Why pay more??

[jdbnh]

Recently i have been wondering why people will pay more money for a tractor that comes with less features than a name brand tractor that costs less, comes with more standard features, and may sometimes have better financing offers. It just doesnt make any sense.......For example, a New Holland 30 or 35 hp tractor, has most of the gauges a bigger tractor would, has a standard draw bar hitch, a standard fold able ROPS, they are heavier built then just about all in this hp catergory, have a 3 range transmission instide of a 2 range....and i cna list more but some other brands, this stuff is extra costs......i dont get it....

 

[kenstrac]

For the same reason people bought Yugo's instead of a VW they got a better electrically heated back window so they could keep there hands warm pushing it to the garage.

 

[jenkinsph]

I am not sure about the sub compact or compact tractors yet as I have only dealt with them for the past five years but on an actual cost per year basis tractors are cheap to own. Almost all the tractors I have had have sold for very close to what I paid for them. Over the years the devaluation of the dollar is the likely culprit, my last used tractor was purchased for $3500 and I put another $4000 in it for $7500 total. I used it for 12 years and still have it and recently turned down $6000 for it because I can't replace it for that. Obviously I have lost the interest income on the money and the value of the money is less today but that coupled with the approximate $125 a year seems reasonable for having a tractor at my disposal fulltime.

To my way of thinking my laptop cost more to own than a lot of tractors. That said it is my opinion to make sure you get what you wan't in a tractor and keep it for a long while, and if you do this the cost will be negligable. Frequent trading up, down or sideways is financiallly disastrous.

 

[LBrown59]

For the same reason people bought Yugo's instead of a VW they got a better electrically heated back window so they could keep there hands warm pushing it to the garage.

 

[DK35vince]

Recently i have been wondering why people will pay more money for a tractor that comes with less features than a name brand tractor that costs less, comes with more standard features, and may sometimes have better financing offers. It just doesnt make any sense.......For example, a New Holland 30 or 35 hp tractor, has most of the gauges a bigger tractor would, has a standard draw bar hitch, a standard fold able ROPS, they are heavier built then just about all in this hp catergory, have a 3 range transmission instide of a 2 range....and i cna list more but some other brands, this stuff is extra costs......i dont get it....

Where are you seeing that?
What brands and models are costing more but offering less features ???

 

[brin]

I am not sure about the sub compact or compact tractors yet as I have only dealt with them for the past five years but on an actual cost per year basis tractors are cheap to own. Almost all the tractors I have had have sold for very close to what I paid for them. Over the years the devaluation of the dollar is the likely culprit, my last used tractor was purchased for $3500 and I put another $4000 in it for $7500 total. I used it for 12 years and still have it and recently turned down $6000 for it because I can't replace it for that. Obviously I have lost the interest income on the money and the value of the money is less today but that coupled with the approximate $125 a year seems reasonable for having a tractor at my disposal fulltime.

To my way of thinking my laptop cost more to own than a lot of tractors. That said it is my opinion to make sure you get what you wan't in a tractor and keep it for a long while, and if you do this the cost will be negligable. Frequent trading up, down or sideways is financiallly disastrous.

Steve,

You are exactly right and that is some good advice that will save anyone who listens a lot of money. I have found the same to be true with the tractors I own and have owned. The ones I have sold over the years I got what I had in them back and I have no desire to sell my 2000 NH TC-29 or my JD 3020 which I have had since 1985..I know I could get more right now for each of them than I paid but I could not replace them for what I got so I will keep them..Remember the saying...." You make your money when you buy not when you sell " So cut a good deal when you buy and you are set.

 

[20 20]

Recently i have been wondering why people will pay more money for a tractor that comes with less features than a name brand tractor that costs less, comes with more standard features, and may sometimes have better financing offers. It just doesnt make any sense.......For example, a New Holland 30 or 35 hp tractor, has most of the gauges a bigger tractor would, has a standard draw bar hitch, a standard fold able ROPS, they are heavier built then just about all in this hp catergory, have a 3 range transmission instide of a 2 range....and i cna list more but some other brands, this stuff is extra costs......i dont get it....

If you want the simple answer it is.........drum roll................... tunnel vission! Joe and Barny bought such and such purple tractor so I have to one up them and buy a "bigger bragging right" purple tractor. The days of old farming are allmost gone in this country. Back then folks got the best they could for their $$$$$$$. Today folks buy the best they can for $$$$$ spent. I bought cheap and use mine 2-3X more then my friends up the road that bought{and payed big$$$$$$} there fancy blue name brand machines. Funny thing is that they have both had issue's. % way my tractor has out worked their compared to $$$$$ spent. I'm not knocking their machines infact I think they're prutty, but prutty doesn't pay the bills in the end. Bottom line is buy what ya want and take care of it, no matter what type it is it should last with propper maintenance and low abuse

 

[pitt_md]

Recently i have been wondering why people will pay more money for a tractor that comes with less features than a name brand tractor that costs less, comes with more standard features, and may sometimes have better financing offers. It just doesnt make any sense.......For example, a New Holland 30 or 35 hp tractor, has most of the gauges a bigger tractor would, has a standard draw bar hitch, a standard fold able ROPS, they are heavier built then just about all in this hp catergory, have a 3 range transmission instide of a 2 range....and i cna list more but some other brands, this stuff is extra costs......i dont get it....

