Trouble in Texas

[n_willus]

Montana is not dropping dealer’s the dealers are dropping Montana. This is the exact same thing that happened with Agracat. Montana doesn’t care because they have more people wanting to become dealers. That is why they raised the min requirement to 10 tractors on first order for new dealers. They don’t care about selling tractors to customers and don’t support there dealers as long as they have a list of prospective new dealers that will buy 10tractors each. That is why you see dealers come and go.
Its almost seems like a modified pyramid scheme

 

[Unclebuck257]

I don't know what kind of farming you have been doing nor for how long. I have been it most of my life and have run all of the major brands. If I needed warranty service they would come and get the tractor or send a service tech at no charge. A local dealer even provides a loaner tractor while the customer has service work on his. This is just plain customer support. I have not found that with Montana in my area. Sure it cost the dealer something, it is not a "freebe" but it should cost the dealer, not the customer. Montana, like the others do, should back up their local dealers and reimburse them for anything they spend supporting the customer for warranty work. Montana was agressive in their sales, to stay in it for the long run, they are going to have to be just as agressive in customer support.

Well, now you've got me wfphay. I'm not a full time farmer and I never have been. If that's been your experience with other tractor dealers, and that type of service is what you've become accustomed to, then I can see where you'd be upset with the dealer you bought your Montana from.

Did you ask this dealer before you made this Montana purchase if he adhered to this practice too? If not, why not?

Many businesses are changing how and what they do for customers at this point, and fuel costs are certainly a major factor in their decision for that change. Some are surcharging, and some others are just eliminating certain services because of fuel costs. The tractor market is very competitive and profit margins are getting smaller and smaller. With the costs of fuel today, and considering the mileage factor that a truck towing a large trailer to haul a tractor gets, a dealer could easily eat up any profit he made, in diesel fuel, with just a few trips. I don't think there's a manufacturer out there, of any tractor, reimbursing dealers for diesel fuel expenses. Warranty work yes, but not diesel fuel.

I bought my 5740C for several reasons. Quality of that Mitsubishi 4 cyl diesel engine, and everything else that I got for the price, compared to the other tractor manufacturers' products of the basic same size and model. Most importantly too, I was buying my Montana for thousands less that those others wanted for their tractor. I always figured that those thousands that I saved on the purchase price could buy me an awful lot of diesel fuel when I had to transport my tractor to the dealer after the warranty period was up, when needed. So far, I'm way ahead on the deal and as I said, my dealer is an hour away, one way. I'll bet you are too, if you figure it that way.

It's a pain in the butt when I have to trailer it to the dealer, but with the many thousands I saved at purchase time, compared to other "name brands" it's still well within my hourly rate for time spent. I just wish I could make that hourly rate all of the time.

 

[hlpdobro]

Customer service in Maryland:

So all is not gloom and doom:

3 Weeks ago my left front tire sheered the hydraulic coupling going to the steering on my 3840. The dealer encouraged me to call him on his cell if I ever got stuck. I tested him on a Sunday morning at 11Am and was back up and running at 1:30P.

Not only was I up..he also spent the time to diagnose the cause after he noticed the tire was rubbing on the subframe at full lock. He said he'd submit a report to the factory and 3 days later the regional rep shows up, installs a fix and leaves some Montana outerware.

I don't want to minimize anyone's heartache here. You just can't beat that kind of customer experience. My dealer is 50 miles away.

I think we're seeing some regional heartburn and the factory learning from prior mistakes. I'll bet they are attempting to backfill the dealer network where they have weakness.

Cheers,

hp

 

[montanaman]

Montana is not dropping dealer’s the dealers are dropping Montana. This is the exact same thing that happened with Agracat. Montana doesn’t care because they have more people wanting to become dealers. That is why they raised the min requirement to 10 tractors on first order for new dealers. They don’t care about selling tractors to customers and don’t support there dealers as long as they have a list of prospective new dealers that will buy 10tractors each. That is why you see dealers come and go.
Its almost seems like a modified pyramid scheme

And you know this because??

I can tell you what I know as a dealer and that is that Montana wants GOOD dealers and they do care very much if their dealers sell tractors. They work very hard for their dealers in both retail efforts and service needs.

Not sure how or why you see this as a modified pyramid scheme but my relationship with Montana is about the same as the contracts that I signed with Dixie Chopper and Stihl. They have very good floor plans and great retail financing.

