tiltmeter meeting

[Anonymous Poster]

Hi Guys,
I finally have a meeting with that major tractor
manufacturer about tiltmeters on 10-23-00. Thet want
to hear my sales pitch and see the meters. Any comments
you guys want to pass along ? I will take All comments
to them about the need or no need for tiltmeters to be
installed in the factory. Would you buy a tractor with
one, or tend to feel it would mean roll-over problems
with that tractor ? All comments appreciated. No guarantee
they will buy mine or anyone elses. But at least they
agreed to meet. Thanks guys. Rick

 

[Thomas]

Rick,
Glad to read you got your meeting w/ the tractor company,and that they are interested. Tiltmeter install in the tractor would be a great safety device.

I would be most interested in how or where they would install the meter for all round visibility,and could the tiltmetter have warning sound when one about to approach the danger zone.

Would it stop me from purchasing a tractor with out a tiltmeter..no,for when I purchase a tractor I look for my needs also being comfortable.

I operated tractors w/out a cab plus with a cab,and I feel when operating w/ a cab there a better chance of a roll over and thats when I would like a tiltmeter...but that just me. /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

Good luck and hope to hear from you.



Thomas..NH /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

 

[geneP]

Hi Rick, I don't own a tiltmeter because my use for my tractor is on my property, and don't have terrain that makes me feel threatened. I've followed the related threads on this board with interest and applaud you for your apparent business ethics. No, a tiltmeter on a tractor wouldn't lead me to think it was more prone than any other to tip over. Obviously, I wouldn't buy a tractor JUST BECAUSE it has one, but would include it in my consideration of the tractor's merits.

Seems to me that many commercial and governmental entities would see them as evidence of interest in operation safety, set safety standards, and train the drivers in their use.

 

[gordon]

Go in there and talk to them just like you have us in the past both on the phone and on this board. I wish you all the luck with the big guy. You have to sell is as a safety add-on not a necessary because my tractor is unsafe standpoint. Hit the point that there are more and more new tractor owners out there and the need more than ever to school the new users on safety.

Not only go for selling just the meter make a total package a book to go along with it on roll over safety with the R&B logo on the front. Might have to make in generalized so you could easily sell it the the other major players as well!!!

Just remember this after you make your first million don't forget the little guys on this board!!!/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

I do hope that you kick butt and close the deal don't take no for an answer go for a trial run with a test market of a few models of tractors. Leave yourself open there are endless ways to go with this one and in the end you will have the deal closed.!!!

Gordon

 

[glennmac]

Rick,

How about offering them an option with a tiltmeter packaged with some other devices such as a digital clock and a digital thermometer. This may appear less "threatening". The tractor manufacturer could market it not just as a safety device but as an optional "enhanced dashboard".

The clock and thermometer (or whatever) may even induce more sales of the tiltmeter than the tiltmeter packaged alone. When I worked at IBM we used to call this the "dragalong" phenomenon -- eg, a popular software function would "dragalong" or "drag" hardware sales. Others have suggested that a tiltmeter might not drag tractor sales, but some other goodies packaged with a tiltmeter may drag tiltmeter sales, which is your interest.

Glenn

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Hey Guys,
Thanks for the input. I do plan on directing those I meet
with to this site. Alot of other issues are discussed here
that I would think any major tractor o.e.m. would like to
see. I have already mentioned it to one person there. Not
sure if he has ever looked yet. Keeping up with my customers
thoughts and ideas is how I direct my improvements and
developement. Doesn't matter if I think I have the best
tiltmeter that there is, if you guys don't like them. So
i try to listen and respond accordingly. Maybe this could be
the start of the o.e.ms. following this and other sites to
see what the buyer truly wants, and improvements they
would like to see. I will be meeting with the engineers, and
I had them sold once before. Marketing shot it down.
Unfortunately, I will not be meeting with marketing. I have
tried. My first million? I WISH !!!!! I would just put it
back into new models. Forget you guys. Not a chance. If I
get this deal, I'll buy the steaks and send you the best
Kansas City has to offer. They don't call us the cow town
for nothing. Again, keep the responses coming. They are all
going to be viewed. I am driving to the o.e.m. so I will
not be back until 10-24 or 10-25. Thanks. Rick.

 

[kawallace]

Rick I am a first time tractor owner just learning the safe way to operate on very hilly land. The first thing I did was to purchase a tiltmeter from you and it has re-enforced safe operaton on hilly land. I think having a tiltmeter as standard equipment is a plus to tractor buyers and not an indication of rollover problems. All the precautions stickers on a tractor are probably never read but a tiltmeter as standard dashboard equipment is very proactive in safe tractor operations and would become part of standard operation procedure. Keep after the marketing people as often they have the last say in what the customer is looking for.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

kawallace,
Thanks for your input. I started this company because I
felt there was a need for such an item. When I worked for
the highway dept. I supervised a mowing crew, and we all
thought it was a needed item. We could not locate such a
device, so built our own. Constant improvements led to
our latest models. ( I could have stayed with the dept.
for a few more years but decided to hock everything and
start this company. ) Pay is low, stress is high, but love
ALMOST every minute. Never worked so many hours for so
little pay. I plan to keep after the o.e.m. boys. If i could
find out the right ones to approach, I would contact all the
major o.e.ms. I hear names occasionally and send info. and
follow up a few weeks later with a phone call. Normal reply
is "I never got it.sorry." So it is resent. Another info.
pack is sent. another call. "got it this time. Not my dept.
try so and so". And so it goes. All extremely nice guys.
Some have been very helpful. Seems I can never reach the
big guy that makes the decisions. Going to keep trying.
I deal with a major truck o.e.m. 72 engineers. Sent an info.
pack to all of them. 72 follow up calls. over half never
received it. I throw away alot of info. I receive. Some I
never open. Don't have time. They may do the same. Anyway,
thanks for your response. Truly appreciate them all.
Rick.

 

[Djwalker]

I think a tiltmeter is a great idea. However, I would not try to install one with the colored regions on the dial. The problem I see is that the safe tilt for the tractor depends on so many things (attachments, bucket height, angle to slope, etc) that there is not any truly "safe" limit except for one so small as to be almost useless. A uncolored gauge could be marketed as "informational" as opposed to strictly implying safety. Otherwise it wouldn't be long before the first lawsuit based on the argument "my tractor tipped over even though the tiltmeter said it was safe" would happen. I think that the idea of an "enhanced dashboard" with side-to-side and front-to-back tilt gauges, a clock, etc. would be a good idea.

Dave

 

[Rodneyd]

Rick,
I'm sure you have covered every question at least once, but since I don't currently have a tiltmeter I have wondered and I'm sure the oem's will also, how many meters will I need to cover my product line? Each model will have a different CG based upon rear wheel stance and the range of width that can be adjusted from narrow to wide. Will they need to have a different meter for each model and within that model, will the meter indicate the yellow zone between the narrow and wide stance that could cause tipover. Two other points:
1. Just behind every marketing group/sales organization is a lawyer who will shoot holes in anything that hints of a possible litigation (ie. will the company be held liable if someone rolls over even if the tractor had a tiltmeter installed). They are a hard sell.
2. Things that will make a manufacturer change or enhance their product line is safety, consumer demand, and $$$$$$.
Stress these areas with your product.
The folks on this site have certainly demonstrated a quest for safety and a demand for your product.
Rod