I take it you own one of these beauties and are trying to justify your purchase?

 

[LittleBlueTractor]

Recently i have been wondering why people will pay more money for a tractor that comes with less features than a name brand tractor that costs less, comes with more standard features, and may sometimes have better financing offers. It just doesnt make any sense.......For example, a New Holland 30 or 35 hp tractor, has most of the gauges a bigger tractor would, has a standard draw bar hitch, a standard fold able ROPS, they are heavier built then just about all in this hp catergory, have a 3 range transmission instide of a 2 range....and i cna list more but some other brands, this stuff is extra costs......i dont get it....

Well I just went through the tractor buying process for the first time. And I ended up buying a tractor without a folding ROPS and with few gauges, though it would be nice to have both. (Time will tell if it turns out to be a "Yugo".) I feel I did the best I could with the information available. For instance, go to the New Holland USA website and pull up the websites for the dealers in the Houston an DFW areas. Once there you can't even pull up the specs on the NH equipment, much less any pricing information on them -- at least I couldn't, but perhaps that's a problem on my end. So then go back to the New Holland USA site and see if there are MSRPs there -- again none that I found. Everybody wants the "biggest bang for the buck" and it's too bad it's that hard to find out about the great deals NH has available out there. If a dealer/manufacturer does not publish MSRPs, perhaps people assume they can't afford it if they have to ask. By the way, had no problems finding pricing on JD and Mahindra equipment. I apologize ahead of time if the NH prices are easily accessible and I somehow missed them.

 

[IH3444]

For the same reason people bought Yugo's instead of a VW they got a better electrically heated back window so they could keep there hands warm pushing it to the garage.

ROTFLMAO, that's a good one. Bob Hope would hire you as a writer. Only because you're funnier than him.

 

[Iplayfarmer]

...but that coupled with the approximate $125 a year seems reasonable for having a tractor at my disposal fulltime.

I agree with your assessment, but I have to suggest you take a second look at your math. I'm sure your machine cost more than $125/year if you took care of it enough to last 12 years and still be worth 80% of new.

I'm in agreement whole heartedly that there is a value to owning the tractor or implement and being able to use it whenever and however I want.

 

[jenkinsph]

I agree with your assessment, but I have to suggest you take a second look at your math. I'm sure your machine cost more than $125/year if you took care of it enough to last 12 years and still be worth 80% of new.

I'm in agreement whole heartedly that there is a value to owning the tractor or implement and being able to use it whenever and however I want.

I didn't reference it as being new when purchased, matter of fact it was 22 years old when I bought it. I paid $3500 for it, replaced the clutch, tires, cleaned and painted it, replaced all fluids and a few seals and added a canopy for an additional $4000. Diesel fuel, batteries, filters and grease I consider to be consumables and are additional. I certainly spent some of my free time adding value to the tractor in the form of labor.

The important thing is that this is something that a lot of people could do to have a tractor to work with at a very low cost for them.

 

[Iplayfarmer]

I didn't reference it as being new when purchased, matter of fact it was 22 years old when I bought it. I paid $3500 for it, replaced the clutch, tires, cleaned and painted it, replaced all fluids and a few seals and added a canopy for an additional $4000. Diesel fuel, batteries, filters and grease I consider to be consumables and are additional. I certainly spent some of my free time adding value to the tractor in the form of labor.

The important thing is that this is something that a lot of people could do to have a tractor to work with at a very low cost for them.

The consumables are what I was referencing. Specifically I'm thinking of oil changes and things that need to be done even if the tractor is not used much. I guess I'd say there's a difference in the cost of owning a tractor vs. the cost of using a tractor. Wear items like tires, breaks, clutches, etc. that only wear if the tractor is in use would fall under the cost of using the tractor. Depreciation, storage, seasonal maintenance, etc. fall under the cost of owning the tractor. Then there are the grey areas like fluid changes and battery replacement that need to be done more if the tractor is used more, but still need to be done to some extent even if the tractor is not used.

The point is that potential buyers need to have their eyes open to the fact that there are additional ongoing costs of ownership beyond the intial purchase price. As you've pointed out, the ongoing costs are likely more with a used older tractor, but it's also likely that the lower purchase price more than compensates for the ongoing costs of ownership. I know I'd never have bought a tractor if I couldn't buy used.

I paid $2,000 for mine, replaced the pto, rebuilt the tranny, and added a loader. I have about $3,000 into it and about 40 hours of labor. Last time I checked the value, it was worth about $6,000.

