Kubota pricing link doesn't works at Aldermans.com

Cowboyjg · Jun 1, 2005

Re: Kubota pricing link doesn\'t works at Aldermans.com

There is one more thing I need to say here....Mr Tolle I am very sorry for how I commented on your taking responsibility for the erroneous info. The more I read my post the more I realized that I could have said that a whole lot better. It was not a personal attack or anything. What I meant was that I don't think your info had the kind of impact on this situation as you might think. Again, my apologies.

Respectfully submitted

MessickFarmEqu · Jun 1, 2005

Re: Kubota pricing link doesn\'t works at Aldermans.com

I'd just like to take 10 seconds and point out that you can find the pricing information that your looking for by picking up the phone and calling a handful of places. Its probably going to take less time than scouring every corner of the internet.

gsxr1100 · Jun 1, 2005

Re: Kubota pricing link doesn\'t works at Aldermans.com

I agree calling might be faster, but for me when I am spending thousands and thousands of dollars, I want the price in writing (email) so the dealer can’t wiggle his way out of it etc. In “black and white” form should help you, the buyer.

But on the flip side do not compare, for example, East and West coast prices. Each region has there own supply and demand. So if you are comparing Massachusetts and Texas prices, you are going to have a vast difference.

orangebluegreen · Jun 1, 2005

Re: Kubota pricing link doesn\'t works at Aldermans.com

New member here, been reading for several months and thank all of those who have posted great information that is so hard to find. Before the internet this would never have been possible, it certainly helps to spur competition and products hopefully improve through such competition.

I also have a website (animal related) that gets responses from people who likely will never buy from me but like what I do so ask questions. There are many who do the same as myself, but often are rude to people’s inquiries or just don’t respond. I hear this all the time and have found it can take years for a contact to turn into business, but I have received referrals years later from people I don’t even know because I took the time to respond to an inquire or even referred someone to another closer to their area, even though I have shipped all over the world. I am sure I do not receive the numbers Mr. Alderman did and can fully understand his position. When I first saw his site (thanks to this forum) I knew it would not last and printed off the B BX and ZD-ZG series pricing. I also noticed here an older site to a State DOT invoice that showed the discounts offered them by the Big-3, they were 18-20% off tractors and 15% implements on average to a DOT. I am finding the same thing in the tractor search as I did when searching for a Honda Odyssey a couple years ago. The dealers were putting stickers 3-6k OVER MSRP on the windows and trying to sell used vehicles for nearly new prices. It was such a fixed game I had to drive 150 miles to a better dealer than deal with my hometown dealer, saved $3500. I currently own a 13 year old Craftsman 18 horse Kohler 44” riding mower that is taking too long to mow 2.5 acres. One thing I find incredible is how Sears can sell an entire rider for less than the mower deck alone from these companies. Yes I understand the differences, but such a wide spread considering the same basic parts are there is truly out of line in my opinion.

I have been reading as much back dated information as possible to avoid asking repetitive questions, but have been compiling a list that I have that has not really been answered from what I have found so far. Will throw those questions out here one day when I feel the answers do not exist.

tralderman · Jun 1, 2005

Re: Kubota pricing link doesn\'t works at Aldermans.com

You want the best price that you can possibly get for the items that you are purchasing. You want to know that your dealer is giving you a fair price. This is completely understandable and most dealers respect your wants and needs. However we dealers want you to know a few things as well.

1. There is no cookie cutter pricing that can be posted on the Internet. There are too many variables that can change the price of a tractor such as tires options, loader options, roll bar options, bucket sizes, etc. The consumer does not know enough about these variables to be able to price a unit by the ala-cart method alone. These tractors and attachments come completely knocked down in wood or steel crating. For every option or feature you add, the price of installation goes up. Installation charges must be figured into the price of the deal. These variables are one of the reasons I had to take the pricing off the Internet. None of you were reading the note that asked you to please add X amount of dollars for freight and installation charges for every option you added to the deal.

2. Labor costs, fuel costs, rent, utilities, health insurance, transportation expenses differ all over the country. A dealer from California or New York for example may have triple the overhead expenses that I have hear in Michigan. Please understand that these operating expenses must be built into the margin on every deal. That is how business works.

3. Unlike a Suburban or any other car, a tractor will always have it’s share of bugs that must be worked out after you get it home. I am not the only dealer who has had to go out to a customers house to help take their backhoe off (again) or put their loader on (again), or level their mower deck, or figure out why the 3-point won’t go down, or help bleed the fuel system, etc. All free of charge or course. Asking your local dealer to help with all of these things, when you bought your tractor 500 miles away is not fair. Surely you must understand this.

This is why it is impossible for you to find uniform pricing. This is why it IS important to shop dealer first, price second. This is why Kubota cannot step in and post any kind of pricing.

Tim Alderman

JLoaf · Jun 1, 2005

Re: Kubota pricing link doesn\'t works at Aldermans.com

It sure is nice to have access to the MSRP on tractors and options. It gives the potential buyer a good reference point when looking for a new tractor. If the buyer assumes 10%-15% off MSRP, that should provide a pretty good ballpark idea of the costs and allow for reasonable comparisons.

Carver lists MSRP's for Grand L models on their web site - not sure if it has been updated lately? When I bought my L3830, I had a pretty good idea of cost differences for GST vs DT or HST. I also new how much more or less to expect to pay for a 3430 or 4330.
I didn't buy from Carver because I'm 900 miles away - they said they could not sell in my area - or something like that. But I have ordered parts from them. Their web site is loaded with info and I often look to them 1st for parts and information.
Because of their web site, I recommended them to an old friend of mine that lives in NC.

