Buyer Beware @ Lowes

kaiser715

kaiser715

Doing hard time
Joined
Jun 1, 2006
Location
7, Pocket, NC
Decided to pickup a a new riding lawn mower, and picked one out at Lowes. Checked stock online, our local store was out of stock of the one we picked (48" Husqvarna), but they showed one in Southern Pines. Hooked up the trailer, and headed down there this afternoon. Looked it over good, then went to the L&G desk.

I asked the guy a couple of easy questions....

Are they ready to run? Yes. Gas, oil, everything. We can crank up any of them and you can check it out.

Do y'all drive them up front from the back of the store when you set them up? Yes, of course, why not...

I pointed out that the one we wanted had no oil...not a drop showing on the stick, never had a drop in it.

He says "we can put some in it".... I says, well, if it's been run the cylinder is probably already scored.

Who wants to run by there tomorrow or Sunday and see if that model (the 48" Husquvarna) either A) still has no oil, or B) they've added oil and are gonna sell it to some sucker.

And of course, when it blows, warranty won't cover it, because they'll say it was run w/o oil, and has to be operator error. Somebody's gonna get screwed!
 
I just bought a push mower at wally-world. Same thing no oil but the difference was it was not assembled. It also had a quart of oil attached to the dipstick port and about 10 warnings that it didn't have oil in the crankcase and to add before trying to start. I would be surprised if they drove it around but who knows now days. Did you open the gas cap and smell for any petroleum?
 
those riders at lowes probably have all those warning stickers too.... but were graciously removed by the highly intelligent workers of lowes.
 
That's the way everything has to be shipped, these days. Even the batteries should be separate, otherwise, it a Hazardous shipment.
I got to get to my Lowe's, & check this out! Btw, all I see are cabled & padlocked, I doubt they bring them in at night, but looking to see about that, too.
 
I worked at lowes for a whole they are brought in on pallets put together and driven to the front. I cant ever remember seeing any oil out where they put them together just a gas can
 
I went to go buy a wheel barrow from them, every one that had been "assembled" were missing nuts and the ones that were there were only finger tight...... I'd hate to see how well the lawnmowers are assembled
 
Even bicycles I've inspected at walfart have been poorly assembled. I had a decent mongoose bike fall apart on me first day.
I don't trust anything not put together by my own hands with a few exceptions.
 
I will say most people that work there don't know anything about what they are trying to sell you. The people that put everything together are the dumbest propel there in most cases
 
Loganwayne said:
I will say most people that work there don't know anything about what they are trying to sell you. The people that put everything together are the dumbest propel there in most cases
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This is true. In my younger years I worked at both Sports Authority and Sears. Even at 16 years old, I was amazed at how dumb and careless some of the assembly guys were. I always wanted everything new in the box with ALL the parts.
 
Loganwayne said:
I will say most people that work there don't know anything about what they are trying to sell you. The people that put everything together are the dumbest propel there in most cases
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I agree. I used to be a plumber and sometimes I would work a late night side job and have to run to Lowe's to get stuff. It always amazed me the advice the"plumbing" guy at Lowes would give people as I was looking for what I needed. Never ask those guys for advice all they know is where the supplies are located and sometimes can't tell you that either.
 
There are always two different qualities of product in this case. You can buy a Husky or John Deere mower from Lowes...or you can buy one from a dealer. They're completely different machines! I wouldn't have either one, but my point remains. You'll usually get a better warranty from a dealer too. My lawnmower (52" Ferris) has 4 years and the weedeater (Echo 288T) I bought back during the summer has 5 years! I'll probably never have a problem with either of them.
 
Years back I started to apply as a bicycle assembly tech for one of the contracting companies that does bikes for Wally world. Basically to make any money you had to assemble 1 bike every 5 minutes. No joke.

I have seen the workers driving the mowers in and out around me. Guess it varies per location???

Oil is overrated anyway...
 
I bought a cub cadet at Home Depot a couple years back after pricing them everywhere. After purchase I got a call from the local Cub Cadet dealer about the warranty period. They told me that these are assembled at the local Cub Cadet dealer...
 
When I bought my Poulan from Sam's in 07 they wanted to sell me the display model. I told them I wanted one in the crate still. They thought it was an odd request, but I wanted one they had not had an idiot working on.
 