 

[RoyJackson]

Recently i have been wondering why people will pay more money for a tractor that comes with less features than a name brand tractor that costs less, comes with more standard features, and may sometimes have better financing offers. It just doesnt make any sense.......For example, a New Holland 30 or 35 hp tractor, has most of the gauges a bigger tractor would, has a standard draw bar hitch, a standard fold able ROPS, they are heavier built then just about all in this hp catergory, have a 3 range transmission instide of a 2 range....and i cna list more but some other brands, this stuff is extra costs......i dont get it....

I'm guessing you're asking why someone would buy a Deere, New Holland or Kubota for more money then one of the lesser known imports.
In some cases, it's brand loyalty. With others it's knowing there's a great dealership network with future parts availability. For new buyers with little tractor knowledge (all of us at one time), the lesser known brands are of an unknown quality and reliability.

 

[bp fick]

Why buy an Orange tractor? If that is what you are getting at? Seems unclear from the OP.

Risk a lot and don't mean to imply the other colors aren't great and that I wouldn't buy another color, as I certainly would. But why pay more for Orange? First, I'll concede that Kubota isn't the cheapest tractor you can buy. That said, overwhelming availability and network. HUGE presence in this area and parts availability that isn't going away in my lifetime.

Sales leader. Big Orange sells 10X some other brands and 20X others. Buddy, that is a whole lot machines in use. Orange members here outnumber others by comparable multiples. Yet, in keeping with these huge numbers, the issues and problems reported are very, very few on a proportionate basis.

I would buy blue, red, the other red, or green for the similar reasons, but wouldn't really save huge money in doing so, and might even pay a bit more.

The cryptic nature of the original post leaves us all guessing, but it seems to imply that folks grossly over pay for the blue, green, red or orange machines. It also SEEMS to imply that $1000's and $1000's of dollars can be saved in buying something else, something that is of equal or even greater value. What "secret", undiscovered brand would that be?

If that were true, the earth would tilt as we all rushed over, and fast would be that shift. We're aren't blind mice and that word would get out in a hurry.
If that were true.

 

[spruce Deere]

The OP is a NH dealer or sells the blue anyway.... His rub is why people look at the blue ones and then wisely shop around and look at other colors and find other brands have better standard specs and features his blue ones don't and those features are more applicable for the BUYERS needs. It must be a NH dealer thing, they are bent because maybe there blue tractors are not selling like orange or green tractors. The local 'bota dealer here which is unfortunately is the NH dealer also, sells the orange ones 10 to 1 'bota to NH under the same roof. Size is not the issue because the bigger 'botas move just as fast as the little ones. The blue ones linger on the lot a lot longer, big or small. That is self explaining isn't it? I like that color of blue better than the rest of the colors though..... New hollands bread and butter is hay/forage implements, not tractors.

 

[jdbnh]

I take it you own one of these beauties and are trying to justify your purchase?

No i dont, i know people who do and also just wonder why you wouldnt want to spend less, about the same or maybe even just a little more and get more features instead of having to pay more in the future for normal stuff like a drawbar a tractor should come with,

 

[Trails2004]

Recently i have been wondering why people will pay more money for a tractor that comes with less features than a name brand tractor that costs less, comes with more standard features, and may sometimes have better financing offers. It just doesnt make any sense.......

Well for me it is all about service after the sale. If the dealer cant service it or provide service- you go the brand that can provide services.

Yes I would buy a tractor with fewer features- if I felt that was being treated fairly before and after the sale.

 

[jdbnh]

I'm guessing you're asking why someone would buy a Deere, New Holland or Kubota for more money then one of the lesser known imports.
In some cases, it's brand loyalty. With others it's knowing there's a great dealership network with future parts availability. For new buyers with little tractor knowledge (all of us at one time), the lesser known brands are of an unknown quality and reliability.

well i actually meant why someone would buy one of the blue, orange, green, or red ones that dont come with standard features like other tractors have over one of the other known colors. Just doesnt make sense to spend the same or more money on something that doenst come with standrd features like other brands.

 

[jdbnh]

The OP is a NH dealer or sells the blue anyway.... His rub is why people look at the blue ones and then wisely shop around and look at other colors and find other brands have better standard specs and features his blue ones don't and those features are more applicable for the BUYERS needs. It must be a NH dealer thing, they are bent because maybe there blue tractors are not selling like orange or green tractors. The local 'bota dealer here which is unfortunately is the NH dealer also, sells the orange ones 10 to 1 'bota to NH under the same roof. Size is not the issue because the bigger 'botas move just as fast as the little ones. The blue ones linger on the lot a lot longer, big or small. That is self explaining isn't it? I like that color of blue better than the rest of the colors though..... New hollands bread and butter is hay/forage implements, not tractors.

as a mater of fact it is the oppsoite. NH no mater if it is a 30hp or a 300hp, NH on their tractors have alot of standard features and accessories that other brands do not and the Nh is still the same or less in price. My opinion i am gonna buy what offers me more right up front or standard especially if the price is the same or not far from some other color. It really isnt a big deal, i just wanted to get otehr peoples opinions......NH hay equipment is the way to for sure when it comes to that area!!!