OP
MtnHeightsWV
New member
Honestly, this is true and waiting a bit for a part IS part of my overall consideration. I AM willing to wait a couple days/weeks/month to get a part (if needed) and save 20k (edit: 30k!$) off a purchase price. It would absolutely be different if i needed to rely on this machine for my living, but as mentioned, it is a toy/tool. And weighing all things, I am comfortable with LS as a stable, long term brand, which may not be said of branson or rk or montana or bobcat or badboy or... To be clear, I'd love to have a deere or kubota, but they just aren't in my price range. The trade-off i consider is this: premium brand in my $ range is a smaller frame machine with less options (no cab, no remotes, etc) OR Mid brand an LS (or TYM, or?...) with a larger frame size which would have a cab and 3 remotes. I am concerned about stressing the tractor to begin with (why i'm targeting the MT352 size) than some of the smaller premium machines. (edit: I just priced a JD 4066R w/ cab and loader = 70k+ !!) that machine is probably fairly comparable to the LS mt357CH at 40k my dealer quoted me.Part of the pricing difference is not necessarily machine quality, but also service network. It’s easy to find service and parts quickly for Kubota and Deere, while the same cannot always be said for other brands.
Kioti dealer is closest, LS and Kubota and Deere are all about the same distance, then maybe mahindra... after that its 1hr+ to anything else (not even sure). I won't mind paying a bit over internet pricing to a local dealer to ensure a good relation to help if/when I need it, but this is different than paying 10-20k more for a comparable machine. Depending on how things go in my life (job wise) I may be able to purchase next year or so, so I have plenty fo time for research and to see where pricing and interest rates are at. (yes, I plan on financing the tractor... I'd rather have the equipment now while I still have a back, than wait to save up and be 7 years older. not saying this is financially wise, but ... ) on a positive note, I already have an external garage with an empty bay ready to go
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