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Posted: 1/18/2006 6:58:07 AM EDT
I had not heard of Snapper till today, I may very well make them my next Mower purchase!! Here is the story.......money.aol.com/fastco/general/canvas3?id=20060117113809990019......
 
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Posted: 1/18/2006 7:09:00 AM EDT
[#1]
 Snapper just moved to the top of my buy list for next time.
Here is the PROOF that you don't get the same product at Walmart |
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Posted: 1/18/2006 7:12:45 AM EDT
[#2]
Adapt or die. You just killed your chances of making money at the consumer-level.
Welcome to the niche market. |
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Posted: 1/18/2006 7:13:59 AM EDT
[#3]
It sounds like he just make a sound marketing decision.
Why sell high-quality, premium price point items at Wal-Mart? 1. He would have to drop his price for Wal-Mart. Plenty of small businesses go bankrupt trying to meet "low price" requirements. Ask plenty of former GM suppliers. 2. The appearance of "Snapper" at Wal-Mart would erode his brand image. I don't recall Wal-Mart stocking premium electronics, either. They usually carry a lower priced item from the same manufacturer or not at all. Plenty of manufacturers have resisted Wal-Mart. Usually, they're higher end brands or higher-end items that don't fit with Wal-Marts "low price" stragegy. However, the title of the article makes it sound (at first glance) like a stand of principle and not a business decision. |
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Posted: 1/18/2006 7:14:53 AM EDT
[#4]
Our hardware suppliers went to China.
They continued to give us long lead times on parts We went around them and buy from China directly. Business Suicide 101. Once Snapper goes offshore to meet Walmarts demands, there's very little to stop Walmart from going direct and bypassing Snapper altogether |
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Posted: 1/18/2006 7:17:05 AM EDT
[#5]
Even John Deere is offering a lesser brand at some stores, and I don't believe John Deere makes the mower (MTD, IIRC). But your reasoning is misleading. You do get the same product at Wal-Mart. If it says "Mower, Model ABC", it's the same "Mower, Model ABC" that the local lawn-garden store is stocking. However, there's a limited chance that both will stock the same model and often, certain models are only made for Wal-Mart. |
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Posted: 1/18/2006 7:17:39 AM EDT
[#6]
I have a Snapper that I purchased new in 1985 and it is the best mower I have ever used and owned. The origional engine would still be going if I had not ran over a brass lawn sprinkler in my neighbors yard. I reengined with a Honda engine and I think it is going to last for at least ten more years.
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Posted: 1/18/2006 7:18:28 AM EDT
[#7]
tagged for later
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Posted: 1/18/2006 7:20:13 AM EDT
[#8]
Wal-Mart is the Devil!
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Posted: 1/18/2006 7:22:31 AM EDT
[#9]
If I didn't just buy one a year ago, I would definately get one of these..
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Posted: 1/18/2006 7:22:46 AM EDT
[#10]
Chances are that Wal-Mart has already designed the mower (in China)and just wants to put the "Snapper" premium name on the box. Where's Tommy Boy when you need him? |
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Posted: 1/18/2006 7:28:15 AM EDT
[#11]
Never heard of Snapper! Dude, what mower do you think Forrest Gump used to mow the grass when the leaders of Greenbow Alabama gave him a job? |
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Posted: 1/18/2006 7:28:26 AM EDT
[#12]
Weir is a smart guy! Snapper Comet has been a premium brand for 50 years. Can'tblme the man for not denigrating his brand and screwing over his long established dealer network.
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Posted: 1/18/2006 7:32:12 AM EDT
[#13]
Snapper used to make a GREAT lawn tractor, but the quality of these has fallen off. My Dad finally replaced his 20 year old Snapper Hi-Vac with a 1998 or so model, and the thing has proven itself to be a pile. I am still using a 15+ year old tractor and it works great. The newer ones are JUNK!
Old Snappers are great, but the newer ones have already been redesigned with sub quality parts, design and lighter construction. What is the sense of perceiving your products to be worth 50-100% more than they are? Snapper used to be quality, but anymore, I believe that they are losing their reputation with their "modern" lineup that doesn't have the quality and longevity to backup the image. Might as well sell them at Wal*Mart... BTW - I love the Anti-Walmart bias in the story. |
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Posted: 1/18/2006 7:33:21 AM EDT
[#14]
You've never heard of Snapper? Maybe they're a regional company, but they're easily in the top-three best-known brand names for mowers here. I wouldn't have another brand of mower unless it was given to me. My dad used Snappers, and I'm currently using one of his hand-me-down Snappers. It's run every year for the last 20 with zero maintenance except adding gas and oil as needed and cleaning or replacing the air filter every few years.
