Sad news, looks like I'm an orphan now

Slowpoke Slim · Feb 22, 2020

I stopped by my Branson dealer this week to ask him a question. When I pulled up, I noticed his front lot was bare... and his side yard was also bare... when I pulled up to the door, I noticed a note taped to the inside of the window. I originally thought he was either remodeling, or relocating... Nope. According to the note, he's out of business. He does give the location information of a "truck repair" shop 100 miles away that can do repair work. They are not a dealer though.

Now a flood of mixed emotions come over me all at once, surprise, shock, and worry.

First off, I really like this guy. He's the reason I bought this brand, nice guy, good customer service, just a guy you enjoy working with, goes the extra mile, etc. None of the other dealers in town would have cared if I dropped dead or not, let alone if I bought a tractor or not. They acted like they did me a favor by having the front door unlocked so I could walk in. But my Branson guy, is a younger guy (ok, younger than me), and I know he's still got some young kids at home, I've seen them in the dealership over school breaks. I actually hope he's ok, and that nothing has happened to him health wise or similar that forced this change on him. Hope his family is ok too. I've thought about calling him, I have his personal phone number (yes, he's that kind of guy), but I don't want to pester him or embarrass him. Just wondering if he's "ok". This closure affects real people and in a negative way, I'm sure, so it's not just about "poor me, and my tractor". Hope that makes sense here?

Now this does obviously leave me with the reality that there's not currently a Branson dealer in the state of ND. The closest one is Sioux Falls, SD, which is 300 miles away. I know I can order parts, filters, etc from other Branson dealers online (and I will have to do this at some point this summer, service is coming due), but I also admit that I enjoyed the "security blanket" of having my dealer in town in case something goes wrong, or (more likely) I do something dumb, and need a repair done (I'm still under warranty).

I also hesitated to post this at all, as there seems to be a "troll fest" that lingers about on TBN with folks eager to disdain the smaller brands whenever the chance comes up. Yes Branson has had problems historically with their dealer network, and dealership support. I think they hired a new corporate guy last year that was supposed to take this on. I do hope they shore up this side of their business strategy soon (not just for my sake, lol). But it seems a shame to have such a great product with such poor corporate network support.

My tractor didn't suddenly stop being a great tractor, and I plan on keeping it. It's done everything I've asked of it so far. Funny thing is, it looks like we're going to be moving soon to a 40 acre place, and I was toying with the idea of what my options were if I can't get one of my new neighbors to hay my 30 acres of pasture for me. One of the things I was going to pick my dealer's brain over when I stopped by. For some reason, the idea of a 2400H and 7845 combo was entering my head... Lol.

Anyway, I wasn't going to turn away from, or try to hide, the "bad" info here. We Branson owners need to stick together, and share information, both good and bad, when it surfaces. So, I'm passing this on, not to be negative, or to say "I'm MAD" (I'm not), but it's about free flow of information and news. And I think we should do our best to keep each other informed when we can.

I may call my old dealer sometime in the next few weeks, just to see if he's ok. He's on my mind. I hope he and his "guys" were able to transition easily into something else. I hate to see good folks out of work.

Peace.

LouNY · Feb 22, 2020

Almost always a shame when a local dealer closes down.
Good luck

K5lwq · Feb 22, 2020

It is sad for sure! Hopefully he and is family are doing good and they are happy.

mrmikey · Feb 22, 2020

It is sad.
I have an Echo, Kiotis, Sthil++++ dealer 4 minutes up the road form me. I bought my Echo wheeled trimmer a 45 minute drive from home to save $15.00 but it cost me $20 in fuel. I buy my Echo line at HD for the same price or a bit more than the dealer, I'd wait till Monday to buy parts for my Echo chains saw as there is (or was) a dealer close to work. He closed down last week citing minimal markup, wages, building prices going up etc. I refuse to go to the dealer up the road....he's an ignorant a$$hole.........Mike

EddieWalker · Feb 22, 2020

I have a Century, which I can still find parts for it when I cross reference it to Branson. My dealer gave up on selling Century because they opened up competing dealerships in his area, even though he had a contract saying that they would not do that. He sells Mahindra, Zetor and LS now. He will still work with me on finding parts, but usually he comes up with an aftermarket part to replace the factory stuff because it's cheaper and he can get it a lot faster. Or I just go to NAPA and see what they have that will work.

Sadly, Branson hasn't improved any over the years in supporting their product. If they ever do, it might actually take off.

Maxify55 · Feb 22, 2020

We've lost 2 LS dealers here in north fla.
I'm feeling your pain.
The cclosest dealer to me is far more interested in local farmers.
As they're his bread and butter meal ticket in the small town 30 minutes from me.
He had my LS for 2 1/2 months for HST and A/C work.
They completed neither & returned the machine without billing me.
Now I have a mobile sauna to work my small farm.

