Is every Deere dealer inflexible on lawn & garden?

[Kyle_in_Tex]

I hope you enjoy it, and it lasts you for a long, long time.
Please post some pics if you get a chance. I believe you got a great deal.

You can push snow no problem with that unit.

Maybe post back at the end of summer with your experiences for anyone else looking at your model.

 

[plowhog]

Thanks to all. I will provide updates with my experience, especially of any problems or trouble. First year models like this one can have teething problems.

One thing I could not find with either choice was a large capacity bagging system. Both had about a 7 bushel container, too small for me. With a huge quantity of leaf cleanup, seasonally, I can overwhelm a 7 bushel unit in seconds. So I am separately considering a Cyclone Rake (or equivalent) unit. They have tow-behind collection systems that have much more capacity. Price on those seems +/- $1,500.

Here's a photo. I should have turned around to show the easy/flat mowing area the unit will operate on. But, in this direction, you can see a few remnants of uncollected leaves to the left side, along with a trunk of one of the mature Oaks that contribute to the seasonal leaf cleanup. The area in the background is brush-hogging terrain ....

I am still looking for something Green and Yellow !!!! Our equipment collection needs something that says John Deere on the side ........

 

[jenkinsph]

Some of you may be overestimating the dealer profit in lawn and garden equipment. The days of 20% mark up are gone. Try closer to 4-6% in a lot of cases. And if it has set on the floor more than 90 days, the dealer is making payments with interest to the finance company. I have a chainsaw that I sell for $199. My profit doesn't even allow me to give you a 6 pack of mix oil, because the cost of the oil is more than my profit margin.

I would take a real hard look at what is wrong with your vendors. Most businesses buy wholesale goods for resale at a much higher discount. Most of the products I buy for my business are discounted at least 30%, some as much as 50%. A John Deere dealership isn't cheap and I don't see them operating on 4 to 6% margin. Heck a Popeye's fried chicken set up starts at 1.5 million last I checked. If you are a retailer you have to buy it right to have a chance at profits.

 

[jenkinsph]

Thanks to all. I will provide updates with my experience, especially of any problems or trouble. First year models like this one can have teething problems.

One thing I could not find with either choice was a large capacity bagging system. Both had about a 7 bushel container, too small for me. With a huge quantity of leaf cleanup, seasonally, I can overwhelm a 7 bushel unit in seconds. So I am separately considering a Cyclone Rake (or equivalent) unit. They have tow-behind collection systems that have much more capacity. Price on those seems +/- $1,500.

Here's a photo. I should have turned around to show the easy/flat mowing area the unit will operate on. But, in this direction, you can see a few remnants of uncollected leaves to the left side, along with a trunk of one of the mature Oaks that contribute to the seasonal leaf cleanup. The area in the background is brush-hogging terrain ....

I am still looking for something Green and Yellow !!!! Our equipment collection needs something that says John Deere on the side ........

View attachment 503285

I haven't checked but thought the 380 would be available with the MC 519 collection cart with blower. I really like mine and use it with the x749.

 

[Smoothas]

Thanks to all. I will provide updates with my experience, especially of any problems or trouble. First year models like this one can have teething problems.

One thing I could not find with either choice was a large capacity bagging system. Both had about a 7 bushel container, too small for me. With a huge quantity of leaf cleanup, seasonally, I can overwhelm a 7 bushel unit in seconds. So I am separately considering a Cyclone Rake (or equivalent) unit. They have tow-behind collection systems that have much more capacity. Price on those seems +/- $1,500.

Here's a photo. I should have turned around to show the easy/flat mowing area the unit will operate on. But, in this direction, you can see a few remnants of uncollected leaves to the left side, along with a trunk of one of the mature Oaks that contribute to the seasonal leaf cleanup. The area in the background is brush-hogging terrain ....

I am still looking for something Green and Yellow !!!! Our equipment collection needs something that says John Deere on the side ........

View attachment 503285

Just out of curiosity, how much did the dealer discount this husky for you?

 

[plowhog]

A MC 519 collection cart is listed as being compatible with the x380. That adds to my belief that one of the best aspects of buying into the Deere brand is the wide selection of available attachments. Those seem to well exceed the competition, although my personal opinion is the x5XX is a better platform to use them. If I needed these optional items, it would have pushed me more toward choosing the Deere brand, but also increase the price, as I probably would have looked more at the x5XX platform. I was evaluating the x380 as a mower only.

