Grading Box Stores Vs Dealers

[daTeacha]

MicMan, stick with Moore's, Shearers, Sterling Farm, or Ashland implement if you will be keeping your machine a while. Sterling has been great taking care of my 129, Ashland was very good when I bought my Case (better than Sterling), and Moore's was very helpful to me when I had a B7100 and needed some parts and such, too. I got my bush hog from them at the old store. I try to avoid WallyWorld, Lowes, Home Depot, etc. to keep our local economy healthier.

While you're at it, write a check or pay cash with the local businesses. Your plastic money costs the dealer about 2 or 3% off the top of any sale. The salesman may not care, but the owner will. If you must shop Wally's or Lowes down there in Millersburg, use your plastic there.

Don't forget about Keim's down in Charm if you need power tools, but you probably already know that.

 

[montanaman]

Just had a guy walk out of here a few minutes ago that was looking for a bolt for a Toro mower he bought at the box store. He had know idea where the local Toro dealer even is but he did say the box store could come and pick it up and they would get it repaired for him. Don't think that is the fastest way to get a broken bolt replaced.

I pointed him to a servicing Toro dealer.

What a lot of folks don't understand about the warranty is that dealers do not make money on warranty! I don't care if it's GM, Ford, Dodge, JD, etc.

No mfg of tractors or mowers that I am aware of pays for transportation and many selling dealers will pick up a warranty job at no cost to the customer if it was on something that you let them make profit on. This would exlude most lawn tractors and many compacts as there just isn't enough profit.

Also, the mfg sets both the time they will pay and the hourly labor amount they will pay for warranty work. If it takes a mechanic 4 hours to complete an engine change on a warranty job, you can bet the shop will be paid two hours and it will be two hours at a rate much lower than their posted shop rate. Also, the dealer will not, in most cases, get any parts profit. Add to that all of the paper work required to claim the money and in some cases expensive special ordered parts, and the dealer is not making money. In many cases, they are lucky if they break even.

I have yet to charge transportation on a tractor that I have sold needing warranty work but with fuel at $3.00 a gallon and profits lower than ever, that day is soon!

I am a small dealer who knows my product. I can help guide a customer toward the best product for their needs, do the proper PDI inspection on it, and deliver it for them better than any box store ever will.

I also do not sell a single brand that the box stores do because I don't need the headache.

That is not to say that I can't compete with them because I usually have better for less as long as a customer is looking at their better line of products. I sell Stihl chainsaws for about the same price that Lowes and Home Depot sell their premium line of saws. I also sell much better quality chain at a better price than their chain thats made in China.

Ken

 

[micman32]

DaTeacha,

I bought my Cub at Mast Sales (formerly known as Horrisberger Equipment) in Walnut Creek Ohio. They are about 10 miles from me. I know Keim Lumber in Charm very well!