Another Kioti Dealer Gone

[RadarTech]

Kioti has a public relations dept. ???? I have one (DK55) I bought used CHEAP, it's a good machine, but I would NEVER buy a new one and put up with how Kioti treats customers and dealers. I have 2 Kubotas I did buy new because i know that dealer will still be here. Kioti says its a Korean company, but I believe its run by a guy named Gadhafi in Libya

Maybe someone should send that dept a link to this thread...

 

[Hoosier Hay Man]

1 of the 3 local Deere dealers also sells Massey's in my area. I have read of many other Deere dealers mentioned on TBN that sell other brands also. I don't think that John Deere is a Deere only company. If they are then they have some pruning to do.

It sounds like California still has some nice small dealers to deal with, but in the midwest they are becoming less common. They sell some shortline, but no other tractors. Deere's Frontier line, which sells everything from loader buckets to 750 bushel auger wagons was to compete with the shortline equipment their dealers were offering. Most of the Frontier equipment is rebadged shortline stuff from everyone.
We have went from 5 independent Deere dealers to 2 in the last 3 years. Four NH dealers are now all owned by one. There is a lot of pruning dealers and forcing mergers. We just had three owners and 4 stores merge. Deere stratigy is less dealers. Deere and CNH are all going with the Super Dealers in the midwest. Our CIH dealer is a multi-state dealer. We have one CAT dealer in the state that has pretty much taken over most of our local AGCO tractors and equipment. This has been and still is a major issue and fear with any shortline equipment manufactures being pushed out by the majors. There is less competition between dealers when you have less. Not good for the consumer on price and choice. I don't neccesarily agree with the stategy, but I do understand it.

 

[Hoosier Hay Man]

It appears that consideration needs to be related to the area. I don't believe any dealership other than John Deere can survive in my area by just selling Kubotas. One sells Case and the other sells New Holland. You can buy a John Deere SCUT to a big Ag machine, but Kioti, Kubota etc. really can't cover this range and income from other sales help keep the doors open.

I agree. Kubota seems to not mind piggy backing with the Majors when they can. I have never seen Kioti sold at a major in our area. They seem to be sold at lawn mower dealers. The problem Kioti has then I would guess is their dealers want to spread their cost of keeping a small tractor diesel mechanic on staff is sell other small tractors. Daedong wants to spread its manufacturing cost by rebadging other colors. It seem the dealers that have been closed is the multi-competing brand dealers. I would think they need to measure dealer sucess in a different manner. Not all dealers are alike. Thank goodness! I still love my Kioti and just used it to load a bunch of round bales. It will stack them 2 high on my 20ft trailer!

 

[rfmr]

I was referred to Batchelder Sales by an antique tractor collector and enthusiast. As many have already mentioned, Dick Batchelder and Eric, his service tech, are second to none for sales and customer service. My being a newbie to tractors, it was due to them fitting my image of what a business should be that lead to my purchase of what turned out to be my first and later my second Kioti. I will continue to have them as my service center of choice and when needed the place I will buy my next tractor, which appears to be a brand other than Kioti.

 

[mx5guy]

Most car dealers can only sell one brand of car, if you had more brands you may still make the sale so would be your customer, but GM would not be happy if you sold a Ford and vice versa, Kioti should have asked existing dealer to drop other competing brands or if not then lose the Kioti brand. Seling used inventory is a different story, as your generally recouping your trade in selling cost.

Up here in Canada, the dealer I bought my Kioty from is now a 5 Paw dealer, but only sells Kioty, small operation, does OK, but they also sell chain saws, power tools generators, but only one brand of tractor, and I am sure it they tried to add other makes they too would be cut.

Just Kioti brand standing up to competition, we are big enought to be selective, Good or Bad time will tell.

 

[wallace]

Most car dealers can only sell one brand of car, if you had more brands you may still make the sale so would be your customer, but GM would not be happy if you sold a Ford and vice versa, Kioti should have asked existing dealer to drop other competing brands or if not then lose the Kioti brand. Seling used inventory is a different story, as your generally recouping your trade in selling cost.

