I don't want to know my true cost!

CajunRider · Feb 9, 2005

I don\'t want to know my true cost!

Armed with the knowledge from the many hours looking over specs, reading valuable stuff here, going to dealers and testing the tractors, I think I'll be able to save any where between $500 to $1500 depending on what I buy.

If I apply the IRS rate for mileage and my standard billing rate to the miles I've traveled and the hours I've spent, my cost for getting the above saving is a whopping $10,750 and counting! My accountant wife is telling me to just walk in a reputable dealership of any well known brand and spend 1 hr to negotiate and buy and I'll come out far better. As a matter of fact, we listed out all the things we want to do and get a quote from a tractor guy. We'll come out much better if we invest our tractor money and hire him out to do those things as needed.

Of course I won't do that. I am gonna search far and wide and research in depth. Then I'll work on my land. If I keep telling my self that I'll save me some money, mebbe I'll believe it some day. Until then I'll just claim to be an ignorant newbie. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

How 'bout it TBNers, what's your true cost for getting these "tremendous saving" on your tractor purchases?

ronnie2005 · Feb 9, 2005

Re: I don\'t want to know my true cost!

Actually it was pretty cheap. I never left home. I was always in the comfort of my chair. You see, I like you, invested the time to read the posts and ask the questions. But, I didn't go to any dealers. I already own 2 tractors, so I didn't feel the need to go directly to the dealer to look or test drive. I contacted the dealers via e-mail and ask for and got prices for the setups I was interested in for that make and model. Most of the dealers were receptive, some blew me off, no mater, I'll give my money to someone who really wants it and is willing to work with me. I closed a deal on a demo Branson 2810 w/fel, never saw the tractor except for pictures. The dealer was picked from a sponser list from this site and also does several posts here. He will deliver the tractor to my father sometime next week. You see, I am overseas right now, but the intire process was done via the internet or phone.
Total cost of shopping: 1 phone call, $4.25. I can't enclude my time because it was all done in my lesure time when I was on the net doing something else anyway.

CajunRider · Feb 9, 2005

Re: I don\'t want to know my true cost!

Hi Ronnie.
You blew my cover too early. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif What I didn't show is the enjoyment and the knowledge I get. While I have never been a farmer, I came from a long line of farmer. The knowledge I've gained here is well worth the time I spent wheter I buy a tractor or not. Nevertheless, it was fun figuring out what it cost me to buy my first tractor. I know I am dragging the buying out far more than I should but this is enjoyable. The only thing I'm avoiding is to unfairly take time from a dealer so I don't go see a tractor unless I am genuinely interested in it.

thcri · Feb 9, 2005

Re: I don\'t want to know my true cost!

( As a matter of fact, we listed out all the things we want to do and get a quote from a tractor guy. We'll come out much better if we invest our tractor money and hire him out to do those things as needed.

Of course I won't do that. )

Of course were not going to do that. It is almost impossible to write down what your going to use the tractor for as once you have it you will find other uses. If you just want to do some general work or a weeks worth of work then hire it out. But don't tell your wife that or you never going to get a tractor. I have had mine now for three years and everyday I find new things to use the tractor for, saving my back, and in fact there is times when my wife comes to me with, well you know that look. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif and yes she asks me to get the tractor out. Man that makes you feel great.

murph

Bob_Skurka · Feb 9, 2005

Re: I don\'t want to know my true cost!

 If I apply the IRS rate for mileage and my standard billing rate to the miles I've traveled and the hours I've spent, my cost for getting the above saving is a whopping $10,750 and counting! My accountant wife is telling me to just walk in a reputable dealership of any well known brand and spend 1 hr to negotiate and buy and I'll come out far better. 

Your lovely wife is also a very smart lady. Me, I will shop around on the interent to find the capabilities of a given size range of machine and use that range to determine the size tractor I need. I will then consider only the brands in my immediate area, I'm not even willing to drive to the next county to buy a tractor because my time/life is too valuable for me to waste my time doing that. That said, I am fortunate that within 15 miles of me are multiple JD, Cub Cadet and Kubota dealerships, 1 NH, 1 Case, 1 Mahindra, 1 Branson, and 1 AGCO dealer.

My demands are a tractor that will do the job I want done the way I want it done. First I determine the size that will accomplish the job. Most brands actually will do the job, within any given size range. There is not much difference in my mind between a Kubota or Jinma if all you want to do is scoop up a bucket of gravel and spread it on your driveway. Now the differences come in if you want specific features, so that is where my next level of criteria comes in.

If you want HST, and you want it in a given size/power range, then you can rule out several brands without batting an eye. Or if you want syncro shuttle, and the brand has shuttle that is not syncro, then you rule it out. No need to even visit the dealer or waste time.