JD just closed the doors of a lot of dealers around me that were VERY happy selling tractors at the volume they were but JD wanted more! Now that is the customer getting the raw end of the deal from the MFG! These people have no local support becfaue of JD, not because the dealer decided to drop JD.

There are some Montana dealers that have dropped Montana and I know that Montana has dropped a few dealers. My TM told me he was just talking to a dealer prospect and asked him about his ability to service what he sells. The guy was honest enough to say that he didn't want to work on tractors, just sell them??? Well he is not going to be a dealer because that is not what my TM wanted to hear.

If you have a bad experience at a McDonalds you would not blame McDonalds, you would blame the store that messed up your order right?

So why do folks want to bash Montana because of bad experience on a dealer level?

Also, as has been pointed out, there is not a MFG out there that will pay for pickup and delivery for warranty work. Some dealers do it for free and some will charge you. If you spent days beating the place over the head on purchase price, don't be shocked when they don't tow your tractor for free. If you drove three states away to get a better price, don't be shocked when your local dealer doesn't push you through the schedule to get to your tractor right away!


Ken

 

[Maka]

N_Willus, you have 2 posts, show up all of a sudden and are bashing. What is your motive? Who are you? Why all of a sudden have you shown up? Are you cedible or one of those dealers who is no longer a dealer. Please, tell us something about yourself.

Maka

 

[n_willus]

I am no longer allowed to coment here, good luck

 

[KrumpsBrother]

Bobcat of Waco (big dealer with shop and mechanics) has dropped Montana also. Last year they had a lot full of Bobcat and Montana's, this year Bobcat and Kioti's.

KB

 

[ahvatsa]

KBro
Have you done business with Bobcat of Waco? I am looking at an Ashland scraper at Bobcat of Ft. Worth and they will deliever it to Waco and service there. Seem like good people on phone.
al
From your pic i might add, had Overton Fisheries (Buffalo Tx.) bring me some 2-3Lbs bass yesterday! I have a new lake and am overstocked with forage. These should help balance. Beautiful fish they grow!

 

[Maka]

I hear that Bobcat is going to Daedong engines and not Kubota. Maybe that is why they have switched. By the way, is this really true, Bobcat and Daedong?

Maka

 

[KrumpsBrother]

KBro
Have you done business with Bobcat of Waco? I am looking at an Ashland scraper at Bobcat of Ft. Worth and they will deliever it to Waco and service there. Seem like good people on phone.
al
From your pic i might add, had Overton Fisheries (Buffalo Tx.) bring me some 2-3Lbs bass yesterday! I have a new lake and am overstocked with forage. These should help balance. Beautiful fish they grow!

No, haven't done business with them, but I did get a quote from them when I bought my Montana. I drive I-35 once a week pass the dealer and have noticed since early spring the decreasing # of Montana's.

About the bass-

How's the genetics of their bass? Florida strain or regular black? The pic on my avitar was taken in West Texas on the Devil's River. We fish there a couple of times a year, plenty of largemouth, smallies and yella cats. Very remote, but worth the effort.

KB

 

[ahvatsa]

I mixed genetics from 3 suppliers. 2 of them are F1s, Fla./Northern cross. The other is native Tx. One supplier calls his F1s Tigers. Supposed to be ultra-aggressive! I did an all Fla. pond a few years ago and they would not bite anything but live shiners after 6-7lbs. Our goals for this pond is alot of 5 pounders! Have you ever done the houseboat on Amistad? One of the best vacations ever! We spent a couple days up the Devils but found a private cove 26mi. up Rio G and had a ball. Lots of Chanel cats and bass, no yellars. Our family ranches 40 miles north of Devils R in Sutton Co.

 

[gemini5362]

I am no longer allowed to coment here, good luck

why can you no longer comment on here. I notice that when someone asks you about your backgrould you give out the I cannot comment on here line.

Were you a montana dealer ?

