Crocky

[curly]

What a pain in the behind. I was in the Kubota dealership and was about to sign the papers on an L3400...but I kinda got cold feet and told him I was gonna look a little more before I made a decision. So, then I found a nice 45hp Montana used and made an offer. It was accepted and all was well. Then I found a new one with the 3 yr warranty for about the same price and talked to the used guy. He understood that the warranty meant a lot so he let me off the hook.

So the new Montana company ordered my grapple (they paid, I was to pay at delivery) and installed the extra hydralics (they paid, I was to pay at delivery). I ordered a Pat's hitch (I paid) and had it sent to them and they installed it.

I ordered a 6ft flat toothbar (it's on the way to my house) and a 6ft box blade that I have to go pick up. The tractor was to be delivered tomorrow (Sat Sept 8th). So they called this morning...because they were to get directions and such. The owners son told me he made a BIG mistake. I said OK, what happened. He said the price I quoted you was 4K less than our price

I've called them almost daily for the past 2 weeks plus...adding this, inquiring about this, changing this attachment to that attachment...and they never caught that He said when the secretary was writing it all up this morning she asked them why they were selling that tractor so cheap I guess she needs a raise, huh?

So, I have a Pat's hitch, a 6ft toothbar and a 6ft box blade...but no tractor. Crap man.

Back to the search...now I have to look at them all again, the only reason I went with that specific Montana was because it was a deal. The used one is still for sale, but still with no warranty. Man, this stinks

 

[teeravis1]

Man, thats a bad day Good luck on your 2nd search! I have an oarnge one........that would be my recomendation.............but I am biased

 

[curly]

Yeah, it's a pain. I remember talking to the owner's son (maybe he's an owner too) and telling him what a great deal it was and he said yeah, they're tryiing to move the 2006 that got left behind. So now they have the extra expense of the up front hydralics...that not everyone will need. And they have a $2300 root grapple that they will probably lose money on. You would think that he would have some clue as to what the machines cost them and some ballpark on what they are selling for...but he apparently don't.

Tomorrow morning I'm going to look at a Kioti DK35. I'm depressed that I have to go through this again...and also that the machine I end up with is gonna be less horespower than what I thought I was getting.

 

[Gryantaylor]

Yeah, it's a pain. I remember talking to the owner's son (maybe he's an owner too) and telling him what a great deal it was and he said yeah, they're tryiing to move the 2006 that got left behind. So now they have the extra expense of the up front hydralics...that not everyone will need. And they have a $2300 root grapple that they will probably lose money on. You would think that he would have some clue as to what the machines cost them and some ballpark on what they are selling for...but he apparently don't.

Tomorrow morning I'm going to look at a Kioti DK35. I'm depressed that I have to go through this again...and also that the machine I end up with is gonna be less horespower than what I thought I was getting.

I don't mean to ask a stupid question, but I've never bought a new tractor. It seems to me that you and the saleman agreed to a price and signed a contract to sell you X for a given price. This should be your good fortune and a "big pain in the &*( for the dealer, not you. If they figured out 10 minutes later or 2 years later that they made a mistake it should be there mistake, there problem and your good fortune.

What if they found the mistake 2 weeks after deliver, would they ask for it back? What if you found the same tractor for 4000 less the day before this one was suppose to be delivered do you think they would let you out of the deal?

I guess my question is was there something in the contract / agreement that allowed them to back out of the deal at the last minute?

 

[curly]

...signed a contract...

Hmmmm, this is where it all falls apart. He's about 225 miles from me and since he ordered the $2300 root grapple and had the hydralics plumbed...on his nickle, I felt that he was pretty serious about the deal...and he obviously thought I was serious also, to do the work on it without any money or any signed contract.

Since I was never out of any money, except the Pat's hitch (he's sending it to me) and the fel teeth (it's was delivered to me today)...I never felt the need to sign anything. I was gonna give him a cashiers check or cash upon delivery. I did put $20 on a box blade that I need to go pick up, but even if I decide that's not the right bb depending on the tractor I get, he'll put the $20 towards a different one.

