Dealer Various Dealers... wanting best price

[MtnViewRanch]

There is a difference between "lost money" and "didn't make my normal profit". .

Reminds me of a contractor that I used to do work for back in my construction days. He would complain that he was loosing money on a job and he would go after the subs to try and get them to lower their price some to make up for his loosing money. In reality he wasn't loosing money, his profit margin was just not as big. Instead of making $100, he was only making $85.

Most of us subs caught on, and once I told him that he wasn't loosing money on the job until he was actually worse off for doing the job period. As if he started the job with $100 and was suppose to finish with $200, but would finish the job with $90. Then he would have lost money on the job.

Everyone sees things differently, that is for sure.

 

[orezok]

Perhaps the dealers who are "losing" money on warranty have technicians that are not very skilled and it takes longer than a good mechanic could do it in. Perhaps their method of doing business is to up charge the customer for the lack of skills in their shop.

Just sayin.

 

[JOHNTHOMAS]

This train of losing money logic reminds me of a friend/coworker from years ago. He was a Counselor at highest pay grade while I was a beginning Counselor at the beginning grade. His wife was a Teacher with a few years working. My wife was unemployed since we had just moved to Somerset.
My friend coworker was always needing to borrow a dollar (a 1974 dollar) to get coffee and donut. I usually carried some money with me, maybe $20. I let him have the dollar for a few weeks until I noticed he never paid it back and never had money. He told me he was broke, yes BROKE. Knowing he made 3 to 4 times as much as me but he was BROKE. I started letting him have a $5 or $10 bill and he was very resistant to taking it but I would insist and on payday I'd ask for him to pay me what he owed me and he would. He finally stopped asking me to loan him a dollar or any money but he'd hang around behind the three or four of us after we ordered coffee at the counter and I noticed he never paid. I finally got to paying for mine and walking off. He finally quit going for coffee with me.
OK, getting to the guys that are "losing money" part. I found out that my friend/coworker was putting about half of his and his wives income into savings! Yeah, he was "broke"!! His wife's dad was also a fairly well off man that probably helped his struggling children.
So, when someone tells you they are "losing money" in a transaction it may mean something different than your thinking. :drink:

 

[Verticaltrx]

I called every dealer within 100mi when I bought my B3200 and went with the cheapest. Actually there were a couple that had the same bottom dollar price so I went with the closest of the two. I would never take a tractor back to a dealer for warranty work, or any work for that matter. I'd rather spend the money on parts and do it myself than let the incompetent dealer mechanics mess things up further by working on it. That said, in 600hr I've only spent about $100 in parts on my Kubota, excluding filters and such, and half of the parts I needed were from my own doings. I wouldn't put too much weight on the warranty issue, 9 out of 10 times on a Kubota you won't need it anyways.

 

[JOHNTHOMAS]

. That said, in 600hr I've only spent about $100 in parts on my Kubota, excluding filters and such, and half of the parts I needed were from my own doings.
I wouldn't put too much weight on the warranty issue,
9 out of 10 times on a Kubota you won't need it anyways.

[9 out of 10 times on a Kubota you won't need it anyways/B] That is if one doesn't count a lost nut or bolt or simple catch or small insignificant items. I've bought 15 new Kubotas from Barlows and 2 used (one of the used ones was one I previously owned and bought it back a year later) and only required one take back to dealer warranty issue. Some small give me the piece warranty stuff, like a rubber ring around the filler lid. I have tightened a fitting or two after a few weeks or months of use.

 

[Kubota 2007]

Every Kubota I purchased has been from a different dealer, and never a local dealer. I contacted every dealer, told them what I wanted and I needed the best price. I always saved $1000 + from purchasing local, delivery included. I had a few dealer refuse to quote me a price because I wasn't in their area and they wanted to service what they sell. The last purchase I saved $5000 on a double purchase(two KUBOTA'S). I've had a few minor warrenty problems, I've always repaired them myself, the last problem was my new Kubota lift cylinder on the snow plow was leaking from the rod end. Kubota in Ohio sent me a repacking seal kit free of charge, problem corrected.

 

[downslope]

A very well-reasoned comment JOHNTHOMAS.

Thanks.

