ant hills I mow over all the time). Others can say what they want but I believe the best mowers are the very expensive ones.
I have a Scotts/Murray 1997 Home Depot mower. Cheap? Yes. Still going (Kohler 15 HP Command) Cuts approx. 3/4 acre of our 2 1/2 acres in Florida.In summer you can watch the grass grow.Why does it still run? No idea.Peerless hydro transaxle oil changed once, syn. engine oil changes 2x/yr. I Never wash it as the water sits in the deck bearing area and always ruins them.Tires all have tubes, front bald tires replaced once.
@@scottcrowley2061 I agree. Those little Murray riding mowers were amazing. I mowed 1-1/2 acres for 10 years with a Murray I bought from Wal-Mart. Never washed it. Never checked the hydro. Never had tire trouble. Checked engine oil every season but only replaced it maybe 2 or 3 times. After 10 years, it finally gave out. I bought a brand-name z-turn, a Snapper. It was junk. The Murry was a much, much better machine.
Wow, that can completely believe this because it happens to so many of us in so many different situations. These people know that most of the time the frustrated person is just gonna move on. But nobody should get away with doing what they did to you with no consequence. Thank you for sharing your story. I hope that dealership pays for doing what they do
It was definitely frustrating, that mower has sat in my backyard for over a year after I got it back because I was so frustrated and I almost just moved on. I’m glad I made this video because I have learned an absolute ton and have been able to help others along the way. it also helped the owner of the dealership recognize. He had a problem that he could correct and he stepped up and made my situation right as well. So I’m glad I did not ignore it like I was planning on.
I bought a Huskvarna ST427 Snowblower here in Washington State from a company in Spokane called COUNTRY HOMES POWER. I had a similar experience with them, with a twist. They actually sold me a used unit as a BRAND-NEW unit. While I was inside doing all the finance paperwork, they loaded the machine. I realized they hadn't given me a manual for the machine, so I walked back in to get the manual and the 2nd key. They said, "Oh, we don't have the manual or the other key. "I asked why not?". "Oh, it wasn't returned with the unit." It was then they told me the snowblower was a used unit which had been returned and refurbished. I said, "You told me it was a brand-new unit." It did look brand-new because it was only used for about 45 minutes and the previous owner returned it; and now I know why. They are junk! The brand is overpriced, overrated, and the customer service I got sounded similar to that which you received. I will never do business with this company again. COUNTRY HOMES POWER of Spokane, in my opinion were scam artists.
why do dealers not understand that their bread and butter long term, come from one source..the customers who are treated fairly and who buy their products? Seems like a no brainer to me, treat your customers well and you will do well long term.
@@dm285 Especially in the world of Social Media. It's word of mouth on Steroids. We've seen it time and time again. This is a prime example. I didn't intend to buy their products to be fair but this solidifies my lack of intrest. It's a shame because it's new chainsaw time so Stihl it is.
We had a Gravely commercial tractor with a front mount mower deck for over 20 years. It was relatively trouble free with most issues operator related (mowing things that shouldn't be mowed... like saplings and stumps). Then a Cub Cadet ZTR. It's had 8 or 9 new spindles installed in it; a caster wheel spindle; anti-scalp wheel welded back on; 3 mower deck fingers; muffler fell off; etc. over the years. It's too lightly built for a rather rural property. It would be fine on a nice smooth and relatively flat lawn but not on a rough hilly property. I recently bought a Ferris walk behind so I could mow some of the steeper hills rather than string trim them. The Ferris mowers are not inexpensive but I imagine that you'd get 20+ years out of one... and still have a spine after mowing rough ground as they have excellent suspension! I'll never buy another home owner grade machine after these experiences.
@@hardworkingmanoutdoors Ferris also makes the Stihl ride on-mowers. If one brand isn't available in your area the other might be... If both are pick the better dealer! .
Sucks you are going through this. I do lawn care for a living and I run Hustler mowers. I have had a few minor issues but my dealer and Hustler stood behind everything. I put a lot of hours on them. I have a 2019 with over 1200 hours on it, and a 2023 with 400 hours on it. They are built like a tank and have the best hydros in the biz. Thanks for the video.
Thank you for the information, hustler has had some great recommendations in this comment section. If I have a reputable dealer close, I will definitely check them out.
I shopped for several years while using a second-hand Hustler Fastrak that was bleeding me dry until I settled on a Bad Boy zero turn from a dealer. They buy straight from the manufacturer with no middleman rep. and in-house service. Been very pleased with the purchase and dealer relationship.
I started my search for a Zero Turn, racked my brains to make the right decision. I kept on reading good reviews about Bad Boy, so I visited the local Dealership. I figured I can buy one from Tractor Supply from their stock, if anything goes bad, I heard they will exchange it for another unit, or they will have you take it to the local dealership. I opted to go the dealership way, well, I had an oil leak within a half hour of use. I returned it and after going back and forth with the dealership for warranty repair, I reached out the area rep. he was on it, he and the General Sales manager swapped the ZT for another unit. I can highly recommend Ron Hoover in Donna, Texas. They took care of me and treated me like a customer.
I'm a NJ lawyer. Represented client in suit of a different major lawn equipment manufacturer. Story very similar to your story. Once manufacturer in house legal department got involved, case settled quickly and favorably. Suggest you find a lawyer to file suit for you.
Thank you for the advice, luckily I did not have to go that route as the owner of the dealership has stepped in and purchased the mower back. We have since bought a brand new mower that is much nicer and will be debuting it on the channel here shortly.
Thanks for sharing your story. I'm shopping for a commercial mower, and your story helps me to narrow down my search. These mowers are a big investment. Definitely won't be buying one of those.
Post covid, everyone sucks, dealing with companies in general is terrible. Its like everyone just stopped caring. Thanks to this video, I will never buy anything made by Husqvarna again... I just bought a Scag Patriot 61 a few weeks ago and so far its been great, although it blows dry material (leaves, etc) out the front so it gets messy, they do make a shield to stop that but I haven't ordered one yet. My exmark was getting hard to find parts, shes a 1999 model.
I’d stay away from scag. My local deal screwed me. Just me venting.. picked up a new tiger cat ll no power up hills, dealer couldn’t figure out anything. Put me on another brand new unit and this one is back at the dealer again for oil being thrown out underneath the engine…. Tried to return it to go with another brand/company and they refuse to take the machine back with only 2 hours on it.
YES ! That’s the ticket. Just do what my cable company suggests EVERY time I call them. “Have you pressed the reset button, that should fix it. “ Hardworkingman just needs to find and press the reset button ! Problem solved
I have the exact same Mower three years old 750 hours only if I’ve ever done is tuneup kits and blades I bought mine from a dealer deals 90% with commercial lawn companies. I haven’t had any issues. This guy is been in business for 40 years so I feel pretty comfortable with him.
Owned 3x Husqvarna P525D front deck mowers, aged between 2012 to 2019. All have had a problem with the main Hydraulic fluid filter loosening. Was told by our dealer that they knew it was a manufacturer fault but as Husqvarna wouldn't admit that all they can do is suggest we 'keep regular checks' on the filter and look for leaks. Obviously, we carry out daily/weekly checks on the equipment anyway and, surprise surprise, we have to regularly tighten the filters. We are about to purchase our next commercial mower and as we prefer out front mowing decks we are looking to go down the same route as the majority of other local contractors and switch over to Kubotas! Husqvarna's quality just is not upto standard! Even our local stockist who supplies both said when a Kuboat breaks, they tend to have the parts in stock. No chance with Husqvarna as they restrict them on how much they can stock and everything is on a weekly order rota. If you breakdown at the wrong time you could be waiting 2 weeks just for some basic parts like a throttle cable etc! Thanks for you video and sorry you're in such a crap predicament! Keep up the good work!
Man am i ever glad i watched ur video......im on the market for a zero turn and was seriously looking at the Husqvarna......NOT NOW. Thanks for the vid.
I have a John Deere commercial mower with a 7 iron, 3/16 inch thick stamped steel deck and I’m glad I went with that over a welded deck. It has 1/2 inch supports around the edges too. The deck itself weighs 448 lbs. There are quality stamped decks.
@@hardworkingmanoutdoors not necessarily. I believe that there are some misconceptions about them. They are usually built from heavy materials but they are worse when it comes to clogging. The squared surfaces are not as good for air flow. A stamped steel deck will be stronger also, especially one like my 3/16 thick deck because it was made out of one sheet, and not welded together. Cub cadet had some bad designs with their stamped decks because the material was too lightweight and the brackets would rip the metal open after enough jarring around.
Document, Document! Every person I talk to regarding customer service I get their name and other information. Have trained my wife to do this, has saved me countless hours of frustration. Sorry to hear of your troubles
I applaud your video! Shysters are everywhere. I was considering buying a Husqvarna, but no more. When money is more important than a business's good reputation, it must be avoided. It is a common problem in America where foolish management worships money without remembering where it comes from. Look at Boeing, for Pete's sake! The time to disappear this type of problem would have been when you first walked in. It should have been AUTOMATIC with a good business. For anyone to have to experience what was painfully described in great detail in your video, plus the loss of money, use of the product, and having to buy a backup Plan-B mower, and compounded by a vast amount of time to address an issue that SHOULD HAVE NEVER occurred, is all anyone needs to know to stay away from that business and brand. Any business that would mislead a customer for this length of time should be avoided at all costs. There are better companies who will do the right thing to keep their reputation beyond reproach. It is sad when management becomes the main failure of a product line. I would suggest filing a complaint with the BBB and investigating a company before trusting them with your business.
