Best time to buy ?

[MJlawncare]

I can't decide when to buy my ZTR. They do have some great financing right now ( 0% for 48 months no payments till April 2013) but I have a feeling that will be around next March. Any opinions ?

 

[lawn mower fanatic]

I would say now through the new year would probably be the best time. Then you start getting the rush of people buying mowers when the grass starts growing, and the prices go up.

 

[Ric]

Here it's November thru January, they're marking things down to sell before they get the new stuff in for the next year.

 

[djdicetn]

I can't decide when to buy my ZTR. They do have some great financing right now ( 0% for 48 months no payments till April 2013) but I have a feeling that will be around next March. Any opinions ?

MJlawncare,
The 0% financing for 48 months is attractive to many, but think about it. The Finance Company has to charge somebody something or they would go out of business. Sometimes it's a flat fee and sometimes it's a 1-2% of the sale price but you can bet the dealers don't "take that loss" and they simply add it to the price they quote you. So you really don't get "free financing" now do you? I know everybody can't do this, but I just bought a new Gravely Pro-Turn 152 XDZ using money I had in savings from a previous employers Early Retirement buyout. I offered the dealer about $1,000 below MSRP for a cash out-the-door price(tax title & delivery) and it was about $450 less than the "on sale price" with the 0%/48 month financing(plus tax) and the dealer didn't even hesitate to accept. I'm just saying if there is any other way for you to get a deal without the 0% financing gimmick you could save yourself several hundred bucks.

 

[Exmark fan]

0% is no gimmick. Sure there might be a 2% buy down fee. Maybe 200$. Maybe they worked into your payments for 48 months. That's 4$ extra a month. Or you can spend your savings of $6000 on a mower. And you drained your saving account just so you don't have to pay a $200 fee. And deferred payments till April is even better. You don't start paying until grass season starts back. Just my 2 cents

 

[djdicetn]

0% is no gimmick. Sure there might be a 2% buy down fee. Maybe 200$. Maybe they worked into your payments for 48 months. That's 4$ extra a month. Or you can spend your savings of $6000 on a mower. And you drained your saving account just so you don't have to pay a $200 fee. And deferred payments till April is even better. You don't start paying until grass season starts back. Just my 2 cents

Exmark fan,
Well I admit, "gimmick" may not have been the best choice of words but I still think my advice to purchase via a cash sales price will save anyone several hundred dollars which no matter how you slice it is a good thing. And, another detail I didn't mention is that I am about a year from retirement and monthly payments post-retirement were not a good idea in my case. I realized if I didn't "invest in a ZTR for retirement now" I would most likely be stuck with maintaining my old lawn tractor for the rest of my life because I would probably not spend that much of my savings after retiring. And you are right, I figure of the extra $450 I knocked off the sales price about $200 was the "finance package fee" and the rest was just driving a hard bargain with the dealer. I still feel good about paying $6,280 for a commercial ZTR that lists for $7,200 and if I simply set back $500/month into savings over the next year I will recoup the money I shelled out for my retirement. And again, the $450 savings will almost completely make that first deposit(or make up $37.50 of each month's deposit over the next year). Since savings accounts currently pay negligible interest acccrual I really didn't give up any significant earning on that money for the next year. Anyhow......that's just me and thought I'd throw the idea out there for the OP to consider.