Dealer Why won't the dealer let us "test" drive the fel??

[Coyote machine]

Newbury- I think I bought the car you test drove and 'smoked' the brakes on!
I went to test drive a Volvo and my wife picked one she liked because it was this cool Ocean Blue, limited edition paint color
Went to start it and the battery was dead!
Should have taken the hint and walked away- but no- trying to be a good guy and please my wife I waited until they charged it up and took the test drive. That was something like August. Noticed in the glove box a chart that the dealer was supposed to fill out to verify when the battery had been charged up before delivery. Car had been on the lot for a while and was only checked once in like six months.
Still bought it. First cold week in Oct or possibly Nov. the battery went dead and dealer had to replace it. Should have insisted they do it when it was delivered.
Car was side swiped by some idiots in a parking lot and it was a hit and run. Then some kid ran into it while rushing to work in the rain and wanted it to be paid for cash by his dad so insurance wouldn't go up. Then a guy we know who's an alkie let his busted door swing all the way open and screwed up the front door and front fender. I traded it when the front coil spring broke when my wife was in CT, and it cost $1500 to repair! Worse car I ever owned!
So if you get a bad feeling about a dealer or a piece of equipment listen to the inner voice calling out: 'don't buy it.

 

[ccsial]

We went to test drive a new car, I drove for a while, parked, put on the parking brake. Got out of the car and let my wife drive. We got about 5 miles down the road, stopped, smelled burning brakes, cloud of smoke rolls by. She had not fully released the brake. Salesperson sitting in the car said nothing.

Did you buy it or tell him you liked it but wanted a different color?

 

[newbury]

Did you buy it or tell him you liked it but wanted a different color?

Didn't like it to begin with.

 

[FTCKUBOTA]

As far as test driving the tractor/loader goes. You need to choose the right size for the job. For examble a BX or B series is not going to do much dirt work. I guess what I am saying is pick the right size for any job you will do since a test drive is not an option

 

[PUSHINDIRT]

I thought it was standard practice to "test drive" the machine before purchase. Once I narrowed my list down to 2 machines he sent me out back to play in the sand pile. I can see both sides of the argument. Dealers get a ton of people kickin the tires and potentially this could get very expensive if you have someone putting time on the machine.
I agree with a previous poster, ask him if you can return the tractor for full purchase price if it ends up not being the machine you really want. Go with the B!

 

[Doppleganger]

First and only dealer I walked into let me drive it, play with it and even offered to send it home with me to try. They had the best price and were great to deal with. My new orange helper was delivered a week later. I was a serious buyer and it showed.

The dealer and salesperson want to make a sale but they have to evaluate each person walking through the door as to their likelyhood of buying. There are a lot of "tire kickers" out there right now, not only for tractors, but all large purchases. The dealers don't want to risk their very expensive equipment with someone who is just wasting time. Dont get me wrong, I am not insinuating that you are a tire kicker, but the dealer must have felt that way. Generally, a good salesperson will find a way for you to get what you want and close the deal if you appear serious. Maybe follow up with the dealer and insist that they accomodate you before you will sign the papers.
Dop

 

[Reg]

Yep, a lot of folk have recently found the time to become "tire kickers".
Mid week,,,, here comes another one that looks like he just left the unemployment office and has a few hours to waste day dreaming about what might be if/when a job turns up...

Week-end shopper with errands to run, barely gets saturday morning off,,,, likely has some bux or a credit rating that is good enough.

HARD for a sales guy to pick and choose who to pursue ?

 

[Bird]

Yep, a lot of folk have recently found the time to become "tire kickers".
Mid week,,,, here comes another one that looks like he just left the unemployment office and has a few hours to waste day dreaming about what might be if/when a job turns up...

Week-end shopper with errands to run, barely gets saturday morning off,,,, likely has some bux or a credit rating that is good enough.

HARD for a sales guy to pick and choose who to pursue ?

I think it used to be pretty common for salesmen, at least for certain products, to visually size up people to decide whether to pursue them or not. I'll never forget going into a Cadillac dealership once to ask about a 10 year old Cadillac on the lot. I was wearing khaki work slacks and sport shirt and no one would even speak to me until I cornered a saleman, told him I would like some information about that car, and he replied, "It belongs to an employee" and walked away. There was not another customer in the showroom at the time. I happened to have owned a 5 year old Cadillac at the time and when it was involved in a very minor accident (investigating officer couldn't find any damage to it), out of curiosity, I stopped by that same Cadillac dealership, wearing a suit and tie, and a guy promptly rushed out to meet me, asked what he could do for me, asked if I'd like a cup of coffee while they did an estimate to repair the damage, etc. At the time, I knew I could fix it myself with a used part for $8, or a new part for $15. The dealership gave me an estimate of $360.