I agree, I great dealer is worth its weight and gold. I will be doing much more research before my next purchase. Customer service definitely seems to be one of the first things to go as companies grow. It is definitely unfortunate.
You have more patience than me! That mower would be a pile of ashes by now😂 Hopefully by the powers of social media and because I read your pinned comment somebody gets off their A$$! Take care Heath and Rachel👊🏻
Thank you, Todd, the owner of Ball Equipment has reached out and made it right. I will have more video updates coming soon. It was not easy having this patient and I wish I could say I always had this much patience, but I do not. And this case I’m not sure how I kept my Cool for so long. Believe me there were some thoughts in my mind.
Thanks for taking the time to share your experience. I have a bobcat 3500 and it has been a great mower so far. Only have about 250 hours on it. I have a Husqvarna chainsaw that I had problems with shortly after I bought it and nowhere can you find a phone number for Husqvarna. Will not ever buy a Husqvarna product again.
I had a similar story… 20 years ago… with an Ariens Dealership. Bought a brand new Ariens ZTR with a 2 year warranty, and 3 months in, the axle in the right hydrostat unit snapped. Dealer gave me a lot runaround, but I contacted Ariens Mfg directly, and they sent me a new unit. A year later, the left side snapped, dealer fumbled it around. I contacted the corporate service rep, they sent me a new one, and life went on. The mower was a POS. Before I got rid of it, I’d replace the deck, the engine, and both hydrostats (again). Granted, I got 15 years out of it, mowing 2.5 acres a week for about 25 weeks a year, but it surely wasn’t a very good mower. The dealership I bought it from was worse.
At least you were able to get a hold of the manufacturer and they took care of it. I have yet to be able to get in contact with Husqvarna and have given up.
We got a Bobcat predator pro 7000 commercial mower with the ZT5400’s and 72” deck. It’s unbelievable. Ours is green before they started the orange and white. I think Schiller made mine. 2650 hr warranty. I hate that social media controls the world, including getting any kind of movement or service. But it’s where we live now.
I'm 50 years old and have learned warranties are useless mowers, car dealers, etc when it comes to big expensive repairs, they are fine with the small things. Once you buy your responsibility all the warranty talk is noise to get a sell. Always been that way I can imagine how much worse it has gotten in the new America. Have a blessed one.
More people should do this when they are treated like dirt. Maybe some of these dealers will get the point when they start loosing business especially item of this value. The company was sadly lacking in this case and shame on them.
I almost purchased a Husqvarna. I’m glad I went with a Troy-Bilt. When they break, and they will as all mowers do, they’re easy to fix and I can just do it myself.
I paid about $2200 for a J Deere ZTR for my 1 acre yard & had an issue about once a year. When I searched for parts, I found out JD intentionally makes it very difficult for a non-dealer to get parts. I eventually traded it to my roofing guy for a new paint job on the house. He said he had a friend who could get it running.
I was considering trying a Husqvarna chainsaw, but those plans have since changed. I do have a few pieces of Husqvarna equipment that have been good and I will keep using them, but not sure I will buy more.
I'm sorry for your experience. I had a similar experience with a Toro mower many years ago. I threw a fit and the owner of the shop called me. We worked out the issue but I never went back to this dealer. This was a dealer issue, not Toro. I still have the Toro as a backup mower. It has been great all of it's life. It is now 20 years old. Best of luck to ya!
At least the dealer stepped up in a timely fashion and took care of it for you, the owner of Ball Equipment has stepped in and made my situation right as well.
Kubota. Kubota has KTAC insurance that covers the unit bumper to bumper. My wife has a Husqvarna sewing (13,000) machine, they have closed our dealer which was in a Jo Anns Store and to get service your machine has to be shipped to Arizona for any service and repair. If there is a next time, we will buy a Brother sewing machine.
KTAC has saved me for over $18,000 in repairs over 13 years. NEVER BUY ONE WITHOUT IT! GREAT POST! AND THAT WASN"T MANUF REPAIRS OR WARRANTY...... THAT WAS FOR ACCIDENTAL DAMAGE!!!!
You are welcome, we have found several great dealers and a lot of manufacturers who do a much better job supporting their product and have shared them and videos, we also plan to continue sharing what we find what we learn as well as what we are doing around the house with lawn, mowing, landscaping, firewood, etc.
I was a Husqvarna dealer for over 16 years and I've never had an experience like yours dealing with Husq. The way this dealership treated you makes my stomach hurt. I would contact another certified Husqvarna service station and ask them to contact Husqvarna and explain the situation. I'd also mention that you were having issues early on but was told to keep using it.
I am glad you have had better a lot, luckily the dealership stepped up and I no longer own this mower. I will be moving to a different brand in the future.
I have had a few mowers. I currently have 3 Exmarks. One is old and i just keep it for the bagger. But they are good. Ive seen some with over 3000 hrs on them. But some smaller exmarks have the hydrogear 3400 series hydros. This problem with his mower started as a "hydrogear" problem but soon became a bad dealership problem. That is a serviceable part and should have been repaired easily enough.
Around me everyone is buying Gravely zero turns and they are loving them.. You are right dealers make or break a name of equipment.. I have a John Deere commercial mower with a front mounted deck.. I am not a fan of zero turns
got the same mower, bought it from a buddy of mine who is a Husqvarna dealer. 600 hours, customer blew up the engine. He wanted $300 so I snatched it up. Put a new engine on it only to find 2 of the 3 spindles were seized, the third had stripped the teeth on the upper pully/shaft, blades were worn almost to nothing, front wheel bearings were seized red rusty, castor bearings were dry, deck belt was gone, but other than that it was in great condition - 600 hours. Husqvarna used to be the high end of outdoor equipment, now its just a holding company for all the competition companies it bought up
I had to drive 4hrs away to purchase a mower at the only dealer who had the model I wanted in stock. I was told the mower was gone over, prepped, and is ready to operate. First cut it was making my lawn look horrible. Did some checking to find low tire pressure, mower deck wasn't level, and low oil level in the engine. Never trust dealerships...
Wow, it seems harder and harder to find good help these days. So frustrating. The reason I went t to a dealer in the first place was so I’d have service behind the mower!
I considered it but not sure what it would do to help. I figure this way maybe I can at least help someone else from not having to go through what I did.
the BBB is a useless clown-show. They are not a government agency and have no power to 'force' a business to take care of a problem. All the BBB can do is give the business a lower rating for failing to respond to a claim or failing to resolve a claim to satisfaction. But besides that, the BBB is becoming less and less of a source of information or help to people (especially younger generations) and thus the BBB becomes less and less important overall. Ask yourself, how many times have you looked up a business rating on the BBB website before considering doing business with a place?
I am glad that you had the courage to tell your story, so that other people do not get stiff, as you did. >>>I spoke to a gentleman twenty years ago who had bought the same "H" brand name, who also had a similar experience as yourself, however, it pertained to a riding lawn mower, and I can assure you that I never purchased that brand, and I forewarned well over 100 people to stay away from that brand , over the past 20 years.>>>I have had a lot of success with the John Deere brand, and the dealer is excellent to deal with.
Poor products and poor product support can definitely damage a brand, the word spreads quickly. Luckily we can put this all behind us now and we are shopping for a new mower.
As you have found out $5,000 won't get you a commercial mower. If you want a mower to last be prepared to pay big bucks up front but as they say, buy once, cry once. Quality hydro units cost big bucks which is one of the reasons real commercial mowers are so expensive. Look at Exmark, Hustler, Scag, and some of the other brands but if you mow a lot of grass stay clear of residential grade mowers regardless of brand.
@@hardworkingmanoutdoors The quality of Husqvarna mowers has dropped considerably in the last few years. The pro line of chainsaws is still good though. Another line to stay away from is Cub Cadet. The best warranty is one that never has to be used because the product is built with quality parts. but that does cost money up front. I bought an Exmark Lazer Z 60" mower with a Kawasaki engine the first year they came out and used it for 3 years to cut my mother's 10 acres until she died and we sold the property. I then gave it to two of my nephews and they have been using it in their lawn care business for the past 10 years and it has only required maintenance parts. Was it expensive? Yea. Was it worth it> Definitely yes.
@@hardworkingmanoutdoors I second this I bought a used Ferris IS3000Z 61" and love it. I lucked up I paid less than $2000 for mine with like 900 hrs on it which is nothing for a commercial unit and it was used residentially. Best mower I have ever owned, cut quality, ride quality, speed are all amazing. I wouldn't trade it for anything.
Me too....30 years ago... I bought a 60" Dual Hydro walk behind with a 17hp Kawasaki from a commercial lawn guy that was going to all zero turns. It was 3/4 of a season old...mint...$3300. I mow @ 70 minutes at a time with it and all I've replaced is occasional belts and pulleys. It's a tank. Parts (even belts) are getting hard to find. I'd buy Ferris again.
I bought a Bad Boy Lightning in 2009 and used it for my income for 10 years and still use it every week at home. I've replaced belts and a pulley but otherwise it has been great. I can honestly recommend Bad Boy. Sorry you had problems with yours.
