Value Proposition: What Makes Your Brand Of Tractor Better Than The Others?

[rScotty]

It seems a lot of people focus on having a good dealer. I guess how much you focus on that correlates to how much work you do and how often the tractor breaks down. In the 28 years I have had my Ford, buying the muffler and the front axle seals are the only items I went to a dealer for and my tractor hasn't seen the inside of their shop. I know I am fortunate that I also have a good dealer but I have to wonder how important a dealer really is.

Yes, I've wondered the same thing. Having a good local dealer seems to be the main focus of many tractor buyers and I'm not sure I understand why.

Before the internet, having a good local dealer was an absolute requirement; there was simply no other source for parts and advice....even for basic maintenance parts like filters. But that's no longer true.
Now all those services are available more conveniently online.

So I wonder if having a local dealer is still as important to the tractor owner as to the tractor buyer.
rScotty

 

[Cahaba Valley Farm]

Yes, I've wondered the same thing. Having a good local dealer seems to be the main focus of many tractor buyers and I'm not sure I understand why.

Before the internet, having a good local dealer was an absolute requirement; there was simply no other source for parts and advice....even for basic maintenance parts like filters. But that's no longer true.
Now all those services are available more conveniently online.

So I wonder if having a local dealer is still as important to the tractor owner as to the tractor buyer.
rScotty

Scotty you completely read my mind this morning. All the tractor expertise has gone online. It's no longer available at the local dealership. All the guys that had it have since retired and what the industry is left with now is "know-nothing-order-takers". So here's a thought for you, if all the expertise has gone online what value does the local sales people bring to the transaction anymore? Everyday we are getting people posting the same type of sales related threads on this forum and we are all answering the same kind of questions. Why aren't the local sales people answering the posters questions? If you stop to think about it you all are doing the sales peoples job for them. So combine a lack of local sales expertise being replaced by online user expertise (TBN) with local retail parts support being replaced by online discount parts support what value does the dealer bring besides having a local garage to turn wrenches on your machine if it breaks down?

 

[Root Cause]

I am the red-headed stepchild here.

So what makes my tractor better than the others?
Well, had I not found this one, I would have ended up with a scut that, in hindsight, would have been a bad choice. I saw no other tractors on a lot with both a FEL and a backhoe last June in my area, so I bought more by dealer than by brand and that proved to be a good choice for my situation as well. He is knowledgeable and delivered it 110 miles away for free.

Many will knock Mahindra, maybe they deserve it overall. But my 1000 lb FEL has been adequate for what I have needed. With 2200 lbs at the dipstick, the backhoe has worked as needed. I have 5400 lbs including loaded tires with 38 HP that has allowed me to move logs and push dirt without any problems. It is basic and simple but I consider that a plus with no DEF to deal with.

I bought it with 80 hours for less than 30k. I now have almost 200 hours on it. If I had grown up on another brand, maybe I would nitpick it but this is what I have, it has worked out great for me.

 

[Cougsfan]

It seems a lot of people focus on having a good dealer. I guess how much you focus on that correlates to how much work you do and how often the tractor breaks down. In the 28 years I have had my Ford, buying the muffler and the front axle seals are the only items I went to a dealer for and my tractor hasn't seen the inside of their shop. I know I am fortunate that I also have a good dealer but I have to wonder how important a dealer really is.

I would agree with that. Some people can't survive without a security blanket though, whether they use it or not. With the quality of online shopping these days, most people would never have to go back to the original dealer for parts. I happen to have a good dealer who is helpful in supplying the very few parts I need. I stop by there now and then just because I like to chat with the owner. But if he wasn't around there would be other dealers nation wide who would serve just as well.
From what I have seen, most any brand of tractor is much more reliable and durable than some people seem to think. If they do need to go somewhere to be repaired, independent repair shops are often a much better choice than the original dealer.

 

[rScotty]

From what I have seen, most any brand of tractor is much more reliable and durable than some people seem to think. If they do need to go somewhere to be repaired, independent repair shops are often a much better choice than the original dealer.

Right on. That innate reliability of tractors is something that first time tractor buyers can't take into account because most mechanical things are not that way. Can't blame them for not knowing.... So they put a lot of reliability on a local dealer.

But for second time buyers the reliability and durability of most any of the popular brands something that they have seen with their tractor and others. It is now familiar and they begin to look at the local dealer differently.

Of course for used tractor buyers, counting on tractor reliability is THE major factor in their buying decision.
The dealer doesn't enter into it.

And in none of this process did the tractor itself change. Tractors just do not change much. Given normal use & maintenance, they tend to age slowly and gracefully.
Enjoy,
rScotty

 

[Cahaba Valley Farm]

Well, had I not found this one, I would have ended up with a scut that, in hindsight, would have been a bad choice. I saw no other tractors on a lot with both a FEL and a backhoe last June in my area, so I bought more by dealer than by brand and that proved to be a good choice for my situation as well.

You bought based on meeting a need at the time and you let the rest worry about itself. I hear you.

 

[wolc123]

What size JD did you buy? From my research, the specs on JD are worse than the competition when you compare similar models in the 25-50 HP CUT units. When you factor in price they are much worse.

