How to get a good deal on a 1-series?

[theK2]

New here; looking to buy my first tractor. I've owned a 1-series lawn tractor for over 10 years and it's been good to us even as an entry-level residential mower so after looking at orange and green, and all the specs, I chose to stick with green. We now own 3 acres of sloping property but about half of it is wooded and unmaintained and we plan to leave it that way. The 1025R seems like the best all-around fit for our needs (mowing, loader work and maintaining the land with a box blade) so we went by our local dealer to talk about it further and have them put together a quote.

JOHN DEERE 1025R Sub-Compact Utility Tractor (18 PTO hp) : $16495.00
JOHN DEERE 60D AutoConnectTM Mower: $3000.00
Frontier BB2048L Box Blade: $900.00
Total (less box blade) = $19495

I've read on multiple forums and don't understand how others are getting better deals, including this post from just a week ago which was $1500 less on the tractor alone :

I Know I Know, BUT gimme a Break I'm New

Here is the deal 2021 JD 1025r with 54d mower and 120r loader. Quote = $16,497 Free delivery to my door + tax and misc. Good, fair or RUN??? I won't get into the brand battle. I am thinking add on a ballast box and the I-match. Better yet have them throw in 1 of those and I buy the other, which...

www.tractorbynet.com

I also know that price isn't everything and building a relationship with a local dealer is important; makes sense and I'm willing to give some on price for that relationship. But it's tough to commit to a 15-18% higher price on the tractor just for dealer loyalty. My dealer quoted me near-list prices, the same found on the John Deere website.

• Is that normal?
• Am I making a bigger deal out of this than I should be? I always have a hard time just paying what's on the sticker.

Appreciate any help or guidance you can give for this soon-to-be new owner. If I can save a grand or two then I can reallocate that toward other needs like a quick hitch, bolt-on hooks, toothbar, etc.

 

[KennyG]

Nothing says you can't counter offer and shop elsewhere if you don't get a response you like. You don't say where you are located. There is some history here that says that the northeast doesn't see anything like the discounts the midwest and south get. There are local differences in the cost of doing business - overhead and business taxes - that the dealer has to cover in his markup.

 

[shooterdon]

If you leaving 50% of 3 acres as woods, that does not leave a lot of grass to cut. BTW, I had a MMM on a small Deere tractor and hated the thing. If it is not too hilly, a residential ZT is about the same cost as the mower deck, will be lighter on the turf, faster and more nibble mowing around stuff. $900 for a 48" box blade seems a bit high to me. Unless you have a lot of leveling and road maintenance to do, a rake may be a more useful attachment.

As to pricing, not much you can do at times. I ended up with saving a lot of money by going with an LS and getting a better equipped unit. I would look at Kioti as well if you have a dealer in the area. Right now, it seems dealers are selling stuff as quick as they get it in my area.

 

[theK2]

You don't say where you are located.

Good point @KennyG - I'm in Central Virginia.

If you leaving 50% of 3 acres as woods, that does not leave a lot of grass to cut. If it is not too hilly, a residential ZT is about the same cost as the mower deck, will be lighter on the turf, faster and more nibble mowing around stuff.

Thanks for the advice @shooterdon. I have considered a ZT and then renting as needed but we do have some challenges to our property that would make having a readily available FEL really nice. For instance, our house is on a hill and, for some reason, the original builders ran the driveway straight up the hill instead of at an angle. This makes it quite steep at the transition from street to house. In addition, our street goes downhill so this leads to an interesting complex angle where drive and street meet; not a problem for cars and such but delivery trucks are a no-go. So, if we want mulch, stone, dirt, etc - presumably it'll have to be dropped on our property by the street and we'll have to move it up ourselves. In addition, the FEL would be a must-have if we get a good snowy season here again to clear the drive. Because we live on a hill, regular property maintenance needs to be done due to drainage/runoff.

Listen, I'll be the first to admit it's not the best piece of property in the world but we loved the house and the location so we manage the cons of the land. The biggest pro is privacy. Between the 3 acres, corner lot on a low-traffic road in the "country" and the hill, we made the decision for the privacy over a beautiful 3 acres of grass to maintain. : )

 

[cperky]

New here; looking to buy my first tractor. I've owned a 1-series lawn tractor for over 10 years and it's been good to us even as an entry-level residential mower so after looking at orange and green, and all the specs, I chose to stick with green. We now own 3 acres of sloping property but about half of it is wooded and unmaintained and we plan to leave it that way. The 1025R seems like the best all-around fit for our needs (mowing, loader work and maintaining the land with a box blade) so we went by our local dealer to talk about it further and have them put together a quote.

