Backstory: I purchased a brand new Dixie Chopper Pursuit 1836D (walk-behind) from a local dealer.



Got it home, it operated for about .5 machine hours and stops moving. Dealer came to pick it up, I was pretty peeved at the time and said I wanted a refund, dealer said "no," so I bent over and took it.



Dealer fixed the mower (and did a little redneck engineering to reinforce he part) and returned it to me after 2 weeks in the shop.
I've mowed with it 2.5 times since then and, at 7.4 machine hours, it throws a deck belt. I call the dealer to order a new belt and says "that shouldn't happen" (no kidding) and offers to come pick it up and service it under warranty. He has had it 2 weeks and 4 days now (since I bought it, it's been in their shop longer than it's been in my garage) because he can't get a belt for it from DC.  He has inspected it and claims that setting the cut height to the highest setting caused the problem because, at that height, the belt is angled so far that it rubs on one of the pulleys. He's told me that he's waiting for permission from Dixie Chopper to implement a home-made solution to raise the drive pulley up so that it's in a better line with the deck. He even said with an eye-roll that DC talked about sending a "deck engineer" out to the shop to figure out what needs to be done to resolve the problem. I also think that sounds stupid but w/e. Anyway, he also says it's a huge pain trying to get them to call him back and that they (the dealer) are and have been considering dropping the whole line (even before this happened).
So I'm looking for suggestions from anyone who has possibly dealt with this sort of situation before. My main problem is in contacting Dixie Chopper. They make it pretty difficult to get a hold of anyone there. If the dealer can't get them to call/email back, how am I supposed to get in touch with them? I'd sell the mower at a loss and just call it my "stupid tax" but I can't get the mower in my garage long enough to show it so my only other option is to contact the company and see if they'll consider doing a little more to get the problem solved. Any suggestions?

I would keep after the dealer.

From what I've read and seen, 3lbs of Tannerite should work.  ;)

7mm

I would go after the company. Sounds like a lemon. Not trying to hi-jack, but highly recommend a honda mower. Mine is bulletproof and takes almost zero maintenance.

ETA: didn't click link, $5k mower is a whole different beast. Still go after company.

 
Just watch out for your legs. Stand behind a stump or something.


Haha... Stump.

Oooooooh man trust me....if I had the money to blow up a $4k mower without missing that dough, I would do it in a heartbeat. I'd wait til the 4th of July and make a freaking event out of it.





 

Came to post this.

That's my current strategy. It's just that, every time I talk to him, he says DC either hasn't gotten back to him with permission to go ahead with the fix and/or that the part still hasn't come in from them.



 

Came here to post this.

Contacting Dixie Chopper is actually the problem. I can't get past their phone bank. I've requested to be contacted via the online contact form on the website a few times but to no avail.



 

I'd want to exchange it for another brand or different model.
I'd tell the dealer to make it happened and if he wanted to make a customer for life.
The dealer could give you a better model at his cost and keep you or have a disgruntled customer for life.

Dealer cost and you throwing in a few buck would be what I would shoot for if you wanted a better machine.

I would tell him that is his problem NOT mine.
New mower or money back.
Did you pay by CC?

How did you pay for it?

If by CC is take it up with them.

That sucks.  How you get it resolved.  I guess now I know why I've heard them referred to as Dixie Crappers.

At this point it's between the dealer and DC.  Sorry for your luck Mr. Dealer but business is business.  They sold you a mower that they advertised as actually being able to mow.  It is not able to mow, therefore it isn't a mower.  Get your money back.  I'd steer clear of that dealer in the future because it's fairly obvious they knew there was a problem with Dixie Chopper.  A $4,000 mower should mow grass.  

Be sure and invite their "deck engineer" out to witness the event ! ! !

Looks like Dixie Chopper has a Facebook page.

Maybe a post there describing their poor service would get them motivated.

You have a manufacturer warranty, use it and the legal rights that come with it.

I'd personally start working DC's phone bank of useless employees and play climb the chain. All the first person you get is going to do is get your ass off the phone as cheaply and quickly as possible so you don't waste time with them, you immediately go to their supervisor because anyone lower is a dead end, hen go from there.

Be calm, polite, and keep moving up the ladder and keep ALL names and contacts written down, that way, if it ever goes ''legal,'' you have the info needed to prove who were involved. [and none of them will want to give you their name]

The dealer isn't your enemy, the namufacturer is, use your dealer to your advantage.

All the best.

I've never heard of Dixie Chopper but sounds like their customer service sucks.  Their website features that bozo from the duck dynasty show which would give me reservations about them.

IMHO you have been plenty patient.
I'd hit the FB page referenced and I'd be physically at the dealer until I had a solution I could live with.
This time of year, you need a mower. At a minimum they either need to loan you something you can use while they sort it out with DC or they could mow it for me.
But then, I don't do well with being ignored. You push me to be "the squeaky wheel" it's on Cuz.
It's as simple as just not accepting their "no" as the answer. My success rate is roughly 100%.

Those mowers used to have a good reputation before Textron bought them out. Seems like everything they touch turns to shit. (Ez-Go, Jacobsen, DC)

You need to keep working on the dealer and Dixie Chopper, who is owned by Jacobsen Textron.



Dealers of mine that have Chopper are very unhappy with the quality of machines coming out since the purchase of the company. They were bad before, but really bad now.



BTW, the mower is aptly named.



As someone else mentioned, hit up their Facebook page, most MFG's are watching that very close.

fmc did the same thing years back

Thanks for the suggestions, everyone. I've been working relentlessly on my deck this weekend so I haven't been watching this thread very closely but I'm starting to like the FB page idea. My only concern with that was that I was afraid of making too public a stink about it since I might still be stuck with it and have to sell it on CL or something.

See if the dealer will take it back. They knowing sold you a hunk of junk and that the manufacture has bad customer service.

They have offered me a loaner a couple times. I've been hesitant to take them up on the offer in case things come become litigious and maybe accepting a loaner could be used against me in some way.



I don't know what I'm doing.