Lawn Mowers Cut Decibels For a Price

March 25 -- How much will Americans pay to avoid annoying their neighbors?

Briggs and Stratton Corp. hopes they will cough up roughly $40 to $50 extra for a quieter lawn mower. The Milwaukee-based company this spring is introducing a mower engine that it said is 64% less noisy than standard versions.

So far, this quieter engine is available only on two Craftsman mowers sold at Sears stores. Briggs, the world's largest maker of gasoline engines for outdoor power equipment, based on sales, said the new engines may be installed in other mower brands eventually.

Rival engine maker Kohler Co. said it also has made its motors quieter but declined to provide details. A Honda Motor Co. spokeswoman said she lacked the data needed to say whether that company's mowers had become less noisy in recent years.

Briggs said it has been able to reduce the racket mainly because it has found a way to slow the spinning of the blade without sacrificing cutting ability.

Mowers are noisy partly because much of the time they are running faster than necessary to cut the grass. Standard engines typically run at about 3,100 revolutions a minute when they are started, then slow as the blade hits resistance in slicing through grass, Briggs said. The rotation of the crankshaft varies from around 2,800 rpm when the blade is cutting thick or wet patches of grass to more than 3,000 rpm where the grass is less dense.

A fuel governor on the new Briggs engine increases the flow of gas to the engine when it runs into denser patches of grass, so the speed remains steadier at around 2,800 rpm, Briggs said, and the use of a flatter blade reduces noise further. The two Craftsman mowers offered by Sears with the quieter engine are priced at about $340 and $450.

Briggs's chief executive, Todd Teske, hopes to achieve further sound improvements by "tuning" mower mufflers to make the noise less harsh. Still, he conceded, "it's never going to sound like Bach."

It isn't clear that many people will pay a premium for less noise. Stihl Group, a Germany-based maker of power lawn equipment, introduced in 2008 a quieter leaf blower known as the BG 66 L. Baffles inside the blower smooth air flow to eliminate whistling noises. This model, also available in other parts of the world, typically retails in the U.S. for around $230, or roughly $60 more than a similar model that makes more noise. Sales of the lower-priced model remain much higher than those of the quieter one, Stihl said.

Malcolm Crocker, a soft-spoken acoustical engineer who directs the International Institute of Acoustics and Vibration at Auburn University, said he wears ear-protecting muffs when he mows. He likes the idea of a quieter mower but thinks some people may be wary.

"Humans tend to equate loudness with power," Dr. Crocker said, "so if you make it quieter people think it's not so powerful."

James R. Hagerty         http://online.wsj.com/  

In a Battle for Turf, Sears Revs Up the Riding Mower

March 17 -- A retailer struggling to fend off increasing competition is borrowing a page from the marketing playbook of products like soft drinks and soup by naming its rivals in aggressive advertising.

Sears, in a campaign scheduled to begin on Sunday, will urge consumers to shop for lawn and garden products at Sears rather than Home Depot or Lowe’s. A description of the campaign on a section of the Sears Web site (sears.com/turfwars) underlines its tough-talking nature: “Sears Turf Wars, fighting the Home Depot and Lowe’s for the right to be on your lawn.”

The campaign, being created by the Chicago office of Y&R, has an extensive presence in new media, including Web video clips, social media and a mobile application that enables comparisons of products sold by those three retailers.

“ ‘Turf Wars’ isn’t just an ad campaign,” said Martin Lee, vice president and chief marketing officer for lawn and garden products at Sears Holdings in Hoffman Estates, Ill. “It’s a marketing platform, an attitude, a statement of what we will do for our lawn and garden customers.”

Sears, part of the Sears Holdings Corporation, is joining a lengthy list of marketers challenging competitors rather than using coy terms like “Brand X” or “another leading brand.” Such direct campaigns are known in the industry as comparative advertising, but they amount to the Madison Avenue equivalent of the negative advertising that is prevalent in politics.

Comparative ads typically become more commonplace when the economy is weak, on the theory that when times are tough it may pay to hit your rival harder.

“We wanted to create disruptive advertising,” Mr. Lee said. “The brief to the agency was ‘shock and shatter.’ ”

Among brands that have been naming names in pointed ads are Pepsi Max and Sierra Mist Natural sodas, citing, respectively, Coke Zero and Sprite; Campbell’s Select Harvest soups, tackling Progresso, which soon counterattacked; Dunkin’ Donuts, taking on the coffee sold by Starbucks; and the Chevrolet Cruze, proclaiming its superiority to the Honda Civic and the Toyota Corolla.

Comparative advertising is not without its risks. One is that the intended audience may be turned off by the tactic, flagging the sponsor for unnecessary roughness. Another risk is that the novelty of hearing or seeing names of other products in ads may prevent consumers from recalling who the sponsor actually was.

And comparative advertising requires “a high degree of believability about the message,” said Robert Passikoff, president of Brand Keys in New York, a brand and customer-loyalty consulting company.

For instance, “if I tell you Kia is a match for Mercedes,” he added, “you’d be laughing your head off.”

In the Brand Keys rankings of sellers of merchandise in the categories of garden care and home repair, Sears is fifth among five retailers, Mr. Passikoff said, trailing, in order, Ace, True Value, Home Depot and Lowe’s.

However, the Craftsman brand, which is a focus of the new Sears campaign, does resonate with consumers on attributes like quality and value, he added.

The initial television commercial in the campaign features an assertive, gravelly voiced actor named John Lacy, who has appeared in films like “Live Free or Die Hard” and “Zodiac.” He comes across more like a pitchman in a truck ad than a retail spot.

Indeed, Mr. Lacy is first glimpsed inside the cab of a truck, part of a caravan delivering Sears lawn and garden products. The trucks drive past a Lowe’s store before setting up the merchandise in a parking lot near a Home Depot.

