Dealers: how does mahindra do it and why do we pt up with it?

[BlackOps]

i did notice a lot of JD commercials - but not mahindra like a few years ago and even no kioti. seems like corporate ay have a number of issues combined. not interested in selling them.

strange.

 

[MoKelly]

It’s good you don’t have brand loyalty. That has got to be the biggest exercise in stupidity on the planet. I have multiple brands of everything. Trucks, tractors and attachments. If you truly want to stretch your equipment dollar, you buy quality brands at the best value point for your needs.

I don’t have anything against Mahindra, but if it came down to Mahindra or the legacy brands, as a farmer and property maintainer, I go with the legacy brands. I must have dealer parts support. 1 day without a tractor is a bad day. I will let others experiment with new stuff.
I realize there’s a lot of guys and birthing persons here with 5 acres and a 25HP tractor that can sacrifice some reliability for a cheaper tractor and that’s fine by me.

Ha!

I didn’t miss the birthing person reference! Made me laugh in an otherwise dreary day!

MoKelly

 

[OzarkChris]

I gotta tell ya, I rarely have the problems described above with Kubota dealers (nor AGCO, Deere, CNH)
Sorry you did.

I had the same issue with Kubota (And the Green god) too. It seemed the dealer really didn't want to deal with someone that "Only" wanted a "Small" tractor, so they would be rude and very unhelpful or just non-responsive. Couldn't get tech help, service advice, after sales service or warranty issues resolved even after going up Kubota's chain of command. Traded off that little 40hp 2 years later for a slightly used Mahindra 55 cab and haven't looked back. Two dealers within 50 miles that aren't rude, easy to talk to, are quick on parts, etc. In fact, one dealer talked me out of buying a part he didn't think was worth the price Mahindra was charging (the part that shows the bucket level).

At least for me, it isn't the Mahindra dealer that is to big for their britches, it's both the Kubota & the Green gods around here. Just a guess, but both the Kubota and Deere dealers have big row croppers that pay their salary so they don't have to worry about the small guy. Mahindra dealers, on the other hand, need every customer they can get so they do their best to keep them.

Just my two cents and my experience.

 

[tmcj]

Interesting....I have 2 Mahindra dealers within 30 minutes of me and have never had any issues dealing with either one. I also hear good things about another about an hour away.

Actually, the Kubota, John Deere, New Holland, and Bobcat dealers were pretty good to talk with also. Didn't buy their tractor but even returning later looking at random implements was never an issue.

I guess I'm just in a very tractor and equipment friendly area, lol.

 

[fried1765]

I had the same issue with Kubota (And the Green god) too. It seemed the dealer really didn't want to deal with someone that "Only" wanted a "Small" tractor, so they would be rude and very unhelpful or just non-responsive. Couldn't get tech help, service advice, after sales service or warranty issues resolved even after going up Kubota's chain of command. Traded off that little 40hp 2 years later for a slightly used Mahindra 55 cab and haven't looked back. Two dealers within 50 miles that aren't rude, easy to talk to, are quick on parts, etc. In fact, one dealer talked me out of buying a part he didn't think was worth the price Mahindra was charging (the part that shows the bucket level).

At least for me, it isn't the Mahindra dealer that is to big for their britches, it's both the Kubota & the Green gods around here. Just a guess, but both the Kubota and Deere dealers have big row croppers that pay their salary so they don't have to worry about the small guy. Mahindra dealers, on the other hand, need every customer they can get so they do their best to keep them.

Just my two cents and my exper

Interesting....I have 2 Mahindra dealers within 30 minutes of me and have never had any issues dealing with either one. I also hear good things about another about an hour away.

Actually, the Kubota, John Deere, New Holland, and Bobcat dealers were pretty good to talk with also. Didn't buy their tractor but even returning later looking at random implements was never an issue.

I guess I'm just in a very tractor and equipment friendly area, lol.

I live 450 miles from Messick's.
Have never been there.
I own a private purchase used Kubota L48 TLB, and an older Ford 1920 FEL.
In my opinion, there is no business on this planet that is more customer oriented than Messick's!
They have even suggested after market parts from another source, when factory parts were too expensive for my liking.

 

[Torvy]

That's a really good point. Some dealers are just short sighted. When my family had the IH dealership, they sold a lot another brands' attachments, NH, Case, etc. Just because someone went with a different tractor didn't mean you couldn't sell them other equipment. Never burn a bridge. Your hobby farmer could grow into a larger operator...or like me, have a lot a family who will hear about mistreatment. Today, sites like this only expand the problem.
I would maybe even challenge the bigger is better model in today's market. A lot more total volume in hobby sized farming. Also, a lot of us are much less likely to be DIY for maintenance and repairs. My family in the Black Hills with 1000 head of beef? They buy big things sometimes, but they fix almost everything themselves. They also can keep old stuff running forever, so they are more likely to buy used in the first place.

 

[Molalla1]

My problem was not with the dealer. Five years ago, the dealer and his staff were top notch when I bought the tractor. (So was another located in SE Alabama.) However, the inconsistencies in the manual relative to service intervals, fluids, etc. caused me to contact Mahindra corporate in Texas. THAT was an entirely different experience. I was concerned about doing it right so that I'd never encounter the 'you used the wrong oil/fluid/method' excuse should I ever need to use the warranty. Not only was it difficult to get to the right person (they preferred to speak to dealers, not customers!) but it was difficult to get them to recognize/own the issue. I asked them to issue an addendum to clear up the inconsistencies but I never saw one. And, yes, I did document those contacts just in case an issue developed later.

