Value Proposition: What Makes Your Brand Of Tractor Better Than The Others?

[TractorGuy]

Yes, I've wondered the same thing. Having a good local dealer seems to be the main focus of many tractor buyers and I'm not sure I understand why.

Before the internet, having a good local dealer was an absolute requirement; there was simply no other source for parts and advice....even for basic maintenance parts like filters. But that's no longer true.
Now all those services are available more conveniently online.

So I wonder if having a local dealer is still as important to the tractor owner as to the tractor buyer.
rScotty

For me it's more about having a readily available parts source IF I NEED IT.

Admittedly the only parts I have bought from my dealer have been filters and cosmetics. I bought new decals for the generic hood I replaced and a new rubber floor mat. All the hydraulic filters are still sitting on the shelf waiting for me to get a round tuit.

 

[Cahaba Valley Farm]

Still, though, if I do need something in person, be that advice, service, warranty work, etc, they're right there.

For me it's more about having a readily available parts source IF I NEED IT.

So to be clear, did you give the sale to the local dealer because they really earned it or because of their location?

 

[Complete Turf Care]

A local dealership has almost no influence on my decision of which brand to buy. They offer nothing that I can't get elsewhere. That has changed in the last decade, and used to be different before the internet grew up. Now a local dealership is simply one more supplier among dozens. They rarely offer expertise not found online. And shipping has become less expensive than time+gasoline.

What does make a difference to me is access to parts and service information - closely followed by a history of reliability. Both of those are now available on the internet, but didn't use to be.

My opinion may differ from others because mechanical things and tractors have long been hobbies of mine. I'm fascinated by design details and feel confident in my own ability to repair and design mechanical things at home as necessary.
rScotty

You know....the more I think about this, I think I agree with you somewhat. I own 3 Kubota tractors.

I bought the L6060 new from a local dealer.
I bought the L5740 from an auction yard in Oklahoma over the internet.
I bought the M4700 from a local jockey who buys and refurbishes older tractors.

I buy most of my parts online from Messicks. If I need something in a hurry, I usually check with several local dealers, and they have to order the parts anyway. Then I would loose about 2 hours time to drive to any of the local dealers, when I can have the parts delivered to my shop for about the same money. It's just too easy to order online.
My wife works at a small LS Tractor dealer, and she is the parts manager. They are like most other dealers, and stock only the fastest moving parts, like filters and such.

So....I guess I agree with rScotty that the dealer really is not as important as they were in the past.

 

[rScotty]

SNIP
I buy most of my parts online from Messicks.
SNIP
So....I guess I agree with rScotty that the dealer really is not as important as they were in the past.

You know, I used to look forward to getting parts at the dealer, chatting, and looking at new tractors. But that seems to have changed with the internet too. Now I do my chatting on TBN, my absentee dealer is an investment group who own a chain of stores in which his clerks don't care about tractors or even remember my name. He doesn't stock many tractors or parts - just mostly lubes, hardware, and filters - so we both end up ordering parts online and I may as well order lubes & filters at the same time. For less. Cutting him out and shipping to my doorstep has become crazy convenient.

Frankly, I wish that things hadn't changed. I wish the dealer was as important as they were in the past. I liked it the old way when those old-fashioned dealers were neighbors and their service department was proud to share their knowledge with owners.

If you do have a local dealer like that, you probably already know and cherish them. If so, that's good.
I don't know what the future for dealers - or retail - is going to look like. But it is going to be different.

rScotty

 

[mwemaxxowner]

So to be clear, did you give the sale to the local dealer because they really earned it or because of their location?

I feel like you are trying to back me into a corner. It's someone I already knew, I trust, and I know will treat me well now and in the future. He's been treating friends and family members properly since before I was born. How's that?

Also, yes, it's a good location for me being local (which I've made no bones about). Had they not treated me well when I started pricing and trying to buy I would have perhaps began to look elsewhere.

 

[Creamer]

I initially asked the question because when I grew up on the farm we used mostly local dealers - within 70 miles of our farm because we expected parts availability but my nephews that run the farm do not really even consider that anymore - partially because of the cost of tractors and finding the one they want and who wants to sell it the worst and because most dealers do not stock parts. My nephews 1st get on the phone and check with the local dealers and find who has it and if they can have it immediately by going and getting it. If they are going to have to wait a couple of days why waste the time to go and get it.

As some others have said you never talk to the owner anyway but in their case for Deere the local dealer is the owner of about half the dealers in the state so they can talk to them if they go into the store - or at least somebody from the family and there is a personal relationship there. But most of the time they are still dealing with the partsman and end up having the part shipped from a Deere warehouse or one of the other dealers in the group.

 

[CalG]

Locking differential on the front axle . 4WD
12 speeds FWD and REV with directional shuttle plus "crawler gear"
Mitsubishi 4 cylinder engine
dual remotes at the rear standard.
High capacity 3pt lift (for it's class)
narrow wheel pitch possible for vineyard type applications.
available front mounted lifting hitch. (not used as I've fitted a loader)

And I like the puke green color... ;-)

All of value that puts the SL&H tractor apart from much of the competition.

That locking front diff puts it in billy goat contention, and I have hilly terrain at my place!

The only thing I would like to add is regen on the bucket dump to speed up that cycle.

 

[Cahaba Valley Farm]

It's someone I already knew, I trust, and I know will treat me well now and in the future. He's been treating friends and family members properly since before I was born. How's that?

As some others have said you never talk to the owner anyway but in their case for Deere the local dealer is the owner of about half the dealers in the state so they can talk to them if they go into the store - or at least somebody from the family and there is a personal relationship there.

What I hear both of you saying is personal relationship plays a major role in your decision to buy from a dealer and your perception of their value.

 

[CalG]

Damn! If I were to use the E27n Fordson as the reason, The only thing would be is 'cause it's all iron or steel, and that it is BLUE.

Even though the advertisement literature at the time touted it as "The First Post War Tractor from ENGLAND with a three point hitch and pto"! (not a live pto I might add ;-)

But having rebuilt the poured babbit splash oiled lower end twice while I've had her, (don't ask about the first time, though it is a good story) I have come to appreciate the old gal. and Boy howdy, can she pull her weight in the down and dirty!

 

[PuffyC]

I really get a kick of how many people hold on to that belief. They don't like facing up to the reality that, like it or not, we live in a world economy. You would be amazed at the number of well known "American" companies whose majority stock holders are foreign.

I would very much not be amazed by any of that and I think most people these days know we live in a global economy. Hard not to know that with what's going on today. While the overall story can get extremely muddied, there's a lot more that goes into it than just shares. Since this is a tractor forum I'll stick to tractors and compare Kubota to Deere. Kubota has 2 plants in the US and employs about 2,000 American workers. Deere has 15 and employs over 25,000 in the US. Who owns what stock and how much? Who knows and who cares, across global companies it's probably a wash at the end of the day anyway. All else being equal, if I can do something that helps an American keep their job, especially at a company founded in America and run by American people, I like doing that, at least as long as that remains an option. I'm sure many others do too, and not just the ones too stupid to know any better.