NOW I KNOW THE MUSIC

[Anonymous Poster]

Joyce H.,
I'm in MI but just received a couple of quotes on the 2910 w/R4s and L402 loader. They were both very close and essentially were allowing a 16 % discount from list. List on the 2910 w/ r4s was quoted as $16,594 and the fel was quoted as $3398($19,992 total list). The price to me was $16, 842 for 2910 and fel b/4 MI sales tax. I also got an out of state delivered quote w/ no sales tax that was very near the same as the MI quotes b/4 transportation which,after delivery figured back into price,would have saved me $400- $500 due to the6% MI sales tax. I ended up purchasing a L3010 from one of the same above MI dealers at a 21% discount from list. I figured for about another $800 I might as well go with the larger tractor. I do not know if upon futher negotiation the spread would have become more favorable to the 2910 or not. I just decided on the L3010. If the 2910 could be had for the same 21% discount($15800) then the 2910/3010 difference would have been $1850 and that might have made me think a little harder on the matter. Bottom line, I would be looking for a price to you b/4 tax of between $15,800 and $16,800 on a 2910 with fel.

 

[glennmac]

Joyce,

If you know what you want and are serious, call Robert Wolff of Woodbury Tractor (203-266-4845). Tell him you are a TBN member and that I referred you to him. He should give you a fair discount on all the Kubota stuff and the other implements you need. Since you are a haul away, I would expect you would have to pay extra for delivery or provide your own transportation.

Not to muddy the Kennebec, but if you are going to be mowing 20 acres or so, you may want a much larger mower(at least 84"), which will require a larger tractor. Which also means that the tractor wont be able to do pirouettes around your quercus alba.

 

[Timd]

Joyce -

2710 vs 2910: I went 2910 because one of my primary chores will be brushcutting the tangled mess of scrub woods in front of my house that used to be a meadow 20 years ago. So the extra PTO horsepower was important to me. Another thing was that I love the seat on the 2910, as glennmac said, "gentler on the keister".

I also want a grasscatcher but it was a stretch even to buy the tractor, so that's a future maybe. I don't want to load up on implements until I have time to build an storage shed. For now loader, MMM, and rotary cutter are the essentials. I did get a bunch of add ons: block heater, HD alternator, front and rear work lights, 4-way loader valve, FEL tooth and cutting bars, logging hooks, and clamp-on loader forks.

Adjusting MMM deck: the deck isn't adjustable. All MMM's have a discharge chute on the right side, which takes up a foot of space, and there's no mower blades under there. So the actual cutting area of the mower is from the left side of the deck to the discharge chute. But the entire assembly is centered under the tractor. So my 60" MMM is actually 72" wide with discharge chute. Center that under a 54" wide tractor and you have 9" of mower cut beyond the wheels on the left and no cut beyond the wheels on the right. So you can mow fairly close around the house because you'll be mowing with the discharge pointing away.

Where I got it and what I paid: I could tell you, but then Steve Carver would have to kill me!
(Joke, Carver requires you to sign a non-disclosure agreement and not reveal pricing).

Pricing in general: I was in the market for a 2710 a year ago and put it off when the stock market tanked. This year I decided I couldn't live without one anymore. I was spending 8 hours a week mowing my place. Both times I got quotes from my local dealer and 3 internet dealers. Both times the average internet price was around 2K less than the local dealer. The local dealer couldn't build me a tractor (_any_ tractor) in less than a month, and didn't seem real interested in my business. One internet source (tractorsmart.com) couldn't quite configure the tractor the way I wanted, and wouldn't weld logging hooks on the bucket because of liability concerns. Another never got back to me with a quote. Steve Carver's guys got my tractor built in a week, configured the way I wanted it, and delivered in two. There were some minor problems which they straightened out, but the tractor was indeed "work ready".

So should you dare buy from an internet source? Depends on how comfortable you are with machinery and fixing things. An example: a hole in the antiscalp wheel assembly for my MMM was drilled off center at the factory. This meant I couldn't turn the wheel sideways and made the MMM a real bear to remove. Would be convenient to call the local dealer and say "fix it". But I just drilled it a little oversize and it's fine now.

One question I asked which you didn't answer was does ME have sales tax on tractors and implements. A 6% sales tax adds $1200 to the price of a $20,000 tractor. None of the internet dealers charges sales tax on out-of-state deliveries. A non issue for me (no sales tax in NH) but something to consider.

I agree with glennmac that you should contact Robert at Woodbury Tractor in CT. He was the dealer who didn't give me a quote this time around but that's probably because he's a one-man shop and is too busy building tractors to read his email! He gave me a very good quote on a 2710 last year and raised a number of issues I hadn't thought about (like a 4-way loader valve). I know that he's delivered tractors from Woodbury to Ipswich, MA, so maybe your relatives with the trailer could meet him halfway.

Timd

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Tim,

I forgot to answer the sales tax question: Maine has a 5%. It makes me wonder, if you buy from a place that does not have sales tax, who would end up finding out that you did not pay it, and how would that happen? Probably someone who I would go to in the future for service?

