My Kioti so far

[grsthegreat]

Dealer proximity is way over rated.... unless you get a lemon. I've had a JD for 18 years. Dealer is 1/2 mile away. Tractors been there once in 18 years. I also have a CK25, bought in March 06. Dealer is over 250 miles away. I've had 2 warranty issues with it, each an early design flaw. Both times dealer came to me. Cost me about $125 each time in travel cost. Shoot! Just not having to load and unload it onto a trailer is worth the $125. Cost wise, I'm way ahead of where I'd been buying a Deere at several thousand dollars more. Maintenance parts are ordered by phone/internet and shipped to my door. I don't expect it to need a dealer again for a very long time. And that's the point: How often does one actually take their tractor to a dealer?

Good points indeed. My old tractor only went in 1 time in 14 years.

 

[Martian]

Dealer proximity is way over rated.... unless you get a lemon. I've had a JD for 18 years. Dealer is 1/2 mile away. Tractors been there once in 18 years. I also have a CK25, bought in March 06. Dealer is over 250 miles away. I've had 2 warranty issues with it, each an early design flaw. Both times dealer came to me. Cost me about $125 each time in travel cost. Shoot! Just not having to load and unload it onto a trailer is worth the $125. Cost wise, I'm way ahead of where I'd been buying a Deere at several thousand dollars more. Maintenance parts are ordered by phone/internet and shipped to my door. I don't expect it to need a dealer again for a very long time. And that's the point: How often does one actually take their tractor to a dealer?

It's not as much how far the dealership that you bought it for as how far the closest dealership that can provide service is for me. I bought my last tractor at the second closest dealership because of a better deal. I go up to my dealership(s) all the time just to check stud out and pick up a part, oil, etc. I also feel that a local dealer gives me better service as a bad word travels to people around the area that the dealer is and if I'm 250 miles away and I have a bad word its out of that dealers main target market where a local dealer has a lot more to loose as it affects more of his target market - just something I've noticed and kind of a hypothesis. I also like knowing I'm putting my money into my local economy and not a distance away. With that said if I want something that's a distance away I still get it if the deal is unbeatable.

 

[Gittyup]

It's not as much how far the dealership that you bought it for as how far the closest dealership that can provide service is for me. I bought my last tractor at the second closest dealership because of a better deal. I go up to my dealership(s) all the time just to check stud out and pick up a part, oil, etc. I also feel that a local dealer gives me better service as a bad word travels to people around the area that the dealer is and if I'm 250 miles away and I have a bad word its out of that dealers main target market where a local dealer has a lot more to loose as it affects more of his target market - just something I've noticed and kind of a hypothesis. I also like knowing I'm putting my money into my local economy and not a distance away. With that said if I want something that's a distance away I still get it if the deal is unbeatable.

Yes, for many a local dealer is very important. Everyone has their own way of reasoning out their decisions. And that's quite alright. I am happy to see that a Bobcat dealer has plans to build 1/2 away also. I'll be able to use them (if they ever break ground), when and if the time comes, assuming they are still in good graces with Daedong.

 

[kiotiken]

I had my JD 955 for almost one year. It made one trip to the dealer. The dealer wasn't really nice to deal with, charged me a lot of money (as many will) to transport it and then charged more to bring it back when their original price was supposed to include return transportation. There were other problems and the repair cost far more than I would expect, mostly because of the cost of labour.

Even after that experience, I still decided to talk to their sales dept. after deciding to replace the 955 with something new. They were worse than the service dept. They had no real interest in me becoming a customer, so I didn't!

Contrast that to my Kioti dealer (no, I don't think brand means anything here, this story could be reversed elsewhere). They bent over backwards during the sales process and were a pleasure to deal with. They threw in a bunch of stuff with the sale of my tractor, including loading the tires, front and back work lights, free return transportation (120KM/72Miles) for any warranty work that can't be done on site, block heater, the 50 hrs service and probably some other stuff I can't remember. Their package price (CK 30hst + Woods bh-70x - my trade) was better that I expected, and much better than any of the other brands (because of the trade value my dealer gave). I have had many issues with my CK 30 (http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/kioti-owning-operating/218090-my-new-ck-30-a.html) but each one has been address professionally and by a pleasant dealer. The end result is I still enjoy my tractor and still think my Kioti is the cats @$$.

All of this long winded message to say I firmly believe the dealer is important and you need to be within a reasonable distance to them. My dealer works hard and is willing to travel to my place, so 120KM is reasonable in my case. Besides, any closer and I'd probably be broke!