crazylare1
Silver Member
- Joined
- Nov 21, 2005
- Messages
- 158
- Location
- Stanwood, MI
- Tractor
- JD 3320, JD GT235, JD 116, JD 57, an several other makes of lawntractors somewhere around 8 of them
Hi there, it seems as though most people that are looking for help deciding which tractor to buy, how much hp, prices, attachments etc., don't seem to understand, is that like a pair of shoes not any one tractor fits everybody better than any one other tractor. My decision to buy a JD 3320 ehydro was based on extensive research, but DECIDED on an actual head to head shootout of the two tractors that I finally decided were the one's I liked the best based on my research. I have read here on TBN that there seems to be some sort of magical myth that dealers won't let you try out their brand new tractors at your own property, "don't want to get them dirty, scratch the buckets etc.". I talked to the narrowed down list of the final five dealers that had the tractors that I was interested in and ALL OF THEM eagerly offered to bring the tractors to my property to test them out. After narrowing the dealers down to the final two, I then called both of them up and asked them if I could have both machines at my property at the same time so that my friends and I could put them to work against each other. Both dealers said "no problem, you will no doubt pick our machine over theirs afterwards". Just like both agreed to do they brought the tractors and the shootout began, unfortunatly JD showed up with a 3120 to compete against a much bigger Case DX35, or at least that's what the buddies and I thought when the Deere rolled off the truck and sat next to the bigger Case. After using both machines in totally equal tests (we were allowed 4hrs. on each) we all were 100% dumfounded, the little JD out worked the Case in every test we could think of to do with the tractors, we moved dirt with the fel's used a back blade to level a dirt trail, etc. The JD was a pure blast to opperate, the Case did the job but it was work to do it. To be fair the fel on the Case went up about 12" higher than the JD. So my question is: why is everyone so afraid to insist that the dealer let them use the tractor in their real world enviroment, even if the dealer only lets them use it for 1hr, it would make so much impact on the decision of "WHICH TRACTOR SHOULD I PURCHASE". One of my former bosses always had a saying "the proof is in the pudding" what exactly he meant I've never been sure but I made up my own mind about it and stuck with it. It really doesn't mater what the price is, the bottom line is HOW MUCH DO YOU ENJOY THIS TRACTOR VS. THE OTHER ONE'S? You just can't tell by driving one around the lot or going out back to the dealerships little pile of dirt, you have to work it the way you're going to work it after you purchase it. When I was looking to buy a new lawn tractor I shopped for price, and then for grins I went to the JD dealership and looked at all of their models,I liked the GT235 and they offered to bring one down for a test run but seeing as how I was just looking and was going to purchase a cheap lawn tractor I passed on the demo. The next week (I couldn't quit thinking about the JD) I went back to the dealer and drove the thing, big mistake, then I noticed that the grass needed mowing at the dealership so I offered to mow it for them, nice guy huh, they said sure go ahead, well two days later I bought it. At first I didn't want to like it because it cost so much that I felt guilty for spending so much money just to mow grass, but after using it for a few minutes and then jumping on my old ranch king, I quickly made the jump back to the deere and haven't looked back since. I love the deere and can't say how much I now enjoy the rainy season watching the grass grow real fast. If I hadn't mowed the grass at the dealership I would have bought a new lawn tractor based on price alone, it would have mowed the grass butttttttttttttttt I would have dreaded it as much as I used too. So fellers what do ya think? Do you think a person should or shouldn't be allowed to demo a tractor at his (or her) own property? Would welcome your thoughts on this subject. Thanks. Larry