Just want a tractor

[Ccdteacher]

New to this forum. I知 not sure if I知 hear to vent or ask for advice.

My wife and I have decided to take the plung and buy our first tractor. Will use it for plowing snow, mowing pastures and maybe baling our own hay. We owned a small International with an aluminum block that cracked and there was no way to repair. We have been borrowing tractors for 4 years. Looking to purchase a 40 hp.

We started with three dealer close to us; John Deere, Mahindra and Kubota. Stopped at JD first. Was not a fan of the plastic hoods, fenders, and aluminum three point housing area. Cost was also prohibitive. Next stopped at the Mahindra dealer. Wife and I found one we liked, test drove it and obtained a quote. Dealer went to give us the quote and his computer would not print. He said he would email it to us as soon as we left. Next we stopped at the Kubota dealer. Liked a model. Seemed heavier built than the JD but not as heavy as the Mahindra. Obtained a quote.

On the way home we saw a small dealer that sells LS tractors. Stopped in and looked. Liked what we saw. A local farmer with a good reputation is the owner and uses LS on his farm. He talked to us quite a bit on what we needed. Very helpful but is somewhat limited on his stock. Test drove a smaller model than we wanted.

Got home and started research what we saw. We did not receive the Mahindra quote until the next morning and it was several hundred dollars more and missing some of the add on痴 we requested. We revisited the the Kubota dealer. Their quote was also missing some add-ons we requested. Wife has driven a Massey in the past and really liked it. Found a deal two hours away. Called the dealer explained what we were looking for and said he had one on the lot. Texted us a quote. Drove there and he was mistaken. Did not have the one he quoted us. Test drove another one. Liked it. He said he was send a quote on Saturday. Did not hear back from him until Sunday afternoon. Went back to the Mahindra dealer and tried to get an explanation of the price increase. He said various fees. Asked him the cost of Ag tires vs the R-4. He said it would be a 菟ain. Although my wife like the Mahindra, it is now out. We also have concerns about their shop. Salesman said that they are currently without a tech but the one who quite will help out.

From what we have researched all four have good reputations.

Is this the norm or have we just had a case of bad luck?

 

[searcyfarms]

i didnt have good luck with kubota/mahindra = attitudes - deere was plastic but i have been happy wiht mine, their hoods have been plastic for a long time - if you are concerned about the service on mahindra just another reason not to move on that, how about the LS guy, he have service?

 

[Ccdteacher]

Yes he does. It is his son. He said that he has been to the the LS service training program.

I have spent a lot of hours on this site researching and reading posts. Several have mentioned purchasing tractors from dealer hundreds of miles away because of better pricing. Is getting service on a tractor a concern if we go that route?

 

[searcyfarms]

for me it would depend on my need/requirement for my machine if there was an issue and if i was running a business, if i can be w/out one for a bit then its not as big of a deal obviously - i have the best of both, i have a good dealer and he is close - i would find a good dealer and i would rather be inconvenienced a little for that vs giving my $$ to someone that hasnt earned it or proven themselves deserving - I dont do attitudes because they show up when it comes service time not just when selling - you will never shake the attitude when dealing on anything regarding $$

 

[shooterdon]

LS was not even on my radar when I bought my new tractor this year but they were the best choice for me. XR4140 with cab, extra wide turfs, FEL, third function, RimGurad, and radio for $31k.

I had similar "luck" as you with my Mahindra dealer....basically useless.

JD lost my business after how they serviced my needs on my old 855

Kubota was pricey and arrogant.

 

[SJay]

Your story is similar to mine.. When I was looking I could rarely get anyone to even come outside. 2 dealers said they would send me a quote and never did. I bought a Bobcat CT225 used from my local Bobcat dealer. I haven't had to have any service so I can't comment on that. If you have a Kioti dealer close by take a look at those.

Good luck on your search

 

[chevy]

I have had similar problems getting dealers to sell me a tractor. Most recently with a John Deere dealer that I have done business with for over 20 years. I ended up with a Kioti. They acted like they wanted to sell me a tractor & cared that I came in.

 

[BAP]

You don’t say where you are located so it is hard to advise you on other dealers to go to, but I would go onto the websites for the various tractor brands and find other dealers in what you would consider a reasonable distance from you. Then either go or call them to see what they can do. Personally, I would not be very anxious to buy from a dealership that only has one mechanic. What happens when that person quits, gets hurt and so on. Unless you are mechanically inclined, having good dealer support is very important. Around here, many dealerships for the newer and lesser known brands have opened and closed over the last 15 years leaving owners without any dealer support. The last thing I will add is to use the Build my Tractor feature on many of the manufacturers websites to figure out what you want on your tractor and what the MSRP will be.

 

[duffer]

Not too surprised that many of the above posts all have had issues with dealers. Most are Mom & Pop type operations, with little real business training. Also, times are good now for most dealers. Not that they've earned it, but the demand is better than prior years.

Interesting to hear how Kubota & Mahindra have lousy "attitudes" in one location, but Deere & Kubota have lousy "attitudes" in another location. Here, the Kubota dealer is beyond arrogant (PC term for "couldn't give a s___". The Deere dealer is great and we have a new Mahindra dealer that appears to be customer oriented.

The bottom line is you need a dealer that will provide you the service you need; at & after the sale. Perhaps you should go talk to the service manager in the dealership before you actually purchase which ever tractor you want. Find out about parts inventory, turnaround time, how many techs they have and years of experience. Do they have a traveling tech?

Nothing wrong with playing 2 dealers against each other for best price. Just make sure you get the dealer you want.

Good luck.

 

[wwdiii]

All the Mahindra dealers were great but the one in Alvin Texas. No wonder the have so many, they were clueless how to sell one. I got quotes from 4 dealers on the same 3550 package with trailer.

The dealer closest to where I keep my tractor Is where I bought it from. Best price and seemed to have bEsr service Dept.

It helps to but what you can get worked on even it it’s warrenty work.