Great Dane Mower History (where are they now?)
The Great Dane mower, invented by Dane Scag, were manufactured by his company, Great Dane Power Equipment, starting in July 1997. If you’re wondering what happened to Great Dane mowers, the brand was sold to the John Deere company.
John Deere subsequently sold Great Dane to Auburn Consolidated Ind.(ACI) in 2005 whom then sold the rights to Ariens Company in 2007. Production of Great Dane mowers was discontinued in 2010.
If you don’t know the name Dane Scag, you may know about BOB-CAT, the company he founded in the 70s that still makes power equipment today. Dane passed away in 2013, he was 94.
Popular Mower Types
Great Dane Co. manufactured two popular types of riding mower, the zero turn which had a seat and the super surfer chariot which you stood on. They were both made with sturdy steel frames and heavy-duty parts and have withstood the test of time.
Many are still in use today, Great Dane mowers have proven very durable and dependable.
Do they still make Great Dane mower parts?
Discontinued brands typically do not make new parts. Great Dane mower production was discontinued in 2010 and their manufacturer, the Ariens Company, no longer produces replacement parts.
Where to find used Great Dane mower parts
Because the brand passed through several owners, some OEM Great Dane parts moved between dealerships, which makes parts difficult to source. Existing parts, called new old stock(NOS) parts, remain available until it eventually sell out.
New old stock parts for Great Dane mowers are occasionally available on eBay and Facebook Marketplace.
Your best bet to find parts is to salvage them from an older Great Dane lawn mower. Check your favourite online marketplace for availability.
Are Great Dane mowers any good?
Great Dane zero-turn and chariot mowers are very dependable, do a good job of cutting grass and are fairly popular.
Replacement parts are becoming scarce, but many Great Dane mowers are still in use today. It’s a great testament to their durability.
Who made Great Dane mowers?
Dane Scag invented Great Dane mowers. His company, the Great Dane Power Equipment company, produced Great Dane mowers for home consumers. The brand was eventually sold to John Deere, then to Auburn Consolidated Inc. and finally to the Ariens company.
Who bought the Great Dane brand?
John Deere bought the Great Dane Power Equipment company to expand its home use product lineup. Subsequently, Auburn Consolidated Ind.(ACI) bought the rights from John Deere in 2005 and, in 2007, the Ariens Company purchased the rights from ACI.
Who owns Great Dane mowers today?
Although production has been discontinued since 2010, The Ariens Co located in Brillion, Wisconsin owns the rights to the Great Dane mower brand.
Where to find a Great Dane mower manual
The Ariens Co no longer produces mowers under the Great Dane brand, but they do carry a line of mower manuals. Great Dane manuals can be accessed for free on ariens.com.