Up here in Canada, the dealer I bought my Kioty from is now a 5 Paw dealer, but only sells Kioty, small operation, does OK, but they also sell chain saws, power tools generators, but only one brand of tractor, and I am sure it they tried to add other makes they too would be cut.

Just Kioti brand standing up to competition, we are big enought to be selective, Good or Bad time will tell.

This is not the case by far.
All around my area you will see just about every car/truck has another line.
Some have them on the same lot and other have separate lots.

My point is if that's what they want then why are they running around setting up the NH guys?
Why did my x rep tell me to get another line of tractors! He told me that I need to have equipment on my lot and we can't give you what you need when you need it!
That was the big reason why we took on Massey.

Guys most of you do not realize what goes on behind the scenes.
One of the major reason why dealer have more than 1 brand is because we need them to survive.
Manufactures can not meet demands all of the time.
I can remember when we couldn't get tires for months. Or backhoes, or loaders.
Last year we sold out of our Massey tractors and could not get any for 4 months!
Right now I just received a tractor that was ordered last April...Yes last April.
So this is NOT about multi line dealers.
I can tell you that there is only about a handful of dealers out here that only sell one brand.

 

[wallace]

Most car dealers can only sell one brand of car, if you had more brands you may still make the sale so would be your customer, but GM would not be happy if you sold a Ford and vice versa, Kioti should have asked existing dealer to drop other competing brands or if not then lose the Kioti brand. Seling used inventory is a different story, as your generally recouping your trade in selling cost.

Up here in Canada, the dealer I bought my Kioty from is now a 5 Paw dealer, but only sells Kioty, small operation, does OK, but they also sell chain saws, power tools generators, but only one brand of tractor, and I am sure it they tried to add other makes they too would be cut.

Just Kioti brand standing up to competition, we are big enought to be selective, Good or Bad time will tell.

Laws protect that from happening.
If that's what MFG's want, then they will have to have a no compete clause in their contracts.

 

[nhfarm]

after reading through the threads and the opinions my thoughts are how many of us have suffered at the hands of the big dealerships ?
You know the attitude ,"thats the price either pay it or leave ,someone will be in right behind you " or " we will get to it when we get to it ,your not are only customer "
I am surrounded by the big names in tractors but choose batchelders because they are real people with an excellent reputation ,who listen and help thier customers through out the whole process , most importantly AFTER THE SALE !
I took the chance with kioti (which was an unknown tractor in the area before batchelder sales ) because of dick and judy's reputation and the fact if i had an issue I could talk to dick and get a strait answer, not some B.S. from a service manager who probably couldnt start a tractor in the first place :laughing:
I think if kioti is falling in line with the big guys mentality, they will be in for a rude awakening ,they are a good tractor but the are not one of the big guys !
Thier parts availability is questionable , thier loyalty to thier delears is laughable , and it would seem what they have for a customer relations dept. has been left wanting !
I also will continue my business with the batchelder family knowing that whatever it is they replace kioti with will be a product they will stand behind and the service will be better and more affordable than the big guys !
Besides why do I want to pay for that "big guys" fancy show room and help him support his inflated overhead ? It wont make my tractor run any better , all its going to do is take what little profit there is left at the end of the day

 

[MessickFarmEqu]

Laws protect that from happening.
If that's what MFG's want, then they will have to have a no compete clause in their contracts.

I'm a bit surprised they are able to pull contacts so easily. Do they renew on a yearly or bi-yearly basis? I've hread several times from our OEM's how hard it is for them to shut down a bad dealer because state laws typicaly protect the retailer.

 

[TripleR]

I am not a businessman, so maybe I am missing something, but it "seems" pretty simple. If you don't have stable dealerships, you won't sell tractors.

There are features on the Kioti I prefer to Kubota, but won't bother looking at them due to poor dealership network. If you have to share a building/lot with another brand then fine, let your product speak for itself. My dealer carries NH also and sells plenty of both.