Why Does John Deere Offer A 300x LOADER?

   / Why Does John Deere Offer A 300x LOADER? #1  

JasonMac

Gold Member
Joined
Oct 26, 2000
Messages
412
Location
NH
Tractor
John Deere 3720 Cab Tractor
Here is my question? Why do you think John Deere even makes a 300x Loader? When the price difference between the 300x and the 300cx are so minimal?

I was talking to a friend of mine that I haven't seen for awhile, and he is ordering a 3720 Cab Tractor, very similar to mine. First after knowing this guy for years, I'm surprised he is even buying a tractor. He is pretty well known for being very tight in the wallet. Money isn't a problem for this guy, he has it. But he is just plain cheap, your stereotypical cheap person that goes 2/3 of the way of doing things right, then they always cheap out on the last 1/3. Always cheaps out, and regrets not doing it right earlier.

So I got thinking about this. What makes somebody spend big money on a nice tractor, and then opt for the 300x over the 300cx loader? 300cx is surely superior to the 300x. Lift height, lift Capacity, available attachments etc... but it is only about $400 difference in real world price.

I understand buying a tractor at a great deal, and it just happens to have a 300x on it. But, my question is what goes through someones mind and special orders it with a 300x loader?

Then I got thinking again? Doesn't this cost John Deere more money to offer two different but similar loaders? Now don't get me wrong, 400x and 400cx are two different loaders. I can see producing one of each of them, and charging lots more for one.

But the 300x and 300cx are similar design, my logic would be offer the 300cx only and produce just that, and that would bring down overall production cost, and they could probabley sell it for a few hundred dollars less.

I kind of feel this way about 4 tractors being identical, but with different HP. Wouldn't it make more sense to offer a 3320 non turbo, and a 3720 Turbo, offer two choices, vs 4 increments?

Hmmm? I was just wondering.... but this guy already put his order in for a 300x Loader, and of course he now regrets it after seeing my 300cx Loader. Bottom line, he thought he could shave a few hundred dollars off the cost... I asked him, did you ever think you might have more potential buyers later on if it has the better loader on it? He was stumped... But like I said before, this guy has money, it isn't an issue of he can't feed his family etc.....

Oh well, I'm going to write a book someday... for all the George Costanza characters there are out there that do things 2/3 right.
 
   / Why Does John Deere Offer A 300x LOADER? #2  
I don't know the particular reason for the 300x, but I found in business in general, there is ALWAYS a market for cheaper stuff, even when a few extra dollars gets you more.
 
   / Why Does John Deere Offer A 300x LOADER? #3  
I wondered this same thing when I was going through the process of buying my tractor. It seemed like a no brainer to get the CX. So much so that I wondered who would order the X?
It must work to stratify your product lines because it seems ubiquitous. I can't think of too many product spaces immune from this bizarre marketing tactic.
Did the CX come out after the X? If so, it could be something I have seen before with other products. You have a dedicated, but somewhat uneducated (in regards to the product) consumer who just buys what Joe down the road said to buy. And Joe down the road bought a whatever tractor with a 300X, so he asks the dealer for one. And because enough people are doing this, John Deere is like, well, we will keep on making them; they seem to be popular!
That's just one possible explanation...
It could be that the rental market, who don't really give a rip about the engineering differences, can save $400 twenty or two hundred times is all over it.
 
   / Why Does John Deere Offer A 300x LOADER? #4  
Lets look at it in a different light. I have a 300X. I can completely fill the bucket with no problem. I have mounted the 3rd valve loader lines to it. It handles my 72" plow no problem at all. I ma really not sure what it cannot do. And it was $400 less. Hmm. Lift height maybe.

Who has maxed out their 300X much less CX?

Kinda like the crazy heavy duty truck owner who drives to work on pavement to an office job with no cargo and a tonnau cover.
 
   / Why Does John Deere Offer A 300x LOADER? #5  
Heh, I am tracking with the driving to an office job in a huge truck comment.
My reasons for ordering the CX were (ordered list)
1) When talking about $30k, $400 is not so much (is it actually $400?)
2) Since I was unsure of how capable the X was, I played it safe and got the best one offered.
3) Resale considerations
4) It's just my nature

Although I am being somewhat inconsistent here becasue I bought a 3520 instead of a 3720. I did have a $30k self inflicted budget to work within, however. So in that case I bought the most that I could afford. And that could be the case with many of the people buying 300X loaders, eh?
 
   / Why Does John Deere Offer A 300x LOADER? #6  
I don't absolutely know, but strongly suspect that it is a marketing decision as to what they need to compete with the competition. Likely the X meets or exceeds the competition, and CX is with the full potential for future attachments.
I doubt there was 'no reason' for it, but as I said, I don't know that for sure.
I'd go with the CX just for re-sale value.
 
