It would be great if Tractor dealers were open on Saturday.....

[ScottK]

Around here all dealers are open Saturdays and the Deere dealer 2 miles from me is open Sundays for 4 hours too.

 

[LAWALLSTRACTOR]

Times are changing, as I work from 9 to 3 on Saturdays and have no one in all day and once in a while I will stay later and someone will come in at 5 or later. I have also noticed that they will stop and look at tractors on Sunday but don't expect to see anyone there and I don't believe they want to see anyone one. On Monday morning they stop and only have time to grab a flyer and want a quick price. They don't want to take the time to hear anything about the tractor. If you quote the right price you will hear from them again.
Parts customers seem to call and ask availability and pricing on parts and when they know you are ready for them they stop quickly and pick them up. It is very hard to get anyone to give up any time. Just my observation of late.

 

[dgl24087]

I'm one who prefers to look after hours or on Sundays, no one trying to pressure a sale, I can look at different models from a manufacturer and look at competitors as well. I can check out the new bells and whistles just because I want to, especially if I'm not in the market to buy. My biggest problem in that a lot of dealers near me are fencing their lots in, with no access when the business is closed.

 

[warhammer]

Buying over the internet would be fine with me. I can't see how a dealer would be able to be even close on price if the tractor had to ship any great distance.
The best price I have on the DK45SE HST w/ FEL is $21950going with Agco financing @ %7.25 or $22950 using Kioti's finance. That price is from a dealer that is 75 miles away from me.

WarHammer

Wallace Tractor is open Saturdays and 6 hrs on Sunday, they are in the northeast corner of Penn. Great folks to do business with.

 

[wkpoor]

I've often thought if I were to open a power business I would have M-F hrs of 10-8 and Sat 8-2. Anymore I would think 50% or more of business would be the working homeowner. Give him the evening or sat option both.

 

[shane]

I just happen to be running errands this past Sat. and noticed my local Deere dealer in Murfreesboro, TN was open and it was around 3:30 pm. I was needing hydro fluid so I stopped in. I expressed my shock that they were open so late on Sat. They said that Deere makes them do that in the spring and fall because of higher sales volume. Said if Deere had their way they would be open 7 days a week.

 

[redneckford]

I think many homeowner/ranchette owner's are "spoiled" (most of their large ticket purchases) to the way of new car dealerships. They sell a larger volume of auto's than tractor dealers. Their parts departments only deal with parts that are 1 to 10 years old.(Tractor dealers from 1 to 50 years and if you do not have every part they need you have nothing in stock) Cars get alot more miles (use) than compact tractors on ranchette's. You can not make a living in the tractor business selling a few oil and fuel filters. As soon as the ranchette owner finds that he can buy his filter at a car parts aftermarket place or TSC he will go there just out of habit. That does not mean that they have a cheaper price they spend more money on advertizing car parts so people get the "PERCEPTION" they must be cheaper??? (less expensive) than a tractor dealer!! Overhead cost are greatly increased by overtime cost and HAVING PEOPLE AT THE COUNTER THAT HAS KNOWLEDGE!!!! (How many car parts places have knowledge on the counter during the weekend) It does not take much knowledge to look up a filter. Most ranchette owners want to spend all their time playing with their toys on the weekend so the serious buying decisions are made at other times during the week. By the way how many first time tractor buyers walk in on Saturday afternoon and say I want this tractor and this equipment--- deliver it right now. The buyers of today shop for weeks for the lowest price (not neccesarily the best price,that price is a function of time) $6000 five years of use. $13000.00 twenty plus years of use. Do the math which is the best deal. They learn that habit from buying auto's. How much is the "NOTE" not how much does this equipment cost. As to why many tractor dealers are fencing their lots? many insurance companies are forcing (increase rate if you do not) tractor dealers to fence their lots to control access during non business hours. Also a problem that has increased over the years is the question of the missing part off a piece of equipment over the weekend. In the old days you knew who "borrowed" the part because first thing Monday morning they were either at the store paying for the part are calling you to bill them for the part. Today we have a huge problem with people not remembering by Monday morning that they borrowed a part and who they borrowed it from.(A few bad apples makes the cost of everything go up) The tractor business is a for profit business and so many people want someone else to pay the cost of doing business so that they can get a cheap price. That is why the small tractor business is headed in the same direction as the small equipment business before long you will be able to buy a tractor good for 500 hours and throw it away or one good for 10,000 hours just like you buy a weedeater at H----D----t.Have you shoped Home D---- for a JD tractor yet!!!! Great on site service department right!!! Great knowledge of the product right!!!! Cheapest price!!!! RIGHT??? ONLY UNTIL THEY BREAK ALL THE LOCAL DEALERS!!! Then they do the W--M---t thing and creep the price up slow but sure. Just look at what happen to the lawnmower market!!!!!

 

[MODiesel]

redneckford:

There are some valid points in your post, but I think that maybe the brush stroke was a bit too broad. It could be that things are a bit different from region to region, but I know that out here, the NH dealer I used to use (switched to Kubota before NH offered CUT cabs) really benefits from those trusty "old time" principles. Folks come from STL to Jefferson City for their hay equipment expertise, reasonable shop rates, friendly & flexible demeanor and solid prices. There are cheaper dealerships out there, but if you have a problem, need a part, or just need help getting something going, these guys are always willing to do whatever they can. And as a result, they stay busy & prosperous.

That's the reason I started with them, walking in on a Saturday afternoon to get my original TC29D. I had a TC25D in mind, but the owner quickly showed me how I gained more HP for just a few hundred $$ more, and how he never sold TC25's as a result. Sure enough, that first tractor worked out to be just perfect for our homestead property. And I never quibbled with the price as he told me flatly where I could get it cheaper, but that they would always take care of me. And they did. Each time I needed service, they sent a truck and/or tech to get it taken care of. Each time, they told me to take whatever I needed off the lot to get the job done. Heck, one time I had a TN75D Cab to finish my mowing -- the mowing I was doing with a 60in rotary cutter. They told me where to find the key, and to simply bring it back whenever I was done (full of fuel, of course).

So, the dealers and the customers are still out there. Maybe I'm lucky, and they're only in isolated pockets, but a lot of folks are wising up to the idea that "cheaper" may not always be less expensive, or save you money, in the long run.

 

[art]

We are open on saturdays till two! We have tried longer till five but with not enough business to make it profitable even with advertising. We even tried till four and three! We do offer twenty four seven sevice if needed. We do offer convienient sales calls after normal hours or at any time for the most part.

 

[redneckford]

I bet you in the long run they are the least expensive dealer in your area!!! Good service is remembered long after the cheap price is forgotton!!!! But they still have to have pricing to make a profit. They have a core business that is loyal to the service. What I was trying to get across is that if the dealer is not careful the cut business only involves selling a few filters and blades each year compared to Ag or Industrial Dealers that have a base of business that they must service all week and to put their best employees on duty on the weekend just to sell a few cut's can get quite expensive. Most people would be ashamed if they knew just how little cut dealers make on each unit after floorplan, setup, delivery, and warranty work cost. So by all means support you servicing dealer with as much business as you can send his/her way.