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Ariens Lawn Tractor

2K views 8 replies 6 participants last post by  CO Snow 
#1 ·
This is a Bit OT to the SBF, but had to post this. I picked up a 2014 Ariens Lawn Tractor that the owner said had a transmission problem. Couldn't Believe what I found when I got it home. The Transmission was Made out of PLASTIC! The reason it failed was for That Very Reason; 2 high stress areas broke. There's NO Excuse for that kind of Quality. Period.
 
#2 ·
Jack...I've gotten TWO Ariens with that same General Transmissions plastic tranny that failed twice...once under warranty and the second time just after warrenty expired. I was able to get a new tranny on e-bay for 250 to fix one of them, but will probably sell the other for parts, or try to adapt a different tranny to it. Poulan and Husqvarna are using that junk tranny in the lower priced models as well.
 
#3 ·
It is sad..but who is really to blame?
I don't blame the manufacturers, they are only providing what people want to buy..I blame the buying public.

If Ariens/Toro/Deere/MTD etc. *dont* offer a really cheap low-end tractor with plastic gears, the Chinese are happy to do it.
and Walmart/Home Depot/Lowes/Sears are happy to sell them..Which means Ariens/Toro/Deere/MTD etc. would lose a lot of money, and could potentially go out of business if they don't play the low-end game..and there is a LOT of money in that end of the lineup.

Because people want their cheap junk..
90% of buyers don't care about quality..they buy on price only.

If Ariens/Toro/Deere/MTD etc. made only better quality tractors with higher-quality metal gears, and they sold for $1,500 (im just making up numbers for the sake of the argument) and their $1,500 machines are sitting on the Walmart floor next to a $900 piece of junk from China..guess which one sells 9 times out 10?

And, to be fair to the manufacturers, im sure they *Do* say clearly in the owners manuals for these low-end machines are meant to be used to for mowing *only*..they cant tow anything, or plow snow, or do anything except mow..but then do owners push them beyond those limits? of course they do..because they expect the low-end machine they bought to do anything..because that was actually the case 40 and 50 years ago..the bottom-of-the-line tractor in the 60's was still a very robust and quality machine..but no longer..because why? because people demand cheap junk. The manufacturers often must provide it if they want to stay in business.

I blame the buyer for buying a machine based only on price..should have done more research first.
Those buyers are the reason the plastic transmission gears exist in the first place.

I have been mowing the lawn for seven summers now with my $250 1964 Wheel Horse:



53 years old, and working fine.
I bought it on purpose because I knew what it was and what it could still do, even at half a century old.
that's quality! :)

Scot
 
#6 ·
The Tractor had a Good 21hp engine, seat, deck, and Tires, and Parting it was Plan B. Just Found it Hard to Believe the Transmission was Plastic.
 
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