It's weird, I gotta tell ya. They do things strange there, I like to do business on a handshake anytime I can...or on a promise per phone. But I am careful to get things in writing if there's much of my money involved.

Weird

 

[irwin]

This company needs to do you right big time! Either they think this how to make a better deal with a buyer, or they are seriously dropping the ball. What if you're like me? that would most likely be it for them getting my business, unless they proved some really incredible deal as an alternative..just my two cents...

serious bummer my friend...good luck with your continuing tractor shopping

 

[curly]

This company needs to do you right big time! Either they think this how to make a better deal with a buyer, or they are seriously dropping the ball. What if you're like me? that would most likely be it for them getting my business, unless they proved some really incredible deal as an alternative..just my two cents...

serious bummer my friend...good luck with your continuing tractor shopping

They are seriously dropping the ball. The son just screwed up big time on the quote and nobody caught it.

They said they would call corporate and tell them how they screwed up and see if corp would cut a couple grand off to help them out, and if I then agreed to increase my price a couple of grand then we would still be able to make it work. I said I was willing, but then corp wouldn't help them (they probably just laughed at them) so that was that.

 

[jbrumberg]

curly:

Where I was brought up and how I still do things is a handshake is a handshake (with everything I can). That is why I tend do do most my business with the same tractor dealership. This is not even a "bait and switch" ploy . What is happening is really . Jay

 

[curly]

curly:

... This is not even a "bait and switch" ploy ...

Sounds like it, cept they ended up with an extra $540 in hydralics and a $2300 root grapple. So no, they just messed up royally?

If they call before I find a tractor...I still may go for it

 

[sandman2234]

Sounds like they were used car salesman in a previous life!
(Hope I am not offending anyone)
David from jax

 

[BobG_in_VA]

Ya know, I hate to say this, but you better send these guys a certified letter. Spell out the events as they happened, concluding with the "handshake" deal. Then add the part about the "Mistake" on their part after they put all the time and money in it with grapple, etc. Then conclude with, either: We had a deal, now you follow thru with your end of it and I'll pay the exact amount we agreed to.... or 2nd: Yeah, OK you screwed up....I'm gonna let you off the hook, but I want a letter back from you saying no charge to me at all. What I'm saying here is what are you gonna do if the guy sends you a bill for the grapple??? Pre-emptive First strike is always the best way to handle this rather than playing catch up later. BobG in VA

 

[curly]

Ya know, I hate to say this, but you better send these guys a certified letter. Spell out the events as they happened, concluding with the "handshake" deal. Then add the part about the "Mistake" on their part after they put all the time and money in it with grapple, etc. Then conclude with, either: We had a deal, now you follow thru with your end of it and I'll pay the exact amount we agreed to.... or 2nd: Yeah, OK you screwed up....I'm gonna let you off the hook, but I want a letter back from you saying no charge to me at all. What I'm saying here is what are you gonna do if the guy sends you a bill for the grapple??? Pre-emptive First strike is always the best way to handle this rather than playing catch up later. BobG in VA

Good point

But there's nothing written anywhere. If they try to do that...then aren't they saying we had a deal, I'll just tell them OK, give me the tractor.

 

[Dmace]

Tomorrow morning I'm going to look at a Kioti DK35. I'm depressed that I have to go through this again...and also that the machine I end up with is gonna be less horespower than what I thought I was getting.

The Kioti DK35 is only 0.7 engine hp less than the L3400 and 0.7 PTO hp less. I would bet they are the same but it's all in the way it was measured.

The Kioti has a higer lift capacity on the FEL (1,350 vs 1,142 at the pins) and higher lift (103.5" vs 95.3").

It depends on your intended use, wether you want a heavier tractor or not. The Kioti weighs 3,475lbs whereas the Kubota is just 2,600. Good if you are mowing a lot but I doubt it with such a large tractor.

Either way, you can't go wrong with a Kioti. I wouldn't think of it as a downgrade from the Kubota but a less expensive alternative.