Wow Heath, that plain sucks. In reality, 5k is not much for zero turns anymore. Maybe look at the new Stihl units. Based on your experience, Husky is off my list for sure.
Sorry you had a bad experience with your mower. I bought a BadBoy 4 yrs ago and haven’t had any issues. I mow my yard weekly, 5 acres and the mower hasn’t failed me. The only part I’ve had to replace was the battery. Stihl has a great mower also. Watch, Out doors with the Morgan’s.
My Husky hydo died on hour 124. Dealer experience was similar to your. Went straight to Hsqvarna. Obvioulsy a lot more to say but basically, Varna was zero help, they drug it out for the entire summer. I Firesold it and bought a Toro 60" for under $5000. 5 year /1250 hour warranty. Smoother, quieter running, much better build. DO NOT waste your time on Husky. Read reviews, do your homework.
What a Horrible Experience I am currently in the Market for a Zero Turn mower and after hearing your experience Husqvarna is written off as an option. Thanks for sharing and playing it forward.
Heath...Been down this road a couple of times and when you deal with ignorant liars there is no sense wasting your time. You soon realize it is like wrestling a pig in the mud...you soon realize the pig actually is enjoying it! The first thing you do is leave scathing reviews on Google, Yelp, the dealers website, Husqvarna website, etc. The next thing you do is go to your town courthouse and file a suit against the dealer naming everyone you spoke with in Small Claims Court. You can do it and it is very inexpensive. The dealer if it is anything like Virginia and New Jersey where I have filed suits must be represented by an attorney which costs them big time. In VA they will tell you it has to be moved from general district court to circuit court. If they do that just tell them fine but you will be demanding a jury trial. Subpoena all of their phone records to prove that you called them and they probably never phoned Husqvarna. I can guarantee for $1200 for the part replacement plus $1000 in depreciation to the unit and they will write you a check in the courthouse. It is amazing how helpful most judges are with private citizens who have been screwed!
Appreciate the info! Hopefully I won’t have to go down that road! The owner of the dealership has reached out to me so we will see what happens and I’ll post an update.
@@hardworkingmanoutdoors If the dealer hires liars in the sales, customer service, and service departments what makes you think he isn't also a liar and just dragging this out. Check on statute of limitations on small claims suits in your state. He may just be trying to get you past the statute. You can always withdraw the suit; you can't file once the statute of limitations expires.
I have a 2021 Craftsman turn tight series T240 5" turning Kohler 7000 series 22 horsepower V twin 725cc and its the least seen engine of any kind in a repair shop it came with a 3 year unlimited hours warranty and its designed after the Kohler command commercial pro engine absolutely no issues in the 3 years I've owned it.. incredible mower..also a 5 year warranty on the full frame..
I've had my Craftsman for 27 years without one problem with the engine or transmission! I cut 3 of my neighbors and my lawn and didn't charge them because they were elderly. Each lot is 183' deep. I still have the original starter too! I also gave it good maintenance. Kohler engines are the best!
UPDATE! here is a link to a video update. The owner of Ball Equipment has contacted me, but has Husqvarna? What will or has been done? Check this video out for more!
Bad Boy Scag ExMark Kubota Best Zero Turn Mowers 2024!
th-cam.com/video/H4Yp8kEb2dM/w-d-xo.html
Just another quick thought if I may. Every mower grasshopper sells is a commercial rated mower. They don't make a "consumer rated" model.
Take him to court
I had an ExMark. Everything that could go wrong with it happened. Finally one day while I was mowing it blew a cylinder wall out the size of a lemon, how appropriate. Never buy another one.
Husqvarna is advertising 4 year bumper 2 bumper 400 hours plus you can add 2 years to add for $500 bucks.
@@anthonyflacke my issue with Husqvarna was getting a hold of anyone when I needed help.
Bad customer service is the worst. Thanks for sharing. You guys are awesome
Yes it is! So frustrating, I wasn’t going to make this video but figured I share the good I should share the bad too.
Sad thing is , the fix is fairly simple, most likely a plate inside has worn and allows the fluid to bypass , causing loss off traction and power. Part is probably 100 dollars or less. Yes I work on mowers.
Like you, I have learned the hard way when claiming warranty repair with dealers and manufacturers. You have to document everything. I record phone conversations and send them a transcript of our call. I took one dealer to Small Claims Court and the documentation won the case in my favour. Sad world we live in.
Yes it is, I try to find honest companies who stand behind their product and share them with others. So far this has not been the case here.
@@hardworkingmanoutdoorsHonest companies dont exist when the cash meets the road...get everything in writing ...email, fax , letters is your best friend and only friend with companies ......
I also record calls, but you've gotta pay attention to where you're calling and if it's a one or two party consent state. If it's two and you don't tell them it's being recorded, it's not useable in any legal action. Often, call centers seem to be located in two party consent states, and even though they say they record calls, you still have to notify every person you talk to. It gets to be a pain in the ass
Gone is the day when one's word is their bond.
@@theamaturepro if they say this phone call is being recorded for quality assurance that is then notifying you that you can record them as well....thats straight from a consumer law lawyer
I will never buy a Husqvarna product again thank you for all the information you've you're a blessing
You are welcome, I appreciate the feedback. Glad I could help.
@@hardworkingmanoutdoors Your story is a NIGHTMARE ! The entire situatuation should have never happened.
Sorry to say it’s not just Husqvarna. Most of the manufacturers are using the hydra gear for the drive units., that is where the real problem lies. I have read so many blogs, and this is including myself where the drive has failed after 100 hours sometimes before but usually after warranty.
Don’t buy a Deere either. Crap
Scag is the best
I was getting ready to say scag, exmark or hustler. Ayp makes decent lawn tractors for average homeowners. but when it comes to a commercial z riders or standers you gotta buy from a commercial mower company. Yeah hydro gear makes a lot of the pumps but the real commercial equipment brands have better grade pumps and wheel motors on there machines. He probably would have better off even with a used Scag or exmark vs that Husqvarna and i like ayp but there not really commercial units. And note to anyone reading this stay away from anything made by mtd. They are total garbage@@tinamorris4641
Thank you for taking the time to help us man…. We need vote with our dollars.
Yes we do. You’re welcome.
Dude you absolutely have the patience of Job and I'm praying that God blesses you with fruits way beyond what the dealer and company have put you through. Praying for you bud.
Thank you, I wish I could say I was always this patient but I am not always always. Somehow I have remained calm through this entire situation. I feel I was trying to be easy to work with almost to a fault here.
Update: The owner of Ball Equipment has reached out to me and seems interested in finding out more about my experience. I will post a video update when I know more. Also as far as this mower being or not being a commercial mower, it is listed by Husqvarna as an entry level commercial mower. Either way I’m learning a lot as I go and sharing my experience to hopefully help others.
Looking forward to the update. Thats extremely frustrating and unacceptable for the dealer to treat a paying customer that way. It’s really a shame that only now after TH-cam video with 27k views do they want to try to make it right. Everyone in Richmond Michigan should boycott that place lol
Good morning brother. Just like politicians feathers get ruffled when you come in numbers have a good day.
The power of internet persuasion, 😆, they can definitely fix it, the pump I mean, but the faded paint and rusty connections you're unaware of right now, from sitting outside, as well as deterioration in the belts , seat and basically the entire mower, well I don't know if they can fix that. Let them fix it, absolutely no cost to you. Wash and detail it, then use it, don't sell it, use it. My advice.
@mackpowell-vy1qj I'm glad they reached out to you, but don't go in expect much from them. Ariensco "reached out" to me too and I got nothing but more frustrated and more pissed.
Unreal, Husqvarna is billion dollar company. If it’s confirmed that one of the hydros is bad at a 100 hrs corporate should’ve given the go ahead to replace it. Wow WTF waddya hv to do these days, hv video and audio of the salesman’s pitch to get problems fixed ? Ppl just outright suck and lie to your face, such nonsense. Ball equipment should be referred to the BBB.
I purchased Husqvarna PZ60 over 6 years. The rt hydro went out after a little over 4 years in. Contacted my hometown dealer and he immediately said bring it in. I took it to him and even though it was past the warranty he said he would take care of it and put a brand new hydro on and I had it back in 4 days. Haven't had a problem since. Dealers that take care of their customers are far and in between but when you have a good one count your blessings. My PZ60 was over $9000.00 and is a commercial grade mower.
That’s a dealer I could get behind! Unfortunately I got the other end of the spectrum on this deal.
Your video kept me from making a mistake. Thank you.
You should mention that dealers name. Good service deserves notice.
Bought a commercial Toro MX4800 in 2013 with a Kawasaki FR651V engine and we just love it, it has 571 hours and runs like new. Hope you get that sorted out soon.
Sounds like a harley dealership
Have never bought Husky. But thanks to you I never will. I stand by Gravely and have never been disappointed.
I think that's a wise choice!
Hey HWM
Thanks for you sharing this video. You just saved me $6000. I just got approved to buy one of these things from the local big shop. I am now going to the orange one Kabota from here. They’ve been in town for over 30 years. Thank you so much and God bless you . 👊🏽
You’re welcome, from what I’ve learned so far the lack of customer service from Husqvarna will definitely take them off of my list. Customer service is IMPORTANT!!