Yes, a lot of what JOHNTHOMAS says is true. But also a lot of it doesn't hold up when you draw a 400 mile radius around some dealers and start comparing prices. I happen to have several good name brand dealers in the area, a few in business more than 75 years. They have serviced me well. But I know if a bought a new tractor 300 miles away and then asked them to do warranty repairs it wouldn't go well and would sour future relationships.

Some dealerships are out in the boonies or farm country and others can be in a suburbanizing high cost of living area or high cost state. Property taxes on a modest home in our area run $6-8K a year; my last electric bill was 24cents/kwh.

Imagine the effect things like this can have on dealer overhead; he will also have high taxes or high rent. The state imposes a gross receipts tax on them. Liability insurance is higher because their is more litigation in built up areas. Then he has to pay his employees salaries allowing them to be able to pay the same high real estate taxes + sales taxes + car insurance etc. Minimum wage can vary from state to state, so the kid sweeping the shop floor and washing the tractors has to be paid more. The shop might be unionized; the list can go on and on.

A dealer out in big farm country can be selling $100K+ tractors and combines every month along with the CUT's and those pay the bills while the small dealer is trying to survive on BX's and Boomers.

I'm only saying just because each dealer buys for the same $$ doesn't mean they can sell for the same as someone hundreds of miles away in another state, and it's not because he's a bad businessman. I have nothing against shopping and buying far away but don't come crying to the local guy when something goes wrong; you have to be prepared to deal with it yourself along with the selling dealer.

 

[JOHNTHOMAS]

downslope, you don't seem to want to share any info about yourself other than your opinions. Not machines owned, where from....nothing. Absolutely nothing. I don't trust anyone that hides behind a wall and shoots while never showing their self. Also don't trust your opinions and I suspect your one of those bad dealers that won't tell us owners here who you are. I know, I know your going to say your not a dealer and I don't believe that even before you say it. I don't believe anything you say while your hiding.:shocked:

 

[downslope]

downslope, you don't seem to want to share any info about yourself other than your opinions. Not machines owned, where from....nothing. Absolutely nothing. I don't trust anyone that hides behind a wall and shoots while never showing their self. Also don't trust your opinions and I suspect your one of those bad dealers that won't tell us owners here who you are. I know, I know your going to say your not a dealer and I don't believe that even before you say it. I don't believe anything you say while your hiding.:shocked:

John, I'm very disappointed in your response. You've essentially resorted to implying that I'm an untrustworthy liar, just because some of my opinions differ from your own and I haven't provided a lot of personal information.

Read some of my postings here since 2008; the majority of them deal with giving and getting useful information. I'm only a farmer and I've tried to help people with subjects ranging from putting up a fence to growing pumpkins, choosing suitable machinery or plowing down a cover crop. And I've also solicited advice on similar subjects as well.

Most posters realize the subject of this thread has the potential to generate voluminous and at times heated discussion. We should be able to carry on a discussion without hurling veiled insults.

 

[JOHNTHOMAS]

John, I'm very disappointed in your response. You've essentially resorted to implying that I'm an untrustworthy liar, just because some of my opinions differ from your own and I haven't provided a lot of personal information.
I have no problem with your disagreeing with me as can be seen if you've read my posts.
My "problem" with you is that you not only haven't provided "a lot" of personal information but that you have provided "NO PERSONAL INFORMATION". At least tell what state your from and the equipment that you own so we can have a bit of a chance to evaluate some degree of validity of your perspective and the same with the equipment you own.
Guess you know about the "trolls" that inhabit the internet and go from forum to forum throwing in devisive bits of words and never return or only return to keep the pot stirred. I stick to my "aggressive" post until you stand up and identify yourself.
I'm not implying that your a "liar", because you gave no information that could be untruthful. You only gave your opinion about dealers and dealers income and expenses that require higher profit and that it's better for the customer to spend their hard earned money to help keep them in business. I don't agree with that and that's OK.
That I implied that ypu are "untrustworthy" well in my opinion, for what it's worth, trust has to be earned and your lack of any proof or at least a good story of your credibility has not "earned" any trust with me. This is the Kubota Buying/Pricing Forum and you have not submitted that you have ever owned/bought or seen a Kubota thus making me doubt your opinion. No self identification to me equals no trust. I say it and I stick to it. Others here can read your "opinions" and decide for themselves how much weight to give to an opinion from someone who wants to be unknown in every aspect of their life.
Maybe your in the witness protection program and if so I understand but at least use the identity and info the Marshalls provided for your cover story.:thumbsup: