Lowe's Wheel Horse Tractors

[mae 78]

I just posted my first post in the Introduction section and was thinking.  I seem to recall Wheel Horse made a decision in the 80's to sell their units to Lowe's which upset their dealer base.  The product seemed the same but were not red but as I recall were gray in color.  This did not last long because the independent dealers threw a fit.

I'm wondering if anyone recalls this or may have one of these Lowe's units.  Forgive me if I'm wrong but I'm pretty sure I'm remembering this correctly.

Mike

[lynnmor 8,631]

23 minutes ago, mae said:

I just posted my first post in the Introduction section and was thinking.  I seem to recall Wheel Horse made a decision in the 80's to sell their units to Lowe's which upset their dealer base.  The product seemed the same but were not red but as I recall were gray in color.  This did not last long because the independent dealers threw a fit.

I'm wondering if anyone recalls this or may have one of these Lowe's units.  Forgive me if I'm wrong but I'm pretty sure I'm remembering this correctly.

Mike

Wheel Horse made a gray line of tractors named Work Horse, I don't know if they were ever sold at Lowe's, maybe someone on here knows if that line of tractors were ever sold at other than Wheel Horse dealers.

[Racinbob 12,771]

The gray units in the mid 80's were the GT series. I bought a new 84 GT-1100 at a dealer. I basically grew up a stones throw from their plant in South Bend and never heard of them being sold at a big box store. That talk comes up every now and then. 

[wfrpalm 218]

I do not think Lowes was around in the 80's, not in Ohio at least.

[lynnmor 8,631]

1 hour ago, wfrpalm said:

I do not think Lowes was around in the 80's, not in Ohio at least.

They were around and it was a place you could buy an entire home, unlike today where it is a holiday decorations and patio furnishings store with some pieces of twisted lumber.

[pfrederi 19,919]

By 1962, Lowe's operated 21 stores and reported annual revenues of $32 million.^[

[rmaynard 16,873]

Lowe's was founded in 1921.

[WHNJ701 4,169]

1 hour ago, lynnmor said:

They were around and it was a place you could buy an entire home, unlike today where it is a holiday decorations and patio furnishings store with some pieces of twisted lumber.

Come on, for 12.97 a twisted pressure treated 2x4x8 is a deal.  Thankfully we have 2 local yards close.  Wood is straight and actually cheaper than Lowes or depot

[rmaynard 16,873]

18 hours ago, lynnmor said:

...unlike today where it is a holiday decorations and patio furnishings store with some pieces of twisted lumber.

I know we have gotten off the track here, but I don't know what has happened with framing lumber of today. My father-in-law was head of construction for a large firm in Baltimore. From around 1960 on, he would bring home unused supplies from job sites that would otherwise be thrown away. After he died in 1993, we cleaned out his old chicken house. There was a stack of lumber that was at least 20-25 years old. Each 2x4 was as straight as an arrow with no twisting. You won't find that today even if you pick through a whole pallet.

[WHX?? 55,063]

Back in the day lumber was properly dried. Can't be doing that today that costs lumber makers money! 

 

Back on track here Lennox and other brands started selling furnaces & ACs in big boxes. The buyer then had to or were supposed to contact bona fide contractors or dealers to install it and that's where the the buyer got taken to the house.

Us dealers were gonna make our margin no matter what so it didn't tick us off. 

Joe home owner would get a price for me and then look at what he could buy it for at a big box and DIY. What lovely installs I have seen. Then Joe would want me to warranty it! Same with internet sales.

I would get those calls and told people flat out I can't help them. I got enough problems with the crap that went through my doors.  I  did throw the manufactures under the bus and give the guy their customer service number. Suspect big boxes did the same and referred people back to the dealers so an endless circle of headaches for the buyer. 

Lennox always told me they would never sell at big boxes or the the internet but they were liars. They make their money by moving boxes so go figure. 

It was always their low end stuff that was junk even if it was installed correctly. 

 

I don't know if  did this with their low end gray tractors or not but it wouldn't surprise me although big boxes were not nearly as big in the early 80's as they are now.

Can you say super Walmart?!?!? You want that new chainsaw go to a outdoor power dealer who can service it. 

Edited April 4, 2022 by WHX??

[oliver2-44 11,218]

@mae I know this is an old post, but thought I'd share. 

Back in the day there were not many Wheel Horse dealers in Texas. The few that were around were in the NE and East side of Texas.

For what it's worrh, an older gentleman at a tractor show told me the Lowes in Bryan College Station (home of Texas A&M college)  sold wheel Horses for a few years back in the late 70's or early eighties. 

Someone has that Lowes listed on the Dealer list thread on this site.

[kpinnc 17,177]

I remember Wheel Horse (not Work Horse) being sold at Tractor Supply. I only ever saw them once, but they were there. This was in the early 1990s, and I remember it clearly because I was in the process of rebuilding my first tractor. I needed some reference and used those tractors to help with my own.  

[Retired Wrencher 6,454]

On 4/3/2022 at 10:56 AM, Racinbob said:

The gray units in the mid 80's were the GT series. I bought a new 84 GT-1100 at a dealer. I basically grew up a stones throw from their plant in South Bend and never heard of them being sold at a big box store. That talk comes up every now and then. 

Man that must been cool being next to there plant. Did you ever work in the plant?

[Racinbob 12,771]

40 minutes ago, Retired Wrencher said:

Man that must been cool being next to there plant. Did you ever work in the plant?

 

No, never worked there but I did get to tour the plant. That was in the square hood era. Some years later, after they moved out, the plant was up for sale and the company I worked for was considering buying it. There was considerable evidence of potential ground contamination where the paint line exhaust was. It was disclosed and the new buyer had to assume clean up. We backed away.

[Retired Wrencher 6,454]

I miss going to the dealerships and talking to people who worked there. Another thing gone in our life.

[Racinbob 12,771]

We knew a lot of people that worked there. One that always comes to mind was a Justice of the Peace. He had a garage and basement full of thousands of Wheel Horse parts and basically running a business on the side selling stuff. I was young but remember my dad saying he wouldn't buy anything from him because it was clear how he 'refreshed' his inventory.

[c-series don 11,390]

@Retired Wrencher I too miss that. Even though I was just a kid at the time I enjoyed going to the dealership and talking to the salesman and the owners. I remember walking around to check out customers tractors that were in for service or repair. Not to mention the brand new Wheel Horses that were in the showroom that I would drool over! 
 

@Racinbob Sounds like he did it like the Johnny Cash song, One Piece at a Time! In his lunch box! 

[Racinbob 12,771]

3 minutes ago, c-series don said:

@Retired Wrencher I too miss that. Even though I was just a kid at the time I enjoyed going to the dealership and talking to the salesman and the owners. I remember walking around to check out customers tractors that were in for service or repair. Not to mention the brand new Wheel Horses that were in the showroom that I would drool over! 

 

 I did the same. I had personal relationships with the owners of Chandlers, Highway 19 (later Countywide) and Stan and Teds Wheel horse dealers. Neat stories with all three.

 

6 minutes ago, c-series don said:

 

@Racinbob Sounds like he did it like the Johnny Cash song, One Piece at a Time! In his lunch box! 

 

It must have been a BIG lunchbox.

[WHX?? 55,063]

1 hour ago, c-series don said:

Not to mention the brand new Wheel Horses that were in the showroom that I would drool over! 

Yep ... Late 80's I'd walk into a dealer looking for parts for my old 1067 square hood and they had new shiney  3, 4, 500s sittin there. I'd check out the fancy lookin PTO hoops and go wow. Then I'd look at the price and my drool & dreams were gone...