Why are you brand loyal?

[Renze]

I'm not really brand loyal, but design philosphy loyal. My 1999 S70 is the last Volvo designed by Jan Wilsgaard, chief Volvo designer for over 40 years. After that, under Ford ownership, they began to cut corners on both quality and servicability. On mine, changing a lightbulb is done in under a minute because Wilsgaard valued servicability. On some Italian cars, the engine has to come out in order to change a timing belt.
I will not buy a Volvo from the Ford era, when Ford put in a replacement of the then-retired Wilsgaard. Also, i am quite tall and have a poor back, in most modern cars with the roof sloping down to all four corners, i cant see traffic lights when sitting upright. I intend to keep this one as long as it will run. Having 377.000km on the tach right now, it should be able to go for a while, when replacing some shocks and suspension rubbers during the next 300.000km.

As far as tractors, i know the unified range 1 Zetors allmost inside out, have connections in Czechia that sell parts for 1/3 of what the local dealer asks, and there is hardly anything that is built as tough and fuel efficient as a UR1 Zetor.
For chainsaws i am a Husky man, they are as good as Stihl but i dont like the bragging attitude of Stihl people. For the same reason i would never buy a BMW, or if i lived in the USA, a JD. (Here in Europe, JD owners and dealers dont have that attitude, and since Fendt has become a mainstream brand under Agco ownership, Fendt doesnt have that attitude anymore either)

 

[crashz]

My dad is a GM guy to the bone. So we always had GM trucks. Hence many of my vehicles were GMs when I first started to drive. I've almost always liked the looks of GM products, so I appreciate the styling of the interior and exterior. Honestly I love my 2012 2500 HD, which seems to be the most dislike style to date.

But I've owned many Fords too. One F150 was a lemon, but fun to drive. Got a lot of speeding tickets in that truck. The replacement F150 was better looking and reliable, but less fun (went from a 5 spd to auto). May father had a few as well, including a 1986 F350 that was beaten horribly and kept on ticking away. I did a lot of stupid things in my youth, and most were done in that truck!

I now have a 2003 F450 PS diesel. So far this truck has been earning her keep. Dad hates it.

Dodge was always a contender, just never the right timing I guess. I will say Dodge has a lot smaller dealer network in my area. Seems like Ford dominates in New England.

In short, like most of you guys, my buying habits are mostly related to what will do the job, a little personal history and the deal I'm getting. I really don't care much about the badge on the grill.

 

[orezok]

I think a lot of it is familiarity. I got my pilots license in a Piper in the early 70's and rarely flew anything else. Not that Cessna and others were not good planes, just more familiar with Piper.

 

[fordmantpw]

I grew up in a Ford household. The only non-Ford vehicles my family owned were a 1977 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme (my brother hasn't let me live that down because my parents traded in a Mustang to make room for me, the third child born in '76) and a late 70's Chevy pickup. The Cutlass rusted out and the pickup was my dad's "second full-time job." Since then, nothing but Ford's. I've had good luck with all my Ford's, so I've stuck with them. Plus, I personally prefer the ergonomics of the interiors of Ford vehicles to anything else I've been in. IMO, they are just more natural to me, but that could be because that's what I'm used to.

My wife grew up in a Chevy household. She brought a '96 Chevy Cavalier into the marriage. We traded that for an '03 Escape (her choice) and we haven't owned a non-Ford since. She can pick whichever vehicle she wants, but she comes back to Ford for the same reasons I like Fords.

At any rate, almost all vehicles now-a-days are well-made and will server you well for many miles.

 

[Bird]

I grew up in a Ford household.

And I was the exact opposite.:laughing: No way my Dad would own a Ford product; joked that the Model A was the last good car that Ford built. When I was 16 and got a drivers license, I wanted one of those flat head V-8 Fords, but I got a 1946 Chevy. And after we opened the first auto parts store in Plano, TX, and I got a 1956 Mercury, I once said to my Dad, "You just don't like Fords, do you?" and he replied, "Oh, I love'em, they keep me in business, just don't want to OWN one.":laughing:

But the first car I ever drove; long before my teenage years, was his oldest sister's 1947 Ford coupe, then later his mother's Plymouth. Dad would never let me drive until I took drivers ed in high school and got my license, but by then I'd been driving my aunt's and my grandmother's cars for a long time. I've just always liked the "feel" of Fords to drive.

 

[fordmantpw]

"Oh, I love'em, they keep me in business, just don't want to OWN one.":laughing:

That's the exact same thing my father-in-law used to say!

 

[TomSeller]

my local New Holland dealer dropped New Holland when they went to LS. .

No surprise when a company rebrands a manufacturer's tractors and that manufacturer is a competitor.....

 

[AGRIMAN]

Around here a man is known by the brand truck he drives. Pull up at another mans place driving the wrong brand and you are going to get some grief and may have to park behind the barn. To say I'm brand loyal is a under statement, when I buy a truck it's a Ford end of discussion.

My blood runs blue, so I never even consider anything else. I guess it's in my DNA, but its my brand. I buy them, build them, use them and race them.

Now, it doesn't cross over. 85% of what I do involves a tractor and farming, but I don't have one brand. Now, I like some better than others.

 

[oosik]

When I bought my first tractor - the dealer was honest, he was a farmer himself and had a good service department. When I upgraded to my current tractor - I went back to the same dealer.

As far as implements I currently have - Land Pride, Bush Hog, Wallenstein, Pittsburg, Rankin, Horst & Fit Rite. I do not think there is a single manufacturer that makes quality implements in all categories.

My loyalty - as far as tractors - tends toward Kubota and is greatly influenced by the dealer. The local Kubota dealer has provide outstanding, exemplarily service for me.

 

[LD1]

For me, working on my own vehicles, its about familiarity.

Body styles change and engines evolve, but they do alot of things very similar. The way dashes and clusters go together, common bolt sizes, fuse locations and wiring, sensor locations, etc.

So when it comes to troubleshooting and repairing, I like familiar.