Buying Advice Test drive and Dealer interview

RNeumann · Dec 19, 2016

This was on the LS website. It is the 2015 version of the pined thread in this forum. I didn't have LS near me but interesting results.

215 NAEDA << LS Tractor USA

Annihilator26 · Dec 19, 2016

RNeumann said:
This was on the LS website. It is the 2015 version of the pined thread in this forum. I didn't have LS near me but interesting results.

215 NAEDA << LS Tractor USA

Thank you for pointing that out also. The LS dealer I talked to actually mentioned it. The 2016 results have also been released and similarly favor LS.
https://www.ne-equip.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/2016_Survey_Report_Final.pd_.pdf
When I talked to the dealer, the sales guy had even been on a trip to Korea to see the factory. I really like that they take communication with their dealers seriously, and those survey results did a lot to comfort me when considering a tractor from a less well known company.

GManBart · Dec 26, 2016

Annihilator26 said:
I already did that on my first trip through the dealer, and I will add it to the list above. The LS/ Kioti dealer was pretty nice when I mentioned comparing to Kubota.

Please tell me you're not talking to the folks at Aeschliman's on Rt. 23 in Whitmore Lake! :shocked:

In Dec 2012 I bought a new LS R4047H from them after a few visits and some test drives around the lot...no problem. The tractor was great, and I didn't have any problems with it.

I was a little irritated when I stopped there to buy filters, etc for the 50hr service and nobody could help me because the parts guy was at lunch and nobody else knew what I needed. I went up the road to TSC and stopped at a trailer dealer nearby to kill some time...went back and got everything I needed. In the grand scheme of things, it wasn't a huge deal, but they've only got one guy who can figure out what filters I needed???

Fast forward 18mos or so and I decided I wanted a tractor with a cab. I called and asked Mark, the sales guy for a quote on a Kioti NX5010HC. Well, he didn't have the numbers, but said would get back to me in a day or so. I think I called on a Monday. On Friday I called back because I hadn't heard anything. It turns out Mark had gone on vacation, and they would try to get in touch with him and call me back. A few days later I called back and they said they hadn't gotten a number or info from Mark (forgot the details), but would try to get someone else to look into it. A week later I called back and they transferred me to the owner (can't recall his first name, but his last name is Aeschliman). I told him I was simply trying to get a quote, and then mentioned I had bought a tractor from them just over a year before, and that we had briefly met. He promised to get me a number and call me back. He called me later that day and said he was still working on it. After a week I hadn't heard anything so I tried calling one last time....left a message, but never heard back.

Now, keep in mind, I was a customer who had already bought a tractor from then very recently. Further, at one point Mark and I wound up talking about guns...I'm a competitive shooter, LE, former military, instructor, etc. The second time I went there I brought a couple of holsters for him to look at because he hadn't seen the style I was recommending. It's not like he didn't remember me when I called to ask about a new tractor...and I wasn't trying to trade mine in because I had already sold it. If I can't get them to give me a quote in a month, I guess they don't really need more business.

I think they're pushing LS and not Kioti, and when you look at their lot, it seems that way...they used to have a lot of orange, and now only a few.

While all of this was going on, I called Michigan Iron and Equipment and had detailed quotes for all four models in the NX line, with a breakout of all the options...took about five minutes over the phone, and none of this "come in and we'll talk numbers" crap some dealers try.

Do yourself a favor and give the folks at MI&E a call and get a quote on a comparable Kioti from them. They'll have a number for you in seconds because they use a computer and not a piece of graph paper with stuff scribbled all over it. I never bought a Kioti, and I've never bought from MI&E, but they were very professional and helped me out a bunch when I was trying to decide.

I'm not the only one who's had issues with Aeschliman's like this...wouldn't be surprised to see TSO chime in. If you're really set on an LS, there's a dealer (Al's Implements) in Newport who picked them up a couple of years ago....older, small dealer that's been around for a long time.

Garandman · Dec 26, 2016

Ran into the same kind of problem at a Mahindra dealer: sales guy on vacation, no one else cared.

My Kubota dealer welds on one hook in the center. After seeing people torque their loader arms, that now makes sense. So one, or three....

Some loaders can't move the arms and bucket simultaneously, that would suck.

coobie · Dec 26, 2016

GManBart said:
Please tell me you're not talking to the folks at Aeschliman's on Rt. 23 in Whitmore Lake! :shocked:

In Dec 2012 I bought a new LS R4047H from them after a few visits and some test drives around the lot...no problem. The tractor was great, and I didn't have any problems with it.