I started my negotiations yesterday, basically asking two places, if they could do better than the quoted price, considering I was lining myself up for a few implements. One place was willing to come down 500.00 (Union Tractor) on the tractor, but said he was not willing to move on the implements at all (he is pricing list on those), because of freight and assembly that he is not adding to my price. I DID ask how many unassembled tractors he has sold, but he thought it was a ridiculous question. I pretty much said I needed him to do better, and he said he couldn't. I mentioned comparitive shopping and I think he said 'fine'. All of this made me wonder if I should have been talking to the owner or something. I'm too new at this...

I took the suggestion to call Woodbury in Conn. I spoke with Bob, and he was very nice. Seemed like a VERY straight shooting guy. He came in at 21,500 for: 2910, 60"MMM, grass catcher and front snowblower. This was about 1,200.00 lower than Union. The Woodbury price included delivery, but I forgot to ask about taxes.

All of this leaves me with maybe trying to go back to Union with a counter offer, but he was so definate, that I'm not sure. And yes, I have gone back to wanting the 2910 over the 2710. My husband really preferred the extra horse power, and since the frame was the same exact size, it was fine with me. I had thought he might not want to pay the extra money for the extra horse power.

I also need to think seriously about how buying from afar will affect my relationship with a service place when I need it.

I didn't know that Carver had folks sign nondisclosure papers. Will I be upsetting Bob at Woodbury by laying out his quote on the internet?????????

I'm not sure if I am answering all questions this time, but I'm on my way to Mass. in about a half hour, so I have to collect my little one and get going.

If I was really smart, I would send my husband in to do the negotiations. The homework and education part has been enlightening and fun. My husband is the businessman and knows negotiating so much better than me..... I'm off....

Joyce

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Glennmac,

No! You cannot muddy the waters, but I have gone back to the 2910 because my husband preferred and was willing to pay the extra. Frame size the same, so it was okay with me. I am not willing to sacrifice the pirouttes.

See post to Tim on contact with Bob in Woodbury.

I'm leaving for MA, but can you help me figure out why I can't use the name I tried to register under: Joyce? I understood the password to be optional, and it seems like I have to wait for the password to be sent to me. I thought I tried to register several days ago? I'm too new at all of this to figure out where I might be going wrong.

Be back around Monday or so. Thanks for any help you can offer on this non tractor issue /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif.

Joyce

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Re: NOW I KNOW THE MUSIC-Att. Muhammad

Joyce,

Send Muhammad {chief cook, bottle washer and owner of this great website /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif} a private e-mail with your proposed "Screen name" and "password"...

He will take care of you and get you set up.

How far are your relatives from Albany, NY area... we have a few Kubota dealer's that would probably "fight" for your business, especially if you're gonna transport it home. /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Re: NOW I KNOW THE MUSIC-Att. Muhammad

Joyce,

I forgot Muhammad's email address...

muhammad@tractorbynet.com

 

[glennmac]

Damsel Joyce,

I assume you cant register Joyce as a password because someone else already has taken that name as their password. That's why I chose glennmac on the spur of the moment instead of Glenn. I think all you have to do is pick something that the server accepts.

You are getting a good deal from Bob. Consider how much he is "eating" in the way of delivery charges. He has already included in his price the delivery cost (and assembly cost) of all the hardware to his shop in CT, as any dealer has to do. He then is going to drive from CT to wherever you are in Maine. I would estimate that this "second delivery" is worth his hourly shop rate (approx. $55) times the number of travel hours (probably 15 or so), plus his gas, plus maybe an overnight stay in a cheap motel. If you get a quote from Carver, I expect the delivery charge from NC to you will be in the range of $1800-$2000.

I assume Bob's quote excludes Maine sales tax, which you have to add in to the total package for any dealer from whom you purchase in Maine--ie, at least $1000 at a 5% rate. As to tax, send me an email or a private message when you register and I'll give explain it to you.

I chose the 2910 because I thought the extra power might be useful in the unknown amount of brushcutting and rough mowing I was going to do on my back 8 acres, and because I liked the seat a lot better. The extendable link arms were irrelevant to me because I use Freedom Hitches (which I highly recommend), but they say the extendable links are very helpful if you insist on wrestling with a 3ph. For me, it was clearly the right decision.

You sure you dont want a loader?

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Joyce,

Congrats on getting your good name back.../w3tcompact/icons/blush.gif

 

[Joyce]

Re: NOW I KNOW THE MUSIC-Att. Muhammad

John,

My brother with the big truck toys lives in North central Mass., but I have not approached the idea of hauling for me with him yet. I was thinking of having my husband just go into one of the dealerships around here and just do his negotiating thing. He is so much better at this than me, but he seems to want me to land the deal since I have done all the homework. Maybe he wants me to get better at the negotiating. Personally, I just want a fair deal, and I want to get it over with. This haggling business is far too time consuming.

But...if I were crazy enough to call yet another place...where do YOU suggest in the Albany area? I could be mistaken, but I'm starting to think you folks are toying with me..../w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif.

It seems that I have successfully registered, but for some reason, anything that I put in my bio was rejected. Not so encouraging. Said something about bio too long, but I know it was not. Some other problem that I can't figure out yet.

Joyce