Thank you for sharing. I will spread the word. They need to stop selling junk.
You’re welcome, appreciate it!
I bought a Hustler,Fastrak 54 inch,in 2014.Belt broke at 8hrs,ran over a ant bed,I didn't see. Dealer sold me a belt at cost,no labor to put on.Replaced that belt this year at 430 hrs.Around my area Hustler and Bobcat I see the most.Never had a problem with my Hustler. During the winter I run it 10 minutes every 2 weeks replaced the battery last year.Great video.
In my opinion you are better off buying a used high quality commercial mower. I bought a used X-mark zero turn over 10 years ago and it still has the original hydraulic motors.
Thank you, looking back I definitely wish I had made some different choices.
I work for a Big Dog dealer and they have the best warranty on the market, 7 yes. I forget the hours limit. These are great mowers but they quit making them in 22. It is basically a red Hustler. The dealer I work for stocked up on mowers when they were told no more Big Dog. We just warranted a hydro drive that was almost 3 years old. This was the 3rd time the owner brought the mower in for the same complaint. The previous mechanic said that it was fine. This last time I mowed with it till the problem showed up. Hydraulic systems have to be at operating temperature when tested. We've had several huskies in the shop and the are prone to have electrical problems. Customer service should be a priority.
Sorry you're going through this but we're all learning a lot about Husqvarna and their warranties, especially Ball Equipment. Thanks for this review, it helps us all.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR TAKING THE TIME TO MAKE THIS VIDEO AND SHARE YOUR STORY. YOU HAVE HELPED COUNTLESS OTHERS! COMPANIES SUCH AS THESE DONT DESERVE THE EVERY DAY HARD WORKING MANS BUSINESS OR........MONEY!!! SHAME ON BOTH THE DEALER AND HUSQVARNA. They do not understand the long term value of a customer (you might need something else from them one day).
Thank you, it all worked out for us in the end as we learned a lot and have been able to help others along the way! Appreciate the feedback!
Please , Please take this dealer to court.
Can't stand crooks. !!!!!!!!!!
Everybody who lives near by ,
Should go by there and bless those people out.
Please boycot that dealer &
Husky equiptment.
I'm fixing to get a new mower ,
And it will Not be a Husky. !!!!!!!!
I promise.
I’d definitely steer clear of Husqvarna at this point!
"Everybody who lives near by ,
Should go by there and bless those people out."--@rickyclark9052
Re: "bless". Yeah, one fellow I know would say:
"I will beat your ass with all the love in my heart!" Ha ha.
Boycott, spread the word on social media, contact local TV and radio stations, hell even protest at the dealership but without evidence in hand, video and/or audio recordings you'll get nowhere in court.
I’m on my third Ferris over 30 years . Have been well pleased . All three have tanks. First was 8 years old used at a church camp. The last was sold in Cairo Ga. I worked with that dealer for 20 years . Thanks Mrs Beth Butler .
My experience with my Ferris mower has been phenomenal! 4 acres mowed 2x a week for over 6 years without a single issue. I check the oil before each use but never had to add any. I change oil & grease as prescribed in manual. 5 stars!!
Totally agree. I have a Simplicity Stallion ZT2561, made by Ferris. Its a true commercial mower. Bought it used. Its probably 20 years old. I finally had to put a new engine on it last year. This Ferris is bullet proof and heavy duty.
Definitely love hearing stories like this with great dealers. You even remember her name. The Ferris mowers are definitely on my radar for my next one.
Ferris all the way, pay the extra .....
Ferris is the best I love my 2200
I was just looking for a zero turn used on Facebook market but couldn’t find anything I wanted but ever since ball equipment Promotionals kept popping up on my feed that I was going to buy a zero turn from there tomorrow. I’m taking this as a sign and going somewhere els.
This is exactly how my adventure started.
Know someone who got Toro zero turn, many hours & zero problems
I own a lawn care company, and I chose the dealer and the mower brand based on reputation and recommendations. I buy my small equipment at the competitors dealership because of brand. I would not have chosen this dealer for my mowers because of their lack of professionalism to ALL customers. I saw your update about the owner of the dealer reaching out to you, which is the proper response, but at the end of the day, those same employees or family members will still be working there. Good luck brother.
That is very true, hopefully this video can help someone not have my same experience in the future!
Hi Heath, that's why I don't go to Ball Equipment anymore, I bought a few things there, never again. Last time I was there it took a half hour just to help them figure out what I needed for an oil change on my zero turn, and he acted like I was irritating him, I won't go back there.
Nor will I, I get upset just driving past.
I had the same problem with a scag. How my problem is different is when I took it in and they couldn’t make it duplicate at the dealership, I had the manager take it home and use it. I knew his brother mowed soccer fields. Needless to say the problem duplicated before they were done. Scag fixed it right away. The machine now has 2000 hours on it and has given no unforeseen problems since.
That is definitely some customer service I could get behind. It makes a big difference.
Thank you for this awesome video! It's people like you that really help the customers make the right choices on what to spend their hard earned money on!!! I also have a Husqvarna zero turn and had to deal with their customer service which is awful! Shame on you Husqvarna for treating customers the way you do! My next mower will definitely not be a Husqvarna!!!!!!!!!!!
You are welcome and I do what I can to help others even if it’s through sharing mistakes I’ve made. I will not be buying another Husqvarna either. I haven’t heard one positive comment about their customer service in the past few years.
I appreciate your story about the problem you have run into. Service after the sale is everything to me. I will think twice before buying a Husqvarna mower.
Appreciate the feedback James, I figured at least I could try to help some others avoid the problems I had.
Any dealer can sell you one mower. The service department will sell you the second one.
So true and there’ll never be a second from this place!
I like that.."The service Dept will sell you the second one".
Thank you for posting. I'm currently shopping for a zero turn and had considered Ball Equipment (also live in Michigan). Not anymore!
A good dealer makes all the difference! I wish I had done more research into this in the beginning. I will say the owner of Ball equipment has reached out to me but my experience clearly wasn’t ideal.
Thanks for sharing your story. You were treated so poorly by Husqvarna that I will never buy any Husqvarna products as a result. Hopefully another brand will treat you like they want your business. I feel badly that you are stuck with that boat anchor. Thanks again for sharing!
You are welcome and appreciate the feedback. I definitely will not be buying another Husqvarna.
" never buy any Husqvarna products as a result" Me neither. It makes you wonder why the manufacturers just can't make the product of good quality to begin with. Is it not odd that some business operators just do not "get it"?
Hydro-Gear transmissions are on nearly every brand of zero turn mower and the zt 3400's are very common. Husqvarna does not build transmissions.
Great information! You have opened my eyes to just how little the dealers care even if you have warranty. So much for service after the sales.
There are still good dealers but you have to find them. Doing your homework can definitely pay off.
That's not only a stealership, but a thoroughly inept one.
Hopefully not many have had to deal with what I did. The owner has reached out to me and seems interested in addressing the problem. I will post an update when applicable.
@@hardworkingmanoutdoors
Seems a little too late.
@@hardworkingmanoutdoors have to wonder if that's because he cares, or because you have a bit larger voice than the average disappointed customer
I was getting upset myself watching your video. You have more patience than me. I had a major issue with my husqvarna garden tractor that they knew was a design issue and refused to take care of me. I will never purchase another husqvarna anything again. I recently picked up a nice Gravely zero turn…so far so good.
It’s definitely frustrating! Husqvarna doesn’t seem to care. It’s unfortunate.
These videos are so important! People need to do more of this ( and positive interactions also). Companies and people need to stand by their work and products. Thx again
I agree! Companies need to be held accountable. Positive experiences should be shared as well.
Thank you for voicing your story with your dealer, and company that lied to you, stalling your repair claims. Good luck with a good laser!
You are welcome, we appreciate the feedback. I think a lot of this was mistakes, but in the end, we should’ve been taken care of much better than we were by both the dealership and the manufacturer. The dealership has stepped up and made it right now.
I bought a BadBoy Outlaw 61" gas powered with the Kawasaki engine zero turn in 2015. Built like a tank and have had ZERO problems. I do yearly maintenance and take good care of it. Great machine.
I've heard great things about these mowers, thanks for sharing!
Studies have shown that a bad customer experience will be shared at least 17 times. Those studies were done before the internet. Good for you sharing your bad experience.
I have had my bad boy MZ magnum for 8 years now. Sure it needs routine maintenance, belts and the simple stuff. Finally this year 2024 the spindles are starting to fail. Other than that. I love the mower. Mind you this mower has been put through its paces. I mean I’ve mowed a pasture field with it. They have lasted 8 years and the mower has 800 hours on it. Definitely would buy a bad boy mower again. To be fair. I mowed 10 acres weekly with this mower and have used and abused this mower. It still fires right up and mows great.
Glad to hear about your experience with BadBoy. After extensive research, due to deck build, it was my choice to buy. Haven't yet, but have 4 acres waiting on it. Thanks.
Kawasaki is currently having lots of issues, lots
I have a Bad Boy, the cheapest Bad Boy that I bought in 2021. At about 60 hours (1 year for me) the hour meter stopped working. When I called Bad Boy about a replacement I learned that I never completed the warranty registration, my bad they were right I had no records of registering. The part was about $60 so no big deal but when I thought I was ordering the part the customer service representative said, ok your warranty is registered (9 months late) and I have a new hour meter headed your way!! I was very impressed with how they handled this issue. I wouldn’t hesitate doing business with them in the future. Also I’m at about 300 hours now with no other issues. I mow about 2 acres in Texas, several times a month from March till October!