For what it's worth....

TractorFred · Jun 1, 2005

Re: Kubota pricing link doesn\'t works at Aldermans.com

Tim -- You just listed all the reasons why you can't do website pricing for tractors, yet you did and it was wonderful and everyone here loved it! I think everyone here is reasonable and nows that a company has to have a profit margin to stay in business. No one wants to purchase a tractor only to find out that their dealer folded because they weren't making a profit. Perhaps your website was just ahead of its time and scared alot of dealers. I think most everyone would just be happy to have a website with MSRP pricing. What can be the harm in listing MSRP? From there, individual dealers can make they're own pricing schedules. It would be a HUGE help for those of us shopping and probably save the dealers time so that I wouldn't call you and say, "please price out the L2800, L3400, Grand L3130, Grand L3430, etc..." We would have a very good idea what ballpark we were in and go from there. My kingdom for a website with MSRP pricing. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

gsxr1100 · Jun 1, 2005

Re: Kubota pricing link doesn\'t works at Aldermans.com

( You want the best price that you can possibly get for the items that you are purchasing. You want to know that your dealer is giving you a fair price. This is completely understandable and most dealers respect your wants and needs. However we dealers want you to know a few things as well.

1. There is no cookie cutter pricing that can be posted on the Internet. There are too many variables that can change the price of a tractor such as tires options, loader options, roll bar options, bucket sizes, etc. The consumer does not know enough about these variables to be able to price a unit by the ala-cart method alone. These tractors and attachments come completely knocked down in wood or steel crating. For every option or feature you add, the price of installation goes up. Installation charges must be figured into the price of the deal. These variables are one of the reasons I had to take the pricing off the Internet. None of you were reading the note that asked you to please add X amount of dollars for freight and installation charges for every option you added to the deal.)

I agree but a dealer makes money on every item they sell. They are adding in a factor or % in every unit they have to cover those cost + a profit on it. Installation is a wash unless the shop guy makes $30 per hour and take 40 hours to complete (1) assembly/unit. Example, the dealer can add fuel and installation cost to every BH, FEL etc when they had them all shipped at the same time (discount) and assy took no time (few hours). It is a small increase and do not justify the huge markup.

Also unless one dealer buys 10 and one buys 1000 BX’s, most dealer prices are going to be very small delta here. I consider small meaning 10%.

( 2. Labor costs, fuel costs, rent, utilities, health insurance, transportation expenses differ all over the country. A dealer from California or New York for example may have triple the overhead expenses that I have hear in Michigan. Please understand that these operating expenses must be built into the margin on every deal. That is how business works.)

Agree 100% but when I can travel in a 100 miles radius of my home and get a price difference of over $1,500, something is wrong. I can look in NY, CT and MA and the prices are vast here. Even in my own state the prices are almost $1,000 delta. So you can take #2 and wash that out here since the northeast is very much the same.

( Unlike a Suburban or any other car, a tractor will always have it’s share of bugs that must be worked out after you get it home. I am not the only dealer who has had to go out to a customers house to help take their backhoe off (again) or put their loader on (again), or level their mower deck, or figure out why the 3-point won’t go down, or help bleed the fuel system, etc. All free of charge or course. Asking your local dealer to help with all of these things, when you bought your tractor 500 miles away is not fair. Surely you must understand this.)

My dealer was over $2K less for my bx22 then my local Kubota stealer and I know that no dealer in this area will travel 500 miles to fix something or show something for free. If they do it was be paid by Kubota or the customer. I would not even ask it is not the dealers problem that I can't do something.

Also last I knew Kubota dealers have a “window” to sell the units without paying for them. So if you get 20 and sell 20, you did not even pay for them. No overhead here.

Example, my wife works for Agaway corp and she deals with every northeast dealer on every item they sell. All the dealers pay the same price for the items but you go to every store and the items are all different. I am not saying do not make a profit, but do not rip me off in the process. When I worked for Agway they charged there people fright fees when Agway shipped the units with there own trucks (free shipping)! Double dipping here. Also most dealer/owners tend to cry poor when they have $200K in auto, 3 homes etc. hmmm

So in the end, yes call around but you need to weight in savings or availability. To me, the thousands saved were worth it since my local dealers were a joke. My dealer is nice enough to fedex me parts overnight for warrenty. If not, I will gladly pay the price for the items since he saved me about 1-year of payments.

I stopped by my local dealer yesterday to see what price they have. Almost $17K for a BX23! Are they nuts. I can go back my dealer and get it for $15,500 and free shipping. If they were only a few hundred in delta I would have purchsed there.

But I thank you for posting here and the great prices (and helping us out)! The others are jealous! J
/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

btolle · Jun 1, 2005

Re: Kubota pricing link doesn\'t works at Aldermans.com

( My kingdom for a website with MSRP pricing. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif )

Hear, hear! I second the motion. Kubota really should be the one to handle it, not the individual dealers.

Kubota is pretty far behind the times when it coms to their website. The only "information" on the site consists of copies of their sales brochures. I don't think they realize how much money they could save by putting more information on the site. The savings would come from less calls to their service people.

When I have a problem with any product I go to their website first and look for a solution. If I can't find it there then I start calling.

BTW, my thanks to Mr. Alderman for having had the pricing on the site. While I never bought anything from him I did enjoy "daydreaming" while pricing out tractors I would like to own someday.

Bill Tolle