</font><font color="blue" class="small">( If you're looking for dealer support I'd stick with Deere, Kubota, maybe NH or Case if they have a strong dealer near you. No way I would go with Kioti, Mahindra, etc. They just don't have the dealer networks. Now people will say you can get them fixed, etc. but most of these dealerships do not have factory mechanics, ready availability of parts, and dealerships are usually pretty scattered apart. Your area may differ I'm just commenting from my area on these tractors. )</font>
I've seen a lot of big three dealers close in my area over the last 20 years. Some of the most reliable dealerships are the brands you consider unreliable for some strange reason. There is a Mahindra/MF dealer that has sold MFs for decades, and added the Mahindra line in the 90's. This family dealership is very unlikely to disappear overnight. The guy sells a lot of Mahindras and a lot of Masseys. The guy is very successful selling the Mahindras because he and his family have been in business for years, and have developed a great rapport with the clientele. People know they will get great service from this family, no matter what brand they are purchasing.
Another local dealership sells Farmtracs, and has been selling Long tractors for thirty years. During that same time frame they sold IH tractors, then Case-IH tractors, but no longer sell because of the CNH merger. They went with McCormick, which is a by-product of the CNH merger, and are very pleased with the response from the local farmers. The get a lot of trade-ins that they sold when they were IH and C-IH dealers. With decades in the business the customers come to them to get equipment, because they provide great service, not because of the brands they sell.
A third local dealership sold Ford tractors for decades, but gave up the NH dealership two-years ago to go strictly with Kubota, at least for the present time. They haven't lost any business by dropping the NH brand, as people continue to purchase tractors from them, as they can count on good service no matter what they purchase.
A fourth local dealership has picked up the LG Montana brand, to go with the other brands they sell. These people have been in business for years, and are selling these tractors based upon the reputation they have built selling the Long/Farmtrac brand, which they continue to sell, and providing dependable service.
The point is that in this age of mergers you do not know who is going to be with what brand in the future. It is far more important to base a purchase on the rep of the dealer, than the longevity of the product being sold in the US.
Sure John Deere has a great dealer network, but it isn't like JD dealers haven't closed their doors. The 4720 is without a doubt a nice machine. The problem is that the poster wants to be in the $20K range and the 4720 is going to be well above that price.
When you go with the Mahindra, Kioti, etc., you get a lot more bang for the buck. The people that own those tractors seem to be just as pleased with the performance of their tractors as the John Deere, NH and Kubota owners do with their tractors.
I've seen few complaints posted here at TBN about any brand, regardless of manufacturer. IMO, that speaks volumes about the quality of tractors being produced these days. There is a tremendous difference in the tractors being sold today and those that were sold 25-35 years ago, when some of the more economically priced brands first showed up in the US.
I've seen a lot of big three dealers close in my area over the last 20 years. Some of the most reliable dealerships are the brands you consider unreliable for some strange reason. There is a Mahindra/MF dealer that has sold MFs for decades, and added the Mahindra line in the 90's. This family dealership is very unlikely to disappear overnight. The guy sells a lot of Mahindras and a lot of Masseys. The guy is very successful selling the Mahindras because he and his family have been in business for years, and have developed a great rapport with the clientele. People know they will get great service from this family, no matter what brand they are purchasing.
Another local dealership sells Farmtracs, and has been selling Long tractors for thirty years. During that same time frame they sold IH tractors, then Case-IH tractors, but no longer sell because of the CNH merger. They went with McCormick, which is a by-product of the CNH merger, and are very pleased with the response from the local farmers. The get a lot of trade-ins that they sold when they were IH and C-IH dealers. With decades in the business the customers come to them to get equipment, because they provide great service, not because of the brands they sell.
A third local dealership sold Ford tractors for decades, but gave up the NH dealership two-years ago to go strictly with Kubota, at least for the present time. They haven't lost any business by dropping the NH brand, as people continue to purchase tractors from them, as they can count on good service no matter what they purchase.
A fourth local dealership has picked up the LG Montana brand, to go with the other brands they sell. These people have been in business for years, and are selling these tractors based upon the reputation they have built selling the Long/Farmtrac brand, which they continue to sell, and providing dependable service.
The point is that in this age of mergers you do not know who is going to be with what brand in the future. It is far more important to base a purchase on the rep of the dealer, than the longevity of the product being sold in the US.
Sure John Deere has a great dealer network, but it isn't like JD dealers haven't closed their doors. The 4720 is without a doubt a nice machine. The problem is that the poster wants to be in the $20K range and the 4720 is going to be well above that price.
When you go with the Mahindra, Kioti, etc., you get a lot more bang for the buck. The people that own those tractors seem to be just as pleased with the performance of their tractors as the John Deere, NH and Kubota owners do with their tractors.
I've seen few complaints posted here at TBN about any brand, regardless of manufacturer. IMO, that speaks volumes about the quality of tractors being produced these days. There is a tremendous difference in the tractors being sold today and those that were sold 25-35 years ago, when some of the more economically priced brands first showed up in the US.
