Cahaba Valley Farm
Veteran Member
I shared a video a few days ago that received mixed responses from members here. Some of the members expressed their dissatisfaction with me about the way Tim went about expressing his concerns regarding rebranded tractors and their long term parts support. I have been a member of this site for over three years and this topic comes up quite frequently whenever we have newbies asking us for our opinions about what brand of tractor they should purchase. What I have come to learn over the years of conversating with members with different brands of tractors is there is always a group that loves the brand and a group that has buyers remorse. This of course causes confusion for the people that are just looking for guidance for their tractor purchase and leaves them wondering which group is telling the truth. The answer to that question is also as equally confusing because they both are. Experience with this industry runs the gamut and the factors that play into peoples experience are varied. So all you can do in the end is read the reviews, ask questions, come to your own judgement and form your own opinion about the choices you have available to you in your market.
With that said, I have come to my own conclusion that this industry as a whole suffers from poor after sales service. Some brands have a problem with parts support, other brands have a problem with customer service but you will not find a brand that is without problems. The problem is further compounded by the fact that there are no lemon laws protecting consumers when there is a serious problem with their tractor as there exists with the automotive industry. In the automotive world, if you purchase a new vehicle that has a major malfunction that leaves you stranded for more then 30 days then you are automatically entitled to a buy back. In the tractor world they can keep your tractor for months on end with no legal consequences. This puts all the burden back off on you the consumer to pressure the dealer and manufacturer to provide you a timely repair and if they so choose not to then you are left with costly and time consuming recourses.
I stress the importance of doing your due diligence before entering into a transaction with a manufacturer. Once they have your money you only have what's written on a piece of paper called a warranty agreement protecting you. In the event of a default, it will be that agreement and your consumer rights that will be the only source of relief. This is why you need to carefully read the warranty agreement before purchase.
I want to finally say, from my observation, that most consumers make the mistake of entering the tractor industry with the same expectations they have for the automotive industry. This is the single biggest mistake as these two industries share almost nothing in common with each other. A common example of this is when a consumer fed up with the long turn around times to get parts or service support for his tractor will expect the dealer to give him a loaner which virtually never happens. In the automotive world it would. Another example is towing expenses. I have often seen where a consumer purchased a brand new tractor and a few weeks later it breaks down on him requiring a visit to the dealer. Frustrated and disappointed, he expects the dealer to pick it up free of charge and then discovers he will be charged for it. Educate yourself about what the repair process is if you have a breakdown under warranty. Don't wait until there is a problem to find out what course of action will be taken and who is responsible. After sales service should be as much a part of your purchase decision as the tractor itself.
With that said, I have come to my own conclusion that this industry as a whole suffers from poor after sales service. Some brands have a problem with parts support, other brands have a problem with customer service but you will not find a brand that is without problems. The problem is further compounded by the fact that there are no lemon laws protecting consumers when there is a serious problem with their tractor as there exists with the automotive industry. In the automotive world, if you purchase a new vehicle that has a major malfunction that leaves you stranded for more then 30 days then you are automatically entitled to a buy back. In the tractor world they can keep your tractor for months on end with no legal consequences. This puts all the burden back off on you the consumer to pressure the dealer and manufacturer to provide you a timely repair and if they so choose not to then you are left with costly and time consuming recourses.
I stress the importance of doing your due diligence before entering into a transaction with a manufacturer. Once they have your money you only have what's written on a piece of paper called a warranty agreement protecting you. In the event of a default, it will be that agreement and your consumer rights that will be the only source of relief. This is why you need to carefully read the warranty agreement before purchase.
I want to finally say, from my observation, that most consumers make the mistake of entering the tractor industry with the same expectations they have for the automotive industry. This is the single biggest mistake as these two industries share almost nothing in common with each other. A common example of this is when a consumer fed up with the long turn around times to get parts or service support for his tractor will expect the dealer to give him a loaner which virtually never happens. In the automotive world it would. Another example is towing expenses. I have often seen where a consumer purchased a brand new tractor and a few weeks later it breaks down on him requiring a visit to the dealer. Frustrated and disappointed, he expects the dealer to pick it up free of charge and then discovers he will be charged for it. Educate yourself about what the repair process is if you have a breakdown under warranty. Don't wait until there is a problem to find out what course of action will be taken and who is responsible. After sales service should be as much a part of your purchase decision as the tractor itself.