“There’s a lot of home improvement centers out there,” he says, “but does paying more for less mower really improve anything? You deserve better.”

Sears will “put our money where our mouth is,” Mr. Lacy says, by offering a lowest-price guarantee,” adding, “You won’t find a better deal there or there,” pointing to the Lowe’s and Home Depot stores.

“It’s a turf war, ’cause your lawn is worth fighting for,” he concludes.

The campaign is “purposely aggressive and provocative,” said Bob Winter, chief creative officer at Y&R Chicago, part of the Y&R unit of Young & Rubicam Brands, owned by WPP.

“It’s definitely got a little bit of bravado,” Mr. Winter said, because Sears executives “feel it’s time to show bravado.”

But it does not go too far, he added: “It’s a war. But it’s a war waged with riding mowers that max out at seven miles an hour.”

The tone should appeal to potential customers, Mr. Winter said, describing them as “middle-aged suburban dudes” for whom “their lawn is their ultimate form of self-expression.”

The campaign is arriving as Y&R Chicago takes part in a review for the Sears creative account, with spending last year, according to Kantar Media, of $459.4 million, of which $12.3 million was devoted to lawn and garden products.

Asked what it was like to produce the campaign at such a precarious time, Mr. Winter replied: “We’re focused on the future, and doing the right thing for our client, no matter what. The review aside, our challenge is to provide them with innovative creative solutions to their problems, and we’re going to continue to do that.”

Mr. Lee declined to discuss the review but said, “Y&R really did a great job for us on this.”

The Turf Wars do not seem to be prompting Sears’s rivals to wave white flags. For example, Home Depot and a company called Scanbuy are introducing a print campaign using mobile bar codes, or QR codes, to provide information about Martha Stewart Living merchandise.

CPSC, Briggs and Stratton Recalls Riding Mowers

Briggs and Stratton Recalls Riding Mowers Due to Injury Hazard from Projectiles; Sold Exclusively at Sears

October 15, 2010

The following product safety recall was voluntarily conducted by the firm in cooperation with the CPSC. Consumers should stop using the product immediately unless otherwise instructed. It is illegal to resell or attempt to resell a recalled consumer product.

Units: About 500

Manufacturer: Briggs and Stratton Power Products Group, LLC, of Milwaukee, Wis.

Hazard: These riding mowers came to consumers with the side discharge chute not fully secured to the mower. Bolts can be forcefully discharged from mower if not properly tightened, posing an injury hazard to consumers.

Incidents/Injuries: The firm received one report of a bolt that discharged forcefully, breaking a window.

Description: This recall involves Craftman riding mower with model number 107.28034 and serial numbers listed below. The rear engine mounted riding mower is black. The model and serial numbers can be found on the data tag on the back of the riding mower.

Serial numbers included in this recall

2014033403 through 2014034552

2014082112 through 2014082861

2014149995 through 2014151266

2014346290 through 2014346803

Sold exclusively at: Sears stores nationwide between February 2010 and May 2010 for about $1,400.

Manufactured in: USA

Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using these recalled riding mowers and contact Sears for a free inspection and repair. Sears is sending consumers letters with information on scheduling an inspection and repair.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Sears at (800) 859-7026 between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or visit the firm’s website at www.sears.com

Black and Decker Recalls Cordless Electric Lawn Mowers

WASHINGTON, Sept 29, 2010 -- The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed. It is illegal to resell or attempt to resell a recalled consumer product.

Name of Product: Black and Decker and Craftsman brand cordless electric lawnmowers

Units: About 160,000 (these lawnmowers were previously recalled for a fire hazard)

Manufacturer: Black and Decker (U.S.) Inc., of Towson, Md.

Hazard: The lawnmower's motor and blade can unexpectedly turn on after the mower's safety key is removed, posing a laceration hazard to consumers. Removing the safety key is designed to keep this from occurring.

Incidents/Injuries: Black and Decker has received 34 reports of the motor operating after removal of the safety key, including two incidents that resulted in finger lacerations, one requiring stitches.

Description: The recalled cordless electric mowers were sold under both the Black and Decker and Craftsman brand names. The recalled Black and Decker mowers have model number CMM1000 or CMM1000R. All date codes and types are included. The date code and type information are both located on a silver and black label affixed to the rear door of the mower.

The Black and Decker mowers have either an orange or green deck with a black motor cover. The Craftsman-brand mowers have model number 900.370520 and include all date codes and types. The model number is located on the silver and black label affixed to the rear door of the mower. The Craftsman-brand mowers have a dark green deck with a black motor cover.

Sold at: Home center, hardware and discount stores and authorized Black and Decker dealers nationwide from September 1995 through December 2006 for about $450. Craftsman-brand mowers were sold at Sears and Orchard Supply Hardware stores nationwide from January 1998 through December 2000 for about $450.

Manufactured in: United States, Canada and Mexico

Remedy: Consumers should stop using the recalled lawnmowers immediately and call Black & Decker or Sears for a free inspection and repair, or a credit towards a new cordless lawnmower. Consumers who had their mowers repaired as a result of the previous recalls should also have their mowers inspected and repaired as part of this recall.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, consumers with Black and Decker mowers should contact Black and Decker toll-free at (866) 229-5570 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday or visit the firm's website at www.blackanddecker.com.  Consumers with Craftsman-brand mowers should call Sears toll-free at (888) 281-5314 between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m. CT Monday through Saturday or visit the firm's website at www.sears.com.

Photos are available at: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml10/10356.html

CPSC is still interested in receiving incident or injury reports that are either directly related to this product recall or involve a different hazard with the same product. Please tell us about it by visiting https://www.cpsc.gov/cgibin/incident.aspx.