Brand Loyalty Guilt Question

[9973720wb19]

After years of buying, trading up, buying attachments, trading in attachments, buying attachment I thought I'd use, buying attachments I didn't use, and overall learning, I think (wouldn't bet on it though) I know what I like and need. I started out with the intention to be 100% loyal to one brand, but as I learned and studied over the years, I find some brands are better suited for my needs based on different pieces of equipment. What I mean is, I prefer a particular brand's tractors, another brand's mower, another brand's Utility Vehicles, and yet another's Skid Steer. I feel guilty...but should I. All of the folks at each local dealer are very nice and work hard to earn my business, and I have a good "business" relationship with them. But I'm actually worried and feel bad that I'm not sticking with one dealer and one brand.

What do you guys do?
Do dealers hold it against guys like me?
Is this what dealers expect?
What about you guys?

 

[mcfarmall]

Why feel guilty about buying the piece of equipment that best suits your needs regardless of color? Diversity and inclusion man!

It would be a shame to settle for something that doesn't suit your application just so you could stay "loyal". In todays world $$ is king and loyalty is for dogs.

 

[MossRoad]

I bought my machine factory direct. They have NO dealers. I can build, adapt existing implements to work with it, or I can buy implements from them if I see the need.

When I had a "normal" tractor, I bought it used.

Being brand loyal to attachements - you'd have to justify it with my wallet. Why would you purchase, say, a box blade, from that particular tractor manufacturer, when you could get a nice, used one(maybe that brand, maybe not), that'll work just a well, or maybe even better, for much less?

 

[MossRoad]

I think the only way I'd buy all the implements from the same manufacturer was if I was doing a period-correct restoration of a machine.

 

[Hanshans]

Sounds to me like you are pretty open minded. I would think it would be worse if you just stuck with one brand out of blind loyalty to that brand. I would hope that most good dealers would be ok with that.

 

[Oldoak]

Why feel guilty about buying the piece of equipment that best suits your needs regardless of color? Diversity and inclusion man!

It would be a shame to settle for something that doesn't suit your application just so you could stay "loyal". In todays world $$ is king and loyalty is for dogs.

You nailed it! :thumbsup:

I always choose what I think is best for my needs and best value for the money spent, regardless of brand.

 

[oosik]

Besides my Kubota tractor my implements are - Rankin, Land Pride, Rhino, Bush Hog, Pittsburg, Wallenstein, Horst & Fit Rite. The only thing I appear to have a loyalty to is spending a great amount of $$$$.

 

[coldsteelva]

So blind loyalty to a brand/mfr. is not required. Is it sacrilege to purchase all the implements from wherever you wish and then paint them to match? JD Green, Kubota Orange, MF Red, Yanmar Red, etc.

 

[mykleh]

not sure I would drink the cool aide of painting to match but buying the best equipment you can for the application and $ is wise.. I just tell the different companies involved why they didn't get my business.. its not a secret to me that I hide and I feel if I tell them something they have heard before maybe the OEM will change the product based on what the consumer wants/uses it for.. I don't buy on price I buy on application, quality, service, reputation. all the dealers I deal with are great businesses.. if I have a fault it would be that I only buy what those companies sell/rep for.. as they will tell me what will work, won't work and stand behind it!

 

[CobyRupert]

Be loyal to those corporations (brands) just like they were loyal to the American worker who use to build their products.