 

[silcoon]

I PURCHASED MY TRACTOR ON THE 12th OF FEB. 2008-ON FEB. 9, 2009 THE JOYSTICK CABLE BROKE DUE TO A FAULTY PLASTIC CONNECTOR IN THE CABLE. OUR TRACTOR WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY AND MY DEALER IN FT. GIBSON OK, SAID THEY'D PICK IT UP, BRING IT IN AND FIX IT BUT I WOULD HAVE TO PAY A "PICKUP & DELIVER FEE" CHARGE-SO MY HUSBAND DID THE WORK AT HOME AS THE LOADER WAS ON THE GROUND AND YOU COULDN'T MOVE IT. THE DEALER DID HOWEVER TELL ME JUST TO DRAG IT ON THE TRAILER-WELL IT'S NEW-HAD 43 HOURS ON IT- AND MY HUSBAND DIDN'T WANT TO CAUSE ANYMORE DAMAGE. NEEDLESS TO SAY I CALLED MONTANA IN ARKANSAS AND THEY TREATED US GREAT-THEY SHIPPED US A NEW CABLE AT NO CHARGE ALL WE HAD TO DO IS TAKE OFF THE OLD ONE AND RETURN IT TO THE DEALER. I GUESS IF YOUR LUCKY ENOUGH TO FIND A DEALER WHO'LL WORK WITH YOU YOU BETTER STICK WITH THEM. GOOD LUCK!

 

[NewToy]

I PURCHASED MY TRACTOR ON THE 12th OF FEB. 2008-ON FEB. 9, 2009 THE JOYSTICK CABLE BROKE DUE TO A FAULTY PLASTIC CONNECTOR IN THE CABLE. OUR TRACTOR WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY AND MY DEALER IN FT. GIBSON OK, SAID THEY'D PICK IT UP, BRING IT IN AND FIX IT BUT I WOULD HAVE TO PAY A "PICKUP & DELIVER FEE" CHARGE-SO MY HUSBAND DID THE WORK AT HOME AS THE LOADER WAS ON THE GROUND AND YOU COULDN'T MOVE IT. THE DEALER DID HOWEVER TELL ME JUST TO DRAG IT ON THE TRAILER-WELL IT'S NEW-HAD 43 HOURS ON IT- AND MY HUSBAND DIDN'T WANT TO CAUSE ANYMORE DAMAGE. NEEDLESS TO SAY I CALLED MONTANA IN ARKANSAS AND THEY TREATED US GREAT-THEY SHIPPED US A NEW CABLE AT NO CHARGE ALL WE HAD TO DO IS TAKE OFF THE OLD ONE AND RETURN IT TO THE DEALER. I GUESS IF YOUR LUCKY ENOUGH TO FIND A DEALER WHO'LL WORK WITH YOU YOU BETTER STICK WITH THEM. GOOD LUCK!

Are you hollering or is your "cap lock" button stuck?

John

 

[BrentD]

My parents bought a Montana 4340C back in December. Got in on the 08 closeout deals and the 0% financing. Unfortunately, the owner of the dealership we bought the tractor from passed away from an aneurysm in February. No idea what will become of the dealership. He was a small dealership and dealt in McKormics and Montanas and his service department consisted of a gravel-floor metal barn big enough for one tractor at a time, but his family had been in the tractor business for 50+ years and he knew how to treat his customers.

The Mitsubishi engine was one of the big selling points for the Montana for us (second to the unbeatable price). In June of last year we bought a 1988 Mitsubish BD2G dozer with around 3000 hours on the meter. It has the S4E engine which is almost identical to the S4Q that the Montana has. For a piece of heavy equipment that is 21 years old it still runs like a top. We never have to turn the key more than once to start the engine (unless we hit that one broken tooth on the flywheel, then the second turn of the key starts it.) It never hesitates, and has only once blown black smoke but that was while I was pushing it incredibly hard with a log strapped to the tracks trying to unstick it from a major bog hole.

We priced and test drove just about every brand of tractor before we bought the Montana and we were only hesitant to pull the trigger because of Montana's relatively new status on the market. In the end we decided that for our use and our financial situation that there was just no way any of the other dealers could even come close to the value of the Montana. And if you get really down to the details and start looking under fenders and things like that you'll start to notice little places where other manufacturers cut corners, but Montana puts that little extra bit in, whether it be by putting in extra reinforcement or just making it so that if you break a trim piece you don't have to replace the entire piece. I personally think Montana is in position to become a big player in at least the budget tractor market.

(Of course, keep in mind that I also buy all my tools at Harbor Freight and think that store is the greatest thing since sliced bread. Given HF's general rep I hate to make the comparison, but I think Montana tractors would be a great tractor for the same people who by HF tools, even though Montana is head and shoulders above HF in quality.)