On my usual Sunday visit to Wally, I stopped at my Lowe's, which is next door to Wally's. First I checked the mower units on the outside. There are only 6 left, & they stay outside, cabled & padlocked! Everyone was full of oil, but No gas. Only 2 that seemed to have a slight gas smell,in the tank. Checked the 6 mowers inside, all full of oil, gas has never been put in the tanks, & then even noticed the gas filters were visible. All the filters are clear, & not a drop in them. So no way, they had been run. I was going to check the outside units filters, but got distracted & forgot. I seriously think the Lowe's employee, that said they drove them [without oil], is full of Crude!
 
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rodney eppes said:
On my usual Sunday visit to Wally, I stopped at my Lowe's, which is next door to Wally's. First I checked the mower units on the outside. There are only 6 left, & they stay outside, cabled & padlocked! Everyone was full of oil, but No gas. Only 2 that seemed to have a slight gas smell,in the tank. Checked the 6 mowers inside, all full of oil, gas has never been put in the tanks, & then even noticed the gas filters were visible. All the filters are clear, & not a drop in them. So no way, they had been run. I was going to check the outside units filters, but got distracted & forgot. I seriously think the Lowe's guy that thought they drove them without oil, is full of Crude!
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I said i never saw any oil sitting where they put them together like I did gas, I never looked at what all was in the pallet they may ship with the oil.
 
Loganwayne said:
I said i never saw any oil sitting where they put them together like I did gas, I never looked at what all was in the pallet they may ship with the oil.
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I changed my wording; What I meant was the Lowe's employee, that told you they drive them around. I still think there shipped dry, but once at the Store, the oil is added.
 
rodney eppes said:
I changed my wording; What I meant was the Lowe's employee, that told you they drive them around. I still think there shipped dry, but once at the Store, the oil is added.
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I don't know about all stores but at the one I worked at they drive them around, BUT that could be because it's one of the few lowes that the contractor supply area (most of the lumber Sheetrock and other stuff like) that is outside behind the store, where the mowers are put together. But the oil could be shipped with the mowers just not in the mower.
 
I worked for Lowes for two years in that exact department, a few stores in our district got ripped off so its now common for them to bring them in and out of the store. It just depends on district rules, managers etc. Before that, and in some stores still, they were just padlocked outside all the time. The vast majority of the stores, at least back then, did not allow employees to ride the mowers in and out of the building. At the store in Boone, we did not allow it and tried to pass it along to other stores in the district. A couple of reasons for this: Putting time on the hour meters since it becomes a "used" mower, having to keep fuel on hand and small amounts of shitty ethanol fuels in the gas tanks not knowing how long these machines would sit or be in our stock, general dumbassery by most mouth breathing and thicknecked employees. We had a fairly knowledgable staff in that department back then and better than most other stores I went to. But most good people have been run off by being overqualified or the bonus' being taken away by corporate. Most of the returns we saw up there were from seasonal people who ran shitty gas, no Sta-Bil or similar stabilizer and/or overfilled the oil and complained about it smoking. Mowers, trimmers, saws, etc all the same. I scored a few nice pieces for my own use for dirt cheap because of those returns. Its going to be hit or miss as to what you get there these days, but honestly, if you have 2+k to spend on a rider (not financed, Lowe's card/financing is a whole other deal), I would get a quality used model from one of your local equipment dealers.
 
The Lowe's in Lincolnton pushes the mowers in every night.
 
GotWood said:
The Lowe's in Lincolnton pushes the mowers in every night.
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As do the ones in Raleigh.

I only know because if I'm at Lowes, I'm there near closing time.
 
StretchASU said:
I would get a quality used model from one of your local equipment dealers.
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the Poulan (AYP built - same as everything you see in Lowes, Home Depot, and sears) I bought new in 07 is named the Hemorrhoid and for good reason. It is the one that requires the most maintenance and attention. It has needed head gaskets, carb, deck spindles, fuel pump, fuel lines, and still has a weird electrical gremlin.

My 81 Sears GTV18 has been completely trouble free with the exception of the filter in the fuel tank plugging up. The 90 Craftsman III with eh 18 HP Kholer needed a drive belt and a fuel filter when I got it. Thing will cut through tall grass in 6th gear. I will never buy a new tractor again.
 
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