No dealers

nhfarmer · Jan 17, 2015

Hi all, We are looking to buy a CUT and have read some really good stuff about the LS brand but we don't have a real dealer in So. NH No. Mass.
there is some guy in mass but no shop, no parts, sells out of a doggie day care. With the new tier 4 engines we need a dealer with tractor experience.
What is LS thinking?

oosik · Jan 17, 2015

I've only heard good things about the LS brand. I agree with your line of thought - I would not buy ANY brand of tractor without a competent dealership backing up the sales. All brands can have their unique difficulties. Hopefully, somebody from your neck of the woods knows of a dealership.

I went orange because I know & trust the local dealer and have been doing business with them for over 32 years.

lamarbur · Jan 17, 2015

Foskett equipment in Woodstock CT been a dealer roughly 40 years and is reliable, Woodstock is at the MA/Ct state lines, depending where in NH you are,,

cford36 · Jan 17, 2015

LS website is horrible finding dealers. Try putting in different zip codes around you area.

nhfarmer · Jan 17, 2015

I found another dealer in central N.H. asked him about warranty work he sad he can use his buddy's barn to the work . I can believe it!
we have good john deere, Kubota, new Holland and yanmar dealers also a great implement and service garage in the area I would think LS and TYM would try to get in with one of them. Thanks lamarbur Ct is to far for us.

CDN Farm Boy · Jan 17, 2015

Seems to be a common problem, up here also. Most of the guys on here seem quite happy with the machines though. I'm in the same boat, I liked the tractors but have zero confidence I'm any of the 3 dealers around me so I bought orange for the same reason as mentioned above.

mjstef · Feb 1, 2015

My dealer is almost 500 miles round trip. I don't worry about it as i can do the work myself for the most part. in 100 hours i replaced a wiper motor and a door shock............

antlers125 · Feb 1, 2015

X2. Dealer over nites the parts I do the repairs & reimburses me at his rates. Win-Win

mjstef said:
My dealer is almost 500 miles round trip. I don't worry about it as i can do the work myself for the most part. in 100 hours i replaced a wiper motor and a door shock............

bigcut · Feb 1, 2015

nhfarmer said:
I found another dealer in central N.H. asked him about warranty work he sad he can use his buddy's barn to the work . I can believe it!
we have good john deere, Kubota, new Holland and yanmar dealers also a great implement and service garage in the area I would think LS and TYM would try to get in with one of them. Thanks lamarbur Ct is to far for us.

nh & CDN,
That's why I posted a thread titled "Strenght of LS Dealer Network". I mean who wants to spend that kind of money and have it serviced by someone who uses his buddy's garage.

The situation you describe is a kin to someone taking a fee for the sale, just because they did the paperwork and are a receiving location for the tractor when delivered.

Like you, you have to wonder what LS was thinking !! Are LS dealerships hat undesirable ?

Maybe someone who is knowledgeable on dealerships could comment on this.
John

cford36 · Feb 1, 2015

I think, like was already stated in your other thread, LS is just getting started selling tractors under their own name. I don't think John Deere dealers popped up in every town overnight either.

In other words, give it time.

mjstef · Feb 1, 2015

Dealer storefronts and shops take lots of $$$$$$$$$$. Unless they have multiple line LS dealers don't have the margins to set up a shop ect. I looked at being a dealer here to go along wit my Fisher plows. My shop is pretty small and i would have to use my neighbors pole barn shop for bigger repairs. Don't let the lack of a shop or fancy storefront scare you away. The training LS offers is EXCELLENT! Heck 20 years ago when i was farming many repairs where made out in the field NOT in a shop. If LS dealers all had fancy shops the price of the tractors would be a lot more.........

bigcut · Feb 1, 2015

mj,
Thanks for the comments...that's the kind of insight I was looking for. I think most people associate the physical storefront, with a business that has substance. Where it would worry me, is what if I were to run into a serious issue requiring diagnosis, as well, as repair. Unless the new dealer owner is also a mechanic, which could be, what would be my recourse. The tractor payments would keep rolling on, while the tractor sits idle due to a lack of repair or service. And, if you've read some of the other postings, dealers tend to only want to service what they sold. So, taking it to a reputable dealer 200 miles away, is not likely to be welcomed by that dealer, not to mention the cost associated with getting it trailered 200 miles. Then you have to go back to pick it up. That's if you can get another authorized LS dealer to agree to service it. These are the things that cause people who would really like to buy LS, to go to another brand, with a stronger dealer network.