But today, I think any salesman who thinks he can visually size up a potential customer is making a bad mistake. My youngest brother was the best salesman I've ever known and he went after everyone who entered the business as if that was the most important guy he ever met. And I don't think he ever tried to talk anyone into buying anything; just visited with them and answered their questions. It works. Of course it also helped that he had studied his products well and knew them, but also wasn't afraid to say "I don't know" instead of bluffing.

 

[MessickFarmEqu]

As a salesperson, you can't help but to this to a degree. That does not mean that everyone does not get the best service you can give, but you deferentially can tell alot about a customer from a few observations. For example, if they wife is along.. they are serious. If they are carrying a clipboard.. they will drive you crazy with detailed questions, if they ride a motorcycle.. the tractor can also be a toy. Foreign car owners don't question foreign tractors... big truck owners like so called domestics. Retiring men and young guys are the easiest sales. etc. etc.

 

[RayCo]

When I was considering tractors, a member on this forum invited me to his house to test out his BX23, as well as cruise around in his Kubota RTV, check out his elaborate workshop, meet his family, and tote away rotten pieces of roof from his neighbor's shed.

 

[NuBota]

I think it used to be pretty common for salesmen, at least for certain products, to visually size up people to decide whether to pursue them or not......

I'm with you here Bird. About a 2 years ago my FIL was in the market for a new vehicle - he was a little skittish, so my BIL went with him to help with the dealing. Meanwhile I'm running to the landfill in ripped up jeans, t-shirt and ratty flannel jacket in my old beater pickup. The DW calls me and asks if I can run by the dealer to help her father and brother with the finance stuff.

While we're waiting to see the finance person, I see anice brand new $30K Dodge Charger in the lot - had everything I wanted and wife had been bugging me to get one. I was a nudge away from getting it right there - knew the DW would love it if I drove it home and suprised her. Started to ask the sales guy about it - his response "You sure you want that one - I have a used '06 (previous year) on the lot". When I asked for a test drive - he stalled, changed subject, couldn't find key, etc etc.

I just said "never mind" - finished the FIL's deal and left. I have no doubt if I took it out and wasn't treated like that, I woulda left with it. It would have been an easy sale.

You just never know...........

 

[Mike Costello]

I was visiting a friend of mine who lived in an upscale mobile home park that was on the market. We were in the rec. room talking with the park manager when this lady walks in and asks to tour the park because she's interested in buying it. She looked exactly like a "bag lady" with ratty clothes, frumpy hair, and a huge canvas purse. The manager winks at me and tells her to go ahead and look around.
She's gone for about 20 minutes--comes back and says she'll buy the place. She rummages around in the purse, pulls out a check book and writes a check for the full purchase price. The manager says, " Of course, you know I will have to verify your check". He calls the bank and they inform him not only is the check good, but she can probably buy a few more parks just like it! Bottom line: She bought the place, held it for about a year, and sold it for a cool $100,000.00 profit. Too bad she wasn't interested in buying a tractor company!

 

[JOHNTHOMAS]

Tommyz: Are you the young man that's around 14? I know even young people can buy "stuff" but if you are then that may be the reason they won't let you test drive it. I see that you have been buying several different tractors since April and haven't so far so another possibility is that you have maybe switched to many times between different models and they've marked you as a tire kicker.

 

[Reg]

"....upscale mobile home park" being an oxy-whassit.

What is to "test drive" in a front end loader ?

The specs are the specs, you won't "test" it to it's limits anyway.
Do you just want to see if it really goes up/down, curl/dump ?
You KNOW it can be driven into a dirt pile, right ?
and that it will probably lift whatever it scoops up - so ?
Can you verify the weight that it is lifting ?
Do you want to try that with a new tractor on the lot that probably has unloaded tires on it ?
Can you verify ANY of the specs with a "test drive" ?

Then at the next demo site, what A/B test (compare and contrast) will you do ?

FACE IT, this test drive crap is just an excuse to go play.

 

[tommyz270]

Funny what this thread has turned in to... I've created a "monster"....

No, I'm not 14... wish I was a lot younger!!

Yes, I kicking tires.. if I'm going to spend $20k, I'm going to kick every freakin tire out there... maybe some of you guys can afford $20k at a drop, but I spend my money after a lot of thought and analysis. Same with a car - would I just go look at one and not drive it and test it out? no...

When we were in the market for my wifes car, we test drove hers and a few others in the same price range to get a feel, I did my research, and we finally ended up on one we test drove a couple times.

