Dealer Pricing

[Wildmikey]

Hello, I'm just spanking brand new to the forum, (after lurking about for a few months), so excuse my naivete.
Wifey finally gave me the green light to purchase a compact/sub-compact tractor. I started visiting the usual dealers, (green, blue, both shades of orange). What I've found is that there doesn't seem to be any leeway with regards to pricing. The prices that have been shown to me are pretty much in line with MSRP pricing on the internet. The sales crew seem willing to sit down (in their office) with you, make some motions on the calculator, send the data to a computer printer and hand you a paper with a MSRP listed. In one instance, the dealer took perverse pleasure in pointing out that I could have saved $1200 had I purchased in Nov. (when I first started thinking about this), instead of now. Needless to say, he is not getting my business. The point is do the dealers have any room to negotiate down a price for sale? The only experience I have in this field is buying a car, (yuk!). Usually the sales guy is hanging on your leg as you walk out the door.
What I'm looking for, be it new or used, is a 20~25 HP sub/compact with a 60" mmm and FEL. I have a lot of dirt to move, a driveway to keep clear in the winter, and about 2 acres of grass to cut.
I know there are some dealers on here so I would like to hear their opinions also. I'll post some of my findings if anyone is interested in another thread as to what I have found between brands and how I was treated.
Thanks.

 

[FTCKUBOTA]

They have not got as much room as you would think. I can only speak for kubota but on a tracto with a $18,300.00 msrp you should be able to buy it for the mid to upper 15k to mid 16k range. If you let the dealer know you are shopping price they will give you a good price in most cases. On the kubota website you can build a new tractor and get exact msrp pricing to compare to.

hope this helps

 

[JoelD]

One thing to keep in mind with moving snow, a loader if not use other than moving snow banks from one place to the other. Of no use in clearing a drive or the like. The bucket fills up in 2-3 feet.

You need either a plow or blower for clearing snow with a tractor.

Joel

 

[Wildmikey]

FTCKUBOTA said:

On the kubota website you can build a new tractor and get exact msrp pricing to compare to.

That's pretty much what I did with Kubota and JD. NH I was able to get the price of the base unit and figured out that the cost of the mmm and FEL would be roughly the same as the orange and the green.
What gets me is that with money being tight and people spending less, I just get the feeling that the dealers don't give a 'rat's behind' whether you buy something or not. No enticements, no incentives, nothing!

 

[Gizmo2]

Wifey finally gave me the green light to purchase a compact/sub-compact tractor.

Biggest part of buying a tractor
Welcome to the forum.

 

[chh]

I don't think you will currently find a huge amount of wiggle room, though I would think you could beat MSRP. The best deals out there are on slightly used, demo's or models that have for one reason or another sat on the lot and not sold and the dealer needs to get off of inventory. Prices have climbed steadily over the past few years and with the hike in steel etc. especially in the last year or so. Locally I am seeing quite a few 1 to 4 year old tractors in that size, listed on craigslist and other ad sources, for good prices as people try to cut back.

 

[MikePA]

I have a NH TC25D with a FEL and initially a 60" mmm and used it for the same tasks you mention. I quickly found out this combination was way too heavy for our yard, particularly in Spring, so I sold the mmm. I went back to a lawn/garden tractor for cutting the lawn. I also have a brush hog for cutting a 4 acre pasture. BTW, I use the FEL to clear snow and it works fine. I clear 4 driveways every time it snows. No need for a plow or a snow blower where I live (Central PA).

 

[Erik_in_Hoyt]

yes, dealers have some play on the MSRP - but depending on time of year, sales volume, what kinds of incentives they have gotten from the "home office", etc... that play may be $3k, or it may only be $500.
On the flip side, if you're buying some attachments at the same time, they will often cut you some slack there as well. Keep in mind, slack off a dealer's price may still be more than you woul dpay for a light duty implement at TSC or northern tool. (which only matters if a light duty tool really is enough)

 

[Nelson Dairy]

THE ONE THING I CAN TELL YOU IS THAT IN THE COMPACT TRACTORS THERE IS NO MARKUP. THAT IS ONE REASON THAT YOU PROBABLY WILL NOT SEE MUCH OF A DISCOUNT. DEALERS MAKE THE SAME AMOUNT OF OF EACH UNIT, IT IS THE MANUFACTORS THAT DECIDE WHAT INCINTIVES YOU WILL GET.

 

[dodge man]

I bought a Kubota BX2350 last year, I don't remember how much less than MSRP I paid, but it wasn't alot, maybe $500-$1000.

 

[tinman955]

In todays age I think its just important to shop the dealer not just the deal. Service is important along with a good parts department. I many times will ask to see the service manager or parts manager before I even ask the saleman for a price. Settle on a brand maybe Bobcat or Kioti and find a dealer hopefully close by and shop the model you want and can deff afford. Dont look at a model you cant even afford at MSRP. If you can afford MSRP on a certain model then ask the saleman for his best price up front and let him no you are a buyer!!! And most times you will end up somewhere in the middle where you get a fair deal and he makes some money to maintain profitability so all his departments including service have the ability to take care of their customers. If they appreciate your business you will know right away.

Good luck and most importantly have fun!!!

 

[Slackdaddy]

THE ONE THING I CAN TELL YOU IS THAT IN THE COMPACT TRACTORS THERE IS NO MARKUP. THAT IS ONE REASON THAT YOU PROBABLY WILL NOT SEE MUCH OF A DISCOUNT. DEALERS MAKE THE SAME AMOUNT OF OF EACH UNIT, IT IS THE MANUFACTORS THAT DECIDE WHAT INCINTIVES YOU WILL GET.

6 months ago a Bobcat CT122 was 14K with loader, now some dealers it is 10K with loader, but other dealers it is 13K.
So there is "some" markup some where?

Slack

 

[Wildmikey]

First off, thanks for the responses. I got a nice invitation from a dealer today to visit them. They said they can do better than MSRP. I got a quote from a Bobcat dealer today. Unfortunately, he didn't listen to me when I said my needs were a 20~25 HP machine and he quoted me a 27HP one. This whole experience is certainly an adventure. Forums like this are healthy as well as informative to making decisions which one is right for me. Keep on posting because there is no such thing as too much information.

 

[PAB_OH]

Depending on what that 27 HP machine was it probably is equivalent to a not too old 25 HP machine. Emission requirements caused quite a few machine builders to bump HP to overcome restrictions.

BTW, good luck, shopping is almost as fun as running them!

 

[Uncle Wayne]

I've been shopping several dealers over the last month, all within 55 miles of my home. I've noticed the further away dealers usually have the best price.
Here's what I've asked of the salesman:

I need a tractor with a FEL that will pull a bush hog through grass and weeds (no trees except sprouts) that has grown from March 1st to July 15th. I have 18 acres planted in hardwoods in a program that is part of a wildlife habitat protection deal. I can't cut the 18 acres until mid to late July (the nesting season for birds in our area) and the tractor has to be small enough to turn around at the end of the rows of trees. The trees are on a 12' spacing, more or less. I plan on using my Rhino 172 six feet cutter. The manual for the cutter says it needs 35 HP at the PTO. What's your best price out the door on whatever tractor will do this work.

Here's what I've got from the salesman:

JD 3038E = $16,830

JD 4105 = $21,522

JD 3720 = $25,600

Kioti 35 = $18,180 (forgot the letter designation of the Kioti tractors)

Kioti 45 = $24,234

Kubota L3400 = $18,174

Kubota D4240 = $22,350 (not sure of this letter designation)

Kubota MX5100 = $23,300

MF 2615 = $27, 400

Some of these tractors don't have 35 PTO HP but the salesman said would do the job. I'm narrowing down my choices and will start serious negoiations this week. I'll let you know when I have my best price.

 

[galaxie428]

I don't know if you guys have looked into bobcat or not but they have some GREAT deals going on right now. I personally just bough a CT230 (30hp) and with the rebates and free front end loader and the dealer discount saved $9k.

I pick it up this Friday so I haven't used it yet but that is a heck of a deal for a tractor that size. At least based on the previous brands/models I was looking at. My final quote for the deluxe model with mid pto, bob tach FEL and rear remotes was $12k + tax. Not bad at all if you ask me.

 

[Erik_in_Hoyt]

I've been shopping several dealers over the last month, all within 55 miles of my home. I've noticed the further away dealers usually have the best price.
Here's what I've asked of the salesman:

I need a tractor with a FEL that will pull a bush hog through grass and weeds (no trees except sprouts) that has grown from March 1st to July 15th. I have 18 acres planted in hardwoods in a program that is part of a wildlife habitat protection deal. I can't cut the 18 acres until mid to late July (the nesting season for birds in our area) and the tractor has to be small enough to turn around at the end of the rows of trees. The trees are on a 12' spacing, more or less. I plan on using my Rhino 172 six feet cutter. The manual for the cutter says it needs 35 HP at the PTO. What's your best price out the door on whatever tractor will do this work.

Here's what I've got from the salesman:

JD 3038E = $16,830

JD 4105 = $21,522

JD 3720 = $25,600

Kioti 35 = $18,180 (forgot the letter designation of the Kioti tractors)

Kioti 45 = $24,234

Kubota L3400 = $18,174

Kubota D4240 = $22,350 (not sure of this letter designation)

Kubota MX5100 = $23,300

MF 2615 = $27, 400

Some of these tractors don't have 35 PTO HP but the salesman said would do the job. I'm narrowing down my choices and will start serious negoiations this week. I'll let you know when I have my best price.

my 28 PTO HP Mahindra 3510 pulls my 6' KK mower without any problems.

 

[RTJ49]

Hi Wildmikey,
There's a southern PA dealer that will give between 15 and 16 percent discount, from the Kubota build it now price, on the small BX series tractors. I have found as much as 19 percent discount, from the build it now price, on the small BX series tractors from some of the internet advertisers on this forum.

RTJ49

 

[LBrown59]

First off, thanks for the responses. I got a nice invitation from a dealer today to visit them. They said they can do better than MSRP. I got a quote from a Bobcat dealer today. Unfortunately, he didn't listen to me when I said my needs were a 20~25 HP machine and he quoted me a 27HP one. This whole experience is certainly an adventure. Forums like this are healthy as well as informative to making decisions which one is right for me. Keep on posting because there is no such thing as too much information.

2 HP on a tractor is really splitting hairs.

 

[Marlboroman]

First off, thanks for the responses. I got a nice invitation from a dealer today to visit them. They said they can do better than MSRP. I got a quote from a Bobcat dealer today. Unfortunately, he didn't listen to me when I said my needs were a 20~25 HP machine and he quoted me a 27HP one. This whole experience is certainly an adventure. Forums like this are healthy as well as informative to making decisions which one is right for me. Keep on posting because there is no such thing as too much information.

The BobCat dealer may have quoted the 27 HP beacause now they have free FEL and $3500 off on 25 HP and up. The CT 122 is FEL and $1500 off. I recently purchased the CT 122 and I am very satisfied with its capabilities.