Mowers & Growers
Versatility, convenience and a smooth ride.
Today, when shopping for lawn and garden equipment, consumers want more than completion of the basic function.
Rick Bombara, a salesman at West Central Equipment in Butler Township, said the great outdoors generally move to the forefront of people's minds come spring.
“It's Deere season,” said Bombara, who specializes in products made by John Deere.
And whether they own a small yard with a lot of landscaping or a clear back 40, property owners generally consider mowing a top priority from the equipment they buy.
Bombara said this is the season for helping customers find a mower with the engine power and deck size to best suit their yards and pocketbooks.
Although John Deere no longer makes push mowers, some people prefer to use them, so West Central Equipment, which formerly was owned by Builder's Square/Maple Mountain, sells Honda push mowers.
Bombara said many people are interested in small garden tractors or zero turn mowers to get the grass cut.
But for those who have $11,500 to $23,000 to spend, a hot item is the subcontract utility tractor, said Matt Wolf, who also is a salesman at West Central Equipment.
The “1 Family” series is just what it claims to be: a mini-tractor with four-wheel drive and power steering coming standard. But what this tractor can accomplish is up to the homeowner and the gizmos he or she outfits it with.
More than 20 attachments are available, including everything from a tiller, a bucket, a sprayer, a spreader to a rake.
It can travel up to 9 mph, and it runs on diesel fuel.
Wolf said more and more people realize the long-term cost of landscaping and instead desire to own a piece of equipment that negates the need for outside help. Especially interested are people who recently built their homes and have a long list of landscaping chores ahead of them or do-it-yourselfers at heart.Just about the only thing the subcontract utility tractors cannot do is mow the grass for you.“But they are working on that,” said Wolf, noting a product similar to those that vacuum without supervision is in the works by John Deere.Also popular right now are the “gators,” which are small utility vehicles. People who buy them say they plan to use them to haul firewood or food for livestock or other work items about the property. However, Wolf said, there's no denying that when it comes to these vehicles, “there is a fun factor.”In April, West Central Equipment is relocating from its site in Alameda Plaza to 170 Pittsburgh Road, which is the former Zanotti building.“That site is just a better fit for us,” said Bombara.Agricultural equipmentWhen it comes to agricultural equipment, the saying, “The more things change, the more they stay the same” apparently holds true.In the 25 years since Ken Hardt took over Smardt Equipment on Route 422 in Prospect, many things about farming and the needed equipment have changed, while a good share of it stays the same.Acres and acres of farmland, for example, have been replaced with shopping malls and housing plans.Those farms that remain have gotten smaller, yet product yield is expected to be larger.Farming remains a fickle business. That is because the economy, the critters and even the rain can impact the bottom line.But many of the customers walking in the door are the same faces of the past or generations of the same family. Additionally, the basic function of equipment in demand is unchanged: farmers still have a need to plow, bail hay and forage.For years, agricultural machinery sales were steady, said Hardt, who specializes in tractors, skid steer loaders, compact track loaders, hay equipment and zero turn mowers.But only recently, Hardt said, there's been an uptick in sales due to an improving economy, good products on the market and the extra income that the Marcellus Shale natural gas and oil industry has brought to some large property owners.Some farmers are using their profits to reinvest in the vocation. Business at Smardt Equipment has increased 20 to 30 percent in recent years.“I had a guy walk in here the other day and say he was going to buy his first new tractor,” said Gary Kissinger, sales manager at Smardt Equipment.In addition to old school farmers, the customers at Smardt Equipment are weekend farmers, landscaping contractors, municipalities and school districts.Most purchases are need specific and not based on whim or whistles and bells.However, cab tractors that can provide the user with air conditioning in the summer and heat in the winter are becoming more in demand as their prices drop. Kissinger said customers are looking for easier hook ups, easier operating systems and more powerful equipment.“Technology keeps advancing,” Kissinger said.However, cutting edge technological advances, like GPS precision planting, isn't in as much demand here as it is in northern and western farms, Hardt said.New Holland is the primary brand of tractor Smardt Equipment sells. The manufacturer has supported its equipment for many years, and the company works with Penn State to be sure its offering the equipment farmers want and need.While Smardt Equipment also offers other brands including Woods, Grasshopper, Husqvarna, Walker, Befco and Rhino, it also sells used farming equipment.
<b>Address</b>:170 Pittsburgh Road<b>President</b>: David Slezak<b>Website</b>: westcentral- eq.com<b>Employees</b>: 15<b>Mission statement</b>: Delivering experience, integrity and value every time.
<b>Address</b>: 1165 New Castle Road, Prospect<b>President</b>: Ken Hardt<b>Website</b>: smardt- equipment.com<b>Employees</b>: 10<b>Mission statement</b>: At Smardt Equipment, we pride ourselves in providing you with the right equipment the first time to meet your agricultural, commercial and residential needs. Our products, service and years of experience have helped us establish a strong reputation for quality sales and service.
