Just curious if there are problems with distribution of mowers. I'm looking to buy a 30 inch gas powered riding mower. I found a Craftsman that's exactly what I want and when I ask Craftsman where to buy one I get referred only to Lowes. I go to Lowes and the store has zero, you can't order one online and the store can't order one for me. I found the same mower as a Cub Cadet and Cub Cadet says that I can get one at Home Depot. Same story as the Craftsman at Lowes. Can't get one. Went to a Cub Cadet authorized dealer and asked if they could get one and the answer was no, not available. I can buy one on line at a internet store but it's a 2021 not a 2022 model but their price is high and you have to pay shipping and it's delivered by a semi driver in your driveway and you have to assemble the mower. I'm uncomfortable paying over $2,000 for a mower that may be Dead on Arrival and would prefer to deal with a dealer or a big box store but all I'm hearing is too bad, so sad. Anyone know what is going on.
From the top
1) B & S went bankrupt in 2020 and that caused a major disruption & shortage of engines
2) Covid disrupted the supply of components & sub assemblies from everywhere and in particular from China
A lot of USA "made " mowers should have a sticker that says "assembled in the USA for 100% imported parts "
Also there was a shortage of very cheap Chinese steel for the bits that are uneconomic to be made in China to be made locally.
3) shortages of chips for ignition coils
4) shortage of empty containers to ship the stuff in
5) massive back log at ports causing delays & shortage of space on freight ships
6) lots of freight ships quarrentined because of rampid covid outbreaks
7) shortage of supply means that the mowers at the factories will go firstly the full price paying customers ( dealers ) before they get supplied at cost with free shipping to Walmart , HF, Lowes & the like on replacement credit
8) worker shortages at local factories due to covid.
Those 950,000 USA citizens who died were not all homeless bums & aged care residents , some worked at factories involved with mower making .
The 50,000,000 who got Covid & survived also were not available to work for at least a month , then add to that all of the close contacts who had to stay home & isolate for 7 to 21 days.
All of that will have a drastic affect on the supply of everything , which includes mowers .
Last year was a shocker
Everything I had that could be made to run was sold , and there were a lot with no warranty because they were not in good shape but any mower is better than no mower.
Had covid not struck big time down here it would have been worse, but we got locked down for 4 months so a lot of my customers used that time to repair their old mower that they kept because the used market was pathetic ( because of all of the crooks & shysters selling painted & polished rust ) .
Don't expect it to be much better for the rest of this year & most likely a good part of 2024 if not 2025 .
Now the USA is always waxing lyrical about haw fabulous the free market is and how wonderful it works.
Part & parcel of that is supply & demand
When demand outstrips supply then the prices go up big time. which is the part of the free market economy systems that is always kept quiet in favour of shouting about competition forcing prices down.
It is a two way street & right now all the traffic is going in the other direction .
There is a reason why the US inflation rate is currently 8% and some are predicting more than 10% for the full year, and it is not because you are all flush with money spending more than the system can provide .
