Why is Massy Ferguson not a bigger deal?

[LS Tractor Owner]

Last year I was in the market for a ~35HP CUT, and I checked with many brands.
I contacted MF via their main website, and a very nice person at a central sales communicated with me and repeatedly tried to get the "local" MF - about 30-35mi away - to call me, or email me, or send a raven - whatever - but they never did.
Needless to say, I didn't buy a MF, though it was definitely in the running on paper.

I too had "the blow-off" from a Massey dealer. The only local dealers were JD and Kub, being 45 miles away, Mahindra 50 miles. None of these would budge on their already inflated prices ("only game in town"). I called an MF dealer about 200 miles away on the other side of the state. Told him what I wanted, he said he'd call me back. Next afternoon, still didn't hear from him, so I called again... He literally said "there's a lot of other tractor dealers around, you should call them! I couldn't believe it. Left a message on the regional reps e-mail. He did call me , said he would have another dealer call me with a quote....they never did. I ended up driving 1100 miles rt to go pick up my LS. Massey lost out.

 

[Atchuuu]

I agree with this. But in my area, either their focus is changing or local dealers are out of step. My tractor budget was $50K +/- for a Kubota L6060 tractor. Cash in hand. The response I got from Kubota dealer(s) was pitiful and I sometimes felt I was an interruption to their business by walking in and asking about a tractor purchase. I spent a lot of time in the showroom or lot waiting for someone to acknowledge me. I developed a sense the dealers sell more than they can get from Kubota. My next guess is they have begun steering their purchases toward ag or commercial customers that will come back for lots of add-on goodies and regular service in their shop. That is not me-- I am just a lowly one-unit residential customer who (gasp) does my own oil changes.

To clarify, all the other brands were visibly wanting my business, at multiple dealerships. Kubota wasn't. At multiple dealerships. So all I can do is guess.

You summed up my experience as well with the local Kubota dealer. I have been there several times and many times there is no salesperson at all. I have heard that another dealer, about 40 minutes away, is great and does not operate this way. It may be too late for Kubota though.

 

[flingwing1969]

Why isn't Your Father's Oldsmobile a bigger deal?

But it is a WAY bigger deal than your grandson's Oldsmobile.

 

[Creamer]

Don稚 hope MF CUT痴 gain too much market share. They will end up being priced like the JD and Kubota痴. My dealer sells Kunitz and Agco I went with the MF because the same size Kunitz was about five thousand more.

Kunitz????

 

[kthompson]

Have a friend who was dealer not for MF but another Agco brand, began with a V. They would not allow him to sell their product line with another tractor line and pulled it. So they lost that dealer and do not have another I know of anywhere near me. At same time they allowed the MF dealership who also sells Kubota to keep MF which had become their second line in sales to Kubota. To me it was all done to support the MF label. Dumb to me for the dealership they pulled their product from was geared to farmers and the MF dealership does sell some ag equipment, but they sell very little.

Have another MF dealer maybe 40 miles from me and they are also a Case Dealer. In my area the MF dealers I know of MF is their second line with either Kubota or Case and Agco other lines are not on any lot with another brand.

 

[plowhog]

Iseki makes all the MFs under 60 hp.

My Massey GC1710 SCUT has an Iseki engine. My Massey 1758 cab model has a Mitsubishi engine. (58hp)

 

[Creamer]

The MF CUTs have a great hydraulic flow which is really nice.

 

[BHD]

on AGCO tractors is there a difference in there brands,

Massey, challenger, Valtra , fendt? or is the color just changed, and the badge, and some cosmetic crap like Chevy and GMC,

 

[bspeedy]

One thing that dissuades me from buying a Massey is that there is no online source for parts. We do have a dealership about 75 miles from here that is great about ordering parts and shipping them to my home, however. I just prefer Kubota or NH that I can simply order from Messicks with their online parts diagrams and 24-hour website.

I think fit and finish of the Massey product is on par with the other big names. Good tractors for sure.

 

[MESSMAKER]

Poor availability of parts,crappy dealers and mysterious origin of mfg. of tractor. Looks like they have plenty to work on.