Why is it so hard to buy a tractor?

[MessickFarmEqu]

It is amazing how simple customer service is really lacking in our industry.

 

[ProjectKing]

Sounds like some really bad Kubota dealers. In my area we have excellent Kubota dealers who will bend over backwards for you.

If you are still considering the Kubota call Barlows in Somerset KY. They can deliver to you. And they have good prices.

The L6060 is a high dollar niche tractor in my opinion. They cost more than a lot of full size farm tractors which have much bigger capacity. A lot of the dealers aren't carrying the 60 series because they are so expensive. Kubota is pricing them out of the market. I own a Grand L30 series. Love it but would be able to justify the 60 series because the price has increased so much.

 

[k0ua]

It is amazing how simple customer service is really lacking in our industry.

It really is and I am not sure why. We hear these "I cant get anyone to sell me a tractor" stories quite often on here. Even I have one. When I went to a large JD dealer I couldn't get anyone to help me so I left and bought a Kubota. The last time I went tractor shopping the Kioti dealership was helpful so I bought one.

The funny thing is at an auto dealership, the "lot lizards" are all over you from the moment you step onto their lot. You can't get a moment alone hardly at most places without having a salesman in your hip pocket. So what is it about tractor dealerships? Why so many folks have so much trouble getting some assistance and follow up when they attempt to purchase tractor iron?

I don't get it.

 

[Quebecguy]

Hi Plowhog,
Although you have had bad luck I think you should keep visiting dealers until you find a good one. When I bought my John Deere the first three dealers were terrible. I almost got in a fist fight with one of them and I am a very non-violent person. The fourth dealer was perfect. It seems it is very rare (knock on wood) that a new tractor has to go back to the dealer for repair so distance from the dealer is not so important usually. Good luck.

 

[isenbed]

Same thing happens to me frequently. After much research I decided I wanted a Ferris walk behind mower. Last week my local dealer was too busy selling Christmas stuff to let me try one, another dealer near my parents house didn't have one in stock and did not even offer to order one. Finally found one at a dealer 200 miles away. Made the deal on the phone, great price and I was there only 15 minutes when I picked it up. I guess some dealers just don't need the sales.

 

[Bigfoot62]

plowhog-(tractor operator), if you can wait a bit longer, I highly recommend going down to Tulare to the World AG Expo in February. It is the largest AG show in the world. I can pretty much say with certainty that you will be able to look at and purchase the tractor of choice at that show or at least get set up for the purchase. You will not be able to operate it, but you can see, sit, touch, ask questions to more than one person about whatever concerns that you might have.

That's some good advice.

I was going to say that you need to find a tractor auction and go to it. I went to Brinkley Auction, in Idabel, OK when I was shopping. Got to see a JD, NH, and Kubota all together. All three were cab tractors, 4WD, and had a FEL. Couldn't drive them around, but it was OK to run the engine, work the hydraulics, crank up the A/C, adjust the seat, etc. I decided right there that I wanted the JD 5M. The bidding on that one went higher than my budget, but I knew what I wanted. I then talked to JD dealers all over LA, ARK, and E TX. The local JD dealer had one in stock and gave me the best price.

Point is, a tractor auction is somewhere that you can see multiple brands, side by side. It was a 250 mile drive for me, but it was worth it.

 

[Piston]

Have you tried Messicks? I've found them very helpful and plan consider them as my one of the top 3 dealers I'll purchase from just as soon as I close on my new home this spring/summer. Pretty sure they ship all over.

 

[TheMan419]

The only bit of your original post I understand is the dealer not knowing what next month's incentives will be. The factory will not tell them as that will effect sales. If this month's deal is $500 cash back and next month's will be $1000 cash back there will be zero sales this month if word gets out.

Other than that it matters not that you are a cash v. finance deal to the dealer. As long as your credit rating is good. I would say that I cannot imagine the experience, but I basically had it too.

The local JD dealer would hardly quote a price. So I kept looking. I am a NH "guy" simply because we have a local family owned dealer here and they were good to talk to, responsive and helpful. So I bought blue.

Had the local JD, Kubota or whatever dealer been the same I might be green or red.

 

[plowhog]

Great and excellent replies. Thank you for the wisdom and insight. I have a lot of responses which I will keep very brief.

jenkinsph- I don't think any tractor I have priced is anywhere near 20% off. If you are doing that I am impressed!
mtnviewranch- excellent suggestion on the Ag expo. I didn't see Massey as an exhibitor, but since Agco is, I assume that is covered.
gary fowler- regarding your observation about sales people being "busy with the big boys," please see below ...
projectking- I would like to learn why you size up an L6060 as an expensive niche tractor?
quebecguy- fist fight? From a normally laid back person? Well, yes, I am beginning to understand that!

If I were a Kubota dealer with a history of selling 100% of the tractors on my allocation, I wouldn't want to sell *any* tractor to a single unit residential customer (like me.) If availability of inventory is limited by allocation, why surrender a tractor to someone like me, when you could instead market it to a large agricultural operation with much greater potential for future spin off business and services? Would it make sense that a strong dealer focusing on business expansion would look at doing that?

General Motors, for decades, purposely produced fewer Corvettes than the market wanted. That kept demand, prices, and dealer profits high, making everyone happy. I have no idea if Kubota does this. I don't know anything about tractor dealerships or Kubota corporate strategy, but it seems very weird to have multiple Kubota dealers show little interest in my business plus hear others with the same experience. Like everything, it probably varies by dealer and geography. Just a guess, I admit I just don't know. After all, I'm just the customer!!

 

[flusher]

plowhog-(tractor operator), if you can wait a bit longer, I highly recommend going down to Tulare to the World AG Expo in February. It is the largest AG show in the world. I can pretty much say with certainty that you will be able to look at and purchase the tractor of choice at that show or at least get set up for the purchase. You will not be able to operate it, but you can see, sit, touch, ask questions to more than one person about whatever concerns that you might have.

Yep, good advice. That's how I bought my new 2008 Mahindra 5525. I saw one in Dave's Tractor display at the Colusa Farm Show in February 2008. Test drove one at Dave's place a few days later and bought it.