If you are having trouble buying Garden Tractor Attachments, or they seem to be unavailable for an unspecified time, here’s my ongoing story.
I decided it was time to buy a rock rake (also known as a landscape rake) for my Garden Tractor at the end of MAY 2021. Agri-Fab builds the only Rock Rake for Garden Tractors that operates like a 3-point rock rake for actual tractors, but attaches to a Garden Tractor manual sleeve hitch or power sleeve hitch, there are other brands that make rock rakes for Garden Tractors that attach to the rear sleeve but work as a trailer, on wheels, and not being compact or easily maneuverable, like a 3-point would be.
Agri-Fab Rock Rake, Works like a 3-point rock rake on an actual tractor,
As opposed to the trailer types which look like this DR,
As I was looking for the Agri-Fab Rock Rake, they were all coming up as no longer available or something to that effect at the usual box stores that supply Agri-Fab products.
Like this from Home Depot, and Lowes was similar...
I found one on Amazon for $100 over the usual going rate, but, as it turned out, they didn’t actually have one in stock (though said they did).
Tractor Supply sells Agr-Fab products but wasn’t selling the rock rake.
Rural King wanted over $150, just for shipping fees, to ship from the factory, with no ship to store option available (that shipping price was more than half the cost of the rake). The Rural King Rep was very courteous, and professional, though they were surprised by the high shipping fee too.
Northern Tool which normally carries in stock Agri-Fab products, didn’t sell the rock rake at all, and then I found Gempler’s, a company I had never heard of before.
Gempler's were still actually selling the rock rake and said it was actually available and had free shipping, ….SOLD. Or so I thought.
I have become a bit spoiled with Gempler’s personalized customer service and received all the usual update emails and a confirmation that my rock rake would be shipped by 30JUN2021. Not the first time I’ve waited for a quality attachment (Johnny Products, Johnny Bucket Jr, and Uni-Power Sleeve all took approximately 4-6 weeks to ship).
However on 29JUN2021, I received another update stating that the rock rake ship date is now pushed back till SEP 2021. Gempler’s was obviously trying to do what they could to get my rock rake on it’s way, but it’s simply out of their hands. I want to point out here that my local box store selections wont even try to get this product for their customers. Thank you to Carl (owner of Gempler’s) and his Family and workers for going the extra mile for their customers.
So then, I started thinking, and became concerned that Agri-Fab may have stopped building the rock rake, and maybe it was never going to come. After all, with all of the other craziness in today’s market and unreliable supply, who knows whether they will even be in business tomorrow. So, I called Agri-Fab directly.
Calling Agri-Fab was surprisingly easy. I waited approximately 5 minutes to talk with a real human being, and he was located at the factory complex area. Even though Agri-Fab is a manufacturer to the brands, they still took the time to answer my questions and the man I talked with was very professional, patient, and reassuring. (He gets these questions all day long, every day, but took the time anyway.) I told the Agri-Fab customer service rep I was concerned about the rock rake being discontinued and that I would just be waiting indefinitely.
His answer… Simply put, it turns out that I am waiting, because they are waiting. Waiting on raw material, specifically, steel. A whole manufacturing company, sitting idle, waiting on “normal” supply, to become “normal” again. The Agri-Fab rep said, the boats are slow, the trains are slow, the trucks are slow. There you are.
I was reassured that, as soon as they get the steel they have been waiting on, my rock rake will be built and will ship…. And, if any are wondering, Agri-Fab assured me they have no intentions of discontinuing the rock rake, as it’s apparently a good product for them (and they are the only ones that build it for a sleeve hitch).
So, suggestion…. If anyone else out there is having trouble getting the lawn care attachments they want, or think they are unavailable, maybe try to call the company direct, if you can get someone to answer their phones (I’m sure I’m not the only one who has noticed that many companies won’t answer phones anymore), and order ahead, being persistent.
A special word on Gempler’s,
Gempler’s is a privately owned Home and Ranch store in Wisconsin and if I could convince them to build here in Florida, I would. This store has actual customer service, relevant stock, and keeps their customers informed. I can’t give this store enough praise, but to say, if your tired of being a number, give them a try, you won’t be disappointed.