2005 JD 4120 (43 hp). Compared with Kubota GL 4330 (I think) and NH td 40 ? . Price was same as Kubota but hydraulic flow and lift height were more. NH was just a smidge cheaper but had significantly less lift height, hydraulic flow, and 3 less hp.

The made in America power plant on the JD was the kicker that made the choice a slam dunk for me.

 

[JasperFrank]

New Holland is now owned by Fiat/Chrysler. Let that sink in for a bit.....
If I was a salesperson right now, I'd be selling Balarus/MTZ Mintz Tractors. The Russians know how to build a repairable tractor. We bought one in the late 80's that still had CCCP written all over it. Everything on this, was over-built. Its as if the designers did stress tests, and then just arbitrarily decided to make the parts 40% stronger then needed.
One day my brother came back after mowing a field, and said he had ruined the tractor by leaving the brake on the whole time. We looked at it, and all it needed was new pads, $16 dollars, generic pads that took ten minutes to replace.

In this new world of bean counters, this is a maker that is still going old school.

A brand dealer close to me, now means nothing.

My local New Holland Dealer will charge you twice what a common part is worth anywhere else. Some of the older grizzilled guys would even whisper to me, that I could get a same part else where, at half the price: Even THEY, didn't like the markups.

 

[Cougsfan]

I like supporting American companies even if some of the parts are made elsewhere.

I really get a kick of how many people hold on to that belief. They don't like facing up to the reality that, like it or not, we live in a world economy. You would be amazed at the number of well known "American" companies whose majority stock holders are foreign. Try GE, GMC, Anheuser Busch, Gerber Baby Foods, Firestone, Frigidaire for starters... and the list goes on and on. John Deere is a publicly owned company and undoubtedly a goodly percentage of the stockholders are not Americans. Many "American" owned companies manufacture 100% of their goods overseas (try Nike, for instance).

Honda, thought of as a Japanese company, keeps more of the money that you spend on buying their cars in the US than any "American" auto maker. To me, the percentage of the purchase price for an item that stays in the US would be a much better description of buying American than where the owner(s) live. Where the purchase dollar goes is information that is hard to find, and when you can, it is often lied about.

I don't know this for a fact, but I would bet that if you buy either a Kubota or a John Deere SCUT in the US, a fairly equal percentage of your purchase dollars actually stays in the US.

So when someone says says "I Buy American!", It sounds patriotic, but as often as not, it is in reality just an imagined, fairly empty patriotism.

 

[mwemaxxowner]

I don't plan to need a whole lot of support after the sale. I do most of my own maintenance on everything I own. I suspect the tractor will be no different. Still, though, if I do need something in person, be that advice, service, warranty work, etc, they're right there.

This was my first tractor purchase, and I liked having someone close for the purchasing part of it. We did most of it over the phone, but I did need to stop by a few times. I was able to swing by after work and still be home in time for dinner. I was also able to go pick it up when it came in on a Saturday morning, when we had already planned to leave mid morning for a vacation.

I know these are all pretty minor things on a $15,000 purchase, but it made it easy for me. I knew I'd be happy with a Kubota because I'm not that picky, my needs will be easy to meet for most any tractor, and I know plenty of other happy customers.

 

[TractorGuy]

Yes, I've wondered the same thing. Having a good local dealer seems to be the main focus of many tractor buyers and I'm not sure I understand why.

Before the internet, having a good local dealer was an absolute requirement; there was simply no other source for parts and advice....even for basic maintenance parts like filters. But that's no longer true.
Now all those services are available more conveniently online.

So I wonder if having a local dealer is still as important to the tractor owner as to the tractor buyer.
rScotty

For me it's more about having a readily available parts source IF I NEED IT.

Admittedly the only parts I have bought from my dealer have been filters and cosmetics. I bought new decals for the generic hood I replaced and a new rubber floor mat. All the hydraulic filters are still sitting on the shelf waiting for me to get a round tuit.

 

[Cahaba Valley Farm]

Still, though, if I do need something in person, be that advice, service, warranty work, etc, they're right there.

For me it's more about having a readily available parts source IF I NEED IT.

So to be clear, did you give the sale to the local dealer because they really earned it or because of their location?

 

[Complete Turf Care]

A local dealership has almost no influence on my decision of which brand to buy. They offer nothing that I can't get elsewhere. That has changed in the last decade, and used to be different before the internet grew up. Now a local dealership is simply one more supplier among dozens. They rarely offer expertise not found online. And shipping has become less expensive than time+gasoline.

What does make a difference to me is access to parts and service information - closely followed by a history of reliability. Both of those are now available on the internet, but didn't use to be.

My opinion may differ from others because mechanical things and tractors have long been hobbies of mine. I'm fascinated by design details and feel confident in my own ability to repair and design mechanical things at home as necessary.
rScotty

You know....the more I think about this, I think I agree with you somewhat. I own 3 Kubota tractors.

I bought the L6060 new from a local dealer.
I bought the L5740 from an auction yard in Oklahoma over the internet.
I bought the M4700 from a local jockey who buys and refurbishes older tractors.