 

[IslandTractor]

Bummer dude on the Montana. Doesn't sound particularly fishy though just sounds like a truly stupid mistake by the dealer.

Good luck with your search for a new new tractor. Nothing wrong with the Kioti DK35se but check out the DK40se with much stonger FEL (KL401) for not much more money. The other differences are larger tires and a bit more ground clearance in addition to a 41hp engine. I went looking for a DK35 as I really did not need 41hp but the loader issue pushed me over the edge and I now have a DK40se. Lift at pivot pins with the KL401 is 2700+lbs to full height which is pretty impressive. Comes in real handy if you are planning to use a grapple.

 

[curly]

Yeah, I test drove the DK40se today and talked to the owner about prices etc. This may be the one. There are really a lot of great tractors out there and it is a huge decision trying to figure out which one

I was totally happy with the Montana (well yeah, I was apparantly stealing it at $13,200 with a fel ) and now I am equally happy with the Kioti...more so that the dealer is a lot closer and has been there for many many years.

And now that I've read every post I could find on grapples, I realize that I don't need the heavy duty WRLong grapple at $2300. Plus, I didn't realize how much it weighed and how important that was too. I'm such a smarter shopper now after all of this tractor education I've had recently.

 

[curly]

Didn't I say I was now a smarter shopper? Well, maybe not.

After the really stupid mistake those people made on my Montana...I decided to not just leave them stuck with a grapple that would be hard to sell. So I found out from WRLong that it was a relatively easy fix to change the grapple from a pin install to a skid steer. So I told them that I'd still take it if they made that change. They were gonna do it, but called me today and said it looks like 1/2 days work to do that and if I'd just take this other grapple that they have on the yard that's already skid steer, it would really help them out. It's also a 6 ft and I wanted a 5 ft originally.

Here's the website for the grapple. Anyone ever heard of this company?
Oliver & Dahlman, Tractor & Skid Steer Attachments

I'm about ready to just tell them to forget it and have a second grapple rusting on their lot.

 

[Don R.]

They are seriously dropping the ball. The son just screwed up big time on the quote and nobody caught it.

They said they would call corporate and tell them how they screwed up and see if corp would cut a couple grand off to help them out, and if I then agreed to increase my price a couple of grand then we would still be able to make it work. I said I was willing, but then corp wouldn't help them (they probably just laughed at them) so that was that.

Then, I would absolutely refuse to deal with either this dealer or that manufacturer in any shape, form, or fashion. The deal was made, and while you did not sign papers, I come from an area and an era where a man's word meant something.

As another poster commented, I don't have an exactl solution, but the one I have has a definite "orange" tint.

 

[curly]

Well, I got the orange tractor...Kioti DK55, but the grapple that was made for the Montana 4540 is still sitting at the lot where the Montana still is. I reckon I may just have to let em have it

 

[Dmace]

Well, I got the orange tractor...Kioti DK55, but the grapple that was made for the Montana 4540 is still sitting at the lot where the Montana still is. I reckon I may just have to let em have it

Welcome to the Pack!

Post about your purchase along with some pictures in the Kioti forum when you can.

 

[IslandTractor]

After the really stupid mistake those people made on my Montana...I decided to not just leave them stuck with a grapple that would be hard to sell. So I found out from WRLong that it was a relatively easy fix to change the grapple from a pin install to a skid steer. So I told them that I'd still take it if they made that change. They were gonna do it, but called me today and said it looks like 1/2 days work to do that and if I'd just take this other grapple that they have on the yard that's already skid steer, it would really help them out. It's also a 6 ft and I wanted a 5 ft originally..

I would vote no. A six foot grapple is too big unless your only task is scooping up lots of slash after logging or something like that. For general use you want a grapple that is smaller than your bucket. I am perfectly happy with a 4ft grapple even though I have a 6ft bucket. I am aware of the "guy" thing regarding liking things to be big but if you think about the actual uses of a grapple there are significant advanatages to a lighter and narrower grapple and very few advantages to one that is as big as your standard bucket. Just remember, it's not the size of the grapple but the fury of the attack!