Gonna go after Kubota

[CDsdad]

Maka, I hope this makes you feel better.

I was in the dealership where I bought my tractor about 2 months ago. A guy was comparison shopping a Bushhog implement against a Landpride implement. The dealership we were in carries Bushhog, one 50 miles over carries Landpride. The salesman bashed LP and only gave 1 reason why he thought BH was better, and he had wrong info then. I had a nice drive on a pretty morning to get my new Landpride, and I told numnuts where I was going when I left his dealership. I'm not saying I think LP is better than BH, I just didn't need his BS.

Take the high road, don't argue with him. Most folks have sense enough to judge quality for themselves. The ones who don't are generally stupid and I've only met a few stupid people with money to buy tractors.

 

[montanaman]

Most folks have sense enough to judge quality for themselves. The ones who don't are generally stupid and I've only met a few stupid people with money to buy tractors.

That is so true! The guys that really try to work me on price never come back to buy or can't get financed. The guys who are going to buy a tractor will start asking questions about Montana and we can work on the best tractor for their application and a sale might happen but VERY few guys who start the conversation about price first, ever buy.

 

[TillerofdaEarth]

Well Maka, it sounds to me like you are really irritating this guy to no end. Just keep doing what you are doing, remain steadfast, knowing that you are probably hurting him more than you know. Just keep winning those contracts and watch him fume!! That is sweet revenge!

 

[john99]

Sounds to me like maka is getting frustrated dealing with all of the mis representation by the Kubota dealer, this is pretty typical of what I see. I really hope that we see laws like the auto industry has that require disclosure of country of origin. That way we can see its assembled here of foreign parts. Just like the New Holland/Case guy’s who sell “American Tractors” made in the Islamic Republic of Turkey with Fiat engines! Or the JD guy’s that sell green Yanmar’s or 5000 series built in India or the Massey's made in Japan. All in all the big names are the guiltiest of mis-representation on a very large scale I am surprised there hasn’t been a class action suit.

 

[JerryG]

Just like the New Holland/Case guy’s who sell “American Tractors” made in the Islamic Republic of Turkey with Fiat engines! Or the JD guy’s that sell green Yanmar’s or 5000 series built in India or the Massey's made in Japan. All in all the big names are the guiltiest of mis-representation on a very large scale I am surprised there hasn’t been a class action suit.

I know the Masseys have the country of manufacture on a plate on each tractor. They say France, Brazil, Poland or Japan. I never looked but always thought that the others were labeled also. Are they not?

 

[RollingsFarms]

I know the Masseys have the country of manufacture on a plate on each tractor. They say France, Brazil, Poland or Japan. I never looked but always thought that the others were labeled also. Are they not?

the only label plate i can find on my JD says "engine manufactured in Japan".

 

[Bob_Skurka]

Islamic Republic of Turkey

Turkey is a secular nation, it is not an "Islamic Republic" but I am curious why you would show such obvious bias.

For whatever it is worth, there are factual errors in your post, but the above comment is simply offensive

 

[Tom59]

One thought on FREE advice , its free.

This is a WORLD economy now and I'm guaranteeing you Kubotas are outsourcing parts.

The manufacturer label is where the assembly plant is not where every component is made. They would have a scroll on the machine instead of a label if most tractor companies had to list where all the components came from. ie: electrical , lines, hoses, belts, steel, hydraulics etc....

Montana I'm sure outsources components so they can properly match every machine to the BEST component. Would that be a bad thing? When they make such a variety of machines maybe its better they match components from other companies with expertise in that component. Again a good selling point.

I'd go ask the guy out for dinner and discuss your opinion. He sounds really insecure and not the best salesmen. He probably graduated from the old school selling techniques car dealers used to employ. How can I sell you this car today. (some still do)

As people mentioned just keep doing what you are....do it with a smile.....do it without prejudice. Sell what you're selling the best you can and people will notice.

He will probably order chicken at the dinner.

Again its free, so its probably not worth much.

 

[Maka]

I agree. I have done some research and Kubota has over 250 suppliers of various things. I know they don't manufacturer everything but this dealer is telling people they are 100% manufactured by Kubota. This would normally not really bother me but when this dealer claims they have a superior product because their manufacturer makes it all and the other machines are "component machines" indicating somehow that is bad and they are good it begins to bother me after all the other shenanigans this dealer has pulled.

If they did do 100% in house manufacturing then theoretically they could really stick it to their customers on pricing. Would Kubota do this? If they had a lock on their parts market would prices be higher than if customers could get other sources for parts? I am not saying they would do this and want to be careful with what I am saying and this is just speculation but I would be concerned if I was a buyer that prices could be very high if I had to buy from one source.

I would rather buy something from a company that you could get the best manufactured product from and then have wide support for parts.

Just thoughts on possible fall out from a manufacturer that its dealer claims makes 100% of their parts in house. By the way, I am an individual writing my own thoughts and do not represent any other person or company in this post, period.

Maka

 

[Bob_Skurka]

If they did do 100% in house manufacturing then theoretically they could really stick it to their customers on pricing.

That is one very simplistic and very narrow way to look at it. Another way to look at it is that they could control their costs and quality better and offer superior quality at a lower price. In industry it is called "vertical integration" and it is and often used technique to accomplish higher profits, consistent quality and lower prices. My company is in the process of taking another step toward vertical intetgration. We currenty have warehousing and trucking we will soon (just a few weeks from now) also control our own retail operations. Each step layers on profits, but it also controls costs. So to presume that they would "stick it to their customers" may be very inaccurate. In fact, vertical integration is often used to bring the ultimate consumer the product at a lower price.

With regards to Kubota, I believe they outsource many minor components, but they build many major componenets. They are one of the most vertically integrated of the tractor companies, making their own engines, transmissions, pumps, stamping their own sheet metal, etc. I seriously doubt if they make their own wire, guages, switches or other minor things.

It does sound like the dealer near you needs to get a good slap upside his head!