As you begin shopping for lawnmowers, you quickly realize how expensive they can get. You know you have to have one of these machines but you’re also on a tight budget. When hunting around for a lawnmower, you want to ensure you get the best price possible.
But can you negotiate lawnmower prices? Yes, you can definitely negotiate the price of a lawnmower. However, it will depend on who and where you’re buying it from. For instance, it’s going to be difficult to haggle with a national corporate store than it will be with a mom-and-pop shop.
How Do You Negotiate Lawn Mower Prices?
Your ability to negotiate the price of a lawnmower will impinge on where you’re looking to buy it. However, you can think of it as something like buying a car, especially if you want to get a riding lawnmower. This is going to be an investment you will expect to have in good, working order for decades to come.
Commercial Stores
Also take into account that a place like Menards or Home Depot won’t haggle their price with you. Unless the company has a price matching program, don’t expect to negotiate the price of the lawn mower. For big warehouse-type stores, you will have to wait for it to go on sale and stay on top of their announcements.
Private Shops & Online Sellers
But, if you’re going to your local, privately owned shop or you’re buying from someone online, haggling will be easier. When going for this option, you want to do as much background research on the lawnmower as you can. Consider the brand, quality, age and average normal price.
Also hunt around for the same model in your vicinity and see what prices other people are selling it for. It doesn’t have to be in your own city, you could go further away. This is just for weighing and balancing the options. Then evaluate this against the lawnmower offered from the place or person you’re looking to negotiate with.
Haggling Techniques
If you’re going to a brick-and-mortar place, bring cash but a little less than what their asking price is. When you walk in the door, act as though you’re considering other lawnmowers and don’t look excited. But, be friendly and courteous.
When the salesperson announces the price, tell them you can only go as high as what you have on you. But also mention you’ll be able to pay in cash. While this is isn’t a guarantee they’ll come down in price, it does help grease the wheels.
Negotiating Online
In the case you’re buying from an individual or dealer online, then you want to ensure the seller has plenty of detailed pictures. This will be especially important if you’re opting for a used lawnmower. Also, ensure they’re honest about their description and everything that’s potentially wrong with the mower.
However, if you do buy online, ensure you can actually see the machine before you buy it. So, try to find a mower that you can easily drive to. If it’s going to ship from somewhere far away, then you want to ensure you can get all the details about the mower you can.
Also pay attention to the seller’s behavior, mannerisms and attitude. If the seller is averse to having a detailed conversation, wants to rush the sale, has a poor response time and/or has iffy-looking pictures, move on to something else. Additionally, see if they have any promise they can give in writing if there’s a defect with the mower.
What Time of Year is Best to Negotiate the Price of a Lawnmower?
The time of year will be a crucial factor in being able to haggle for the price of a lawnmower. May through July will be difficult to negotiate a lower price because of the high demand for mowers in summer. This means you should make your haggling attempts in early spring, fall or even winter.
Negotiating in Winter
In regards to negotiating in winter, though, there are a few things of which to take note. First, you’ll probably get the best price around because this is an item that rarely, if ever sells, during this time of year. But, you can’t let the machine sit around in your garage and wait to mess with it in the spring.
When you bring it home or upon delivery, you must inspect the machine. You want to check for any loose or missing parts as well as strange sounds from the motor. This means you’ll also want to repair anything that needs fixing or replacing. Depending on where you live, this might be difficult to do in winter.
Fall Is Best for Negotiating
Because summer is over and winter is around the corner, sales for lawnmowers slow down in autumn. This means big-box stores and private dealers will quite possibly have a fabulous sale. They do this to clear the space for snow blowers and other winter equipment. So, August or September will be most ideal.
The only pitfall with buying a lawnmower in autumn is that there won’t be much of a selection to choose from. What you’ll see is often the leftovers from the spring and summer stock. Chances are, this will be slim pickings. However, if you’re not terribly particular about it, you’re sure to find an excellent deal on a lawnmower this way.
Where Are the Best Places to Negotiate Lawnmower Prices?
If you want to get a better price for a lawnmower, it’s best to go to independent dealers rather than corporate stores. However, sometimes the larger-named retailers will have sales that will be better and less hassle than trying to negotiate a better price. So, it’s about keeping your eye on your local area.
Check around for sales and compare prices for lawnmowers and similar models from everywhere that offers them. Be a keen consumer and do as much research as you can for the model you want.
Hi, I’m John Stephens, chief editor and writer for Totalgardener.com. I’ve been gardening and raising animals for over 15 years starting with a small backyard plot in Northern Virginia where I grew corn, potatoes, squash, and using a high mulch technique called the Ruth Stout Method. I also raised ducks and small mammals for meat and eggs in a movable pen similar to the ones used by Joel Salatin. I later moved to Colorado where I experimented with growing greens using aquaponics inside. I eventually added a microgreens setup and home sprouting operation. I’m excited to share everything I’ve learned plus more from the other local gardening and animal raising experts I know.