Those are the stories I like hearing and one of the reasons we went with Bad Boy.
That dealership owes you a NEW mower. Lawyer up!! I just bought a zero-turn. Almost went with Husqvarna, but ended up going with an ExMark.
The dealership bought it back for full price and we now own a new Bad Boy and a Yakta. We have a few videos of them up on the channel with more to come. ExMark is definitely a better choice!
Well told story...unbelievable. Ball Equipment, Richmond, MI...if anyone sees this video that would be in your area for service or purchase, I cannot imagine they would come to you. Fortunately, albeit over a year from your video...the owner now has bought back your mower. No doubt, due to the response from your vid. If he hadn't, a lawyer was my suggested next step. Read through a lot of comments and am glad you have our support and lawyers, as well. Good luck with your new zero turn.
Thank you! We love our new mowers.
Toro Titan with the My Ride seat system.. Mine threw the belt in the deck drive belt. The dealer sent out a tech to find what happened. It picked up a stone in the pulley, which kicked off the belt. The belt was ok, he put things in order, sharpened the blades, put it through on warranty. The mower was two years old at the time. TORO makes mowers.
Now that’s the type of service I was looking for! I’d love a dealer like that!
@@hardworkingmanoutdoors Dealer is about fifteen miles away. Showed the tech a quick tip on sharpening. Cordless angle grinder, flip the grinding disc around and use the guard as a guide.
I bought my Toro Titan back in 2013, so far, 2 batteries, 2 deck belts, 1 drive belt, 2 new rear tires, and routine maintenance. Can’t complain at all.
You did what is right, good job, your actions have saved lots of other people heartaches. 😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊
That was exactly the point of the video! Thanks!
Does your mower have the ZT3400 HydroGear? If so, there is a bypass valve inside the pump that is notorious for coming unscrewed, allowing the pump to go into bypass. This causes the pump to lose power. This happened to my Dixie Chopper, after it was out of warranty. The shop I bought it from wanted $1,000 dollars to repair it, and $1800 to replace the pump. I could not afford this, so I began looking for options to do it myself. I could not find a good video on rebuilding it, but I found one that was similar. After ordering the seal kit, I removed the pump and busted it open. After cleaning the pump, I put some thread lock on the bypass valve, tightened it to spec, then buttoned her up using all the seals that came with the kit. It only took me a couple of hours. That was about 4 years ago, and I have not had any issues since. I'm not saying that this is your issue, but it sounds exactly like mine.
Hopefully everyone will read this ,, that's exactly what is wrong with his mower, as I stated a fairly simple fix. That dealer is just a volume dealer, not a repeat customer type dealer, but I work on mowers, and most every dealer is a liar.
Yes, it is the ZT3400. Thank you for the information!
Well that has me a little concerned now. The new john deere Z760r I just bought has hydro gear 3400 trans. I've mowed 2 times and have 5hrs on it now. My kubota I just sold had the 3600 trans. I had 260hrs on it trouble free. 1st service at 100 hrs and then again at 215hrs.
@@hardworkingmanoutdoors ZT3400 is a nice Commercial Hydro. You should consider if you don't want to touch it yourself, just take it to a reputable small shop to have that bypass valve issue fixed. Personally I own a old 2008 Commercial Toro with ZT2800's (small mower only 48 inch deck) and a cheap ass 2006 Cub Cadet RZT50 and neither of them have hydro issues. Point is, fix it right, take care of the machine, and it will last for decades, saving you lots of money in the end, as newer ZT's only get more expensive, and the common homeowner grade ZT's these days are complete utter garbage. Keep the older Commercial stuff!
Thanks for sharing this
Great share. I think this is something that should always be done - share the experience so people understand that they may also experience with a dealer and manufacturer.
Thank you, that is what we are doing sharing what we’ve learned as well as mistakes we made along the way to hopefully help others avoid them. I prefer to recommend good products and companies, but sometimes you have to share the bad experiences too so others don’t have to go through them.
I own Gravely and Scag zero turn mowers. One John Deer lawn tractor. Neither zero turn has demonstrated a single issue over several years of service. I've had the John Deer for twenty Yeats and have replaced the blades and belt once. I've been blessed. Sorry for your troubles. Hope your future purchase brings better luck.
Thank you Bill, glad you enjoyed had better luck!
Hi Heath, Twenty years ago, my model RC club demoed several mowers. One was a Grasshopper ($12,000 new). The club bought two Husqvarnas. I don't cut grass at our field, but I think they've had good luck with the Huskies. I have about an acre and a half to cut at home. I bought the Grasshopper. Never a problem. Twenty five HP Kubota diesel. Never looked back and no regrets. Still running strong. WARING! NEVER POSITION YOUR FACE OVER A DEAD BATTERY!!! Ever see one blow up? I have. They can explode like a bomb. Shalom/gw. PS. I was a Husqvarna chainsaw dealer for eight and a half years. Their customer service is in no sense what it used to be. It's a shame. I think they still make great saws. But you can never talk to an actual human being.
Appreciate the info! I have heard their warranty has gone down hill! I hate not being able to talk to a person!
I was in the power equipment business for 30 years.
I was a distributor service manager. My job was to provide support for dissatisfied customers. When the factory receives a complaint they would forward the complaint to me for local handling. I'm proud to say I had 100% customer satisfaction. I taught the dealer service schools. All warranty claims crossed my desk for authorization. I had complete authority for out of warranty claims. I did have my favorite shops. There were a lot of Ball Equipment like shops back in those days. But there were mostly good dealers in our
network . My advise is to contact the manufacturer directly a defect is a defect no matter how long the warranty is. You can find help through the manufacturer. Each one has a national service manager . Thats who to get it touch with.
Thank you for the advice, I tried several times to contact Hus Varna through phone calls and emails and never was able to speak with an actual person. All I got was generic replies from a bot or AI. I call the manufactures of mowers. I am considering to see if I can actually talk to a person.
I would ask for the reps number or ask the dealer to have their rep give you a call.
I received the Vtoman X1 as a Father’s Day gift. It was purchased because of this review. I have already used the tire inflator. I am pleased with its performance. Thank Hard Working Man for the review.
You are welcome, we now have 3 of them and love having them.
Also as a previous employee of a lawn equipment dealership I'd like to extend an apology that you have gone through this. No customer should have to jump through that much to get some help with a faulty product.
I agree and thank you.
It just takes one dealership of huskies to ruin the products available, they should take their distributorship away
Hey Brother. I hope this video gets a million views . I might get a letter from an attorney sent to Husqvarna . Let them know this isn’t over . You know a lot of people…. Bad advertising hurts . Go for it ….thanks for sharing. Craig. Pa.
Thanks Craig, the owner of the dealership has reached out to me to find out more. I will post an update video when I have more information.
Same experience with Husqvarna. Mower caught fire and found that it was a known problem with that model wouldn't even talk
They know about it and so does lots of mechanics who are spreading the word about the service and no warranty on the junk products
Hopefully the word will get out so others won’t have to go through this.
I think this is just a sign of the times. Customer service and appreciation are extremely rare anymore. Good luck to you thanks for sharing.
Thank you and you’re welcome.
I'm a retired CAT&CUMMINGS knuckle buster and really no nothing about zero turn mowers! Have several people I know have this type of mower; a very good friend had had one given to him and it wouldn't travel in a straight line!? He is a DIY er and pretty knowledgeable when it comes small engine repairs; I actually take my string trimmer to him when it gets cantankerous! Well after spending a few $$$ on the zero T and not making any progress he asked me a few questions and told me what he had learned. The thing that surprised me was that the marjorie of these machines don't have a spin on hyd filter and it's a sealed system that there is only one manufacturer that supplies that market!?!?!? I recently by accident watched a video about these mowers and learned that currently there are only a couple of manufacturers that now are producing serviceable hyd system. Also another acquaintance of mine just recently bought a new Kubota zero T and I asked him if his had a spin on hyd filter!?!?!?
He said that the hyd system was completely serviceable including changeable FILTER.
My bad boy has spin on filters
This mower did have a serviceable transmission with the spin on filters, but did not even last until the first fluid change recommendation. My next mower will definitely have a higher grade drive system in it.
"Cummings" ?
Believe it or not I have a 2007 Cub Cadet ZForce 50 that was built in the good old USA right before they got bought out. It has sealed transmissions and I still mow with it.
My Ferris ISX2200 has spin on oil filters on the hydros and a 5 qt oil tank with a cartridge oil filter in the top of the oil tank for the engine. You don’t even have to bend over to change the engine oil filter. You get what you pay for.
SPARTAN ZERO TURNS are the bomb... I'm in WV and this thing can mow hills like no buddies business.
Seems there’s a lot of good options out there, but Husqvarna isn’t one of them.