I was a little irritated when I stopped there to buy filters, etc for the 50hr service and nobody could help me because the parts guy was at lunch and nobody else knew what I needed. I went up the road to TSC and stopped at a trailer dealer nearby to kill some time...went back and got everything I needed. In the grand scheme of things, it wasn't a huge deal, but they've only got one guy who can figure out what filters I needed???

Fast forward 18mos or so and I decided I wanted a tractor with a cab. I called and asked Mark, the sales guy for a quote on a Kioti NX5010HC. Well, he didn't have the numbers, but said would get back to me in a day or so. I think I called on a Monday. On Friday I called back because I hadn't heard anything. It turns out Mark had gone on vacation, and they would try to get in touch with him and call me back. A few days later I called back and they said they hadn't gotten a number or info from Mark (forgot the details), but would try to get someone else to look into it. A week later I called back and they transferred me to the owner (can't recall his first name, but his last name is Aeschliman). I told him I was simply trying to get a quote, and then mentioned I had bought a tractor from them just over a year before, and that we had briefly met. He promised to get me a number and call me back. He called me later that day and said he was still working on it. After a week I hadn't heard anything so I tried calling one last time....left a message, but never heard back.

Now, keep in mind, I was a customer who had already bought a tractor from then very recently. Further, at one point Mark and I wound up talking about guns...I'm a competitive shooter, LE, former military, instructor, etc. The second time I went there I brought a couple of holsters for him to look at because he hadn't seen the style I was recommending. It's not like he didn't remember me when I called to ask about a new tractor...and I wasn't trying to trade mine in because I had already sold it. If I can't get them to give me a quote in a month, I guess they don't really need more business.

I think they're pushing LS and not Kioti, and when you look at their lot, it seems that way...they used to have a lot of orange, and now only a few.

While all of this was going on, I called Michigan Iron and Equipment and had detailed quotes for all four models in the NX line, with a breakout of all the options...took about five minutes over the phone, and none of this "come in and we'll talk numbers" crap some dealers try.

Do yourself a favor and give the folks at MI&E a call and get a quote on a comparable Kioti from them. They'll have a number for you in seconds because they use a computer and not a piece of graph paper with stuff scribbled all over it. I never bought a Kioti, and I've never bought from MI&E, but they were very professional and helped me out a bunch when I was trying to decide.

I'm not the only one who's had issues with Aeschliman's like this...wouldn't be surprised to see TSO chime in. If you're really set on an LS, there's a dealer (Al's Implements) in Newport who picked them up a couple of years ago....older, small dealer that's been around for a long time.

+1 same experience at aeschilimans...Drove 60 miles to meet salesman on a sat.morning 8:00am when they opened by 8:30am no one was there to open the shop.I left and went to MIE.Bought my Kioti tractor from Bob at Michigan Iron & equipment fantastic dealer with great sales,service & parts.

Querre · Dec 27, 2016

Really useful list! And all the dealers I've dealt with here: truck1.eu/agricultural-machinery were really helpful and provided me with kind of similar information.

TSO · Dec 27, 2016

I did have a similar experience at Aeschlimans. Very poor phone/email communication skills. I was also ready to buy, but didn't have an opportunity to buy from them. There's another LS dealer up in Clio (Paul's Tractor) who I was cross shopping at the same time. He gave me a better feel and a better price. I gave the folks at Aeschlimans a chance to match the price and they weren't interested.

Granted this was 4 years ago... I have no idea if they are still as terrible to deal with.

In the past I've owned both Kioti and LS (I currently own Massey Ferguson). My LS machines were less problematic than the Kioti I owned (had a few leaks on my Kioti CK20s, but dealer took care of them promptly). However, depending on which models you're looking at, I'd be inclined to choose Kioti over LS. (Again depending on which models)

Best of luck!

Annihilator26 · Dec 28, 2016

Thank you to TSO, GManBart and coobie for the feedback on Aeschliman. I am looking at them, and I appreciate knowing about your experience. I happen to live about 4 miles away, so I may purchase from them anyway, but it is good to know about issues they have had in the past.

coobie · Dec 28, 2016

Annihilator26 said:
Thank you to TSO, GManBart and coobie for the feedback on Aeschliman. I am looking at them, and I appreciate knowing about your experience. I happen to live about 4 miles away, so I may purchase from them anyway, but it is good to know about issues they have had in the past.

Good luck dealing with them.At least you have been warned about past experiences.