There is a lot of excellent lawn and garden equipment for the home gardener to choose from today. The last few years has seen a rapid development of quieter, reliable, and more efficient machines. We have also seen a vast improvement in the availability of good timely parts and service from dealers of brand name equipment.
Pricing between major brand name manufactures has also become very competitive. The home gardener will find that the cost difference between a quality reliable piece of equipment and marginal products made for the large discounters is not all that great. Factoring in cost of replacement parts, service costs, and loss of equipment use, the higher priced but better built machine may just be more economical. The old adage you get what you paid for definitely applies to lawn and garden equipment.
While a brand name in itself does not insure a good product, it is a major step in the right direction. Today, more than ever before, a manufacturer cannot afford to turn out a poorly made product. Word quickly gets out about shoddy poorly designed equipment.
Brand name manufacturers, also cannot afford to have bad, poorly trained dealers represent them in the market place. Service is more than just a buzz word today in the lawn and garden industry. Quality equipment means good service, quality parts, and timely repair. Fortunately the days when anyone could call themselves a dealer just by selling a few pieces of equipment are gone.
So how should you begin looking for a piece of equipment? Look for brand name equipment from local dealers who service what they sell. By service we mean providing more then just that shinny new mower, we mean timely service and quality parts. The dealer should be your resource center, they should freely provide information (this does not mean just handing you a brochure) to help you select the best equipment for your needs.
Good dealers like good manufactures want your repeat business! These are the people who will go out of their way to help you, they know and use the products they offer.
