Dealer Prep Time on New Tractor

[orezok]

Seems like they would check bolts etc. BEFORE putting it on the lot like the OP's.

From the dealers perspective the sooner it’s on the lot, the sooner it will be sold. Thats money in HIS pocket. Unfortunately, your time is not his first priority.

 

[rScotty]

One thing I forgot to add to my post is that over here, the importer does all the assembly and prep necessary once they receive the tractors on their lot. From there, it goes to the dealers to get sold pretty much ready to go.

The only thing the dealers will do, is do a final once over and take care of any requests by the costumer, like swapping to R1 Radials, filling tires, install an extra set of remotes, send the tractor to the loader manufacturer to have a loader installed or install a loader themselves, install SMV sign, license plate and beacon, etc.

I don't know if it's a better system or not but very rarely hear about loose bolts or nuts, even after thousands of hours. Honestly, it baffles me constantly reading on this forum about loose bolts with hardly any hours on the tractors. It does show very little care or attention during this process.

US dealers vary. One day one might order a specific tractor to be built at the factory - or he might buy a group of disassembled tractors in crates from one distributor and crates of option kits from another. Making deals is what dealers do. Options can be added at any point in the process.

"Prep work" at a dealership is not the best job in the house. Some shop foreman use the threat of prep work to motivate lazy mechanics, while I've known others who use prep work as their own after-hour relaxation.

I worked with one shop foreman who had fingers like vice grips. When a kid got done with a prep job the foreman would go over the machine using only two fingers - small nuts removed cost the assembler a dime and large ones a quarter. Proceeds went into a beer fund.

However it gets done, hopefully the dealer is responsible for final assembly and checklng.

rScotty

 

[Paystar]

It isn't really unassembled. Just needs fluid levels checked, nuts and bolts checked, and lotsa plastic thrown away..
Guess it's not as uncommon as I thought on dealer prep time. Or maybe just a sign of our times?

SWEET!!!

 

[arrow]

Seems like they would check bolts etc. BEFORE putting it on the lot like the OP's.

Doesn't work that way.
They come off a trailer and parked on the lot.
If they get sold, then they get pdi'ed.
The bigger the tractor, the more stuff to do on it.

 

[arrow]

One thing I forgot to add to my post is that over here, the importer does all the assembly and prep necessary once they receive the tractors on their lot. From there, it goes to the dealers to get sold pretty much ready to go.

The only thing the dealers will do, is do a final once over and take care of any requests by the costumer, like swapping to R1 Radials, filling tires, install an extra set of remotes, send the tractor to the loader manufacturer to have a loader installed or install a loader themselves, install SMV sign, license plate and beacon, etc.

I don't know if it's a better system or not but very rarely hear about loose bolts or nuts, even after thousands of hours. Honestly, it baffles me constantly reading on this forum about loose bolts with hardly any hours on the tractors. It does show very little care or attention during this process.

Your first sentence is true...to a point.
It's like that "one in a million" where an employee of a manufacturer "forgets something".
but we're dealing with human beings here and all the conditions of the species so lackadaisical attitudes will not do on the sales end.

Loose bolts, missing air filters, loose oil filters, low fluids top off, low tire pressures or too high, disconnected wires, poor greasing if at all, lighting checks, implement checks, incorrect assembly, etc, etc.
What takes time is not only the "checking " itself, but where something needs addressing or additions can also cut into an alacrity of delivery.

So now there is a bit of complaining going on but if any of you were responsible for the safety, reliability, viability and customer service quality of a product you were letting go with your name on the line, how careful would you be with the products you sell?

The actual "help" situation or trying to get employees is another issue entirely but a person "fresh off the street" is not qualified to do proper pdi's.

And if anyone thinks we've "cleared" the lost time of covid, I've got news for ya.

 

[arrow]

. Unfortunately, your time is not his first priority.

Of course it is and a bunch more.
The customer is the ultimate priority and if "time" were the only aspect of importance, where do you think we'd all be?

 

[arrow]

"Prep work" at a dealership is not the best job in the house. Some shop foreman use the threat of prep work to motivate lazy mechanics, while I've known others who use prep work as their own after-hour relaxation.

.

rScotty

I am at a loss when people make statements like this.

"Prep work" or as you state that includes pdi, is an "essential" part of the job and is far from the "prepping" done at auto dealerships where a car simply gets washed and waxed by a lot boy and what we do at our place in regard to pre delivery, has no other purpose than to create the best viability of the product.

You best know your stuff if you're going to be inspecting a tractor for delivery.

Of the 10 people employed at the dealership I work at, only two are qualified for pre delivery inspection of tractors: our best mechanic and myself and believe me, there is nothing relaxing about it.
It is a dead serious entity.

 

[K5lwq]

I am at a loss when people make statements like this.

"Prep work" or as you state that includes pdi, is an "essential" part of the job and is far from the "prepping" done at auto dealerships where a car simply gets washed and waxed by a lot boy nor is it used for any other purpose than to create the best viability of the product.

You best know your stuff if you're going to be inspecting a tractor for delivery.

Of the 10 people employed at the dealership I work at, only two are qualified for pre delivery inspection of tractors: our best mechanic and myself and believe me, there is nothing relaxing about it.
It is a dead serious entity.

How do you check the bolts from the bell housing to the engine on a cab tractor? I could see a time when I would find one that I could get to loose and then have to pull the cab to check the rest. Yeah, I would not find that very relaxing.

 

[Torvy]

My tractor took two weeks, but only because I wanted a model they did not have on their lot. If I wanted one of the tractors on the lot, it would have been 1-3 days (I wanted 3rd function installed).

 

[rockinbbar]

I am at a loss when people make statements like this.

"Prep work" or as you state that includes pdi, is an "essential" part of the job and is far from the "prepping" done at auto dealerships where a car simply gets washed and waxed by a lot boy and what we do at our place in regard to pre delivery, has no other purpose than to create the best viability of the product.

You best know your stuff if you're going to be inspecting a tractor for delivery.

Of the 10 people employed at the dealership I work at, only two are qualified for pre delivery inspection of tractors: our best mechanic and myself and believe me, there is nothing relaxing about it.
It is a dead serious entity.

I agree that it's important. And you have to know your way around several different models, if not makes of tractors.
I know the prep guy at my dealership, and he's pretty good. More importantly, he takes pride in his work. While I do my own checks a few hours after running the tractor, I really don't worry that this guy missed anything much.

I had bought a 100hp tractor and 15' cutter together some years back. (Another dealer and brand)

The two bolts or pins that hold the drawbar in the center position were missing, or swiped... That caused sway in the batwing cutter, but it wasn't noticeable from the cab. It wasn't long before the CV joint in the main driveshaft that hooked to the PTO started clattering. I mentioned it to the service mgr when I had it in for an unrelated issue. He went to the back of the tractor with me, and after a few minutes said the CV joint was shot, and started looking for the cause, and discovered the missing bolts.

I asked him what they were going to do about it, and he said they would order a new driveshaft assy. They did. It cost the dealer $1500, as they don't sell just the CV joint side of the shaft. You had to buy the whole thing from the PTO to the middle gear box splitter.