Dealer Various Dealers... wanting best price

GreenBFarms · Feb 4, 2014

Good Mornin'!
We have about 40 dealers within 400 miles of us (some out of state in more agricultural areas). While I'm wanting to do some major comparison shopping, is there anything "bad" with purchasing from the best priced dealer and then having the tractor serviced at my local dealer (provided my local dealer won't match the better price)? I'm assuming warantee and whatnot is a guaranteed service. If the dealer won't match the better price, are there any other things I should ask for to compensate (free 50 hour service, transportation, etc...).
Thanks in advance!
GreenB

texasjohn · Feb 4, 2014

Shop til you drop, cut your best deal with terms and get as many attachments delivered as cheaply as possible....somewhere along the line it will become obvious who is the best dealer for you. Then, do your own oil and grease jobs....self sufficiency, you know...treat your equipment right and there will be no question about mistreatment thus no worry about dealer support. You seem interested in Kubota...look thru TBN posts to form your own opinion of dealers' honoring of warranty issues, by brand. My opinion is that Kubota dealer record of warranty support is as good as any, better than most and very seldom needed.

engine29 · Feb 4, 2014

This issue has come up many times and always generates heated discussion. You need to be prepared to have the dealer you buy it from do your warranty/service work throughout the warranty. Don't saddle your local dealer w/ it if you didn't purchase from him. Manufacturer warranties never pay the full amount of the warranty claim to the dealer so a dealer loses on just about every claim. The dealer you buy off of makes money on the initial deal so as a part of doing business he can absorb a loss on the warranty. It's not fair to make another dealer do someone else's warranty and lose money when they didn't sell the tractor.
I always say pay more and buy locally because it will pay off in the future, but don't saddle him w/ someone else's warranty responsibility.

corl · Feb 4, 2014

Shop around to find the best deal. If you are not trading in an older tractor the price differences should be small. Find the best dealer in your area and deal with him. You can use your search as leverage to get his best deal. A good reliable dealer is worth a lot when you need him and its good peace of mind if you don't.

GreenBFarms · Feb 4, 2014

Great points friends, much appreciated! I was unaware that waranty work is a losing deal... I had heard the opposite and I don't want to do anybody wrong. I really do like the dealer, but the quote for a B2320 is only about 4% off MSRP...

pmhowe · Feb 4, 2014

I recommend you shop around, find your very best deal, and return to your local dealer. Ask him if he can match it. If he can, you and he have the best of both worlds.

JOHNTHOMAS · Feb 5, 2014

GreenBFarms said:
Great points friends, much appreciated! I was unaware that waranty work is a losing deal... I had heard the opposite and I don't want to do anybody wrong. I really do like the dealer, but the quote for a B2320 is only about 4% off MSRP...

I don't believe the dealer loses on warranty work. They may not and probably don't get their "shop rate" which is usually pretty inflated. Several dealers have stepped forth when this topic comes up and said they don't lose money and they want to do service work which is a major part of their dealer income. When the warranty goes off and service work is needed, who you going to go to and pay full shop rate? Check the brand owned by people giving you advise. A JD, NH, Kioti, etc owner usually don't deal with or have specific knowledge about Kubotas. I never give specific tractor advise on any brand but Kubota. I own Kubotas and have for 10 years, actually have bought 17 of them. Have had very few warranty claims and only one of those required me to take the tractor to the dealer for repair, the others were parts my selling (Barlows) dealer gave me to put on. One was a bad tire and lost ring on a fuel lid and an occasional missing pin or small part/piece.
Shop around and also all Kubota dealers big and small pay the same price for the Kubota "NEW" tractor that is owned by Kubota and not the dealer up until the time of sell when Kubota then prices it to the dealer so dealer isn't paying floor plan costs like car dealers do.
Kubota is a franchise and a desirable one at that. They are not going to let/make their dealers lose money on warranty work. Kubota knows how much it should cost to replace/repair a part and that's what they pay. If the mechanics don't know what they are doing then the dealer may lose or if the dealer pays to high wages or just doesn't know how to run a business. Be fair but don't believe there isn't enough money in the pot to pay the dealer.
It's your money and will buy you the same food and other stuff that it will buy a dealer. Dealer should be competitive or they won't stay in business to be there when you need them.

MessickFarmEqu · Feb 5, 2014

JOHNTHOMAS said:
I don't believe the dealer loses on warranty work.

its not consistently a loss, but complicated problems can become a loss very quickly. Its certainly not a meaningful profit center.

Bluegill2 · Feb 5, 2014

I would not buy a rig from one dealer, then take it to a different one for warranty work. I do all my own service & repairs, have never needed warranty work on a Kubota. But I do support my local dealer.