lwc@mgweed.UUCP (Larry Ciesla) (12/04/85)
My old snowblower is tired and I need to replace it soon. I am considering buying a John Deere because they seem to have a reputation of good quality. They cost considerably more than what an "off brand" conterpart costs, and I wonder if that is because of their added production costs to yield higher quality, or if they can simply demand, and get, a higher price based on their perceived higher quality. For example, the JD model 524 is a 5 HP model that retails for about $900.00. It's cutting width is 24", comes with a 5 speed transmission, and offers as options electric start, drift knife, tire chains, and headlight. An off brand Atlas model A1032 sells for about $940.00, comes with a 10 HP engine, has a 32" cutting width, bigger tires and frame, and offers the same options as the JD. Help!! Can anyone speak first hand for the quality of the JD? As the above examples show, you can buy almost twice the machine for the same money if you buy an off brand. (By the way, both machines are powered by Tecumseh engines.)