Mowing Was your new implement old when you purchased it from the dealership?

[IndyJay]

If everyone has new equipment that's years aged and unsold, they have to be overpriced compared what demand is willing to pay. They cannot stay in business unless they sell stuff, replace with new and then sell that. Dealers need to make an honest profit so they can stay I business and provide needed services. That's what they do. Customers need to buy stuff at the best price that they can. That's what they do.

If, in the course of those years and old equipment, not a single buyer showed up at all of those dealers, something is wrong. A new shop owner that went to a business school would immediately auction off stuff that's not selling and hasn't sold. They would fill the place with stuff that turns over and if it doesn't, adios.

I often go to farm auctions that have new but aged equipment from dealers and it generally gets a severe price haircut. It's tough to sell faded paint.

In many cases, the dealer has already paid for the stuff and also pays a tax on inventory so the smart ones know when and how to keep inventory fresh. Also, the older inventory would have been bought before the prices went up. They do have some wiggle room if they are trying to sell old inventory at current price.

The OP said that the dealer said it would cost the same to order new as to take one that had been sitting for God knows how long.

 

[OzarkChris]

Curious as to how common this is across the country. Just about every dealership around here sells new implements that are two, three or four years old or more. Looking at a finish mower and one dealership has one that is a year old. Another dealership has two that are three years old with faded paint from sitting in the weather for so long. Asked how much a new one would be if I ordered one and was told same price. Not that it’s an issue but was thinking about dry rotted belts, water in the gearbox and things like that but not so much the faded paint. Is this normal in the implement world?

I have several dealers around here (the closest ~45 miles away and most ~100 miles). I have noticed that the bigger "volume" dealers have the "newer" implements, the small mom & pop dealers (which I would rather do business with, most times) have the oldest implements. Pre-Covid, I was looking for a larger bush hog (Not batwinged, just 7-8') and the more local dealer had one that was 8 years old. I asked if I could purchase a "New" one and was told that the one on the lot was considered "New" with full warranty, etc and since that was the case he couldn't order another one until that one was sold. So, I asked if I could get it for the 8 year ago price instead of the current price. As expected, the answer was a big No. Was told that they had to pay "rent" on the space the hog took up since it didn't sell so they would lose money if they sold it @ 8 year ago prices. Needless to say I probably had a WTF look on my face when he said that.

I went to one of the "big volume" dealers to see what they had but they didn't have the size I wanted so I ordered one - I finally figured out how to get a "Brand New" hog, right? NOPE, 3 days later they call me saying the new one was in & I could come check it out. When I got there, the "brand new" unit was the 8 year old model from the dealer I started with. I know this to be true because in the picture I took of the 8 year old model there was a paint blob that was uniquely shaped. This "brand new" unit had that same blob in the same space. I asked the dealership if in fact that hog was 8 years old from the other dealer and after some redirection answers he finally admitted to it.

Moral of this story, if there isn't already (I'm not aware of one) a way to determine how old an implement is, there needs to be one put in place and the dealers need to be forced to hard stamp the year of manufacture into the unit and sell last year's models (or 8 year old models) at whatever standard retail price was during that year. If the price is lower this year than it was, say 8 years ago, the dealer takes the hit or doesn't sell it, that's just the price of doing business.

Just my opinion, but this won't stop until people like us stand up to the ag dealers (those of us that don't shape the bill or our hats by continually looking for checks from the govt in the mailbox, instead of actually growing things). Don't get me wrong, I have many friends that are row croppers and have seen them many times at dealers around here buying $1/2 - 3/4+M rigs for cash and the dealers just fall all over themselves to do whatever they want and they don't care if the new combine, etc is a year or two old - one friend told me he "had" to spend that amount of money and take delivery within a certain time frame or lose the money so he "had" to take what was on the lot.

 

[PILOON]

Couple of points to consider.
-Implements simply get a coating finish that is the fastest to dry and just enough to prevent surface rust and cheapest. Usually a laquer.
-I'd suspect the cost to ship one implement is often the same for 2-3 more therefor splitting the basic cost by 3 or 4.
In other words stack as much on that truck or trailer since then they share those basic operational costs.