Then I want dealer support, and I also want to consider that support over the long term. That brings in the distance factor because if my tractor needs to go to the shop, I'd rather trailer it 8 miles than 68 miles. I can go 8 miles with my tractor, drop it off, and return home, and be drinking a nice cup of coffee, and that can be done without losing more than an hour of my life. Now if I have to trailer it 68 miles, then we are probably looking at a minimum of 3 or maybe 4 hours (slow travel on country roads) so I've just killed an entire morning. It is not much different if I need to pick up a belt, a hose, or a filter. If the dealer is well stocked with parts, I don't even have to call to see if the part is in stock, I can go, get it, return, and put it on in less time than it would take to drive to the distant dealer in the next county. . . or worse yet order it and wait for the mail carrier to drop it off next week. Better yet, I want the dealer to pick up my tractor and/or to deliver my implement. To date, I have NEVER actually put ANY of my tractors on a trailer and hauled them to my dealer for warrenty, for repair due to my stupidity, or any other reason. In each case that my tractors (I have 2 CUTs and 2 GTs) need to go back, my dealers come and get them. And I have a trailer!!! Now that I think of it, I've never even had to pick up a new implement, each of those has been dropped off in my driveway so it is there waiting for me when I get home from work (and they have NEVER charged me a delivery fee).

I think the "TRUE COST" is based on individual circumstances and greatly based on the dealer you choose. I don't over pay for tractors or implements, the prices I've paid have been at or below the large internet dealer's prices. The dealers save me time, which is a cost to me. The dealers give me good prices, which is easier to measure, but probably less important.

sneaky_pete · Feb 9, 2005

Re: I don\'t want to know my true cost!

( If I apply the IRS rate for mileage and my standard billing rate to the miles I've traveled and the hours I've spent...)

Being self-employed will really teach you to look at things that way. Not a bad thing either, unless carried to extreme. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

RedRocker · Feb 9, 2005

Re: I don\'t want to know my true cost!

It's not about the cost to me, it's about working on my own land.

Varmintmist · Feb 9, 2005

Re: I don\'t want to know my true cost!

If I apply the IRS rate for mileage and my standard billing rate to the miles I've traveled and the hours I've spent, my cost for getting the above saving is a whopping $10,750 and counting! My accountant wife is telling me to just walk in a reputable dealership of any well known brand and spend 1 hr to negotiate and buy and I'll come out far better.

Your lovely wife is WRONG!!!!

Figure your time over a 20 year deprecation schedule because that is the minimum life of the machine with normal wear and tear.

Another factor to think about is that this tractor will be under your butt for a loooong time, it better be one that will do what you want it to do NOW and in 10 years. And somthing you can get on and off in 15. (thus shopping is justified /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif)

You are right that you can do all of the things that you are thinking you need right now by hiring it out. What about next year? How about when she orders the triaxel load of mulch? Moving pavers/flagstone, ties, and flats of flowers will be a whole lot nicer to do. Once you have the tractor you will use it a lot more than you think. So will she. (add wife, that way you get it for "us" and are thinking about her /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif)

Volfandt · Feb 9, 2005

Re: I don\'t want to know my true cost!

I'd hate to think in terms of $$$'s what I had in research & development /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif as I actually enjoyed visitng every dealer within an hr & 1/2 driving distance to see & test their wares. I really only knew the size I was interested in, which I was able to discern via this site as well as other internet sources but I had the need to put my arse in each seat to see which one "fit" the best inorder to narrow it down to a particular brand! Some brands, or should I say some dealers made it particularly easy to write them off. The attitude's I encountered played alot in my final decision.

Since I had to wait on the financial resources to become available I probably had at a minimum of 8 hrs or so in drive & visiting time but since I enjoyed it, I've wrote it off as leisure time /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif This did get me out of some honey-doo's too so it had other side benefits as well /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Volfandt

bczoom · Feb 9, 2005

Re: I don\'t want to know my true cost!

Hey CjR,

It's only the beginning. Wait until you want to do other things to save money.

Let's say you want to heat with wood (probably doesn't happen much where you are so I'll use myself as an example).

Heck, I won't even mention the tractor...
(all prices are approximate)
Big chainsaw $650
Little chainsaw $350
Farmi winch for tractor $2000
Log splitter $1300
RTV to haul wood $12000
Wood shed $500
Straps/chains $200
Misc. accessories $100
Trailers to haul wood $600
My time (over 5 years @ $30/hr) $6000

Total = $23,700.

Saving $100/month on electric, I'll re-coup in 237 heating months (if I don't buy or replace anything). At 5 months/year, I'll break even in a little over 47 years. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

Spending time outside... priceless /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif