Local dealership closed

[RGAZ]

Foozle,

That is a major bummer. I am right down Hwy 25 from you in Abbeville/Greenwood and our local dealer is not the best, but they are still open. I am guessing they are the "closest" for you now. Maybe we can help each other out on occasion. I have a tow vehicle and 25 foot car-hauler trailer that could move your stuff easily. Depending on what you got, maybe we can barter some work? Send me a message via this site and we can chat offline.

On the side note: I bought my trailer new at Calfees near Cleveland TN (about 3 hours from you) for $2400 and its a heavy duty double axle steel deck made by Lawrimore. Its been great and as noted, way better than taking a loss.

Send me a note when you can.
Randy

 

[sdquick]

I don't have a "local" dealership. I had price shopped by phone and e-mail. Made the purchase from the closest dealer (~2 hours). The tractor and implements were delivered. I only stopped by the dealer a year later because I was in the area. I have had one problem and had the dealer take care of it under warranty. They offered pick up and drop off of tractor for $100. Seemed very fair (less than my gas). Although I always help out neighbors, I also have strategically avoided getting a trailer as an excuse not to haul or "loan" my tractor out.

 

[k0ua]

Probably the trailer idea is the best one, but the only downside is that I would lose my excuse for not letting my son-in-law borrow my equipment!

That was high on my list as to why I don't own a trailer too!

 

[Steppenwolfe]

I wouldn't worry too much, you own the most reliable and well built line out there. Maybe... once in a blue moon you will need a dealer, you know, for a trade in... Relax and be glad you went with Kubota. :thumbsup:

 

[jeff9366]

I live in the Greenville, SC area where my local Kubota dealership closed. Apparently the dealership wasn't up to current Kubota standards in terms of their facility. The dealership was given the choice of upgrading their facility (probably in the neighborhood of $1 million upgrade), or losing their franchise. They didn't want to invest the money, so they closed.

Ok, so I understand all that, but what I don't understand is why Kubota didn't have a plan to open a new dealership in the same area. It's been over 6 months now, and I have nowhere nearby to take my equipment to be repaired. The closest dealer is about 60 miles away. I don't have a trailer, so the transport cost to have them pick up and drop off is prohibitive.

I called Kubota to complain and ask why they didn't have a transition plan and I was basically stonewalled.

The next Kubota franchise in the Greenville area will probably have to have five acres to display all Kubotas tractors, tractor implements and Kubota construction equipment. May need a $2 million dollar building, service trucks and mechanic training. All this requires shopping, plans, local government permits and bank loans. Kubota has never been known for rapid decisions, but the strategic decisions Kubota makes usually work out.

As Kubota has 50% market share in compact tractors and is moving steadily into farming implements, big ag tractors and construction equipment to compete with Deere where Kubota in not competing with Deere now, it is probable Kubota is evaluating franchise applications for Greenville.

 

[Diggin It]

Mr. Orange's Fantabulous Crystal Ball.

Somebody's gotta pay for all that Schmancy which may be why Big Orange is so much higher priced than the rest.

 

[ccsial]

That was high on my list as to why I don't own a trailer too!

I have one rule about loaning my equipment. I go with it. I learned this the hard way.

 

[the old grind]

Foozle,
That is a major bummer. I am right down Hwy 25 from you in Abbeville/Greenwood and our local dealer is not the best, but they are still open. ... Maybe we can help each other out on occasion. I have a .. trailer that could move your stuff easily. .. maybe we can barter some work? .. ... Send me a note when you can. ..Randy

Randy, I really admire a guy like you, and somehow I just had to say something. God bless your spirit, and thank you for the example. t o g

 

[MHarryE]

In the 1970s I was working for Allis-Chalmers. Farm equipment was in demand. Dealers with no knowledge of the most complicated A-C machine, the Gleaner combine, might sell one. At that time we were pushing them out the door as fast as we could to meet the demand. Those one combine dealers had no trained people to support the combines. Customers became really PO’d. Rules were made that a dealer had to have a certain level of support before they could sell but customer base was damaged. Farm problems starting in 1981 finished them off so Deutz of Germany bought the remains. Lesson learned - dealership not able to support customer can destroy a company. This could be a possibility as to why dealerships are being pulled. In our area the closest 2 JD dealers were forced to sell. One of the dealerships remains as a satellite but limited in which models they can sell. This has been the practice for ages. My father was given an International Harvester dealership in 1939. He sold a lot of Farmalls. In 1954 they insisted he build a large facility to handle new product. He refused and dealership was removed. Nearest dealer was then 38 miles. Now I need to drive 194 miles for Case parts for my combine. Brothers owned our local Ford dealership. One died last year. Sole owner now is 70, has no full time qualified mechanic. They can’t support right. Dealership should be closed by a Ford but he has been in business as family since 1920s so they let him hang on even without adequate service. Dealer needs to be able to support what they sell.

 

[Diggin It]

Dealer needs to be able to support what they sell.

Which also means they shouldn't be forced to stock machines they can't sell or support. The smaller family owned dealers know their market because they been around for years (usually) and know what people local to them need. If they feel the smaller machines are better suited to their customer base, why should they be forced to stock large Ag machines?

