Tractor manufacturer tier

[tb8100]

What are the tier 1, tier 2, and tier 3 compact tractor manufacturers? Or maybe a top 10 list would be easier. The reason I'm asking is that I'm looking at carrying a line of new tractors at my dealership and am looking at brands like Branson, Mahindra, and Kioti. I wanna stay away from the big brands like JD, NH, Case, and Kubota as I don't want to buy $1,000,000 worth of stuff starting out. Mahindra and Kioti actually aren't available (dealers located 20-30 miles away, reps don't wanna crowd dealers in). Branson might be available though. Are there any others of the caliber of these machines?

 

[tb8100]

Oh, and how is Massey Ferguson doing these days? Are they still a big player in the tractor market? Massey is available to my area. If I was to carry any tractor, I wouldn't mind carrying those. So long as they can still be sold well against Kubota, NH, and JD.

 

[chh]

You mean the Massey that is reported to be number 1 in sales worldwide? This is going to be a loaded thread, but with a company like MF you could order in other equipment as your dealership expands(hopefully). With many of the small brand options your looking at carrying just tractors that may or may not have brand recognition in your area.

 

[tb8100]

You mean the Massey that is reported to be number 1 in sales worldwide? This is going to be a loaded thread, but with a company like MF you could order in other equipment as your dealership expands(hopefully). With many of the small brand options your looking at carrying just tractors that may or may not have brand recognition in your area.

I'm new to this site and new to new tractors. I
think seeing as MF is a division of Agco, there would be less of a chance of them to fade away into the sunset like a small company like Branson could. Massey has been around forever and a day. Do the MFs still use Perkins engines? I hear Bransons use a Cummins engine, which would be a good selling point on those. Perkins engines are good too. How is the financing and warranty on the two these days?

 

[daTeacha]

What do you sell now? Lawn & Garden or used stuff? Anything new? Is that company tied to a tractor manufacturer?

We have one dealer near here that sells JD and Kubota, but smaller stuff only -- no real farm tractors, but lots of CUTs and some small excavators. The JD dealer to the north sells the whole line of JD stuff, but only JD. He deals with the farmers and some construction stuff as well as the homeowner or hobbyist.

Agco/Massey has a pretty extensive line from grass cutters to big tractors. A new one on the market is Bobcat. Not really a small name, but new in the CUT business.

You might want to look at Cub Cadet, too. An old name with some new product in the CUT size range.

 

[MessickFarmEqu]

just be aware, if your getting in this business the margins are VERY slim. The manufacturers will love to show you the difference between MSRP and cost, but with that many dealers around expect to be charging as much in taxes as you make in profit.

 

[tb8100]

What do you sell now? Lawn & Garden or used stuff? Anything new? Is that company tied to a tractor manufacturer?

We have one dealer near here that sells JD and Kubota, but smaller stuff only -- no real farm tractors, but lots of CUTs and some small excavators. The JD dealer to the north sells the whole line of JD stuff, but only JD. He deals with the farmers and some construction stuff as well as the homeowner or hobbyist.

Agco/Massey has a pretty extensive line from grass cutters to big tractors. A new one on the market is Bobcat. Not really a small name, but new in the CUT business.

You might want to look at Cub Cadet, too. An old name with some new product in the CUT size range.

The Bobcat and Challengers are only available to bobcat and Cat dealers, respectively.

We handle new and used lawn and garden products, but none of the companies handle any compact or regular utility tractors, which is what we're after. Cub Yanmar doesnt have much of a lineup yet, and I don't want to mess with regular Cub stuff. I want to carry a rugged tractor that I can really sell up against JD, NH, and Kubota.

I understand the slim margins, but my business is quite diverse with larger margin items, so this will only be one facet of it. I don't think my business would be well rounded without a new lineup of tractors alongside the used tractors we already have been handling for years. I'm trying to handle products that do better year round and this is one of them. I also handle new and used trailers.

 

[chh]

I'm new to this site and new to new tractors. I
think seeing as MF is a division of Agco, there would be less of a chance of them to fade away into the sunset like a small company like Branson could. Massey has been around forever and a day. Do the MFs still use Perkins engines? I hear Bransons use a Cummins engine, which would be a good selling point on those. Perkins engines are good too. How is the financing and warranty on the two these days?

Some of the Massey tractors still use the Perkins. Reports, press releases, and from what I am obsevering at the dealers say that Agco is pushing The MF brand name. Hesston, New Idea and other Agco equipment lines are gradually being switched to MF. I would think they have a much better chance of being around in 10 years than Branson, but thats my opinion.

 

[flusher]

What are the tier 1, tier 2, and tier 3 compact tractor manufacturers? Or maybe a top 10 list would be easier. The reason I'm asking is that I'm looking at carrying a line of new tractors at my dealership and am looking at brands like Branson, Mahindra, and Kioti. I wanna stay away from the big brands like JD, NH, Case, and Kubota as I don't want to buy $1,000,000 worth of stuff starting out. Mahindra and Kioti actually aren't available (dealers located 20-30 miles away, reps don't wanna crowd dealers in). Branson might be available though. Are there any others of the caliber of these machines?

Montana? TYM?

The guy I bought my 1964 MF-135 diesel from two years ago used the cash as a down payment on a new 35 hp Branson. A few months later one of my neighbors bought the same type of tractor from the same dealer.

A few weeks ago I traded my 2005 Kubota B7510HST/LA302 FEL for a Mahindra 5525 with the ML250 FEL from the same dealer who sold those Bransons.

Bransons, like Mahindra's, are simple, stout, heavy tractors.

The grey market tractor guy in Los Molinos who sold me a used Yanmar rototiller a few years ago now sells Montana tractors. They look nice. Haven't had a chance to test drive one yet.

TYM's look nice also.

 

[Z-Michigan]

This is all very subjective, but...

If you can get it, MF would be a top notch brand to have.

Kioti looks to me very solid and to be nipping at the heels of whatever "Tier 1" is. I almost bought Kioti; reason I didn't was not the tractor itself, but only one dealer far away, with iffy support, compared to numerous closer dealers for bigger names. Unlike some Kioti dealers, this was a big dealer for real ag farm stuff, but not much in CUTs. I also wasn't impressed with that dealer having only three, clearly aging Kioti's on the lot. But a few months later he had six brand new Kioti's, maybe it was a seasonal issue for him. Moral = small and aging inventory can scare away customers.

I have seen Mahindra at a farm show and unlike many, I was not impressed. Have also seen Montana at a dealer, ditto - in fact it looked like it could have been the Mahindra's but with different paint. Have not seen TYM in person but from their website it looks like good stuff.