Cheaper or better ?

At our dealership,we work on nearly all brands of mowers.This includes certain yellow & orange brands that claim to be commercial grade but wear out in just a few years.
Many times a price driven buyer will browse our selection and then go buy a cheaper brand somewhere else.
Hooray! the buyer saved BIG $ on his new mower!
(if it were that simple I would be selling that cheap stuff too)
It always amazes me, how a few months later, that same person will be asking ME to repair that mower because the place he bought it from is 4 weeks booked on repair jobs!
 (they are booked because their brands have A-LOT of issues)

LETS DO THE MATH.....
Never mind what the mfg's say about their mowers, lets look at 20+ years of hands-on experience.
Our typical professional mowing customer has an Exmark that is 10-12 yrs. old with 2-4 thousand hours of every day use on it. 
Now for the other guys. 10 years of being a warranty service provider for major big box home stores has shown that the typical life of one of their mowers is 3-4 yrs. & 150-250 hours.
Now, we'll give them the benefit of the doubt on price & durability.
A yellow "commercial" mower cost $4,400 / 48 mos. = $92 a month cost of ownership.
An Exmark mower $5,200 / 120 mos. = $43 a month cost of ownership. 
AND REMEMBER,we're talking every day commercial mowing with the Exmark vs. Once a week with the yellow one. WHICH ONE SAVES YOU MONEY!
If this helped you, let me know!
Go-To Guy

More Tennessee Terminology

Toemodder; noun.
 as in;   "Ah Nade a Toemodder to get this thang out the back o' my truck!"
        
  

When Shopping for a Leaf Blower This Year...

Here are a few tips to Help you along the way.

1. Look for the DURABLILTY RATING. This is the useful life of the machine as deemed by the E.P.A. Some companies claim "commercial grade" but only rate 50 hrs. Sucks! Look for 300 hrs!
2.  Don't be too concerned with the advertised air speed M.P.H. after all you can blow air through a straw at 200 m.p.h.Seriously, how long do you want to be out there!
3. DO  look at air flow C.F.M. (cubic feet per minute) how much air you will be pushing. in a hand held blower 350+ is good. Backpack Blowers should be 450+
4. Look at the standard warranty Period. A good warranty today = 5 years PARTS AND LABOR. And don't purchase a 5 yr. warranty. on an inferior piece of equiptment.
5. Make sure the place you buy from has a SERVICE DEPT. to take care of needed repairs. 90% of the big box stores don't. That means if you have a problem. Your machine gets shipped away to "who-knows where for who-knows how long"                                                                                   I hope this helps take some of the mystery out of shopping this year, AND you don't have to spend a fortune to get one. In our store, Mid-State Mower & Marine llc, we have a great hand-held blower with 390 c.f.m. 5 yr. warranty & a 300 hr. Durability rating for only $159.00! Let me know if this helps.  http://www.midstatemower.com/                      

THE "HEYHARR EFFECT"

   It seems that some of our regulars have developed a language of sorts at our store.
People know that if they have problems or questions with machines, they can just 
stop by & see The Go-To Guy.
When they come through the door,  it is almost ritualistic...
Step 1. Grab your belt loops with both hands and pull your britches up as far as you can.
Step 2. Jam both hands deep into your pockets.
Step 3. Belly up to the parts counter, look left...look right...then let out a quick..."HeyHarr?"

The first few times this happened, our poor parts manager could only mutter a confused  "Huh?" or  "I'm sorry, what did you say?"
These days it's just    "Oh,sure! he'll be right out." 

Those visits are part of what makes life so great around here. Over a quick cup of coffee, we can talk mowers, blowers or chainsaws. And then cows, crops &  friday nights' high school football game.
You're always welcome to stop by too. Just practice your 'heyharr' first!
 _Go-To Guy
http://www.midstatemower.com/

Don't assume the box store is always cheaper.

A-lot of people tell us they wish they had NOT bought their mower from a 'Big Box' store. 

 There is a false assumption that the box stores are cheaper and easier to deal with.
Not so fast,  check out this video....

This is the Quest by Exmark. it has  52" deck  & 24 H.P.  Kawasaki V-Twin.

And  we sell them all day long for just $3,599!

DON'T FORGET, when you buy it from the box, YOU have to get it back to the box for repairs.
The store then sends your mower out somewhere else for repair. 
 Plan on waiting 3 weeks or more to get it back!
To see what you should expect from a dealer? Visit www.midstatemower.com

HOW TO SAVE $200 OR MORE!

Please don't got stuck like this poor guy!
    Yesterday I got a call from an incredibly frustrated (and now $200 poorer) d.i.y'er whose ATV would not start. "won't even crank over!" He told me. "I've replaced the starter and the solenoid. Still nothing!"
     He said he was embarrassed to call, but was out of options. I ran him through a couple of quick tests over the phone and reminded him that we, or any auto part store for that matter, would have tested the starter for free.
One .35 cent fuse later...It was running great.
Please, don't ever hesitate to call or email me with your problems. 
I'm no rocket doctor, I've just been repairing outdoor power equipment for over 2 decades.
It is definitely a joy to help you!    Just Visit www.midstatemower.com 

If you are looking for a new zero turn lawn mower & you love motorcycles....

The Evolution has motorcycle style seating and suspension. And it's like a ROCKET through

the lawn!

Become a MidState Club Member and instantly save $500!

Join for FREE at http://www.midstatemower.com/