 

[Bentrim]

May I add what used to be done at a dealer I worked at. The company salesman would attempt to load the dealer with some items that just did not sell due to price or were not an implement that many customers used. The other side was they would load the dealer with usually fast moving equipment that normally sold quickly. There was always some equipment that was too high priced or just did not sell. Those units would just sit on the lot and take up space. Some would even be transferred to other dealers if the other dealer had a sale for one. After the unit sat long enough and someone came in interested to purchase it. The original price was quoted of course some back and fourth took place and the salesman would say "well I can order a new one but the price has risen and it will cost you more". Even the the customer usually still got some off due to faded paint and rusty bolts. If it had a slip clutch that was always loosened and made sure it would slip, just as the manual told you to do every season before you put the unit to work. One of the best deal makers was a new cap or two.
But do remember any warranty should still be good as it is a new and unused .

 

[sixdogs]

Couple of points to consider.
-Implements simply get a coating finish that is the fastest to dry and just enough to prevent surface rust and cheapest. Usually a laquer.
-I'd suspect the cost to ship one implement is often the same for 2-3 more therefor splitting the basic cost by 3 or 4.
In other words stack as much on that truck or trailer since then they share those basic operational costs.

That reminds me of something I had forgotten. I know of dealers that buy implements from the big name brand makers. Usually they buy what they want and to fill the trailer or sweeten the pot they toss in some price "specials" such as a factory second or aged inventory or just excess inventory.

I have bought implements from dealers this way. The factory second looked pretty good but had a funny looking flaw and the aged one still had great paint so it was OK considering the price. On paints, Woods and Brillion are known to be high quality, non fade. I think Land Pride as well but not positive.

 

[Elembytes]

Curious as to how common this is across the country. Just about every dealership around here sells new implements that are two, three or four years old or more. Looking at a finish mower and one dealership has one that is a year old. Another dealership has two that are three years old with faded paint from sitting in the weather for so long. Asked how much a new one would be if I ordered one and was told same price. Not that it’s an issue but was thinking about dry rotted belts, water in the gearbox and things like that but not so much the faded paint. Is this normal in the implement world?

A few years back I bought a new Woods Rear Discharge Mower. Spent $3700 for it and it had sat outside like you described, apparently quite a while. When they delivered it and I used it the first time, the deck belt malfunctioned. I called them up, irrate, and they came back, picked it up, took it back and fixed it. It's now like 3 or 4 years old and not had any issues with it other than a couple of wheel support nuts vibrating loose and falling off but that is minimal at best!

 

[ruffdog]

When I bought the NH tractor I also needed a rear blade. He had a new/old one that had been sitting out and had rust. I got that Rhino RB7 for $350 so it was just fine.

 

[beenthere]

Curious as to how common this is across the country. Just about every dealership around here sells new implements that are two, three or four years old or more. Looking at a finish mower and one dealership has one that is a year old. Another dealership has two that are three years old with faded paint from sitting in the weather for so long. Asked how much a new one would be if I ordered one and was told same price. Not that it’s an issue but was thinking about dry rotted belts, water in the gearbox and things like that but not so much the faded paint. Is this normal in the implement world?

What do you think they should do with them if they don't sell the first year?
Would you rather they didn't stock new ones so you would have to order and then wait?

Or have another suggestion for the dealer?

 

[mo1]

Curious as to how common this is across the country. Just about every dealership around here sells new implements that are two, three or four years old or more. Looking at a finish mower and one dealership has one that is a year old. Another dealership has two that are three years old with faded paint from sitting in the weather for so long. Asked how much a new one would be if I ordered one and was told same price. Not that it’s an issue but was thinking about dry rotted belts, water in the gearbox and things like that but not so much the faded paint. Is this normal in the implement world?

Dealers typically store things outside and they sit outside until they sell. If something has been sitting outside for a while, the dealer has had money tied up in it for a while, and would generally like to get that money back out of it. They generally will give you a better price on something new that has been sitting around a while compared to something they have to order. My tractor was a new unit sitting on the dealer's lot for over a year and you betcha I got a far better price on it compared to the same model tractor that was set up with a different model loader where they would have had to order in everything brand new. The only effects I can tell from the tractor sitting outside was the orange on the gearshift knobs and the yellow knob on the PTO lever are a little sun bleached, but that was it, and I went over the tractor with a fine toothed comb after it came home.

 

[Little Red Tractor]

The reality is that a slip clutch, left in the weather, might very well lock up tight. My local dealer even warned me that it can happen if you don't pay attention to it.