Exclusive Sneak Peek: Mower Trends 2022

In our upcoming March issue, we ask lawnmower OEMs to weigh in on everything from design and technology trends to customer wants/needs, 2022’s supply-chain challenges, their best advice for OPE dealers and much more.

Here’s an exclusive sneak peek at just a few of the comments, and be sure to check back here when our March issue goes live later this month:

On electrification: “The interesting thing about electrification is that we are serving two very different needs from homeowners and the commercial sector. Homeowners are largely turning to battery-powered equipment because they want to – it’s a choice they’re making. Contractors, on the other hand, are seeking battery-powered options because they need to. Municipalities, states, even neighborhood associations are telling them that they have to make the switch to battery due to noise and environmental pollution concerns. To serve these commercial customers who are running equipment all day, we need to provide a battery with significantly more capacity than what we use in residential equipment.”
David Dwight, senior director, product management, Briggs & Stratton

On the link between equipment and customer relationships: “Dealers should consider carrying brands that have a full bandwidth of mowers – small, large and everything in-between. It’s more convenient for consumers when they can purchase most or all of the equipment they need from one place. It also feeds into fostering a dealer/customer relationship, which is crucial from price shopping to regular maintenance. Commercial and residential buyers need to trust the brand and the dealer.”
Brad Unruh, director of new product development, Hustler Turf

On robotic mowers: “Like any emerging technology, autonomous and robotic mowers have the potential to disrupt and reinvent the way landscaping businesses are run. Innovation, after all, is the key to driving industries forward. But it can be difficult to discern what’s worth the investment – both in time and money – when it comes to autonomous and robotic mowers. While the future will inevitably be a little more hands-free, dealers and landscapers must evaluate which autonomous products can drive value now, and which are simply shiny concepts behind glass displays.”
— Aaron Griffith, Cub Cadet Pro national sales manager

On the supply chain: “We will continue to see significant supply chain issues in 2022, engines and other critical components will see shortages and will limit supplies of some machines. Some manufactures are building machines that they can build even if they must make an engine change. Another large driver is the cost of expediating materials those will eventually find their way to the consumer who ever that may be.”
— Tom Vachal, Kubota senior turf product manager

Advice for 2022: “Dealers across the country have seen increased customer demand. Yet we’ve also seen customers willing to wait longer to secure the mower that’s right for them and their needs. As 2022 gets underway, I encourage dealers to continue focusing on high-quality equipment that maximizes uptime and serviceability for end users.”
Steven Benedict, turf care product line manager, Kioti Tractor

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