Snowblowers
A comment by a friend on a recent post once again brings up the idea of selling snowblowers at the shop. I could have (possibly) sold several this season so far, as I've had at least five people inquire about buying one from me, but I haven't any to sell. Part of the problem is that there are already a few other players in this market: The local co-op sells Poulan and Poulan-Pro snowblowers, Robertson's Implements sells Husqvarna, and the local John Deere dealership sells John Deere. However, with the possible exception of John Deere, these are all (IMO) just your basic consumer-grade (IE: relatively cheap) snowblowers. I can say from the experience of repairing one last winter that the Husqvarna machine was just a Poulan-Pro machine with an orange paint-job instead of yellow. All of the parts I had to order for it came back as Poulan parts. This isn't particularly suprising, given that they're all the same company (H.O.P. - Husqvarna Outdoor Products)
When I first opened the shop in town (in 2011) I thought about bringing in the Arien's line of snowblowers. My friend had one on his farm, and from what I had seen it was a very well-built, solid machine. This is important: So many of the "consumer level" machines these days are rather cheaply made with light "stamped steel" housings, plastic bearings, plastic chutes, and fancy-looking accessories that are just gimmicks (IMO) that are prone to failure. Do you really need a "single joystick controlled" chute that is controlled by cables? Or do you need a good, solid chute that you aim by turning a crank, and adjust the angle of deflection by a solid set-screw? Sure, the former is more convenient, until the plastic handle breaks, and/or the cables rust out and seize up. Do not confuse gimmicks with quality.
The problem with the Arien's line, is that they required a minimum investment of $10,000.00 worth of inventory! That's my cost, not retail! Now, being that these are high-end machines with a price-tag to match, that's maybe a dozen or so machines. Even so, the market is only so big, and unfortunately people tend to want to buy cheaper machines, even if they lack the quality. This throw-away mentality that modern society has is frustrating, so say the least. At the time, I didn't have a floor-plan in place, and the shop was too new to jump into that. Things have changed though, and last summer I brought in the Country-Clipper Zero-Turn mowers on the GE floor-plan. Now the problem is that my floor-plan is still pretty much maxed out until I get the last of the clippers sold, as well as some other smaller items that were purchased on the plan. Either that, or until I pay out the plan; It's basically a commercial line of credit.
It's too late to bring in anything on a floor-plan anyway; These things have to be booked well ahead to take advantage of the benefits of a floor-plan, but it may be something to think about for next year. I need to see what the current line of Arien's machines looks like; I know what they looked like two years ago, but are they still being built as solidly as they were then, and prior? I won't sell a line that's not superior to what people can get for a cheaper price at one of the other retailers in town. I want to be known as a shop that sells and supports superior goods, not just another mass-merchant outlet. Yes, you'll pay more - but you'll pay more once, instead of paying "less" multiple times.
When I first opened the shop in town (in 2011) I thought about bringing in the Arien's line of snowblowers. My friend had one on his farm, and from what I had seen it was a very well-built, solid machine. This is important: So many of the "consumer level" machines these days are rather cheaply made with light "stamped steel" housings, plastic bearings, plastic chutes, and fancy-looking accessories that are just gimmicks (IMO) that are prone to failure. Do you really need a "single joystick controlled" chute that is controlled by cables? Or do you need a good, solid chute that you aim by turning a crank, and adjust the angle of deflection by a solid set-screw? Sure, the former is more convenient, until the plastic handle breaks, and/or the cables rust out and seize up. Do not confuse gimmicks with quality.
The problem with the Arien's line, is that they required a minimum investment of $10,000.00 worth of inventory! That's my cost, not retail! Now, being that these are high-end machines with a price-tag to match, that's maybe a dozen or so machines. Even so, the market is only so big, and unfortunately people tend to want to buy cheaper machines, even if they lack the quality. This throw-away mentality that modern society has is frustrating, so say the least. At the time, I didn't have a floor-plan in place, and the shop was too new to jump into that. Things have changed though, and last summer I brought in the Country-Clipper Zero-Turn mowers on the GE floor-plan. Now the problem is that my floor-plan is still pretty much maxed out until I get the last of the clippers sold, as well as some other smaller items that were purchased on the plan. Either that, or until I pay out the plan; It's basically a commercial line of credit.
It's too late to bring in anything on a floor-plan anyway; These things have to be booked well ahead to take advantage of the benefits of a floor-plan, but it may be something to think about for next year. I need to see what the current line of Arien's machines looks like; I know what they looked like two years ago, but are they still being built as solidly as they were then, and prior? I won't sell a line that's not superior to what people can get for a cheaper price at one of the other retailers in town. I want to be known as a shop that sells and supports superior goods, not just another mass-merchant outlet. Yes, you'll pay more - but you'll pay more once, instead of paying "less" multiple times.