JOHN DEERE 1025R Sub-Compact Utility Tractor (18 PTO hp) : $16495.00
JOHN DEERE 60D AutoConnectTM Mower: $3000.00
Frontier BB2048L Box Blade: $900.00
Total (less box blade) = $19495

I've read on multiple forums and don't understand how others are getting better deals, including this post from just a week ago which was $1500 less on the tractor alone :

I Know I Know, BUT gimme a Break I'm New

Here is the deal 2021 JD 1025r with 54d mower and 120r loader. Quote = $16,497 Free delivery to my door + tax and misc. Good, fair or RUN??? I won't get into the brand battle. I am thinking add on a ballast box and the I-match. Better yet have them throw in 1 of those and I buy the other, which...

www.tractorbynet.com

I also know that price isn't everything and building a relationship with a local dealer is important; makes sense and I'm willing to give some on price for that relationship. But it's tough to commit to a 15-18% higher price on the tractor just for dealer loyalty. My dealer quoted me near-list prices, the same found on the John Deere website.

• Is that normal?
• Am I making a bigger deal out of this than I should be? I always have a hard time just paying what's on the sticker.

Appreciate any help or guidance you can give for this soon-to-be new owner. If I can save a grand or two then I can reallocate that toward other needs like a quick hitch, bolt-on hooks, toothbar, etc.

Those are almost exactly the same prices I have been quoted over the last month for the 1025r with a loader and 60inch mower. I've been to every dealer in driving range to get quotes and they are all within $250 of each other. The main difference in pricing has been sales tax (Alabama vs Tennessee). All of the JD dealers within 150 miles here are in a co-op. Each dealer can see what the other dealers have quoted me. They have told me that if I had come to (insert dealer ) first they could probably get me a better price but they wont go below their sister dealer's quote. I've been looking for slightly used 2019 and newer. I've had no luck finding used at a price that makes sense to buy compared to new.

 

[LS Tractor Owner]

Like shooterdon said, look into other brands. They have better specs and features and are lower cost.

My first LS subcompact (MT125) was $6 grand less than the local JD dealers 1025r.... and the LS specs out far better. The LS has the same Yanmar engine as the JD.
The Kioti CS series is another big contender also....

My suggestion is to go and see and sit on the other brands... you may be surprised. At least get some prices either on the internet or by calling dealers..

 

[fried1765]

Those are almost exactly the same prices I have been quoted over the last month for the 1025r with a loader and 60inch mower. I've been to every dealer in driving range to get quotes and they are all within $250 of each other. The main difference in pricing has been sales tax (Alabama vs Tennessee). All of the JD dealers within 150 miles here are in a co-op. Each dealer can see what the other dealers have quoted me. They have told me that if I had come to (insert dealer ) first they could probably get me a better price but they wont go below their sister dealer's quote. I've been looking for slightly used 2019 and newer. I've had no luck finding used at a price that makes sense to buy compared to new.

I think all the "sister dealers" being at or near the same price, was formerly called..... "price fixing"
JD dealers apparently have the value of green enamel conflated with that of solid gold.

 

[dodge man]

I think discounts have evaporated due to COVID. I went to my dealer a couple days ago to order parts and they had 2 1023e tractors and something like a 3 or 4 series with a cab. Not a 1025r or any 2 or 3 series on the lotI think discounts have evaporated due to COVID. A couple years ago discounts were pretty good.

 

[cperky]

Like shooterdon said, look into other brands. They have better specs and features and are lower cost.

My first LS subcompact (MT125) was $6 grand less than the local JD dealers 1025r.... and the LS specs out far better. The LS has the same Yanmar engine as the JD.
The Kioti CS series is another big contender also....

My suggestion is to go and see and sit on the other brands... you may be surprised. At least get some prices either on the internet or by calling dealers..

I have sat on an Ls. For the most part I liked it and would buy one if anyone nearby had one available. There are only 2 dealers in my area. One dealer had an mt125 on the lot and he let me test drive it but it was scheduled for delivery already. There was no estimate from either dealer for delivery availability. A third dealer has stopped selling the brand and stated he could not get factory support from Ls so he pulled out of the brand. The only quote I got was about $2000 less than JD

 

[XSKIER]

Yeah, no auto connect deck and no position control three point make the cheaper sub compacts cheaper. The Deere plastic body panels are good, they can't rust, and rattle less than metal. I've had my 'R for just short of 10 years. It was bought from the dealer in my Zip Code, with a couple of comparable quotes. At that time, the 2305 was on it's way out and there were 0 1026Rs on lots. I ordered, and waited. Gave 18,000 out the door for it, and wouldn't change a thing.