plowhog
Elite Member
- Joined
- Dec 8, 2015
- Messages
- 3,323
- Location
- North. NV, North. CA
- Tractor
- Massey 1710 / 1758, Ventrac 4500Y / TD9
I have owned a SCUT tractor for about a year. That is my entire tractor experience, so I am still a "newbie." I recently started shopping for a larger tractor. I'm a cash buyer. Budget is $50,000+. It has been a difficult experience.
After great help on this forum, I chose a Kubota Grand L6060. I developed an exact configuration using "build your own." But no dealer ever had one to look at. Surprisingly, one dealer told me on the phone: "yes I am looking at a cab model L6060 on my lot right now." When I got there, it was a M7040 narrow model. No L models in sight.
I presented the "build" to a Kubota dealer and asked for a quote. I received an emailed quote at full retail price for the tractor and all implements. No follow up call. A inquired at a second dealership, and received the exact same response. Finally a different dealer had an L6060 cab model. I went to look at it. Very nice tractor. "No" you cannot drive it-- we are preparing it for a customer. That was disappointing because I really wanted to try out the much-maligned "treadle" and see if that setup works for me. "No" I can't start it up without permission, and the person who could give that permission was gone. I handed the sales person my "build" and asked for a quote. He agreed to email a quote. Then no response. I phoned about a week later. "Sorry, he's not in." I left him a voice mail telling him I was ready to proceed and asked for a quote. No response. To be fair, the sales person did provide an original quote. This was after my first visit and before I had done the on-line "build" with a final configuration and choice of implements. So what I could not obtain was an update to the original quote. Which was the configuration I wanted to purchase. The last time I saw that salesperson, he mentioned he had just bagged a huge order comprising many units. Hmmm.
I asked another dealer for a quote. To be fair, they were the most responsive of all. They said up-front they don't quote retail price, they returned several phone call(s), answered a few questions, and provided a quote but omitted two items I wanted. They don't load tires. And they don't deliver. When I asked for a quote including loaded rears and delivery, I was told I needed to take the tires to a local tire shop myself and have them loaded. And maybe they could "find" a third party truck and driver to do delivery. I gave up on Kubota.
I started focusing on a Massey 1758 tractor. I searched for a 1758 to look at. The closest one was a used model about 500 miles away. I called and left a voice mail for the sales person. No return call. It wasn't because the 1758 sold, because I didn't communicate in my VM which of their many tractors I was interested in.
There are several Massey Ferguson dealers near me. Good quality dealerships, responsive and attentive. I've done business with both and have friendly relationships with both. But they didn't have a 1758. Then came the pressure-- you better sign a contract right now because all of Massey's incentives change at the end of the month. If you don't sign right now, huge discounts might vanish. It's apparently a closely guarded secret what the future incentives might be, but supposedly word was "leaked" that they won't be as good!!! Act now or pay the price!
I really dislike that way of doing business. At age 18 I signed a long term gym membership based on that tactic. I had little money and it was financially painful for years beyond after I ceased using the gym. I am waiting now to learn of new pricing after New Year. I don't blame the local dealers for the cheesy pressure tactic. They have to play the hand they are dealt. Both dealers are good.
If I were the reader, I would wonder if the author is the "common denominator," and ask myself if the author was difficult, overbearing, trying to grind to the bottom penny, or had some other flaw or reason to attract bad experiences. I hope I am none of those. I know people I do business with need to make money. I don't want to get fleeced, but I want people I do business with to make a decent profit so they are still in business in the future when I need service or something new.
I don't know if there is a reasonable answer to any of this. Dealers can't afford to floor every model. I would love to take a suitcase full of cash to a dealership, and on the same visit test drive a cab model Kubota L6060 and a cab model Massey 1758. Then hand over the cash and take home a tractor. Ain't gonna happen. So, in the mean time, I continue looking at internet pictures of tractors, and wonder what it would be like to sit in them or drive them around, and what one might cost. All in all, a pretty miserable way to buy a complex piece of machinery.
After great help on this forum, I chose a Kubota Grand L6060. I developed an exact configuration using "build your own." But no dealer ever had one to look at. Surprisingly, one dealer told me on the phone: "yes I am looking at a cab model L6060 on my lot right now." When I got there, it was a M7040 narrow model. No L models in sight.
I presented the "build" to a Kubota dealer and asked for a quote. I received an emailed quote at full retail price for the tractor and all implements. No follow up call. A inquired at a second dealership, and received the exact same response. Finally a different dealer had an L6060 cab model. I went to look at it. Very nice tractor. "No" you cannot drive it-- we are preparing it for a customer. That was disappointing because I really wanted to try out the much-maligned "treadle" and see if that setup works for me. "No" I can't start it up without permission, and the person who could give that permission was gone. I handed the sales person my "build" and asked for a quote. He agreed to email a quote. Then no response. I phoned about a week later. "Sorry, he's not in." I left him a voice mail telling him I was ready to proceed and asked for a quote. No response. To be fair, the sales person did provide an original quote. This was after my first visit and before I had done the on-line "build" with a final configuration and choice of implements. So what I could not obtain was an update to the original quote. Which was the configuration I wanted to purchase. The last time I saw that salesperson, he mentioned he had just bagged a huge order comprising many units. Hmmm.
I asked another dealer for a quote. To be fair, they were the most responsive of all. They said up-front they don't quote retail price, they returned several phone call(s), answered a few questions, and provided a quote but omitted two items I wanted. They don't load tires. And they don't deliver. When I asked for a quote including loaded rears and delivery, I was told I needed to take the tires to a local tire shop myself and have them loaded. And maybe they could "find" a third party truck and driver to do delivery. I gave up on Kubota.
I started focusing on a Massey 1758 tractor. I searched for a 1758 to look at. The closest one was a used model about 500 miles away. I called and left a voice mail for the sales person. No return call. It wasn't because the 1758 sold, because I didn't communicate in my VM which of their many tractors I was interested in.
There are several Massey Ferguson dealers near me. Good quality dealerships, responsive and attentive. I've done business with both and have friendly relationships with both. But they didn't have a 1758. Then came the pressure-- you better sign a contract right now because all of Massey's incentives change at the end of the month. If you don't sign right now, huge discounts might vanish. It's apparently a closely guarded secret what the future incentives might be, but supposedly word was "leaked" that they won't be as good!!! Act now or pay the price!
I really dislike that way of doing business. At age 18 I signed a long term gym membership based on that tactic. I had little money and it was financially painful for years beyond after I ceased using the gym. I am waiting now to learn of new pricing after New Year. I don't blame the local dealers for the cheesy pressure tactic. They have to play the hand they are dealt. Both dealers are good.
If I were the reader, I would wonder if the author is the "common denominator," and ask myself if the author was difficult, overbearing, trying to grind to the bottom penny, or had some other flaw or reason to attract bad experiences. I hope I am none of those. I know people I do business with need to make money. I don't want to get fleeced, but I want people I do business with to make a decent profit so they are still in business in the future when I need service or something new.
I don't know if there is a reasonable answer to any of this. Dealers can't afford to floor every model. I would love to take a suitcase full of cash to a dealership, and on the same visit test drive a cab model Kubota L6060 and a cab model Massey 1758. Then hand over the cash and take home a tractor. Ain't gonna happen. So, in the mean time, I continue looking at internet pictures of tractors, and wonder what it would be like to sit in them or drive them around, and what one might cost. All in all, a pretty miserable way to buy a complex piece of machinery.