   / Why Does John Deere Offer A 300x LOADER?
  • Thread Starter
#7  
When I got my JD4200HST, it was one of the first of the new 4000 Series to come off the assembly line. This back then was really all I needed at the time. It came with the 420 Loader, which is basically the older version of the 300x. I remember soon after I bought the tractor, I realized I should have got the 4300 with 430 Loader. Because the 420 wasn't the best loader to use to load over the sides of smaller dump trucks. I could never put the load in the center of the truck because of the height issue. Also, then the 4200, couldn't take a 430 Loader, so I wasn't aware at the time that there were two different loaders. Because if I knew that then, I would have definatley bought the 4300 with the 430 Loader.

Now when I was buying my new JD3720 Cab Tractor, I didn't want to have any long term regrets at all. So I made sure I did my homework, and got all of the possible features done right the first time around. Because I didn't want to have any regrets down the road. That is a sore feeling.

Like I said before, if I saw a good deal on a tractor that just happened to have a 300x on it, would I buy it? Yes of Course!
Because I know it isn't a bad Loader at all.

But if I were to special order a tractor with a cab, and spend big money on it, and then order a 300x Loader with it... No Way! When you are spending that much money, $400-$500 isn't a big deal breaker.

So my question I was wondering is why does JD even make a 300x Loader. I would think it would cost less for the company to make one loader for the mid-frames. Then they could sell this loader at a compromised price between an x and cx.

Same thing goes for Buckets? Why have a light duty bucket, and have a Heavy Duty Bucket.... wouldn't it cost less just to build the HD bucket, and sell it at a compromised price? Because lets face it, most Standard duty buckets that get any real use at all, warp out overtime. Look on Ebay, there are plenty of pictures to prove this happens to at least 75% of them.

This is what I would like to see happen, I would like to see the 300cx be the base model, and a new 300cxsl become the deluxe.. CXSL of course would be a self-leveling loader. Now you have a choice of two very different loaders! I would take a hit and trade/sell my 300cx for a 300cxsl in a heartbeat!

I know there is quite a difference in price between a 3120, and a 3720. But again, wouldn't you think it costs John Deere more to offer 4 variations. It seems like you could have two mid-frame models, and sell them for less, say a 3320 Non-Turbo, and a 3720 Turbo. Because of Factory Streamlining, wouldn't think a 3720 could now sell for the price of a 3520, and a 3320 could now sell for the price of a 3120? I would seem to think so...

Oh well, who am I? I'm not in charge of Deere, but just knowing a little about how business works, it seems logical...
 
   / Why Does John Deere Offer A 300x LOADER? #8  
Most people who own a 300X probably will do so from a used tractor. My 3320 was used 49 hours beofre I bought it. It had a 300X. Part of the deal I bought. Had I ordered it new I definately would have owned the 300CX. Jason is exactly right - when spending 30K the upgrade costs of the CX make the $400 a non issue. When locked in at 17.5K for the 3320 with the 300X I could not justify the replacement cost. I think when John Deere has to sell a tractor to a school or hospital or maybe a charity type organization they are all looking for cost sensative options that get the job done. Also lease type sales may be looking for cost reducing options. Groups that need a loader but maybe not for the long haul pricing wise might like the 300X. I think this is the reason we have the 3120 as well.

I also think had I wanted a 3720, I would have changes and bpought a small to mid 4X20 series tractor.

The deal on the 3320 made up my mind real quick.
 
   / Why Does John Deere Offer A 300x LOADER? #9  
Maybe there is a compatibility issue with a few of their tractors such that they cannot accomodate a 300CX. Just a guess.
 
   / Why Does John Deere Offer A 300x LOADER? #10  
This is exactly the issue. John Deere made the 300 and 300x loader to cross compatability lines. The 300cx loader is the top end loader for those who may wish to add quick attach attachments to their machine loader arms, which not everyone needs. It is really meant for the 3000 series machines with greater hydraulic flow, etc., where the others have a more broad compatability. Bloomington Mike has done an excellent job making his 72" snow blade work well with his 300x loader, and he saved some money too by going with the 300x. It would do everything that 99.9% of us would need. When I had my 3720, I never maxed out my 300cx, even to the point of lifting the rear of the tractor off the ground in two circumstances. The main reason I went with that loader is that the JD literature indicated that some of the pallet forks and blades would only be consistent with the 300cx. Mike has proved this theory incorrect. Our local hospital now has five older 4000 series tractors, and is starting to replace them with leased 3000 series machines. All the older tractors have 420 loaders and despite 1000+ hours, they have done fine. What are they getting on their new tractors? The 300x (not cx) loaders. So, despite the seeming lack of reason for so many similar loaders, John Deere may have the logic after all: they sell a lot of them.

John M
 
 
Top