 

[duffer]

We recently lost a Kubota dealer (1 of 2) down here in Aiken a couple of months ago. It was a smaller dealer. Did OK business, but not stellar. Unfortunately the dealer that should go out of business is still here. Worst run business I've ever seen. You have to beg them to get you a part, or show you a tractor you already want to buy. And everyone I talk to agrees it is a horrible dealership. They certainly missed out on my business, and my neighbor who had a Kubota, sold it and bought a Deere.

Based on some of the comments previously, it might be that Kubota is "re-organizing" their dealer base. When I was in corporate world, I saw it happen several times with different companies (just for the record, I didn't initiate it!) Sometimes its part of the cold hearted corporate mentality.

About a year ago, I lost my dealer. Right in the middle of ag country, (about 20 miles away) did good solid business. Company insisted he display an additional 20-25 tractors on his lot. He refused, they pulled the line. It happens.

 

[Diggin It]

About a year ago, I lost my dealer. Right in the middle of ag country, (about 20 miles away) did good solid business. Company insisted he display an additional 20-25 tractors on his lot. He refused, they pulled the line. It happens.

If they're still in business, or looking, send them a link to LS. Good machines that need good dealers.

 

[ccsial]

My Stihl dealer is very good for service and used to have many saws in stock. Then a few years ago Stihl told him he had to pay for the saws in advance. Now he stocks much less inventory and has to order saws.

We had a very competent JD dealer near here. They have excellent service. They were pulled by Deere and the dealer told me Deere wanted stores that had multiple locations. They became a Mahindra dealer but still have a lot of customers bring their Deere's in for service. They also restore the old ones and to an amazing job of it.

So corporate policies change and it can be good for some and bad for others.

 

[k0ua]

I have one rule about loaning my equipment. I go with it. I learned this the hard way.

good rule

 

[grsthegreat]

i just got back from having the front axle seals replaced on my DK45. the dealership is about 25 miles each direction. Just loaded it onto trailer and off i went. Then spent next 3 hours shopping at Cabelas, tractor supply and had a nice leisurely lunch. Personally i have several trailers, the 14,000 pound tilt bed, a 7,500 pound capacity dump trailer, a small box trailer and a 30' horse trailer. Just for fun i counted the number of tires i have on my property....from another post here online. 70 inflatable tires and 12 carriage wheels for wifes horse drawn carriages....yeiks. i must be nuts.

I will not, and have never loaned any of my heavy equipment out. I will offer to do the job for someone. For small equipment i make it a policy to get $100 cash deposit on any item i loan out. I tell them if i have to come get the item in a week or 2, i keep the deposit. For some reason everyone always brings the item back.I'm not being a jerk, my tools are my livelihood. I once loaned out my 28 foot extension ladder to a neighbor and 2 weeks later i needed it on a job and lo and behold...it wasnt on my truck.He never bothered bringing it back. thats when i made my deposit policy.

 

[ericm979]

Paying a small fee for the dealer to come get a tractor is far cheaper than buying and maintaining and registering a trailer. That's assuming that your tractor will even need to go to the dealer. If you do the service yourself it probably won't.

 

[grsthegreat]

Paying a small fee for the dealer to come get a tractor is far cheaper than buying and maintaining and registering a trailer. That's assuming that your tractor will even need to go to the dealer. If you do the service yourself it probably won't.

This is true. But i use my trailer for lots of other things. Right now its loaded down with concrete bags and 6x6 treated posts. Im replacing fence on 10 acres across the street. To each their own.

 

[ericm979]

I was going on the theory that if someone had a lot of use for a flatbed trailer they'd already have one. But if the prospect of towing your tractor a few times is what puts you over the line to where a trailer makes sense, by all means get one. I'd generally prefer to have the equipment instead of rent it but it's got to get enough use to make it worth owning.

 

[Captain Dirty]

This forum often decries the passing of "ma and pa" and other independent dealers that have personal relationships with their customers. For each that passes I'll wager another pops up, may be a flash in the pan or keeper depending upon how "good" they are. Here on the east coast the higher population density means there is a higher density of competent diesel/hydraulic/heavy equipment repairmen some of whom are looking for more work, more perceived freedom, etc. When the local dealership mobile repairman threw up his hands on a hydraulic problem saying I would have to pay $150 each way to have it hauled in to the shop for diagnosis, a friend of mine put me in touch with a mechanic for a local transit authority who was moonlighting and setting up his own shop. Without benefit of a parts or shop manual and primarily using my adjustable spud wrench he fixed the problem in the field in about an hour and at considerable savings (part of which I immediately spent on the parts and workshop manuals and an appropriate set of 75ｰ open end wrenches).

By word of mouth you may find a local with whom you can have a repair/maintainence relationship. Even if he charges $50.00 an hour, $75 if you watch, $100 if you help, you can quickly learn enough to do much of the work yourself. OTOH keep the relationship going (assuming he is good). You have to keep up your side of the relationship too. I would still recommend the perspective of a full service dealer for the several hundred hour tasks in case you and your independent mechanic have been overlooking something.

Captain Dirty

P.S. To the local dealership's credit they did not charge me for the service call they couldn't perform. Perhaps the fact they charge list price gives them that cushion.