Dealer Best brand to start dealership? Branson / LS / TYM

[1stDeuce]

Good points.
Fwiw, the closest LS dealer to me actually is literally a guy with three machines in his front yard...

 

[rustyshakelford]

Good points.
Fwiw, the closest LS dealer to me actually is literally a guy with three machines in his front yard...

Nothing instills confidence in a big purchase than that! "Hey honey can you move the laundry off the couch so we can sign some papers"

Brett

 

[rgr33]

It seems to me, that future tractor buyers who balk at the price tag on John Deere and Kubota, will look for an affordable tractor that has a good reputation, a good service dept, and some local stability.

Two that come to mind here are LS, and Yanmar. Both are solid choices, but in this area, Yanmar prices are more in the Kubota price range as compared to LS. Thus, LS would attract the price sensitive consumer looking for a well equipped unit. While Yanmar is well known for quality and durability.

Having both on your lot would be a win-win I would think.

 

[Tractorable]

That's a good assessment, and exactly what my local dealer just did.

 

[Rmart30]

If it was me going into it. First thing Id do is call a few of those brands dealer a state or so away so you arent "cutting into their business" and ask them how its going for them and any issues?
Ive been around a dozen+ equipment brands. Some companies are easy to work with, and others arent. Jump thru hoops for warranty claims. Stocking X amount of parts from a list of what they tell you , you have to stock, but you may never use. Buying so many tractors up front instead of a floor plan. Lack of factory tech support. Lots of variables in it.

Yanmar has made great engines for a long time.
Outsourcing the repair work is a bad idea. Buyers are going to want to see a working full service dealership.
Most of these brands ive never even seen one in person. Selling a new brand is a uphill task.
You can thank brands like LONG , TAFE, BELARUS, DUETZ, and others for that. They are great till they break and you have to look for hard parts.

 

[AxleHub]

Rmart30,

Yanmar has also made great tractors since 2006 (in the U.S.).

A Yanmar advantage is that virtually any territory in the U.S. is familiar with Yanmar engines and their durability. If you mention Kawasaki engines - they are good - but not Yanmar level. And Kohler, Briggs, and Tecumseh lower still.

Other names like Kubota, Iseki, Subaru, and Yamaha are great engines - but not known as much for their engines as are Yanmar. And of course there are Honda engines.

My point is - when people can identify with millions of engines - they identify with levels of quality. So selling Yanmar tractors has an edge.

And I agree with you - a dealership without a service department is tough because a tractor is a longer term investment than is a car or truck. You want a product that can be worked on.

In our area there are sporadic Yanmar dealerships - but expanding. Certainly more Yanmar than Kioti or Branson or TYM (once Cabelas quit) or LS.

But the OP stated no service department - so I'm not sure what brand choices exist that don't require a service department - at least not legitimate dealers because who does warranty work ?

 

[rustyshakelford]

Rmart30,

Yanmar has also made great tractors since 2006 (in the U.S.).

A Yanmar advantage is that virtually any territory in the U.S. is familiar with Yanmar engines and their durability. If you mention Kawasaki engines - they are good - but not Yanmar level. And Kohler, Briggs, and Tecumseh lower still.

Other names like Kubota, Iseki, Subaru, and Yamaha are great engines - but not known as much for their engines as are Yanmar. And of course there are Honda engines.

My point is - when people can identify with millions of engines - they identify with levels of quality. So selling Yanmar tractors has an edge.

And I agree with you - a dealership without a service department is tough because a tractor is a longer term investment than is a car or truck. You want a product that can be worked on.

In our area there are sporadic Yanmar dealerships - but expanding. Certainly more Yanmar than Kioti or Branson or TYM (once Cabelas quit) or LS.

But the OP stated no service department - so I'm not sure what brand choices exist that don't require a service department - at least not legitimate dealers because who does warranty work ?

I'll be honest, if I was in the market for a smaller tractor, I wouldn't entertain yanmar. The name recognition to me is in the engine not the tractor. I would stick to the big brands and maybe look over the LS and Kioti. I can tell a lot about a tractor by the bucket on the loader. There is these big tractors with great loader specs and they put a tiny bucket on them. That doesn't make me interested.

Brett

 

[kenmac]

Yanmar will give a dealership with little to no service dept.
There is a guy down the hill that sells toro lawn equipment. He only has a service dept. large enough to work on mowers, not tractors..
Person working there said they started selling the yanmars a couple months ago.

As far as the quality of yanmar tractors. I have one that was built in 79-83 and is still a strong running tractor. Yanmar has been building tractors for a very long time.
They even built the green ones for a long time

I think they know what they are doing with tractors.

 

[Texasmark]

If you were starting a dealership and could pick only one brand, at least initially, which would you go with and why? Branson / LS / TYM

Also, anyone have input on outsourcing the warranty service & repair work to a third-party shop? Can this work out well?
Any dealers on here who can answer this from experience?

Thanks!

My dealer for the 2400 was a combo Branson-TYM dealer. Don't know why and didn't care. I went to get what I got and after having to wait several days for a new shipment due to stock depletion, I got what I went for.

I'd say go to a dealership and talk with the owner/manager. Ask them which supplier is best for them and I'd go with that. Best supplier means that your interaction with your customers would be enhanced rather than be a nagging problem, especially in warranty related claims.

 

[Texasmark]

Yanmar will give a dealership with little to no service dept.
There is a guy down the hill that sells toro lawn equipment. He only has a service dept. large enough to work on mowers, not tractors..
Person working there said they started selling the yanmars a couple months ago.

As far as the quality of yanmar tractors. I have one that was built in 79-83 and is still a strong running tractor. Yanmar has been building tractors for a very long time.
They even built the green ones for a long time

I think they know what they are doing with tractors.

On your oldie (but goodie) I recall that time frame that there was a Yanmar dealer on the way to work. They hit the scene long before any of the other imported tractors around here. Quality survives the test of time. They survived!!! I also noticed some other badges advertising Yanmar engines.

Bransons are in my corral. Cummins (licensed) engines are one of the main reasons. Must have survived the test of time for me!

On the "why limit your search to just 3".......when I went for a small, simple, tractor in 2016, all I needed was a list of just 1.