Is it me?

[nasdaqsam]

But wiper blades are very simple. One blade can fit a multitude of vehicles and they are only $9. With TnTs were are talking about an item that costs a few hundred dollars. if I were building a TnT for the John Deere 4X10 series it would be easy. The 4210, 4310, and 4410 are all build on the same chassis and all have the same dimensions. It would be easy to go out and spec a TnT for those, but honestly there are too many tractors in various shapes and sizes to be able to go out and measure every one of them and hope you have X number of customers buy a TnT to cover your R&D for the product. If I were in the TnT business I wouldn't consider many people buying TnTs for the sub compacts and it would be towards the bottom of my list.

Actually it is a good thing that they want specs from you. It keeps you from worrying if they have the correct information.

Actually all it really does is keep them having to take responsibility if the wrong one is ordered. You gave the info, it's all on you now. Nice niche market to be in. You do all the research, you send me money, I send you what you asked for and if it doesn't fit....your problem. I suppose most of that is fine for the person that knows or knows how to gather all that information but what about the average consumer wanting something like this that knows zero about their tractor other than the key goes here, fuel here and check the oil. There are far more of them than us that do know a few things about there tractor. From a business stand point it takes those consumers out of the market for you. For example: My brother in law is a great guy. Extremely intellegent, retired at 44 very well off. He just bought a new Kubota and would love to have all the things I have on mine but I can almost guarantee he could not answer three of the questions needed to get the right parts for that tractor. Now heres a guy with a ton of money, the will to buy the product but when he calls he is going to get discouraged and give up on the idea all together. Lost sale? Is that smart?

As far as too many tractors. I don't buy that arguement. There may well be a lot of configurations but they are selling just a few products that fit a very wide range of those. Look at the grapples and thumbs on the market today that where not there a few years ago. They have a product you can get for almost any tractor custom fit. They only need to know what you own.

 

[Tractors4u]

Look at the grapples and thumbs on the market today that where not there a few years ago. They have a product you can get for almost any tractor custom fit. They only need to know what you own.

They are somewhat like your wiper analogy, very simple to construct and one model may fit many different models. A generic grapple for a bucket can be sized to go on a bucket from size X through size Z, same with a thumb. With the various geometry of the 3 point hitch and the many different models of the various brands, it just may be too much. You did hit on something though. There are few people that would have a small tractor like the BX23 that would go to the trouble of a TnT. They may look at it that way. The people that put those type of things on a tractor are usually very tractor savvy and the retailer would expect them to know what type of equipment they have.

 

[nasdaqsam]

There are few people that would have a small tractor like the BX23 that would go to the trouble of a TnT. They may look at it that way. The people that put those type of things on a tractor are usually very tractor savvy and the retailer would expect them to know what type of equipment they have.

You make a good point with that statement. So maybe it's a marketing thing.

One thing I have found with the Sub-cut owners at least around here is that money overtakes the will and desire to investigate and fabricate. In other words these types of tractors tend to be fancy lawn mowers or maybe Toys would be a better analogy. A big difference being your average farmer/contractor knows their equipement inside and out and could probably give part numbers off the top of their heads. Where as the Baby Boomers doing weekend projects with these units just want a plug and play option. Maybe the TnT people could focus on this group as a market. Or maybe they feel it is just to small, I think that is a huge mistake. And following that line of thought. If the TnT guys do not have to do the leg work for the average tractor owner that saves that much more time to develope the smaller tractor line of plug and play products. I can not count the number of people around here that have seen what I put on mine and asked where they could get this or that. When I tell them it is almost all custom fabrication I see that look of dispare as they know it may be over their heads to build. If a buy it and install it option were available I know they would get them. Money is not the issue. Ability is.

Interesting story regarding the smaller tractor business and catering to them. We have a big JD dealer here in town. It is or was a family owned business. When it was time to split the business up between the kids the older brothers all took the big stuff. One took large tractor sales, another took service and they left the small stuff (Lawn mowers/weed eaters etc) to the baby of the family, he was to young to know any different at the time. Roll ahead ten years. The big brothers are all doing Ok but not steller. The baby drives a $ 150,000 car, has two homes on the lake, is rarely at work and has more money than he knows what to do with. Typical story for the local Kubota guy. Ten years ago they sold only large equipement, nothing smaller than a mid-sized tractor. Now they have maybe 4 to 6 of those in stock at any time but an inventory of sub-cuts that takes up two huge buildings and a large parking area. My point is that if the TnT guys put together a kit that would be plug and play for the sub-cut market I would bet it would take off if promoted correctly. You have to make it easy for most people or they just will not buy.