patrickg
Veteran Member
I strongly recommend that as a buying strategy you first negotiate for the tractor. Including implements muddies the waters because comparison shopping across each dealer's stocked or ordered brands for various implements increases the complexity considerably. The complexity could be handled by printing out a spread sheet or manually drawn matrix for implement sizes and prices but still better to clear up the tractor price first.
That accomplished and assuming you are getting competitive bids from competing dealers (within brand), then submit your implement list for a combined bid. Sure this takes time but can save you a lot of money. What is the rush, are they selling these things off the back of a truck while glancing furtively behind them?
You will never be in a position to command better deals on implements than when buying the tractor. Two things in your favor, at least. Bigger dollar figure and tendency of dealership to focus on tractor (big ticket item) and not have little things (implements) queer the deal. It worked for me, Partner in dealership told me he was selling to me at cost + shipping and showed me the invoices. Since he was getting paid for some stuff to be ordered and received some weeks hence it greased the wheels of progress. I didn't mind as it was a great return on the short time scale investment from my point of view. The dealer didn't have to front $ to buy implements so he went for it, again focusing on his tractor sale.
When you have selected a dealer based on price and your expectations of service after the sale and whatever factors and Ouija board machinations you went through, T H E N and only then, when ready to sign on the dotted line and just as he is holding his breath while you prepare to sign or mentally he is spending the commision in advance, you pause dramatically and say, "what about the 50 hour service?" Lotsa guys you talked with got their 50 hour service free as part of the deal. Can he do that too or should you check back with him after you get a reading on the best deal that xyz dealer down the street or in next town can give on your total tractor + implement + 50 hour service price.
I'll bet you a hypothetical rootbeer float that they go for it. My L4610 50 hr service was over 300 dollars, my cost. They could have easily given it to me but I was so lame I thought it was automatically included as a standard benefit that I didn't ask. Somehow I got that impression, couldn't be that because they never ever mentioned a cost associated with the 50 hr when the 50 hr was discussed (clever felows) that I "somehow" made a bad assumption. I know, I know, on a $30,000 + deal why carp about $300 and change. Cause to me $300 is 15-20 nights out with my honey (we are cheap dates). Your deal may be smaller or a bunch bigger but why give away money????
Good luck, and if you use any or all of the above, fire in a post and let us know the results.
Patrick
That accomplished and assuming you are getting competitive bids from competing dealers (within brand), then submit your implement list for a combined bid. Sure this takes time but can save you a lot of money. What is the rush, are they selling these things off the back of a truck while glancing furtively behind them?
You will never be in a position to command better deals on implements than when buying the tractor. Two things in your favor, at least. Bigger dollar figure and tendency of dealership to focus on tractor (big ticket item) and not have little things (implements) queer the deal. It worked for me, Partner in dealership told me he was selling to me at cost + shipping and showed me the invoices. Since he was getting paid for some stuff to be ordered and received some weeks hence it greased the wheels of progress. I didn't mind as it was a great return on the short time scale investment from my point of view. The dealer didn't have to front $ to buy implements so he went for it, again focusing on his tractor sale.
When you have selected a dealer based on price and your expectations of service after the sale and whatever factors and Ouija board machinations you went through, T H E N and only then, when ready to sign on the dotted line and just as he is holding his breath while you prepare to sign or mentally he is spending the commision in advance, you pause dramatically and say, "what about the 50 hour service?" Lotsa guys you talked with got their 50 hour service free as part of the deal. Can he do that too or should you check back with him after you get a reading on the best deal that xyz dealer down the street or in next town can give on your total tractor + implement + 50 hour service price.
I'll bet you a hypothetical rootbeer float that they go for it. My L4610 50 hr service was over 300 dollars, my cost. They could have easily given it to me but I was so lame I thought it was automatically included as a standard benefit that I didn't ask. Somehow I got that impression, couldn't be that because they never ever mentioned a cost associated with the 50 hr when the 50 hr was discussed (clever felows) that I "somehow" made a bad assumption. I know, I know, on a $30,000 + deal why carp about $300 and change. Cause to me $300 is 15-20 nights out with my honey (we are cheap dates). Your deal may be smaller or a bunch bigger but why give away money????
Good luck, and if you use any or all of the above, fire in a post and let us know the results.
Patrick
