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Hey Guys-

I am pretty set on a Liberty Z with a 52" deck and the Kawasaki motor. Local dealer is quoting me $4,750 + tax. I haven't started haggling yet, just researching what they're looking to get out of it. They are also doing 0% financing for up to 48 months.

Just curious what you guys think about how much can be had off that price?

Thanks!

If they have any leftover 2018's around, that is where you could haggle best imo. Cash talks too.

Dealers around here aren't budging on new mower prices.

Most dealers around here will give you a coffee mug with purchase. No money off the price.

So I’ve talked to 3 different dealers so far. They all list the mower from 4500-4750 and none seem eager to move off that price. I’m going on Saturday morning to visit the dealer that is my favorite just based on our phone conversation.

Is this like a car dealership where I need to be ready to buy now in order to get anywhere with them? I’m not planning to bring my trailer yet I don’t want that image to affect me when talking with them.

Rob89 said:

Hey Guys-

I am pretty set on a Liberty Z with a 52" deck and the Kawasaki motor. Local dealer is quoting me $4,750 + tax. I haven't started haggling yet, just researching what they're looking to get out of it. They are also doing 0% financing for up to 48 months.

Just curious what you guys think about how much can be had off that price?

Thanks!

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Unless you're buying used, I've found most dealers are set on their price. Some have contracts with the manufacturers and have to sell at suggested retail.

The dealer I’m visiting on Saturday is a family owned and run place that sells only mowers. They are not your typical “commercial” type dealer. I’m thinking if there is any chance of flexibility on price it will be at this type of place. Plus I’d prefer to buy from the local guy than the commercialized chain stores. I won’t be bringing my trailer but I would be willing to do paperwork on the right unit at the right price and under the right terms. I’m heavily leaning towards the Liberty Z however I haven’t forgot about the Bobcat CRZ.

I think the guy I spoke to said they have a leftover Liberty Z from last year still in stock. Their inventory sits inside so I wouldn’t have to worry about it being out in the elements the past year. If they can do a deal on that one I might be game on it. Worst case is it would need some fresh gas and a good charge on the battery.

I'm partial to the small family-owned dealerships myself, but they're probably the least likely to give a large discount due to their low volume and higher cost per $ to keep their doors open. But they're likely to care about their reputation, be more personable and more eager to try to help you within their ability should you have a problem with your machine. That's been my experience anyway. My experience is that things tend to fall through the cracks at the larger dealers. More people means more chances for miscommunications and conflicting answers, wrong parts etc.

I agree. They say they sell 600+ units per year. I'm trying to decide whether or not to bring the trailer. I was decided against it but then again it could help me. As a sales person myself in the real estate industry, if I meet a new client and they are not pre-qualified for a loan I don't jump to help them as fast as I would if they were pre-qualified. Imagining myself as a lawnmower salesman, I think I would be more motivated to help the guy pulling in with a trailer in tow vs the guy who pulls in without a trailer.

Rob89 said:

I agree. They say they sell 600+ units per year. I'm trying to decide whether or not to bring the trailer. I was decided against it but then again it could help me. As a sales person myself in the real estate industry, if I meet a new client and they are not pre-qualified for a loan I don't jump to help them as fast as I would if they were pre-qualified. Imagining myself as a lawnmower salesman, I think I would be more motivated to help the guy pulling in with a trailer in tow vs the guy who pulls in without a trailer.

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A couple of other things to think about.
1. They make money delivering.
2. They make money when you finance.
3. They make money when you use their repair shop.
So go in like you need it delivered and are going to finance and can not work on anything at all. These are real bargaining tools. I have even had to finance something once to get a better deal. I waited for the first payment and paid it off.

My family Dealership delivers FREE. But I imagine that is factored into the price.

They have end of year sales. So they can make room for the next year models. I got over $400. off my Toro back in Aug 2014.

And I did almost the same as BlazNT, lined up the 0% financing & 2nd payment it was paid off.

It goes a lot like this.
Dealers get their stock on finance from the factory.
This is generally either a set number of days to pay in full or a small deposit ( to cover freight ) then x days interest free to pay full price.
So as the mower approaches the pay by day, dealers are keen to off load it.
Other wise it is then sitting on their floor at overdraft interest rates , or they did not eat that week & paid for it out of accumulated profits .
Once they have paid the factory for it there is no real incentive to sell it quickly and definately no incentive to sell it cheaply.
But there is an incentive when the pay by day approaches.
People find this confusing when they see 10 identical mowers in a shop but only one is marked down $ 200.

Weather you are the lucky one who gets the discount or not is all about timing & your relationship with the dealer.

I do know people who will drive around 15 dealers every day for 3 months till they get the deal they want .
Generally they then boast about how good a shopper they were and how skilful their negoiations were.
They never bother to mention that they spent 300 hours of their time & $ 100 in fuel to get $ 200 off the full retail price.

Now if you were buying a piece of throw away junk like a Husky RZ shopping for the cheapest price might be worthwhile.
However if you are buying something that should have a very long service life a few hundred off the retail price is nothing compared to solid dealer support

I just paid cash and ordered a Liberty Z 36" for $4100 out the door (with free delivery and an extra set of blades). Sales tax here is like 8.8% so it's almost like a few hundred off MSRP ($4199 I believe?). I have no prior relationship with my dealer.