Repair lead times

jhendric · Aug 16, 2020

I brought my tractor in to fix a few leaks and my shop is 3 weeks out on repair...is this normal? Is August prime season?

Citydude · Aug 16, 2020

They are probably behind due to the shut down is my guess.

ShogunKC · Aug 16, 2020

Took my L3540 in last Monday to have the air conditioning looked at. They said it would be about 3 days before they could even look at it to get an idea of what was wrong.

As of Saturday, they still hadn't gotten to it. Someone at the shop did mention that a few weeks ago, they were really slow and the shop guys didn't even have a 40 hour week working on tractors.

I do know that they get really busy in the spring right before everyone starts prepping for planting season.

Would also suspect that this time of the year is probably a busier time as everyone has used their equipment, broken or used up a few things, and are prepping for harvest. Get it fixed now before they need it in a few weeks.

Industrial Toys · Aug 16, 2020

Long checkout lines in the grocery store one minute and the place is empty fifteen minutes later. I guess, along with seasonal repairs, it's the luck of the draw. My blood pressure spikes just a bit, when I find out there will be delays on account of someone being on vacation.

RickB · Aug 16, 2020

jhendric said:
I brought my tractor in to fix a few leaks and my shop is 3 weeks out on repair...is this normal? Is August prime season?

We have been 4-8 weeks out since April. It is not ideal, we do the best we can do with the available resources. Two of our closest Kubota dealers and one neighboring NH dealer are no longer selling or servicing those brands. I do not see it changing any time soon.

RickB · Aug 16, 2020

Industrial Toys said:
My blood pressure spikes just a bit, when I find out there will be delays on account of someone being on vacation.

Too bad. Employees earn and deserve time off.

jhendric · Aug 16, 2020

Thanks for the input guys, I'm new to being a tractor owner...I learned with my boat to get all my service done in the winter as Easter-July 4th are their busiest times...covid has monkied everything up for sure! I guess learning to fix it myself would be a good thing...

fried1765 · Aug 16, 2020

jhendric said:
Thanks for the input guys, I'm new to being a tractor owner...I learned with my boat to get all my service done in the winter as Easter-July 4th are their busiest times...covid has monkied everything up for sure! I guess learning to fix it myself would be a good thing...

"I guess learning to fix it myself would be a good thing"
.......and one HE11 of a lot cheaper too!

Thomas · Aug 16, 2020

Many dealer service department work on the issues brought to them,doing so my find another issue which causes more delay to costumer before you or you.

jhendric · Sep 11, 2020

RickB said:
We have been 4-8 weeks out since April. It is not ideal, we do the best we can do with the available resources. Two of our closest Kubota dealers and one neighboring NH dealer are no longer selling or servicing those brands. I do not see it changing any time soon.

RickB, My tractor is still in my local shop at 35 days now they just today pulled it in to look at it today. Again, forgive my ignorance here. I do have some questions. Does this kind of long lead time happen often with tractor repairs? Do customers who rely on their tractor for their livelihood have a spare tractor for when the primary is out for 4-8 weeks? I'm really at a loss that this is to some extent normal. If you can go 4-8 weeks without a tractor you really don't need a tractor in the first place.

I am really asking these questions because I don't know. The closest thing I can compare to is boating and 3 weeks was my all time max.

Rebeldad1 · Sep 11, 2020

haying season really bogs down service as well

sandyc · Sep 11, 2020

One of the reason a lot of folks learn to repair their tractors and equipment.

SDT · Sep 11, 2020

jhendric said:
RickB, My tractor is still in my local shop at 35 days now they just today pulled it in to look at it today. Again, forgive my ignorance here. I do have some questions. Does this kind of long lead time happen often with tractor repairs? Do customers who rely on their tractor for their livelihood have a spare tractor for when the primary is out for 4-8 weeks? I'm really at a loss that this is to some extent normal. If you can go 4-8 weeks without a tractor you really don't need a tractor in the first place.

I am really asking these questions because I don't know. The closest thing I can compare to is boating and 3 weeks was my all time max.

It is important to understand that the job of your dealer's service manager is to maximize the profit produced for the business owner(s) by the service department. Your convenience is well down his priority list.

Leaks, routine maintenance, etc., are tasks best reserved for early winter.

SDT

jhendric · Sep 11, 2020

SDT said:
It is important to understand that the job of your dealer's service manager is to maximize the profit produced for the business owner(s) by the service department. Your convenience is well down his priority list.

Leaks, routine maintenance, etc., are tasks best reserved for early winter.

SDT

While to some extent I believe your statement to be accurate most businesses in this day in time have come to understand happy customers lead to long term sustained profit. My convenience may be the very thing that pays the tractor man's bills when his business is not booming and I need a new tractor.

SDT · Sep 11, 2020

jhendric said:
While to some extent I believe your statement to be accurate most businesses in this day in time have come to understand happy customers lead to long term sustained profit. My convenience may be the very thing that pays the tractor man's bills when his business is not booming and I need a new tractor.

I , too was naive.

SDT

nybirdman · Sep 11, 2020

I just had mine serviced ;oils and filters....other parts are in short supply/long lead time.My delivery guy said he waited 8 weeks for a water pump gasket for his tractor.

sandyc · Sep 13, 2020

Oh, during harvest season the emphasis is on commercially used equipment. Not unusual to see field repair going on at midnight. Talk about sleep deprivation for the field mechanics!

JimRB · Sep 13, 2020

My hay making neighbor bought two new John deere tractors a few years ago to replace the ones he had gotten a few years prior. Not big ones. I am guess 75-200 HP. Not really sure on the size but one little one and one big one with full cabs, 4WD, loaders. One acted up and was dead or intermittent dead. Mechanic was supposed replace a sensor that required a lot of shop time. Mechanic lied and did not do it. Farmer returned tractor as a lemon and got a new one. Dealer replaced the sensor and fired the mechanic. Anyhow you have a customer that is willing to spend $50-100,000 grand every few years, or farmers that buy big tractors, combines and spraying rigs, is going to get more attention then the homeowner that buys a little/tiny tractor every once in a while and is not losing money when the tractor is down. That said my cousin buys used tractors, combines and such. The dealer gets to him as fast as he can given that every other 600-1000 acre farmer is also trying to work the fields. I have seen the same thing when I had a little 50 hp tractor clutch fail. One dealer said a few months. Found another shop that did it in a few weeks. No hard feelings towards the first shop. They just take care of their best customers first who need the equipment to make money.

jhendric · Sep 13, 2020

Got it, I'm going to have to learn to be patient and do more myself. This sure seems like a market opportunity though

RickB · Sep 13, 2020

Industry experts 20+ years ago predicted a shortage of service technicians in the future. Guess what? Here we are. Finding, hiring and keeping qualified technicians is the #1 challenge at most dealerships and independent service centers.