Aaron L · Feb 22, 2020

I'm in a similar boat, but for different reasons. When I bought my 4020R a couple years ago, I lived in a large state with a few Branson dealers. One was about 20 minutes from me. For a few reasons, that dealership never worked out for me. I ended up buying the tractor (and a trailer to haul it with) from an excellent Branson dealer (who's active on TBN) over 300 miles away from me. Since then, we've pulled up stakes and moved to another state (Northwestern corner of Wyoming). The dealership I bought my tractor from is now 1000 + miles away from me.

My Branson has been trouble free and has done everything asked of it without issue. I will continue to order filters and such from the dealer that I bought the tractor from (and would also order other parts from them as well). Barring major mechanical issues, I can deal with just about anything that comes up myself, with some long distance help from my selling dealer.

According to the Branson website dealer locator, there is currently one Branson dealer in Wy. I know nothing about them, as they weren't on the Branson dealer locator until recently..............and they're on the opposite end of the state from me (SW corner). The locator shows no Branson Dealers in the nearby Billings MT area. There are a couple far away Branson dealerships. One or two in Utah, Colorado, and Idaho.

Back when I bought my tractor we were already planning a move to Wy. At that time, there were a few Branson dealers in WY and neighboring MT (according to the Branson dealer locator), including one about 10 minutes away from where I now live. That dealership is in fact long gone (along with those few other potential nearby dealerships that I'd seen on the locator before) and no longer on the dealer locator. All that remains of that close dealership is a locked up construction office trailer with a now unlit light-up Branson Tractors sign in the middle of an empty lot....

We'll soon be in the market for a smaller (than the 4020R) compact or subcompact tractor, and may be in the market for something larger (7845C or 8050 maybe) in a year or three. There's a good Kubota dealer (that unfortunately just dropped the Case-IH line as of this January after being an IHC/CNH/CIH dealership for decades) about 25 minutes from me. Next door to that is a JD dealership. In Laurel and Billings MT (45-70 miles away), there are MF/Agco, Kubota, JD, NH, and possibly other dealerships. Rather than have a new Branson shipped to me from Red Bluff, Ca or somewhere in Texas.........I'll likely instead go with Kubota as they're close and a known quantity. Disappointing and not the direction I'd like to take (the 2510H and the new 2505H would have been high on my smaller compact/subcompact list), but what'cha gonna do?

fried1765 · Feb 22, 2020

Slowpoke Slim said:
I stopped by my Branson dealer this week to ask him a question. When I pulled up, I noticed his front lot was bare... and his side yard was also bare... when I pulled up to the door, I noticed a note taped to the inside of the window. I originally thought he was either remodeling, or relocating... Nope. According to the note, he's out of business. He does give the location information of a "truck repair" shop 100 miles away that can do repair work. They are not a dealer though.

Now a flood of mixed emotions come over me all at once, surprise, shock, and worry.

First off, I really like this guy. He's the reason I bought this brand, nice guy, good customer service, just a guy you enjoy working with, goes the extra mile, etc. None of the other dealers in town would have cared if I dropped dead or not, let alone if I bought a tractor or not. They acted like they did me a favor by having the front door unlocked so I could walk in. But my Branson guy, is a younger guy (ok, younger than me), and I know he's still got some young kids at home, I've seen them in the dealership over school breaks. I actually hope he's ok, and that nothing has happened to him health wise or similar that forced this change on him. Hope his family is ok too. I've thought about calling him, I have his personal phone number (yes, he's that kind of guy), but I don't want to pester him or embarrass him. Just wondering if he's "ok". This closure affects real people and in a negative way, I'm sure, so it's not just about "poor me, and my tractor". Hope that makes sense here?

Now this does obviously leave me with the reality that there's not currently a Branson dealer in the state of ND. The closest one is Sioux Falls, SD, which is 300 miles away. I know I can order parts, filters, etc from other Branson dealers online (and I will have to do this at some point this summer, service is coming due), but I also admit that I enjoyed the "security blanket" of having my dealer in town in case something goes wrong, or (more likely) I do something dumb, and need a repair done (I'm still under warranty).

I also hesitated to post this at all, as there seems to be a "troll fest" that lingers about on TBN with folks eager to disdain the smaller brands whenever the chance comes up. Yes Branson has had problems historically with their dealer network, and dealership support. I think they hired a new corporate guy last year that was supposed to take this on. I do hope they shore up this side of their business strategy soon (not just for my sake, lol). But it seems a shame to have such a great product with such poor corporate network support.

My tractor didn't suddenly stop being a great tractor, and I plan on keeping it. It's done everything I've asked of it so far. Funny thing is, it looks like we're going to be moving soon to a 40 acre place, and I was toying with the idea of what my options were if I can't get one of my new neighbors to hay my 30 acres of pasture for me. One of the things I was going to pick my dealer's brain over when I stopped by. For some reason, the idea of a 2400H and 7845 combo was entering my head... Lol.