GT
I decided it was time to buy a rock rake (also known as a landscape rake) for my Garden Tractor at the end of MAY 2021. Agri-Fab builds the only Rock Rake for Garden Tractors that operates like a 3-point rock rake for actual tractors, but attaches to a Garden Tractor manual sleeve hitch or power sleeve hitch, there are other brands that make rock rakes for Garden Tractors that attach to the rear sleeve but work as a trailer, on wheels, and not being compact or easily maneuverable, like a 3-point would be.
Agri-Fab Rock Rake, Works like a 3-point rock rake on an actual tractor,
As opposed to the trailer types which look like this DR,
As I was looking for the Agri-Fab Rock Rake, they were all coming up as no longer available or something to that effect at the usual box stores that supply Agri-Fab products.
Like this from Home Depot, and Lowes was similar...
I found one on Amazon for $100 over the usual going rate, but, as it turned out, they didn’t actually have one in stock (though said they did).
Tractor Supply sells Agr-Fab products but wasn’t selling the rock rake.
Rural King wanted over $150, just for shipping fees, to ship from the factory, with no ship to store option available (that shipping price was more than half the cost of the rake). The Rural King Rep was very courteous, and professional, though they were surprised by the high shipping fee too.
Northern Tool which normally carries in stock Agri-Fab products, didn’t sell the rock rake at all, and then I found Gempler’s, a company I had never heard of before.
Gempler's were still actually selling the rock rake and said it was actually available and had free shipping, ….SOLD. Or so I thought.
I have become a bit spoiled with Gempler’s personalized customer service and received all the usual update emails and a confirmation that my rock rake would be shipped by 30JUN2021. Not the first time I’ve waited for a quality attachment (Johnny Products, Johnny Bucket Jr, and Uni-Power Sleeve all took approximately 4-6 weeks to ship).
However on 29JUN2021, I received another update stating that the rock rake ship date is now pushed back till SEP 2021. Gempler’s was obviously trying to do what they could to get my rock rake on it’s way, but it’s simply out of their hands. I want to point out here that my local box store selections wont even try to get this product for their customers. Thank you to Carl (owner of Gempler’s) and his Family and workers for going the extra mile for their customers.
So then, I started thinking, and became concerned that Agri-Fab may have stopped building the rock rake, and maybe it was never going to come. After all, with all of the other craziness in today’s market and unreliable supply, who knows whether they will even be in business tomorrow. So, I called Agri-Fab directly.
Calling Agri-Fab was surprisingly easy. I waited approximately 5 minutes to talk with a real human being, and he was located at the factory complex area. Even though Agri-Fab is a manufacturer to the brands, they still took the time to answer my questions and the man I talked with was very professional, patient, and reassuring. (He gets these questions all day long, every day, but took the time anyway.) I told the Agri-Fab customer service rep I was concerned about the rock rake being discontinued and that I would just be waiting indefinitely.
His answer… Simply put, it turns out that I am waiting, because they are waiting. Waiting on raw material, specifically, steel. A whole manufacturing company, sitting idle, waiting on “normal” supply, to become “normal” again. The Agri-Fab rep said, the boats are slow, the trains are slow, the trucks are slow. There you are.
I was reassured that, as soon as they get the steel they have been waiting on, my rock rake will be built and will ship…. And, if any are wondering, Agri-Fab assured me they have no intentions of discontinuing the rock rake, as it’s apparently a good product for them (and they are the only ones that build it for a sleeve hitch).
So, suggestion…. If anyone else out there is having trouble getting the lawn care attachments they want, or think they are unavailable, maybe try to call the company direct, if you can get someone to answer their phones (I’m sure I’m not the only one who has noticed that many companies won’t answer phones anymore), and order ahead, being persistent.
A special word on Gempler’s,
Gempler’s is a privately owned Home and Ranch store in Wisconsin and if I could convince them to build here in Florida, I would. This store has actual customer service, relevant stock, and keeps their customers informed. I can’t give this store enough praise, but to say, if your tired of being a number, give them a try, you won’t be disappointed.
GT