I am a believer in Karma to some extent. So, I will not tell you whether or not I have had any issues with my tractor but I will say that the last time I spoke with anyone at Mahindra was years ago. I'll need to replace the battery eventually. I did the fluid/filter changes earlier than required, lube it, keep air in the tires, use good fuel, keep it out of the weather, don't run into stuff - even wash it now and then. With the exception of Mahindra Corp, I am satisfied with Mahindra in all respects except the price and availability of parts and documentation. I suspect that dealers are affected by the parts prices and that may be why they end up closing - Lack of expected revenue. However, I can normally find parts here/there and, generally, at reasonable prices. When I say "parts" I mean filters, mainly. I like the fact that my tractor has no regen/DEF requirement. I like the fact that it is heavy - Hell, the "oil pan" looks to be made from cast iron! The same engine is used in applications where it produces around 50% more power than in my tractor. This tractor should far out live me.

And, one more thing, it's not yellow or green or orange. I mean, can you imagine spending hour after hour sitting on anything but a RED tractor? Really?

I have red, green and yellow tractors and dozer . . . oh well.

 

[organ grinder]

I have a John Deere 2210 that I bought on ebay 11 years ago. Tractor had only 50 hours and was being sold at about half the original price due to a divorce. It’s been a good machine.



I live two miles from a JD dealer, but I have had nothing but bad experiences there which has mirrored the experiences of friends and neighbors. Both the parts and service people have negative attitudes and give off negative vibs that they really don’t want to be of assistance. Perception can be as important as fact, and the perception I get each and every time I have contact with them is bad.



Once, when I had some bad fuel and the tractor froze up while I was plowing snow, I called this dealer to come get the tractor which was stranded at the end of my drive on a busy road. Their response was, “We can’t work on it unless you bring it in, and then it will be several weeks before we can get to it.” I ended up solving the problem myself thanks to a neighbor who pushed the tractor into another neighbor’s heated pole barn.



That’s why I drive 40 miles to a different JD dealer. He has a positive attitude, a can-do spirit, and fair pricing. His service people are always available on the phone to answer questions, some of which are a bit unusual. Too, the honesty and integrity of his people are second to none. To their own financial detriment, they have advised me not to have them perform some service I thought I needed.



The contrast between the two dealers is unbelievable. My only question is why John Deere allows the nearby dealer to stay in business. He is a poor reflection on John Deere and causes many prospective buyers to walk away to other JD dealers or to a local Kubota dealer.

 

[Molalla1]

I have a John Deere 2210 that I bought on ebay 11 years ago. Tractor had only 50 hours and was being sold at about half the original price due to a divorce. It’s been a good machine.



I live two miles from a JD dealer, but I have had nothing but bad experiences there which has mirrored the experiences of friends and neighbors. Both the parts and service people have negative attitudes and give off negative vibs that they really don’t want to be of assistance. Perception can be as important as fact, and the perception I get each and every time I have contact with them is bad.



Once, when I had some bad fuel and the tractor froze up while I was plowing snow, I called this dealer to come get the tractor which was stranded at the end of my drive on a busy road. Their response was, “We can’t work on it unless you bring it in, and then it will be several weeks before we can get to it.” I ended up solving the problem myself thanks to a neighbor who pushed the tractor into another neighbor’s heated pole barn.



That’s why I drive 40 miles to a different JD dealer. He has a positive attitude, a can-do spirit, and fair pricing. His service people are always available on the phone to answer questions, some of which are a bit unusual. Too, the honesty and integrity of his people are second to none. To their own financial detriment, they have advised me not to have them perform some service I thought I needed.



The contrast between the two dealers is unbelievable. My only question is why John Deere allows the nearby dealer to stay in business. He is a poor reflection on John Deere and causes many prospective buyers to walk away to other JD dealers or to a local Kubota dealer.

They might be selling a lot of combines or the like and don't give a hoot about the "little guy". There are quite a few like that.

 

[Ledgemere Farm]

sorry ben a mahindra owner for many years now - max 25 fel and midmower.

the dealer i called 50 miles away when i was curious to find out more was rude and told me to go to their website which didn;t have anything on it. OK... so i found someone else about 40 miles away but seemed like a part-time dealer as such. Took me 3 attempts to meet with him and talk tractor. He tried to sell me a tractor model i did not want and he had in stock and he tried to sell me a back mower/brush hog unit which i did not want. he had no real staff as such and did not kow much about mdmwers or even putting a fel on it. ya that's right.

but he chased one down for me and the price was ok so i went with him. then he went out of business.

the first person i had to play a lot of games re: help and parts that never came in and i had to chase a part down at bill's in TX - got it 3 days later that the dealer said took him 5 weeks and nothing. called the mahindra rep which took days and he kind of blew me off too and never wanted to chase down the issue with the dealer and his slipshod service. WTF!!!???

actually chewed me out because i wanted to get my tractor working to use it.

now i see there is a new dealer 1 1/2 miles away from me according to the mahindra website so i called and after 10' on hold got hing up on. called back and no luck. emailed the guy and he tried to help but he never answered one question for me. he has nothing in stock and probably has not had any ever, and the service guy is leaving this friday so no service tech. love the tractor but WTF is it with the dealers and mahindra. no one around here to help with servicing or fixing an issue here or there. one expensive paperweight eh?

this is a sad state of affairs.

end of rant.

I went the other way. Kubota dealership got bought out by a conglomerate and wouldn’t give me the time of day. Mahindra dealership is much closer and really bends over backwards to take care of my needs. Shop the dealer not the brand