John Deere discount

Anonymous Poster · May 16, 2003

I am in the market to purchase a compact tractor, FEL, and some attachments. The dealer is offering me a 15% discount from list. Is this about right? Any comments on the biggest discount I might expect?

Thanks.

Chillimau · May 16, 2003

I have heard from others a "good" deal is 20% to 25% off. No experience on this yet....

rockyridgefarm · May 16, 2003

I got my best deal by contacting all the area dealers. The CUTs are sold by upscale Lawn & Garden Dealers, as well as, Ag Dealers. I happen to be in an area where several Deere sales regions are nearby. It seemed that differant dealers had differant business motivations because of type of dealer and sales region.

I heard mention of both quota requirements and regional incentives from the dealers I talked to. A dealer who needs your sale to make a quota might be your best friend...

But I don't think I'd want to buy from any dealer who I would not be able to use for service. Too many issues can arise that I want to look at the guy who sold it to make it right, IMHO.

cowboydoc · May 16, 2003

15% off is definitely a good deal if you are not a big buyer or return customer. 20-25% off would be a great deal and is a little tougher to do. You usually have to pay cash, no financing, and no trade-ins. With special financing and trade-ins all bets are off.

prosperity · May 16, 2003

In my area 15% is about right. Maybe a little more without a trade.
This time of year JD products are not hard to sell - therefore the discount is about right.

Also, like rockyridge says, you have to look at the service after the sale. A good dealer is actually more important than the discount most times.

rancar · May 16, 2003

I did 15.5% off MSRP on my 4710 deal last year. This included partially financing it. It was best deal amongst 5 dealers I shopped at.

...Bob

blurrybill · May 17, 2003

Here's my chance to own up again to my mistake. I had a very good financial deal on my 4310 by purchasing it out-of-state. However, it turned out to be a nightmare that I won't repeat at the moment. My experienced advice: buy from the best dealer -- several hundred, even over a thousand dollars savings is NOT worth the aggravation and disappointment of dealing with someone who does not follow through, prep properly, etc. The dealer really does make a difference in ultimate satisfaction. See Rancar's posts on the positive experience with his dealer in New York -- if they were in Iowa, they'd get my business. Best of luck with your decision.

Bill

icat · May 17, 2003

When shopping different dealers in my area, I found it difficult to determine the actual discount rate. Each dealer had a slightly different impliment package (brands), so apples to apples comparisons were difficult. I found five dealers within a 100 mile radius and e-mailed or contacted them for a quote. I then called and talked to the salesman at the lowest bidders first and worked my way up in price until I felt comfortable with the dealer (luckily I only had to go to the second dealer - the lowest dealer was a jerk). I then made arraingments to meet the dealer in person, check out the shop, and sign the deal. I feel the dealer is more important than the price. I would have paid more (and did) for the "right" dealer, but I really didn't concentrate on the total discount - rather the package price on the unit I wanted. End result - I got the tractor I wanted at a fair price from someone I trust. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Anonymous Poster · May 17, 2003

I'm negotiating with my local dealer (orange). After reading hundreds and hundreds of posts here, I kinda got a feeling of what I needed and what to pay. I typed up a proposal and went to the dealer for the 4th. time. We had a nice talk and I told him that as a business man myself, I understand his need to make $$$ to stay happy, and as a consumer, I need to buy a quality product at a fair price with good service to stay happy. He was fine with that and when I told him "And if you get happier than me, I might have to go elsewhere.", he heard me loud and clear. I firmly believe I will get the best deal he is capable of ($30K) and I'll be signing the papers on Monday.
Later folks
Soon to be tractor owner