Caveat Emptor - We had a terrible experience with Outdoor Power Equipment.

We paid considerably above the going private sale and auction prices for our tractor.  I did this because there are no dealers near where we live and I wanted a machine that was in very good condition. Bill Pride guaranteed us that it was: 1) single owner, 2) stored inside, and 3) in very good mechanical condition. He also committed to cover any costs if the machine arrived with any significant problems.

The day it arrived, our local mechanic thought the engine sounded bad.  However, Bill assured us this was typical of this model.

But when we went to do regular maintenance we found that all the mechanicals in the engine compartment were corroded. We couldn’t even get the filters off.

We were forced to have the machine transported to a regional dealer for maintenance.  As soon as they heard the engine they informed us that something was really wrong.  They also found that the corrosion was so bad that some of the loader pins had to be drilled out.  The only reason that the loader went up and down was that some of the frozen pins had actually cracked, as had the stabilizer bar.

We arranged for an expert from Deere to examine the tractor and he confirmed that the engine was likely no good.  Mud and corrosion up under the bonnet even suggested the machine might have been a flood salvage.

As of this review, we seem to be stuck with a bad engine and a bunch of costly repairs.    

And the WORST THING about Outdoor Power was that Mr. Pride kept telling me -  over almost 6 months - that he was going to make good on his commitment, BUT HE NEVER DID.

UPDATE:

As I expected, in the end Mr. Pride refused to honor any of the commitments he made.

At this point I have been determined that our “single owner, stored inside machine” was:

1. Purchased by Outdoor from a Massey dealer.
2. Purchased by Massey from “another dealer”
3. Purchased by that dealer from “another dealer”
4. Purchased by that dealer from “Landscape Snow Removal Company” who Mr. Pride claims purchased it new…
5. But neither the loader nor backhoe buckets are the kind a snow removal company would order, so I have my doubts…