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Posted: 1/18/2006 7:36:39 AM EDT
[#15]
Glad my family prefers Snapper mowers ALREADY.
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Posted: 1/18/2006 7:40:12 AM EDT
[#16]
I learned to use a riding lawnmower on my Grandpa's Snapper. That mower was a good bit older than me. |
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Posted: 1/18/2006 7:40:42 AM EDT
[#17]
[george carlin] I aint never seen a snapper that could mow grass![/george carlin]
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Posted: 1/18/2006 7:41:06 AM EDT
[#18]
I just bought a Snapper Hi-Vac mower this past season. All made in USA. Great mower so far.
Snapper is not an 'entry-level' mower. Their products do not fit the Walmart image of cheap. ETA pic 
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Posted: 1/18/2006 7:41:25 AM EDT
[#19]
I was just thinking about buying a new mower.
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Posted: 1/18/2006 7:46:43 AM EDT
[#20]
While I like Wal-mart, I admire the guy for standing up for what he believes is best for his company and not bowing down to idiocy
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Posted: 1/18/2006 7:47:29 AM EDT
[#21]
You do not always get the 'same' product. An item I mold for a customer had a large sale to 'WM'. The material spec on the item was Virgin material only, no 're-grind', Pass a go / no-go gauge, and color match to sample. The 'WM' product was spec'd at 50% re-grind and pass a, 'yep it looks ok' inspection. This is not a uncommon practice for 'WM' products. I do know for a fact that at least 1 major power tool Mfg'r. does the same for 'HD'. |
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Posted: 1/18/2006 7:48:50 AM EDT
[#22]
sounds good to me.
wal mart would want the 300$ mower for 200 next year,then 100, reducing quality and then the name. good job |
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Posted: 1/18/2006 7:52:38 AM EDT
[#23]
Making a line of lesser quality products and slapping a name on them does nothing to further your product's brand image.
Wal-Mart is great for the mass marketed crap that I need. However, there is a lot of stuff that I will not buy at Wal-Mart. Tools, Auto parts, cameras, guns, paint, hardware, etc. I would rather go to a small dealer and buy something that lasts. Besides, I appreciate a guy behind the counter who knows what the hell he is talking about. Not some $7/hr flunky. I dont mind paying more money for a quality product that lasts. Hell, Sam Walton pointed this niche market startegy out in his book as a way for small businesses to be competitive. |
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Posted: 1/18/2006 8:09:14 AM EDT
[#24]
John Deere alter Ego is "Scott" brand mowers different plastic, pretty much the same innards. |
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Posted: 1/18/2006 8:16:17 AM EDT
[#25]
These mowers were marked with the "John Deere" brand and green paint, but were made by MTD. These were mowers that did not appear, in any similar form, in John Deere's original catalog. Completely new for a lower price point. |
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Posted: 1/18/2006 8:18:08 AM EDT
[#26]
Did that plastic component go into the same item (SKU and all) as the other component? Chances are that the parts are different in some way, either model/SKU or private/store brand. Clarified: You could make the plastic cover to the chain drive on an MTD mower. MTD makes many of the major brand names, so that same cover could go to a Wal-Mart branded mower or another brand. Same basic part, but the end item differs only by brand. Wal-Mart knows its name isn't premium, so they cut corners on their version of the part. But I doubt that somebody like Black & Decker offers the exact same tool/vacuum but chooses to segregage the parts bound for Wal-Mart and use a cheaper part. If so, that item would have a different SKU (for tracking) and most likely a different internal part number. |
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Posted: 1/18/2006 9:03:23 AM EDT
[#27]
It is a finished item as molded. It is ‘WM’ specific packaging and SKU. |
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Posted: 1/18/2006 9:09:20 AM EDT
[#28]
Ha ha ha..Snapper high quality...
I bought a brand new one 3 years ago..it went tit's up in a month..took it back, got another one...it didn't last a month either.. Took my money and got a MTD at Wal-Mart..still going.. Hey if he does not want to sell at Wal-Mart, it's his choice...he's the one that has to live with it..that and his employees. |
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Posted: 1/18/2006 9:14:37 AM EDT
[#29]
my snapper rider has been perfect. my yard is rough on them and this one has lasted 3 years with nothing but an occasional blade sharpening and oil change.