John

mjstef · Feb 1, 2015

I think you might find you'll get better more personal service from a mom and pop selling LS tractors than a big Kubota or John Deere dealer. This has been my experience. Seems with the bigger dealers your just a number but with the small one your may be a large percentage of their income for the year. Heck i made a 600 mile round trip to buy a Grasshopper Mower from a guy who bent over backwards to make the deal. Had it back once for warranty work and it was fixed the same day. (hydro pump) Then again us folks in the west are used to going a long ways for things. If the little 20 store mall here in town don't have what my girls want, it's a 250 mile Round trip to Missoula where the next closest mall is lol......

CDN Farm Boy · Feb 1, 2015

bigcut said:
nh & CDN,
That's why I posted a thread titled "Strenght of LS Dealer Network". I mean who wants to spend that kind of money and have it serviced by someone who uses his buddy's garage.

I've been following that thread and actually made a reference to this one for the " buddy's barn comment.

I really like the XU series (at least on paper) but hardly worth looking at with no dealer

CDN Farm Boy · Feb 1, 2015

antlers125 said:
X2. Dealer over nites the parts I do the repairs & reimburses me at his rates. Win-Win

Now that's a new one! I can see that working for minor repairs but what if you need to split the tractor?

Tractor Seabee · Feb 1, 2015

This situation is not unique to LS. There are several brands of tractors and implements around here that are not represented by dealers. Jinma is another good example of the dealer working out of his house and has to order everything. I have looked at Northern Tool and Cabelas stuff but again there is no service/parts support close. Many times it takes a good parts counter guy to decipher the Parts Manuals and determine the exact part you need; or they ask their shop for assistance to assure they are right. The price of freight today can equal or exceed the price of the part(s). Stocking dealers get a break on shipments as they can batch orders due to volume. My Kubota dealer orders parts 3 times a week to support a 8 man shop.

Small equipment is worse, many authorized service shops are part time guys working in their home garage. I needed warranty work on a Homelite chain saw. Guy was 30 miles away, never home and never returned phone calls. Threw it in the dump and bought another saw (one with local dealer shop).

Ron

Ron

Deerherd · Feb 2, 2015

LS is a fairly new brand in the US and is obviously building a dealer network. I'm fortunate to have a very good dealer close by that sells more than one line of tractors. I wouldn't have purchased an LS if I didn't feel they weren't capable of handling repair/maintenance/warranty etc.

Fortunately I'm going on two years of ownership and have had zero problems that have needed dealer service but it is nice to know if something went wrong there would be someone to work on it. It has been a great tractor.

mjstef · Feb 2, 2015

A little more insight here. For 5 years i managed the Midwest distributor of Howard Rotavator during the time of the model HR50 fiasco where one or the other of the dual gear side drives would fly apart. Many of our "dealers" where very small time and had minimal facilities and experience. As a result i received a lot of calls from customers of those dealers when problems arose and the dealer was stumped. I would work with them and the dealer to get things resolved.

LS has a GREAT regional rep out of Illinois that has ALWAYS gotten back to me the same day when my dealer couldn't answer my questions. Again, If you want a REASONABLY priced QUALITY tractor this is something you will put up with. If the dealer network was stronger and had the infrastructure some of y'all wish for the tractor prices would be a lot more to make up for this. Another thing to consider is the guy selling 3 or 4 different tractor brands is NOT going to be 100% competent in any of them.

For me personally to be able to set up shop to work on all lines of LS tractors, (My XR3037C is about all i can get in my shop and a lot of the bigger tractors are sold here) it would run me 60-80K to add on to my shop. A shop in town that is 2,000 Sq Ft with enough room to park 5-10 tractors outside would run me $2,500-$3,000 a month. Payback is a LONG time for this especially as little as i would likely use the addition because of the dependability of LS. I install Fisher plows and on the occasion if install one on a crew cab i use my neighbors shop. I keep his driveway plowed all winter as he works the North Slope of Alaska and his family is home so it works for both of us.

Just some food for thought................