Same with this tractor. I have finally found a dealer who has actually taken the time to talk with me, explain some things, and give his honest opinion and he's $2,000 less than the other dealer who wouldn't barely let me drive the dang things... guess who I'm buying from???

About the fel - if I was to "try out" a bx fel vs a B fel, I think I'd tell the difference on how the tractor responded, etc... Leaning toward the B2920, which I know will do more than the bx and still the same size as the B2320. Took a lot of suggestions on here.. to buy one size/level up!!

Plan to buy by the end of the month - latest.

 

[megaboz]

It is hard to type when laughing so hard. Come on people, get real, I'm sure any dealer would let you drive around a tractor, raise and lower the implements, etc. If they won't atleast let you do that, then yea, I would go to a new dealer. But to let someone take a new tractor to go play in the dirt and potentially damage it, I don't think so. When I bought my tractor, I knew nothing about it as far as how to use it, so I certainly would not have let me go jump in a pile of dirt with it from a dealer's perspective.

I have learned more over the years of owning my tractor than I would have ever learned in a 10 minute test drive. So is there any real value in actually playing in the dirt for 10 or 20 minutes? Probably not. Conditions and uses for the tractor typically change and there is no way to know that it will always meet your needs without doing research to see if it is capable of doing what you want it to do. And you will most certaintly put it into a situation that is far above what it is capable of. I would never have known that I would have wished it was longer and wider for stability purposes from a simple "test drive".

I agree with many of the posters that it would be nice to be able to test drive a used one and do something like that, but most of the dealerships I have been to don't even have a facility to even allow that.

Dealerships will do what they can to sell something, but they are not always going to be willing to suck up the expense of having extra equipment so that someone can check it out in the dirt.

BTW, I don't test drive cars before I buy, I buy what will do what I want it to do. A car is a car, a truck is a truck, and a tractor is a tractor. There are different grades/sizes and features (engines, tranny's, saftey crap, etc) on them, that is the only real differnece. So I buy what will do the job I need it to do.

If you don't know what you need, then you need to talk to someone that can help you or do more reading about what you are buying.

 

[tommyz270]

I gotta tell you guys, I rented a 7510 last Friday and then went and "test drove" a bx24. Night and Day - Night and Day!!

Reading every post on here, reading the specs, and talking to everyone I could ever talk to would never have let me know the difference and there is a huge difference.

I can see a purpose for the bx, but for what I'm wanting to do, it's extremely way too small and doesn't do enough work at all.

I agree about not using a new one, just was looking for a dealer who was willing to rent one or had a used one that would let me use it - well I did and guess what?? I'm going to buy a B2920 loaded from him within a week or two....

Best dealer won my business.

 

[PILOON]

Used to sell fork lift trucks!

A 'farmer type' complete with muddy boots walked into the showroom and was totally ignored by all personnel but me.
I chatted with him a bit, answered his questions showed him a few units and determined what he would most likely need to do the job.
Long and short is that he had $25,000. in cash with him and purchased then and there.

Downside was that we were on commission and the credit went to another sales rep who had totally ignored him.

 

[WarrenF]

I'm still fighting with the BX or B struggle and it would make it A LOT easier if the dog-on dealer would let me try out the models I want to and use the FEL.

They said, and I agree, that if I use the FEL, it would get scratched and they would have to sell it as used - but, why can't they have models in the yard to test and try out??

This is extremely frustrating and if I'm going to spend anywhere from $15,000 up to $18,000 you would think they would let you even take it home and try it around the house....

Anyone else have this problem or frustration?

Oh let me think....if you were a dealer would it make sense to invest thirty thousand dollars, so that anyone could come in a "test drive" a front end loader??? Additionally how many of those "test drives" would simply be a way to circumvent having to rent some equipment. Oh and I suppose the dealer should transport the "test drive" the equipment to the customers place, and then carry all the appropriate insurance just in case the "test drive" went badly and the "honest" customer hurt themselves or drove the "test drive" equipment into their house or car.

Makes perfect sense to me.

 

[tommyz270]

You obviously didn't understand my question.

I don't expect them to offer a new one, I don't expect to "test drive" at my place, I don't expect them to deliver a test tractor to me.

Sorry, but I'm going to spend $22k and to me, that's a lot of money.

What I DO expect is great customer service, helpful service, and someone to actually act like they want my money - ya know, like have a used one I can try around their yard, or at least take my name and number and let me know when they get a used model in that series so I can come out and test drive it, or a dealer who would take advantage of some extra money by renting...

There is a definite difference between a B and BX and only "test driving the fel" would tell the purchaser the difference - and I don't mean taking it for a spin around the yard...

Anyways, doesn't really matter - I actually found a dealer who meets all of those "desires" and he's going to get my money.