I buy most of my parts online from Messicks. If I need something in a hurry, I usually check with several local dealers, and they have to order the parts anyway. Then I would loose about 2 hours time to drive to any of the local dealers, when I can have the parts delivered to my shop for about the same money. It's just too easy to order online.
My wife works at a small LS Tractor dealer, and she is the parts manager. They are like most other dealers, and stock only the fastest moving parts, like filters and such.

So....I guess I agree with rScotty that the dealer really is not as important as they were in the past.

 

[rScotty]

SNIP
I buy most of my parts online from Messicks.
SNIP
So....I guess I agree with rScotty that the dealer really is not as important as they were in the past.

You know, I used to look forward to getting parts at the dealer, chatting, and looking at new tractors. But that seems to have changed with the internet too. Now I do my chatting on TBN, my absentee dealer is an investment group who own a chain of stores in which his clerks don't care about tractors or even remember my name. He doesn't stock many tractors or parts - just mostly lubes, hardware, and filters - so we both end up ordering parts online and I may as well order lubes & filters at the same time. For less. Cutting him out and shipping to my doorstep has become crazy convenient.

Frankly, I wish that things hadn't changed. I wish the dealer was as important as they were in the past. I liked it the old way when those old-fashioned dealers were neighbors and their service department was proud to share their knowledge with owners.

If you do have a local dealer like that, you probably already know and cherish them. If so, that's good.
I don't know what the future for dealers - or retail - is going to look like. But it is going to be different.

rScotty

 

[mwemaxxowner]

So to be clear, did you give the sale to the local dealer because they really earned it or because of their location?

I feel like you are trying to back me into a corner. It's someone I already knew, I trust, and I know will treat me well now and in the future. He's been treating friends and family members properly since before I was born. How's that?

Also, yes, it's a good location for me being local (which I've made no bones about). Had they not treated me well when I started pricing and trying to buy I would have perhaps began to look elsewhere.

 

[Creamer]

I initially asked the question because when I grew up on the farm we used mostly local dealers - within 70 miles of our farm because we expected parts availability but my nephews that run the farm do not really even consider that anymore - partially because of the cost of tractors and finding the one they want and who wants to sell it the worst and because most dealers do not stock parts. My nephews 1st get on the phone and check with the local dealers and find who has it and if they can have it immediately by going and getting it. If they are going to have to wait a couple of days why waste the time to go and get it.

As some others have said you never talk to the owner anyway but in their case for Deere the local dealer is the owner of about half the dealers in the state so they can talk to them if they go into the store - or at least somebody from the family and there is a personal relationship there. But most of the time they are still dealing with the partsman and end up having the part shipped from a Deere warehouse or one of the other dealers in the group.

 

[CalG]

Locking differential on the front axle . 4WD
12 speeds FWD and REV with directional shuttle plus "crawler gear"
Mitsubishi 4 cylinder engine
dual remotes at the rear standard.
High capacity 3pt lift (for it's class)
narrow wheel pitch possible for vineyard type applications.
available front mounted lifting hitch. (not used as I've fitted a loader)

And I like the puke green color... ;-)

All of value that puts the SL&H tractor apart from much of the competition.

That locking front diff puts it in billy goat contention, and I have hilly terrain at my place!

The only thing I would like to add is regen on the bucket dump to speed up that cycle.

 

[Cahaba Valley Farm]

It's someone I already knew, I trust, and I know will treat me well now and in the future. He's been treating friends and family members properly since before I was born. How's that?

As some others have said you never talk to the owner anyway but in their case for Deere the local dealer is the owner of about half the dealers in the state so they can talk to them if they go into the store - or at least somebody from the family and there is a personal relationship there.

What I hear both of you saying is personal relationship plays a major role in your decision to buy from a dealer and your perception of their value.

 

[CalG]

Damn! If I were to use the E27n Fordson as the reason, The only thing would be is 'cause it's all iron or steel, and that it is BLUE.

Even though the advertisement literature at the time touted it as "The First Post War Tractor from ENGLAND with a three point hitch and pto"! (not a live pto I might add ;-)

But having rebuilt the poured babbit splash oiled lower end twice while I've had her, (don't ask about the first time, though it is a good story) I have come to appreciate the old gal. and Boy howdy, can she pull her weight in the down and dirty!

 

[PuffyC]

I really get a kick of how many people hold on to that belief. They don't like facing up to the reality that, like it or not, we live in a world economy. You would be amazed at the number of well known "American" companies whose majority stock holders are foreign.

I would very much not be amazed by any of that and I think most people these days know we live in a global economy. Hard not to know that with what's going on today. While the overall story can get extremely muddied, there's a lot more that goes into it than just shares. Since this is a tractor forum I'll stick to tractors and compare Kubota to Deere. Kubota has 2 plants in the US and employs about 2,000 American workers. Deere has 15 and employs over 25,000 in the US. Who owns what stock and how much? Who knows and who cares, across global companies it's probably a wash at the end of the day anyway. All else being equal, if I can do something that helps an American keep their job, especially at a company founded in America and run by American people, I like doing that, at least as long as that remains an option. I'm sure many others do too, and not just the ones too stupid to know any better.