Outdoor Power Equipment (Lawn Mowers, Snow Blowers, Chain Saws and more) Discussions

I was always told you get what you pay for....I see a lot of people asking about buying snowblowers. A typical snowblower will last 15-20-25 years...depending on how well it is taken care of. People will ask about saving $300-$400 dollars and want to get the "less" expensiver models.

If you think about being out in your driveway with the END OF DRIVEWAY pile and your snowblower won't go through it.....you will certainly be kicking your self in the rear for not spending the extra $300 dolllars. It is people like this that will go and spend $50-$100 for drinks or going out for 1 night but a long term decision such as a snowblower they "cheap out".

Personally I went with the Ariens PRO 26, but other manufacturers have high end series also. Myself, I work in quality assurance in a machine shop. We really need to support domestic manufacturing.

So in the end, don't cut yourself short on your purchase, there is nobody on here that is going to retire early on the $$ differential between the "budget" models and "high end" models. Get the best that you can afford, and you won't be out in the cold kicking yourself saying ..."if only I would have spent the extra money".

Just my advice.

PROUD OWNER OF AN ARIENS 926037 PRO

best deal I found at    http://www.mchenrypowerinc.com/

www.ariens.com

bus708 wrote:

Quite honestly, it is not the intent of any American to quantify an offhore puchase but the price differential vs the quality is out of sync.

Orginized labor costs, EPA regs, and CEO paychecks are without a doubt driving American manufacturing into the mud.

Once upon a time the cliche' used to be "This piece of  ##$&%F was made in Japan" only today its America.

Recently the GM CEO was complaining that Uncle Sam would not let him raise his pay... Only 9Mil this year and that doesn't even make a dent on the income of the chairs whom you amazingly don't hear a peep out of. If they would put 1/4 of their salaries back into product development like they should be doing you would see how fast American business and our economy will begin to revive.

When the number 2 line item on every business plan in America is to outsource everything you can as soon as you can how can you expect growth?

Our US economy is predominantly supported by a manufacturing and agricultural base and until this country changes its business ethic and gets off the greed machine it is going to stay in the mud.

Believe me, no American  would mind paying a little more for an onshore product especially if they knew it would keep Americans working, but the core reason that American products are not selling has very little to do with quality and all to do with greed.

Starwarrior

bus708 wrote:
So, you frown upon consumers buying offshore products?

Is it OK by you for the domestic manufacturers to move jobs offshore?   OK for them to have their components and/or final products built in China?   Then we as consumers are to continue buying their brand simply because it has a domestic name?  Domestic manufacturers send our jobs away and we should keep giving them our business?    Sounds fair to me......NOT.

By the way, your comments about Japanese engines being crap is, well, incomprehensible.   You haven't been off the planet.  You left the galaxy!