$3k for a Snapper ZT Lemon. Had problems when I picked it up. I should have immediately asked for my money back. My mistake, I regretted later. I had one problem after another. When the deck fell off, I had it welded then got rid of the thing. I got a little John Deere lawn tractor that was way too small for my 2 acres. Even so, it lasted 7 years before I wore it out. Good service and a great dealer. I returned, bought a commercial JD ZT for $9,000 and never regretted it. I'm still using the original battery 4 years later. Just replaced the blades this season (and I have oodles of fire ant hills I mow over all the time). Others can say what they want but I believe the best mowers are the very expensive ones.
I’m glad you ended up finding one you love! Ot sucks spending money on a poorly made poorly supported product!
I have a Scotts/Murray 1997 Home Depot mower. Cheap? Yes. Still going (Kohler 15 HP Command) Cuts approx. 3/4 acre of our 2 1/2 acres in Florida.In summer you can watch the grass grow.Why does it still run? No idea.Peerless hydro transaxle oil changed once, syn. engine oil changes 2x/yr. I Never wash it as the water sits in the deck bearing area and always ruins them.Tires all have tubes, front bald tires replaced once.
@@scottcrowley2061 I agree. Those little Murray riding mowers were amazing. I mowed 1-1/2 acres for 10 years with a Murray I bought from Wal-Mart. Never washed it. Never checked the hydro. Never had tire trouble. Checked engine oil every season but only replaced it maybe 2 or 3 times. After 10 years, it finally gave out. I bought a brand-name z-turn, a Snapper. It was junk. The Murry was a much, much better machine.
Wow, that can completely believe this because it happens to so many of us in so many different situations. These people know that most of the time the frustrated person is just gonna move on. But nobody should get away with doing what they did to you with no consequence. Thank you for sharing your story. I hope that dealership pays for doing what they do
It was definitely frustrating, that mower has sat in my backyard for over a year after I got it back because I was so frustrated and I almost just moved on. I’m glad I made this video because I have learned an absolute ton and have been able to help others along the way. it also helped the owner of the dealership recognize. He had a problem that he could correct and he stepped up and made my situation right as well. So I’m glad I did not ignore it like I was planning on.
I bought a Huskvarna ST427 Snowblower here in Washington State from a company in Spokane called COUNTRY HOMES POWER. I had a similar experience with them, with a twist. They actually sold me a used unit as a BRAND-NEW unit. While I was inside doing all the finance paperwork, they loaded the machine. I realized they hadn't given me a manual for the machine, so I walked back in to get the manual and the 2nd key. They said, "Oh, we don't have the manual or the other key. "I asked why not?". "Oh, it wasn't returned with the unit." It was then they told me the snowblower was a used unit which had been returned and refurbished. I said, "You told me it was a brand-new unit." It did look brand-new because it was only used for about 45 minutes and the previous owner returned it; and now I know why. They are junk! The brand is overpriced, overrated, and the customer service I got sounded similar to that which you received. I will never do business with this company again. COUNTRY HOMES POWER of Spokane, in my opinion were scam artists.
They sell in big box stores. It's a sure sign of not being in touch with the quality of the brand anymore.
Heard that it's very hard to get parts for the Husky products.
@@mikedeck8381 Thanks for all the tips you all. What a surprise to find that some companies are highly suspect and "tricky" business owners.
why do dealers not understand that their bread and butter long term, come from one source..the customers who are treated fairly and who buy their products? Seems like a no brainer to me, treat your customers well and you will do well long term.
@@dm285 Especially in the world of Social Media. It's word of mouth on Steroids. We've seen it time and time again. This is a prime example. I didn't intend to buy their products to be fair but this solidifies my lack of intrest. It's a shame because it's new chainsaw time so Stihl it is.
We had a Gravely commercial tractor with a front mount mower deck for over 20 years. It was relatively trouble free with most issues operator related (mowing things that shouldn't be mowed... like saplings and stumps). Then a Cub Cadet ZTR. It's had 8 or 9 new spindles installed in it; a caster wheel spindle; anti-scalp wheel welded back on; 3 mower deck fingers; muffler fell off; etc. over the years. It's too lightly built for a rather rural property. It would be fine on a nice smooth and relatively flat lawn but not on a rough hilly property. I recently bought a Ferris walk behind so I could mow some of the steeper hills rather than string trim them. The Ferris mowers are not inexpensive but I imagine that you'd get 20+ years out of one... and still have a spine after mowing rough ground as they have excellent suspension! I'll never buy another home owner grade machine after these experiences.
Same. I had a cub cadet lt 1046. I was good for two spindles a year minimum. The build quality was so cheap it was actually impressive.
Definitely not looking for something that constantly needs spindles! Appreciate the feedback.
It does sound like Ferris makes a nice machine.
@@hardworkingmanoutdoors Ferris also makes the Stihl ride on-mowers. If one brand isn't available in your area the other might be... If both are pick the better dealer! .
Sucks you are going through this. I do lawn care for a living and I run Hustler mowers. I have had a few minor issues but my dealer and Hustler stood behind everything. I put a lot of hours on them. I have a 2019 with over 1200 hours on it, and a 2023 with 400 hours on it. They are built like a tank and have the best hydros in the biz. Thanks for the video.
Thank you for the information, hustler has had some great recommendations in this comment section. If I have a reputable dealer close, I will definitely check them out.
Thanks for the warning, was torn between the Gravely and the Husky....all the nudge I needed.
I’d say Gravely all the way!!!!
I shopped for several years while using a second-hand Hustler Fastrak that was bleeding me dry until I settled on a Bad Boy zero turn from a dealer. They buy straight from the manufacturer with no middleman rep. and in-house service. Been very pleased with the purchase and dealer relationship.
That is good to hear, bad boy is definitely on my shortlist.
I started my search for a Zero Turn, racked my brains to make the right decision. I kept on reading good reviews about Bad Boy, so I visited the local Dealership. I figured I can buy one from Tractor Supply from their stock, if anything goes bad, I heard they will exchange it for another unit, or they will have you take it to the local dealership. I opted to go the dealership way, well, I had an oil leak within a half hour of use. I returned it and after going back and forth with the dealership for warranty repair, I reached out the area rep. he was on it, he and the General Sales manager swapped the ZT for another unit. I can highly recommend Ron Hoover in Donna, Texas. They took care of me and treated me like a customer.
I will agree with you. Customer service should be number 1. Thanks for sharing your opinion and experience.
Yes it should, thanks John.
I'm a NJ lawyer. Represented client in suit of a different major lawn equipment manufacturer. Story very similar to your story. Once manufacturer in house legal department got involved, case settled quickly and favorably. Suggest you find a lawyer to file suit for you.
Thank you for the advice, luckily I did not have to go that route as the owner of the dealership has stepped in and purchased the mower back. We have since bought a brand new mower that is much nicer and will be debuting it on the channel here shortly.
Thanks for sharing your story. I'm shopping for a commercial mower, and your story helps me to narrow down my search. These mowers are a big investment. Definitely won't be buying one of those.
I'm glad I watched your video. I'm in the market for a zero turn mower and now Husqvarna is out of the question.
As far as I’m concerned theirs a lot of better options out there.
Post covid, everyone sucks, dealing with companies in general is terrible. Its like everyone just stopped caring. Thanks to this video, I will never buy anything made by Husqvarna again... I just bought a Scag Patriot 61 a few weeks ago and so far its been great, although it blows dry material (leaves, etc) out the front so it gets messy, they do make a shield to stop that but I haven't ordered one yet. My exmark was getting hard to find parts, shes a 1999 model.
Post Covid is definitely a different era. It’s amazing how many still use it as an excuse! Drives me crazy.
I’d stay away from scag. My local deal screwed me. Just me venting.. picked up a new tiger cat ll no power up hills, dealer couldn’t figure out anything. Put me on another brand new unit and this one is back at the dealer again for oil being thrown out underneath the engine…. Tried to return it to go with another brand/company and they refuse to take the machine back with only 2 hours on it.
This sounds like every call I have ever made to my local cable tv company !!! 😂
Right!
YES ! That’s the ticket. Just do what my cable company suggests EVERY time I call them. “Have you pressed the reset button, that should fix it. “
Hardworkingman just needs to find and press the reset button ! Problem solved
I have the exact same Mower three years old 750 hours only if I’ve ever done is tuneup kits and blades I bought mine from a dealer deals 90% with commercial lawn companies. I haven’t had any issues. This guy is been in business for 40 years so I feel pretty comfortable with him.
Yeah I got a bad one and then the lack of support put it over the edge. Glad you had better luck and hopefully you get another 750 hours on it.
Owned 3x Husqvarna P525D front deck mowers, aged between 2012 to 2019. All have had a problem with the main Hydraulic fluid filter loosening. Was told by our dealer that they knew it was a manufacturer fault but as Husqvarna wouldn't admit that all they can do is suggest we 'keep regular checks' on the filter and look for leaks.
Obviously, we carry out daily/weekly checks on the equipment anyway and, surprise surprise, we have to regularly tighten the filters.
We are about to purchase our next commercial mower and as we prefer out front mowing decks we are looking to go down the same route as the majority of other local contractors and switch over to Kubotas!
Husqvarna's quality just is not upto standard!
Even our local stockist who supplies both said when a Kuboat breaks, they tend to have the parts in stock. No chance with Husqvarna as they restrict them on how much they can stock and everything is on a weekly order rota. If you breakdown at the wrong time you could be waiting 2 weeks just for some basic parts like a throttle cable etc!
Thanks for you video and sorry you're in such a crap predicament!
