common practice or not ; what do you think ?

[GolfAddict]

I think they do this just because they get away with it. Everyone hears the same thing ("It doesn't matter, not like a car, yada...) and so it is accepted. I'm sure in many cases it really doesn't matter. Like buying a big Ag tractor, you put many hundreds of hours on each year until you use the thing up anyway. Other cases, maybe not so much.

If you're looking at used tractors, and find two JD x360s. About the same hours. About the same price. You look at both and they are both in great shape. One is a 2009 and one is a 2013. Which are you more interested in?

 

[joshuabardwell]

If you're looking at used tractors, and find two JD x360s. About the same hours. About the same price. You look at both and they are both in great shape. One is a 2009 and one is a 2013. Which are you more interested in?

Yeah, no question the 2013. But is that rational? And, realistically, how long do the units actually sit on the dealer lot? I submit that there's a big difference between a unit that has sat on the lot for 4 years vs. 1 year.

 

[GolfAddict]

Yeah, no question the 2013. But is that rational? And, realistically, how long do the units actually sit on the dealer lot? I submit that there's a big difference between a unit that has sat on the lot for 4 years vs. 1 year.

True - I was sort of purposely exaggerating it. At what point does it make a difference? If four years makes a difference, does 1 year? Not sure, but certainly I think it does at some point.

I look at tractorhouse, and it lists the year of the tractors. I think it means something to folks buying used - probably more to some and less to others... just seems like a year older tractor should be discounted at least a little bit when being sold as "new".

 

[brain55]

I came up working as a mechanic in a Kubota dealership and then a Kubota/New Holland dealer. Model years never meant anything to us. If you called and told me you had a 1986 Kubota B7200 I couldn't do anything with that, I would need the serial number. I still struggle with consumers wanting to know what year their tractor is, because it is useless information to me.

Brian

 

[Singalo]

Maybe the tractor didn't change from one year to the next, Maybe the price didn't change.

But here is the rub.

Why didn't the dealer disclose that the tractor was a 2011? Why didn't the dealer give the customer the option of choosing which one he wanted? Putting everything else aside for a moment, pretty nearly every person would, for the same money on the table, choose to buy the 2012 version over the last years. So it seems pretty clear that the Dealer did not disclose the information because they wanted to unload the old stock. Any way you justify it, any way you cut it, they did not disclose the information because it was of benefit to the dealer not to. They moved a peice of equipment with no loss to themselves that would otherwise be difficult to sell for equal money.

Is this right or wrong on behalf of the dealer? That I suppose is for each person to decide for themselves. Probably there is Zero in the way of differences or damage to the customer. So the core of the issue is rather or not the dishonesty of the dealer is worth anything. A lie of omission is still a lie. We all learned that as children.

I think for me it would be the principle of the matter. It probably would not be enough of an issue to make me turn my back on them altogether, but I would be on guard for future transactions.

 

[murphy1244]

Honda Motorcycles used to be the same. They were titled for the year sold.

 

[TripleR]

Common practice and I have never bothered to check the date any new tractor we ever bought was made, I once requested one out of a warehouse as opposed to one that had been sitting on the lot for a long time, but all other times I buy based on the condition of the tractor and hour meter.

I don't know of any farmer, absent a design change who cares when his tractor was made. I don't see the dealer as withholding information, just not telling you something that is considered by most as irrelevant. If it is important to you when it was built, you should ask.

These threads come up fairly regularly as some people who are new to tractors equate it to buying cars/trucks as that is what they are familiar with.

 

[GolfAddict]

I really don't like that it is "common practice" to completely ignore the year of a tractor only when being sold as "new". I think the year of the tractor will have at least some weight to the value of the tractor from then on - for whomever first owns it "new" on forward - until it's old enough that it just isn't going to play into a purchase decision. I don't think it's fair that only the first owner is denied that reality just because the dealers say so.

Certainly the condition, hours, those type things have more weight on two tractors you are looking at than their year. But all those things being pretty much equal, I think the newer year model is always going to be preferred. Seems that fact would have at least some small impact on re-sale value. But only the dealer doesn't have to take that hit? Why?

Because we let them...

I came up working as a mechanic in a Kubota dealership and then a Kubota/New Holland dealer. Model years never meant anything to us. If you called and told me you had a 1986 Kubota B7200 I couldn't do anything with that, I would need the serial number. I still struggle with consumers wanting to know what year their tractor is, because it is useless information to me.

Brian

I'm sure it's useless information for parts look up, service, pretty much anything to the dealership. However, does it mean something to their customers? Especially the SCUT/CUT type buyers.

 

[Singalo]

Common practice and I have never bothered to check the date any new tractor we ever bought was made, I once requested one out of a warehouse as opposed to one that had been sitting on the lot for a long time, but all other times I buy based on the condition of the tractor and hour meter.

I don't know of any farmer, absent a design change who cares when his tractor was made. I don't see the dealer as withholding information, just not telling you something that is considered by most as irrelevant. If it is important to you when it was built, you should ask.

These threads come up fairly regularly as some people who are new to tractors equate it to buying cars/trucks as that is what they are familiar with.

When it comes to "Tractors", I could not agree with you more. But I think most of us can agree that an X360 is a lawn mower. And the people buying lawn mowers are not necessarily savvey Tractor Buyers. Most non tractor people would not know any better. What in the way of reference would they have to be educated? You are going out to buy a Lawn Mower, it's not exactly rocket science. I personally think in this case, the dealer should take that into account, given the type of customer that they are dealing with.

Likely, the reason they did not disclose the manufacture date is not merely because it makes no difference, it's because something that otherwise would not make a difference has a direct impact on moving the older lawn mower out the door. It was a conscious decision, not a misunderstanding. Just because it has no significant impact on anything does not make it ethical. The dealer could have simply explained to the customer up front why the manufacture date does not mean anything. But then the dealer runs the risk of the customer not wanting the older model anyhow. I see it as a conflict of interest.

 

[Dutch445]

Just purchased a new x360 at a John Deere dealer in November of 2012. I paid new 2012 sticker price for this at $5200.00. This tractor was on the show room floor with all the rest of the new looking tractors. After getting the unit home , I recorded the tractors serial number for warrantee reasons. For some reason, I looked up the serial number on the internet and saw that it was actually a 2011 model year production not a 2012. I thought I was getting a new 2012 year tractor. ?

congrats on the new mower! sorry you are having this issue with the model year.
did you get a hand written purchase order or one of the computer system generated forms? Also, keep in mind that JD fiscal year runs
11/1-10/31 meaning a late fall 2011 build could still have a "model year" 2012. (maybe not in your case)