Just Down Right Commical

[shane]

When I was shopping for a tractor a few years ago I zeroed in on a JD 3120. Once I knew exactly what I wanted I was able to compare apples to apples with various dealers. The dealer who finally gave me the best deal was the one I wanted to do business anyway. He is in a farming community and something about that just appeals to me. Anyway, part of the deal was to include telescoping draft link arms. When they delivered the tractor it had the regular arms. I called the dealer about it and he stated he forgot that part. He promised he would get me other arms. Sure enough, about a month later UPS delivered the telescoping arms.

I've been siting on the regular ones for a couple of years. I decided to get them out of my way by selling them on Craig's List. Only problem I needed to know what they are worth. Two JD dealers told me today (as in two different locations) that the replacement ones were around $299 each and that the telescoping ones were not available for my tractor.

I bit my tongue to keep from telling them that I have a tractor out in my shop with the telescoping arms.

This seems comical to me. Does this sound right to anyone else?

 

[beenthere]

Sounds like you are selling the Deere dealers arms, that don't belong to you.

Why not take them back to their owner? :confused3:

 

[RoyJackson]

Might be because the 3120 is no longer produced.

 

[gregfender]

My guess is you paid extra for the optional telescoping arms on top of the base tractor price. IMO you own a spare set of lift arms. Good luck with selling them!

 

[Johndeere3720]

My Yanmar isn't supposed to have telescopic arms but i made it work. I would just sell the old ones, less than the dealer, but enough to make them worth selling.

 

[shane]

Sounds like you are selling the Deere dealers arms, that don't belong to you.

Why not take them back to their owner? :confused3:

Really? Why didn't they ask for them back? They knew good and well I had them. It's not like I slipped them out the back door. I don't think I like what you are implying. I would never knowingly keep something that did not belong to me. That's just not how I work.

 

[SSdoxie]

You are rightful owner of these lift arms. Although you made the deal with telescopic arms, the tractor was equipped with the standard so your salesman had to order the new ones from his Parts department and add to the cost of sale. The original ones had been installed, maybe never used, but are still considered used parts and not able to resell through normal parts channel. Would have been more costly and confusing in dealers accounting than to just let you keep them.

As for not finding the telescopic arms in his parts catalog, I wonder if he thought to look in the Options and Accessories part of the catalog. Most parts pages list only the standard equipment and you have to go to O&P for optional equipment.

 

[Markcuda]

You asked for opinions and number 2 poster gave you one.

 

[D7E]

You can be sure you payed for them somewhere in the deal ...I would keep them you might break one one day !

 

[shane]

You asked for opinions and number 2 poster gave you one.

I guess if I was more specific I would have said something like, when I purchase my tractor telescoping arms where an option but no dealers are saying that it was never an option. Does this sound right? But, even though I was not that specific, I never asked for an opinion if I was a thief or not, only if it sounded right that the telescopic arms where not an option like they used to be.

 

[gregfender]

No worries, Shane. I am always amazed how some folks like to poke a stick in the cow pie...

 

[Don87]

Beenthere has a point, and some others here do also(if I'm making sense).

I personally...would have called the dealer and offered to bring the original arms back.( I've been in this position)

But they would not have accepted them..........

1st is the law in the USA., that would not allow them to take them back..........they screwed up, and it's to your benefit.

2nd, is the fact that they were getting a used item back(as was stated), and it's more of a mess than a benefit.

But back to 'point number 1'............if you go to a store to buy something, and the price is 'mis-marked', they must sell it to you for the sticker price.(which is what you bought). but they screwed up by not changing the arms.(your benefit).

But as was suggested..........keep the arms 'just in case'.

 

[JDgreen227]

Beenthere has a point, and some others here do also(if I'm making sense).

I personally...would have called the dealer and offered to bring the original arms back.( I've been in this position)

But they would not have accepted them..........

1st is the law in the USA., that would not allow them to take them back..........they screwed up, and it's to your benefit.

2nd, is the fact that they were getting a used item back(as was stated), and it's more of a mess than a benefit.

But back to 'point number 1'............if you go to a store to buy something, and the price is 'mis-marked', they must sell it to you for the sticker price.(which is what you bought). but they screwed up by not changing the arms.(your benefit).

But as was suggested..........keep the arms 'just in case'.

Concur with this post 100%....they made the error originally, you deserve to keep the arms with nothing owing the dealership.

 

[charleyfarmall]

SSdoxie and Turbo36 are right. He owns the lift arms. Straight arms are standard as delivered and you pay for the telescoping links. Most dealers put them on for you and take the straight arms off and keep them. They are worthless and the dealer is doing you a favor because they will otherwise sit in your barn.

It's not comical, it's sad. Many dealers don't understand the current product line let alone machines that are no longer in production.

Unfortunately, since lift arms rarely break, the straight arms are mostly worth their weight as scrap. You can put them on ebay to see if someone buys them, but usually anyone looking for lift arms is trying to replace straight arms with telescoping arms.

 

[jake98]

I thought people occationally twisted up their arms? I'd keep them, I'm always backing into stumps. And I don't think you stole anything Shane, but I can picture you with one of those Zorro masks...

 

[TCowner]

Shane, Those arms are yours. I added the deluxe air ride suspension on my 3720 back in October but wasn't given any "trade in" credit on the standard suspension that came with my tractor. When the tractor was delivered they handed me the old suspension for me to do with it as I wished.

Now, if they had given me some trade in money for the seat suspension that came with the tractor and still gave the old on to me then yes, I have something that doesn't belong to me.

Unless it was part of the purchase agreement that there was a credit for the standard arms then they are yours to do exactly as you wish.

 

[TripleR]

Off the subject, but it won't be the first time. If the dealer thought they belonged to him, he would have said so, very good explanations by others. I doubt very seriously if the price you paid was for the difference in cost between the two sets.

Amazing what we can get wrapped around the axle on when it is too muddy to get to our tractors; reminds me of one of my old Ethics classes.

 

[jenkinsph]

Shane,
When I ordered my 4520 I spec'ed the telescopic arms, I also made the deal to install them along with the rear lights and upgraded cruise options. So basically I left the dealership with the tractor and a few boxes of accessories. When completed I had the leftover arms, adjustable rod/clevis thingies and a couple of switches. Don't think I stole anything.

As I understand it, your dealer can order the telescopic arms at any time but this might be a whole goods order. I would think that most of the dealers have extra arms for the smaller tractors that were removed when new and are trying to make an extra buck. I suspect the larger tractors are shipped with the telescopic lift arms in place.

Long and short of it the dealer is trying to sell what he has in stock. A lawn and garden type dealer selling lots of small tractors would have a pile of these. Not illegal either.

 

[jinman]

Shane, is it a possibility that your telescoping arms are NOT a JD part? Maybe they are aftermarket parts because JD never made those as an option. If you have your original paperwork, it might help with your investigation, but being a 3rd party aftermarket might be one explanation.