My zero-turn mower is dead — or at least I want it to be dead. It could last another year, but I don’t want it to. I’m ready for something new and faster. I think I know what brand and deck size I want after writing about and test-driving machines for the magazine. So, I thought it should be fairly easy to choose a dealership and make a purchase. However, I get the feeling that no one wants to sell me a mower.

Here’s how I know. First, I have received no direct mail this year at all advertising mowers, even though we’ve received plenty of other ag-related direct mail from seed companies, large ag dealerships, chemical companies and land companies. If I did, I tossed it without knowing it.

I don’t watch network TV or listen to local radio, so I miss those ads (if they’re running). I spend plenty of time on Facebook, but don’t remember seeing any sponsored ads. I drive by many billboards and electronic billboards and have seen only two ads, which said nothing more than the name of the dealership and the lines they carry.

I regularly drive by several dealers, but nothing makes me want to stop. A lineup of machines with the intent of “looking like they are in the business” is just a row of machines I would need to wade through and eliminate. The lots, storefronts or billboards do not promote any seasonal specials…