Keep up the good work!
Good tips.
So frustrating! Husqvarna lawn equipment definitely seems to lack in quality.
Man am i ever glad i watched ur video......im on the market for a zero turn and was seriously looking at the Husqvarna......NOT NOW. Thanks for the vid.
You're welcome!!
I have a John Deere commercial mower with a 7 iron, 3/16 inch thick stamped steel deck and I’m glad I went with that over a welded deck. It has 1/2 inch supports around the edges too. The deck itself weighs 448 lbs. There are quality stamped decks.
My rider and zero turn mowers both have stamped steel decks, over ten years and still going strong.
Okay, so I have learned that STAMPED STEEL DECKS are better. Thanks for sharing!
I was always told that manufactured decks were better, doesn’t seem like that’s always the case. Thanks for the info.
@@hardworkingmanoutdoors not necessarily. I believe that there are some misconceptions about them. They are usually built from heavy materials but they are worse when it comes to clogging. The squared surfaces are not as good for air flow. A stamped steel deck will be stronger also, especially one like my 3/16 thick deck because it was made out of one sheet, and not welded together. Cub cadet had some bad designs with their stamped decks because the material was too lightweight and the brackets would rip the metal open after enough jarring around.
Document, Document! Every person I talk to regarding customer service I get their name and other information. Have trained my wife to do this, has saved me countless hours of frustration. Sorry to hear of your troubles
For sure, definitely something I’ve learned.
That sucks, really sorry to hear that. Good dealer makes all the difference I believe but still disappointed. Husqvarna didn’t stand behind it.
Yes they do and it seems Husqvarna warranty isn’t what it used to be.
I applaud your video! Shysters are everywhere. I was considering buying a Husqvarna, but no more. When money is more important than a business's good reputation, it must be avoided. It is a common problem in America where foolish management worships money without remembering where it comes from. Look at Boeing, for Pete's sake! The time to disappear this type of problem would have been when you first walked in. It should have been AUTOMATIC with a good business. For anyone to have to experience what was painfully described in great detail in your video, plus the loss of money, use of the product, and having to buy a backup Plan-B mower, and compounded by a vast amount of time to address an issue that SHOULD HAVE NEVER occurred, is all anyone needs to know to stay away from that business and brand. Any business that would mislead a customer for this length of time should be avoided at all costs. There are better companies who will do the right thing to keep their reputation beyond reproach. It is sad when management becomes the main failure of a product line. I would suggest filing a complaint with the BBB and investigating a company before trusting them with your business.
BBB is worthless.
I agree, I great dealer is worth its weight and gold. I will be doing much more research before my next purchase. Customer service definitely seems to be one of the first things to go as companies grow. It is definitely unfortunate.
You have more patience than me! That mower would be a pile of ashes by now😂 Hopefully by the powers of social media and because I read your pinned comment somebody gets off their A$$! Take care Heath and Rachel👊🏻
Thank you, Todd, the owner of Ball Equipment has reached out and made it right. I will have more video updates coming soon. It was not easy having this patient and I wish I could say I always had this much patience, but I do not. And this case I’m not sure how I kept my Cool for so long. Believe me there were some thoughts in my mind.
Thanks for taking the time to share your experience. I have a bobcat 3500 and it has been a great mower so far. Only have about 250 hours on it. I have a Husqvarna chainsaw that I had problems with shortly after I bought it and nowhere can you find a phone number for Husqvarna. Will not ever buy a Husqvarna product again.
Those bobcat mowers do look pretty nice. How Swarna is definitely lacking in product support in my opinion.
I had a similar story… 20 years ago… with an Ariens Dealership. Bought a brand new Ariens ZTR with a 2 year warranty, and 3 months in, the axle in the right hydrostat unit snapped. Dealer gave me a lot runaround, but I contacted Ariens Mfg directly, and they sent me a new unit. A year later, the left side snapped, dealer fumbled it around. I contacted the corporate service rep, they sent me a new one, and life went on. The mower was a POS. Before I got rid of it, I’d replace the deck, the engine, and both hydrostats (again). Granted, I got 15 years out of it, mowing 2.5 acres a week for about 25 weeks a year, but it surely wasn’t a very good mower. The dealership I bought it from was worse.
At least you were able to get a hold of the manufacturer and they took care of it. I have yet to be able to get in contact with Husqvarna and have given up.
We got a Bobcat predator pro 7000 commercial mower with the ZT5400’s and 72” deck. It’s unbelievable. Ours is green before they started the orange and white. I think Schiller made mine. 2650 hr warranty.
I hate that social media controls the world, including getting any kind of movement or service. But it’s where we live now.
"...it’s where we live now."
And, where we'll die soon, too.
Social media definitely has it pros and cons. Sounds like you picked up a nice mower. I’ll hopefully have better luck on my next one.
I'm 50 years old and have learned warranties are useless mowers, car dealers, etc when it comes to big expensive repairs, they are fine with the small things. Once you buy your responsibility all the warranty talk is noise to get a sell. Always been that way I can imagine how much worse it has gotten in the new America. Have a blessed one.
Thank you, I k ow that can be helpful sometimes but I agree, a lot of them aren’t worth the paper they are written on.
More people should do this when they are treated like dirt. Maybe some of these dealers will get the point when they start loosing business especially item of this value. The company was sadly lacking in this case and shame on them.
I agree, it wasn’t an easy video for me to make but I feel I went t above and beyond on my end to try to get this issue solved.
I almost purchased a Husqvarna. I’m glad I went with a Troy-Bilt. When they break, and they will as all mowers do, they’re easy to fix and I can just do it myself.
I paid about $2200 for a J Deere ZTR for my 1 acre yard & had an issue about once a year.
When I searched for parts, I found out JD intentionally makes it very difficult for a non-dealer to get parts.
I eventually traded it to my roofing guy for a new paint job on the house. He said he had a friend who could get it running.
What model Troy do you have?
I think that was a wise choice, that is a shame about John Deere. As a lot of people like to work on stuff their selves.
I have never been a Husqvarna customer and I don't think I will now listening to your experience.
I was considering trying a Husqvarna chainsaw, but those plans have since changed. I do have a few pieces of Husqvarna equipment that have been good and I will keep using them, but not sure I will buy more.
I'm sorry for your experience. I had a similar experience with a Toro mower many years ago. I threw a fit and the owner of the shop called me. We worked out the issue but I never went back to this dealer. This was a dealer issue, not Toro. I still have the Toro as a backup mower. It has been great all of it's life. It is now 20 years old. Best of luck to ya!
At least the dealer stepped up in a timely fashion and took care of it for you, the owner of Ball Equipment has stepped in and made my situation right as well.
@@hardworkingmanoutdoors I'm glad Ball did that for you!
Kubota. Kubota has KTAC insurance that covers the unit bumper to bumper. My wife has a Husqvarna sewing (13,000) machine, they have closed our dealer which was in a Jo Anns Store and to get service your machine has to be shipped to Arizona for any service and repair. If there is a next time, we will buy a Brother sewing machine.
What a pain having to ship it!
KTAC has saved me for over $18,000 in repairs over 13 years. NEVER BUY ONE WITHOUT IT! GREAT POST! AND THAT WASN"T MANUF REPAIRS OR WARRANTY...... THAT WAS FOR ACCIDENTAL DAMAGE!!!!
Good to know, I’m in Michigan too and I’ll I’ll never buy a Husqvarna or go to that dealer ever. Thanks for the heads up
You are welcome, we have found several great dealers and a lot of manufacturers who do a much better job supporting their product and have shared them and videos, we also plan to continue sharing what we find what we learn as well as what we are doing around the house with lawn, mowing, landscaping, firewood, etc.
I was a Husqvarna dealer for over 16 years and I've never had an experience like yours dealing with Husq. The way this dealership treated you makes my stomach hurt. I would contact another certified Husqvarna service station and ask them to contact Husqvarna and explain the situation. I'd also mention that you were having issues early on but was told to keep using it.
I am glad you have had better a lot, luckily the dealership stepped up and I no longer own this mower. I will be moving to a different brand in the future.
Shopping for a new mower right now and glad to have this info before I buy, thank you for taking the time to share your experience.
You're welcome! If I can save just one person from the headache I went through I'll be happy.
I have an X-mark that is 4 years old and I totally enjoy it. Never had a problem with it once.
They definitely seem to be better than what I have.
I have had a few mowers. I currently have 3 Exmarks. One is old and i just keep it for the bagger. But they are good. Ive seen some with over 3000 hrs on them. But some smaller exmarks have the hydrogear 3400 series hydros. This problem with his mower started as a "hydrogear" problem but soon became a bad dealership problem. That is a serviceable part and should have been repaired easily enough.
I have a 5 year old ExMark Radius 60” mower with 370 hours on the clock. Never been out of our yard. I do the service. Totallysatisfied
Around me everyone is buying Gravely zero turns and they are loving them.. You are right dealers make or break a name of equipment.. I have a John Deere commercial mower with a front mounted deck.. I am not a fan of zero turns
I know a lot of people going with Gravely as well. Definitely not going with another Husqvarna.
got the same mower, bought it from a buddy of mine who is a Husqvarna dealer. 600 hours, customer blew up the engine. He wanted $300 so I snatched it up. Put a new engine on it only to find 2 of the 3 spindles were seized, the third had stripped the teeth on the upper pully/shaft, blades were worn almost to nothing, front wheel bearings were seized red rusty, castor bearings were dry, deck belt was gone, but other than that it was in great condition - 600 hours. Husqvarna used to be the high end of outdoor equipment, now its just a holding company for all the competition companies it bought up
They are junk now and it’s a fact
Wow, that’s a lot of repairs needed.