I didn't know a MC 519 existed. I visited one Deere dealer in person, and told that rep I also had interest in a Cyclone rake. That rep described the rear bagger (7 bushel?) but not the MC 519. The other Deere dealer was just a phone call and x380 quote. I saw the "regular" bagger doing online "build your own," but not a MC 519. I'm guessing the larger bagger was in the attachments section, which I did not venture into. Better research by me would have found it, although I don't think it would have changed the decision.

Regarding pricing, the dealer quoted 5% on the Husky and about 10% on a backpack blower. My buying process is to ask for a quote, then either buy, or not buy. I presume a dealer's quote is the best they can do, and I don't try to dicker. This dealer has always treated me well, and I'm a good repeat customer.

 

[adventure bob]

As an economics guy, the points mentioned throughout this thread are what makes the system go. If you can find it cheaper elsewhere then buy it. In a pure economics world, that will make your local dealer start paying attention to more broad pricing trends and then he'll price accordingly. However, many will cave and buy the equipment local and then ***** about what you paid for it. They're your dollars, spend them in a manner that allows you to be comfortable with it, but once you spend them don't act like a gun was held to your head. I think the thing that peeves me most about threads like this is that, when put into context of the rest of your spending life, were talking about insignificant dollars. That guy who complains about a pricing difference that is less than what he'll spend on the cost of dinner, drinks and a movie needs to reassess his pricing criteria. Less than $1500 on a $50000 tractor is insignificant, its less than 1%. Also, there is a huge used market out there that generally removes the new equipment markup and depreciation. Buy used. Don't scrap em, use em. Not too many of us on here are commercial farmers who have to eak every dollar per acre out of a piece of equipment to make a living, so an older less cost efficient, but highly reliable piece is worth every penny. I'm not trying to say anyone's choices are right or wrong, but if you don't want to pay for a JD please stop acting like your being forced. If you want a deere, your gonna pay for it, no way around it. Theres a lot of good equipment out there. This isn't Russia in the 70's where there's only 1 choice.

 

[coobie]

I spoke with 5 different JD dealers on price before I found the correct price that I wanted to buy at.I bought a JD X740 diesel.I also looked at kubota & simplicity garden/lawn tractors.

 

[plowhog]

Apologies if you felt I was criticizing anyone's choice of John Deere, or any price paid. Did not mean to do that. There are too many needs and equipment models to use such a broad brush. I've tried to be respectful of good engineering and other positive aspects of Deere, but obviously I fell short. I can easily see how other buyers would choose Deere, even though I did not.

All I can share are the choices presented to me. Including tax, it was $4,855 for a Deere x380, and $3,077 for a Husqvarna GT48DXLS. About a $1,700 difference, percentage wise about 57%. My mowing needs are simple. Given my age and medical history, I perceive either unit will last the rest of my functional lifetime. Each has good dealer support. Although for sentimental reasons I'd like to buy something that is green and yellow, I couldn't pull the trigger on this particular deal at more than 50% differential in price. 15 or 20%, probably so.

My bigger puzzlement has been about Deere dealers being rigid at MSRP. It's the title of this post, and something I have difficulty understanding. As a consumer, my choice was a Deere x380 for $4,000 on the last day of the month, then $4,500 the next day. The end of a promotion is the part I understand. But the "take-it-or-leave-it" posture with the new $4,500 price is hard to understand. My subjective view is that this is poor marketing. Just an opinion, of course.

Deere corporate likely knew of the new 2017 Husky long before I discovered it. My guess is this might be why the x380 was targeted with a $500 promo-- to clear out inventory before the stiffer competitor got to market and started biting into market share. Maybe right, maybe wrong. But if that's true, the next step, after an interval, will be a price drop on the x380.

I agree with your focus on the "dollars" not the nickels. But I think $1,500 on a $50k tractor is 3%, not 1%.

Less than $1500 on a $50000 tractor is insignificant, its less than 1%.

 

[Deere Dude]

when put into context of the rest of your spending life, were talking about insignificant dollars. That guy who complains about a pricing difference that is less than what he'll spend on the cost of dinner, drinks and a movie needs to reassess his pricing criteria. Less than $1500 on a $50000 tractor is insignificant, its less than 1%. .

Why is it always the little guy who should accept the 1% hit, although not the end of the world, why don't the dealer take the 1% hit?

Only time will tell if the OP will be satisfied with the Husky. He is right now but happy in time that may or may not change.