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Posted: 1/18/2006 9:19:19 AM EDT
[#30]
Well there you go. It's an item especially produced for Wal-Mart, and their spec is a lesser-quality part. I beat this dead horse because some people claim(ed) that Remington sells the same rifle, but in a lower quality, to Wal-Mart. As if Remington was picking out the bad rifles and shipping them to Wal-Mart. Unproven, of course. |
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Posted: 1/18/2006 9:20:42 AM EDT
[#31]
Wow! That looks sweet  Samuel |
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Posted: 1/18/2006 11:16:12 AM EDT
[#32]
The problem with some brands going with Wal-Mart is this:
Said brand, such as Snapper, has been years and millions of dollars creating a name for itself. In this case, one that stands for quality and performance. Something that costs more, because its WORTH IT. Now - by selling in Wal-Mart you do two things. 1) Is, you have just changed your brand from an upscale one, to a bargin retail one. 2) You WILL be forced to cut corners to match Wal-Marts cut throat pricing demands. One example of this is Vlassic. They spent millions convincing people to pay $4 a jar for their pickles. Then wal-mart makes them sell a GALLON of pickles for the same price. Suddenly, their whole brand association goes down the tubes and they lose money. I love walmart. Walmart has done a lot to keep inflation down, and to provide us with cheap crap. But its not for everyone or every thing. |
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Posted: 1/18/2006 11:34:12 AM EDT
[#33]
Incorrect. Mowers are made by John Deere, although there are some slight differences than similar models sold at independant Deere dealerships. John Deere made the mowers that were marketed under the "Scotts" brand 5-6 years ago. They were selling so well that John Deere decided to just go ahead and quit hiding their name under the orange paint, and sell them as Deere's. I have a 6 year old Scotts push mower, that clearly has "Made by John Deere" on it. It still runs great to this day, and when I went to get parts for it from my John Deere dealer the model # on my mower was exactly the same as the John Deere mower that year.... Good luck to Snapper, I am in the market for a used riding mower, and the old rear-engine snapper has always been one of my favorites, just can't find a good deal on one. BTW, Lowe's just announced that they will carry Deere this year, and Home Depot just announced that they will carry Cub Cadet and Toro riders this year as well. Wal-mart is going to have a tough time finding another brand to call their own..... |
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Posted: 1/18/2006 12:16:08 PM EDT
[#34]
How many of you have seen an advertisement for an appliance or a mattress or electronic device from one of the big box stores and in the ad they claim they will match any price and pay you an additional %10 if you can find it cheaper? Ever try? Well of course it is contiginet on you finding the exact same model elsewhere at a lower price. Won't happen. Chains like Circuit City and Best Buy and Home Depot, etc. contract with companies for specific models at a specific price point with certain features. And they all have unique model numbers. Often, you won't find that model listed on the mfr's website or literature. Just the way it works and it's a big game & all about marketing & $$$. Do your research.
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Posted: 1/18/2006 12:21:14 PM EDT
[#35]
Murray mowers from Wal-Mart are crap. We went through three Murrays in the lifetime of mt grandmother's Snapper. Meanwhile, my grandfather (my mother's father) used a Yazoo self-propelled mower that was 40 years old for his lawn.
Snappers aren't quite as good as Cub Cadet/White/MTD. MTD(the low-end of the Cub Cadet line) are about as good as Murray. Cub Cadet uses Briggs and Stratton engines for the CC's and the Whites, but Tecumsed in the MTD's. I think Snapper also used Tecumpseh now..Gotta go with Briggs and Stratton.. Forrest Gump used a Snapper, they've been making mowers the same way for years. |
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Posted: 1/18/2006 12:26:17 PM EDT
[#36]
Good for him. WalMart can take a hike. I can't believe that some of you have never heard of Snapper.
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Posted: 1/18/2006 12:27:55 PM EDT
[#37]
There is another way to do business with WM. Give in to their price demands by charging your other customers more even if those customers give you more total business than WM. That's what Michelin does. Typical French business tactic. Screw your old loyal dealers and sell your soul for market share.
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Posted: 1/18/2006 12:51:19 PM EDT
[#38]
That's probably correct. You call up Xhinguabay Machine Factory and tell them how many thousand units you want with the #3 deck, #4A wheels, #2 handle, and #5C motor, and they tell you how much it will cost, when they can be delivered, and whether you want a nonstandard color. |
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Posted: 1/18/2006 1:18:51 PM EDT
[#39]
The last Snapper I had I purchased used from a mower service company. We have a sod farm nearby who uses Snappers to cut the sod fields. The mowers are treated like crap and last about two seasons and are traded in. The service company rebuilds them, engine and tranny and sells them cheep. They look rough but they work like new, used it for three years before I moved and sold it for more then I paid for it because it was a Snapper.
Now if Snapper does not want to lower their products to Wally World standards that is fine with me. The John Deere mowers that you buy at Home Depot are not the same as what you buy at a JD dealer, people see the name and think that they are getting the same quality but it is not true. If I was in the market for a new lawn mower Snapper would be first on my list from past experiance. But the Wheel Horse (old one) that has cast iron trans axles and cast iron frame cannot be repaired I will consider a snapper. |
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