Anyway, I wasn't going to turn away from, or try to hide, the "bad" info here. We Branson owners need to stick together, and share information, both good and bad, when it surfaces. So, I'm passing this on, not to be negative, or to say "I'm MAD" (I'm not), but it's about free flow of information and news. And I think we should do our best to keep each other informed when we can.

I may call my old dealer sometime in the next few weeks, just to see if he's ok. He's on my mind. I hope he and his "guys" were able to transition easily into something else. I hate to see good folks out of work.

Peace.

Many "orphans" go on to live very productive lives!

ovrszd · Feb 22, 2020

LouNY said:
Almost always a shame when a local dealer closes down.
Good luck

Regardless of brand.

stuckmotor · Feb 22, 2020

Maxify55 said:
We've lost 2 LS dealers here in north fla.
I'm feeling your pain.
The cclosest dealer to me is far more interested in local farmers.
As they're his bread and butter meal ticket in the small town 30 minutes from me.
He had my LS for 2 1/2 months for HST and A/C work.
They completed neither & returned the machine without billing me.
Now I have a mobile sauna to work my small farm.

Stories similar to yours are far too common and are the reason I won't even consider buying a new tractor. Thank you for putting it up.

Cougsfan · Feb 22, 2020

fried1765 said:
Many "orphans" go on to live very productive lives!

Agreed. I owned a gray market Yanmar for about 15 years. The US Yanmar dealers wouldn't even talk to me. I never had trouble getting parts (didn't need hardly any), and the tractor performed flawlessly over the years. i sold it to a neighbor up the road, it is still running fine.
I have owned the same Ferguson for over 30 years and have yet had to go into a Ferguson dealer.
You often see some people in these forums insist that having a dealer within a few miles is an absolute requirement. I always felt that need is drastically overstated.
It is a pity when you loose your dealer, but it is sure not the end of the world.

3Ts · Feb 23, 2020

It is a pity when you loose your dealer, but it is sure not the end of the world.

I agree with this.
I bought a Kubota tractor from the local dealer and about a month later he was out of business and doors closed. Next closest dealer was about 100 miles away, but not a reliable or honest dealer, only dealt with them once. Mail order parts works very well. Messicks which is further away ended up with a lot of my business.

K5lwq · Feb 23, 2020

3Ts said:
I agree with this.
I bought a Kubota tractor from the local dealer and about a month later he was out of business and doors closed. Next closest dealer was about 100 miles away, but not a reliable or honest dealer, only dealt with them once. Mail order parts works very well. Messicks which is further away ended up with a lot of my business.

You may not have a Kubota dealer anymore but you still have some of the best watermelons in the world! :thumbsup:

desertdog71 · Feb 23, 2020

It is a shame and unfortunately a weakness with Branson. If they ever get a good dealer network together I think they can compete with the other brands. Regardless of that though, I bought what I wanted and the dealer network didn't play a part in my decision. I have a small brand of boat also and no dealer support but I don't care, I bought exactly what I wanted.

Asteral · Feb 24, 2020

We would be more than happy to help you guys when it comes to your Century/Branson Parts or tech specs and advise, i'm not a expert when it comes to Branson i still learn new things everyday but i'd be more than willing to look up the information you need or the parts you are needing just send me an email if you need help.
Ryan@bigtextractor.com

Slowpoke Slim · Feb 24, 2020

Thank you Asteral, I appreciate what you do for us here on these forums.

I'll note down your email.

Branson Bob · Feb 24, 2020

Asteral said:
We would be more than happy to help you guys when it comes to your Century/Branson Parts or tech specs and advise, i'm not a expert when it comes to Branson i still learn new things everyday but i'd be more than willing to look up the information you need or the parts you are needing just send me an email if you need help.
Ryan@bigtextractor.com

Thanks very much Asteral. Much appreciated.

Slowpoke Slim · Apr 17, 2020

A small update, no longer an "orphan".

There is a new Branson dealer in Bismarck. They are an equipment rental dealer in town. My old dealer contacted me directly to let me know about them taking on the brand. I had held off on saying anything, as it took a while for the new dealer to get in any product. I drove by their location this week, and they have a brand new sign on the building, plus what looks like a dozen tractors sitting on site.

Haven't been in to see or talk to them yet, but at least they have a presence in the market here again.

I wish them well.

LouNY · Apr 17, 2020

That's good to hear.

Texasmark · Apr 17, 2020

stuckmotor said:
Stories similar to yours are far too common and are the reason I won't even consider buying a new tractor. Thank you for putting it up.

I bought 2 new Bransons and neither has seen the dealer since leaving the showroom (lot). Recently I read that they have 165 dealers to cover the USA, 3 of which are in the DFW metroplex. Agree on the management structure. Business is setup for customer-dealer relationships, not customer to supplier! If you aren't happy with your current one, find another. Big Tex in Caddo Mills, Tx. is an example and frequents this site.....recently posted access to all service manuals for one example.