Thanks for the info. It’s not a matter of the dealer it’s a matter of the manufacturer for having dealers like that. Will buy something else
I think that’s a wise choice.
I had to drive 4hrs away to purchase a mower at the only dealer who had the model I wanted in stock. I was told the mower was gone over, prepped, and is ready to operate. First cut it was making my lawn look horrible. Did some checking to find low tire pressure, mower deck wasn't level, and low oil level in the engine. Never trust dealerships...
Wow, it seems harder and harder to find good help these days. So frustrating. The reason I went t to a dealer in the first place was so I’d have service behind the mower!
AMAZING - Such Dealer Ignorance and Indifference - Absolutely Amazing.
I’m hoping it was an isolated incident and is addressed now that the owner has contacted me. Time will tell.
You can always file a Better Business bureau complaint . And or the attorney general office.
BBB is there for the business, not the customer.
You can file a complaint against a business.
I considered it but not sure what it would do to help. I figure this way maybe I can at least help someone else from not having to go through what I did.
the BBB is a useless clown-show. They are not a government agency and have no power to 'force' a business to take care of a problem. All the BBB can do is give the business a lower rating for failing to respond to a claim or failing to resolve a claim to satisfaction. But besides that, the BBB is becoming less and less of a source of information or help to people (especially younger generations) and thus the BBB becomes less and less important overall. Ask yourself, how many times have you looked up a business rating on the BBB website before considering doing business with a place?
I am glad that you had the courage to tell your story, so that other people do not get stiff, as you did. >>>I spoke to a gentleman twenty years ago who had bought the same "H" brand name, who also had a similar experience as yourself, however, it pertained to a riding lawn mower, and I can assure you that I never purchased that brand, and I forewarned well over 100 people to stay away from that brand , over the past 20 years.>>>I have had a lot of success with the John Deere brand, and the dealer is excellent to deal with.
Poor products and poor product support can definitely damage a brand, the word spreads quickly. Luckily we can put this all behind us now and we are shopping for a new mower.
Rachel summed it up succinctly! If I were screwed by a crappy company like this, I would hire Rachel for public relations rep!
Thanks Jack, and yes she did.
As you have found out $5,000 won't get you a commercial mower. If you want a mower to last be prepared to pay big bucks up front but as they say, buy once, cry once. Quality hydro units cost big bucks which is one of the reasons real commercial mowers are so expensive. Look at Exmark, Hustler, Scag, and some of the other brands but if you mow a lot of grass stay clear of residential grade mowers regardless of brand.
Definitely not going to try this route again, but any mower should last longer than 100 hours.
Doesn’t matter how much he spent on it…a $1500 riding mower lasts longer than a 100 hrs.
I got a Husqvarna commercial grade mower and yes it was $5000. Mz61 now they are up over $6000
@@hardworkingmanoutdoors The quality of Husqvarna mowers has dropped considerably in the last few years. The pro line of chainsaws is still good though. Another line to stay away from is Cub Cadet. The best warranty is one that never has to be used because the product is built with quality parts. but that does cost money up front. I bought an Exmark Lazer Z 60" mower with a Kawasaki engine the first year they came out and used it for 3 years to cut my mother's 10 acres until she died and we sold the property. I then gave it to two of my nephews and they have been using it in their lawn care business for the past 10 years and it has only required maintenance parts. Was it expensive? Yea. Was it worth it> Definitely yes.
There is no standard one must meet for a vendor to claim a product is “commercial” other than a warranty for professional use.
I bought my Ferris used and love it!👍👍
I’ve heard a lot of good about Ferris. I looked used but at the time there wasn’t much decent available.
@@hardworkingmanoutdoors I second this I bought a used Ferris IS3000Z 61" and love it. I lucked up I paid less than $2000 for mine with like 900 hrs on it which is nothing for a commercial unit and it was used residentially. Best mower I have ever owned, cut quality, ride quality, speed are all amazing. I wouldn't trade it for anything.
Me too....30 years ago... I bought a 60" Dual Hydro walk behind with a 17hp Kawasaki from a commercial lawn guy that was going to all zero turns. It was 3/4 of a season old...mint...$3300. I mow @ 70 minutes at a time with it and all I've replaced is occasional belts and pulleys. It's a tank. Parts (even belts) are getting hard to find. I'd buy Ferris again.
Bought my Scag in 2008, and it has worked perfectly every time I have used. Prices were better then, and I'm glad I have it.
Dave, the Scag mowers definitely seem to be among the most reliable on the market.
I bought a Bad Boy Lightning in 2009 and used it for my income for 10 years and still use it every week at home. I've replaced belts and a pulley but otherwise it has been great. I can honestly recommend Bad Boy. Sorry you had problems with yours.
Thank you for the feedback, bad boy is definitely near the top of my list.
Wow Heath, that plain sucks. In reality, 5k is not much for zero turns anymore. Maybe look at the new Stihl units. Based on your experience, Husky is off my list for sure.
No it’s not. This was 4 years ago now as the mower has pretty much sat for the last 1.5-2 years. Definitely not getting another one of these.
Thank you for sharing your experience with a bad dealer and horrible company! I thought Husqvarna were reputable company.... so sad.
I think they used to be. But seem to be headed in the wrong direction.
Sorry you had a bad experience with your mower. I bought a BadBoy 4 yrs ago and haven’t had any issues. I mow my yard weekly, 5 acres and the mower hasn’t failed me. The only part I’ve had to replace was the battery.
Stihl has a great mower also. Watch, Out doors with the Morgan’s.
I almost went with a bad boy and decided on Husqvarna. Definitely going to check out some other brands. Thanks Ben.
Just bought a Bad Boy 54” cut with Kohler engine. Used it the other day and it is working great. Great warranty and good people.
We have been running a bad boy mowing an acre of lawn for 5 yrs now and absolutely no issues .
The Bad Boy mowers are definitely on our short list.
If you ever want to see the 2 difference faces of a same person buy a product from them - then return it on warrantee.
Right!
My Husky hydo died on hour 124. Dealer experience was similar to your. Went straight to Hsqvarna. Obvioulsy a lot more to say but basically, Varna was zero help, they drug it out for the entire summer. I Firesold it and bought a Toro 60" for under $5000. 5 year /1250 hour warranty. Smoother, quieter running, much better build. DO NOT waste your time on Husky. Read reviews, do your homework.
Way way too many stories like this! Glad the Toro has treated you better!
What a Horrible Experience I am currently in the Market for a Zero Turn mower and after hearing your experience Husqvarna is written off as an option. Thanks for sharing and playing it forward.
It was definitely frustrating, glad we could help.
Heath...Been down this road a couple of times and when you deal with ignorant liars there is no sense wasting your time. You soon realize it is like wrestling a pig in the mud...you soon realize the pig actually is enjoying it! The first thing you do is leave scathing reviews on Google, Yelp, the dealers website, Husqvarna website, etc. The next thing you do is go to your town courthouse and file a suit against the dealer naming everyone you spoke with in Small Claims Court. You can do it and it is very inexpensive. The dealer if it is anything like Virginia and New Jersey where I have filed suits must be represented by an attorney which costs them big time. In VA they will tell you it has to be moved from general district court to circuit court. If they do that just tell them fine but you will be demanding a jury trial. Subpoena all of their phone records to prove that you called them and they probably never phoned Husqvarna. I can guarantee for $1200 for the part replacement plus $1000 in depreciation to the unit and they will write you a check in the courthouse. It is amazing how helpful most judges are with private citizens who have been screwed!
Appreciate the info! Hopefully I won’t have to go down that road! The owner of the dealership has reached out to me so we will see what happens and I’ll post an update.
@@hardworkingmanoutdoors If the dealer hires liars in the sales, customer service, and service departments what makes you think he isn't also a liar and just dragging this out. Check on statute of limitations on small claims suits in your state. He may just be trying to get you past the statute. You can always withdraw the suit; you can't file once the statute of limitations expires.
I have a 2021 Craftsman turn tight series T240 5" turning Kohler 7000 series 22 horsepower V twin 725cc and its the least seen engine of any kind in a repair shop it came with a 3 year unlimited hours warranty and its designed after the Kohler command commercial pro engine absolutely no issues in the 3 years I've owned it.. incredible mower..also a 5 year warranty on the full frame..
Incredible tractor also has a metal hood 46" cut and dry weight 630 pounds very powerful love my Craftsman T240
@@FrankBuyers...guitarista-iu3zgsome think Kawasaki is an upgrade absolutely not Kohler is the better engine
@@BlueberryStinkFinger62 depends on the engine, Ive had 2 blow head gaskets under 10 hrs
I've had my Craftsman for 27 years without one problem with the engine or transmission! I cut 3 of my neighbors and my lawn and didn't charge them because they were elderly. Each lot is 183' deep. I still have the original starter too! I also gave it good maintenance. Kohler engines are the best!
That definitely sounds like a good deal on that mower.