Tractor Buying Advice - How to Find the Perfect Salesperson

[@charlesreed6404]

After tons of research about tractors I confidently purchased the Kioti CK3510SE. Heck of a tractor but I failed to research the people and their service model. The folks where I bought mine, here close the Mid-coast Maine area, should watch this Mike. I could have dealt with the few things that happened and/or didn't work but I can't deal with having to call them three time over the course of a month for the same issues to remind them and them giving me the same answer each time "I'll get back with you once I check our schedule!"...I had a leaking hydraulic hose all over my garage floor for over a month. Just one example of many in a short two months I've owned it. Another was them "fixing" my intermitted start by disconnecting the seat safety and delivering it back to me that way. Keep up with these videos Mike. A new tractor owner should take this topic as serious as they do the choice of tractor.

[@brokefarmerjohn2422]

I have had a notion to become a tractor salesman. I’m crazy about antique tractors, seems like helping folks find a tractor would be a fun job.

[@beetlefang]

Our Salesman is Patrick Cayton of Coastal Machinery in Pensacola, Fl. 1 - He answered all of our questions...this was our first tractor purchase a b2601. 2 - He presented options and showed us the benefits of them. 3 - He let me drive all the stuff I wanted and tutored me on how to not get hurt doing so. 4 - He stayed late...we just walked in later afternoon and he stayed and worked with us. 5 - The dealership always says hi when we walk in...overall they have great customer service and make one feel more like a visiting cousin....not those cousins...the cousins you actually like. 6 - He helped load all the stuff on my trailer and instructed me on the safe way to unload it. 7 - He made sure that I got all kinds of discounts and package discounts that were offered. 8 - He made a buyers order and offered a very low pressure sales technique. I interpreted that as trustworthiness. 9 - He talked to us about other things that tractors...like camping and travel and fishing and hunting and college sports. In other words he was personable. 10 - He was rightfully proud of his family and told us about his pictures on his desk...this made him likeable. Anyways, I am just one buyer, but since you teach a class then this my feedback could be helpful...please use as you see fit. PS Many of the above applies to your channel...trustworthy content, learning from your experiences, and your likeable personailty...this should really be a TV show.

[@TractorMike]

Thank you and thanks for sharing! We need more Patrick's in this world!

[@larrymoore6640]

Mike, I don't know if you knew my uncle (Buck Cook from Muskogee, OK) but he was a top salesman for Massey Ferguson for a number of years. I learned a lot from him. He believe all customers were #1 and deserved quality treatment. A sale didn't stop when it went out the door, he was there 24/7 for all customers. He carried a trunk full of tools, misc parts with a pair of coveralls and if a customer went down after hours he was with them. I was there one evening when on our way home a baler went down. We headed to the field, it was near dark when it was up and going. He then preceded to get in the tractor and bale. After he felt it was okay he turned the tractor over to the customer but we stayed until it was done. He sure taught me a lesson about customers I have never forgotten.

[@JoeTheFarmer]

Great video Mike! You are buying a relationship; not just a tractor. Enjoy the content my friend!

[@earlyriser8998]

My salesman at Virnau Tractors in Sealy was excellent and touched all of these buttons. First time tractor buyer (newbie) with 110 acre cattle ranch. He asked questions, showed us options, and discussed how each tractor compared...for our applications. Bought 60HP Hydrostat, more than we had planned, and been very happy with the purchase.

[@d.a.ballou9740]

Always good advice Mike.

[@TheBoz1911]

It seems most of the dealers around here that I have dealt with will display some sense of arrogance at some point. I have finally given up trying to find someone that actually cares about me and my needs. Thank goodness for "Tractor Mike" where I can learn before I buy.

[@crazyuncleduke8012]

I hate my local Kubota sales manager. All he wanted to do is put me in the seat of something with an HST transmission and sell me def fluid. I ran away and went 30 miles down the road to a Mahindra dealer and bought a 5555 gear drive for thousands less that needed no def fluid or a computer telling me when I can and cannot operate it. That was back in 2019 and so far the Mahindra has been problem free and has over 2700 hours on the clock.

[@David-qr8pi]

I am blessed to have a son-n- law who is a tractor salesman.

[@kraut39]

Well, I most definitely would buy my machinery from you...

[@marvnewell]

Great advice, Mike. Once again you have been most helpful.

[@samengler539]

Nice video Mike. I just bought my first tractor in November. I watch a lot of your videos and others in the last two years. I think you all on KZbin for my knowledge I have today. Keep up the good work!

[@blessed7fold]

Mike everybody wants you as their sales person 😁

[@leokelly359]

great video mike I forwarded it a friend that is in charge of salesmen at my local deere dealership he said he's going to share it with others

[@stevethiel5838]

COVID has seemed to have negative impact on sales experience. Low inventory, lack of contact, lack of willingness to put effort into find what I am looking for. (in central Ohio)

[@bobcole9274]

Good video, A different problem with dealership--. I bought my tractor A Kioti, because of the salesman, mech. and parts. I spent time with them at a new dealer for Kioti, but an old dealership for large farm equip. Within a year all new people. Last time I stopped in the sales man could not find the parts man, and said nobody else could help. Problem solved by ordering what I need from dealer and having it shipped in. So far I have not had problems I could not handle myself. Thought on that scenario? Bob

[@TractorMike]

Did you order the parts from the same dealer you visited? If not, my first thought is that I'm glad I don't own the dealership. Dealers are losing business to online competition, they better welcome you and solve your problem while you're at their facility because you have lots of other options.

[@bobcole9274]

@@TractorMike Mike I did not order from them. I figured if they could not help while I was there and did not call me to let me know status, find another dealer. That dealer is 90 miles away. next closest is 100 +. I looked on line and found a dealer that wanted business, so I got my parts with "free" shipping from a Kioti dealer out of state. To bad, but its attitude and service that keeps me Faithfull. Had the same JD dealer for 40 years, went out of business and had to go 80 miles for closest dealer.

[@johnwoods4469]

Great video I wish some of the sale people would watch this video

[@RehoKevin]

Great video Mike, thanks. Very informative and helpful, a great follow up to your video about choosing a dealer. Thanks for all of your educational videos, keep 'em comin' my friend.

[@bigtime37ja]

Perfect timing for this video, at least for me anyway. Very informative and supportive IRT tractor buying.

[@j.r.murphy5097]

Your channel is so awesome! I wish you made one video a day. I have watched all of your videos keep up the great work.

[@Ed-jg3ud]

Wow, what a great video. And those folks in MO really are lucky to have great dealers with supportive and well informed sales staff. Unfortunately my area has very few compact & subcompact volume dealers and my experience with sales staff was u surprisingly not very good. I was informing my sales guy more than he was informing me along the way. And there was very little empathy or interest in helping guide me, it was just all about the sale

[@wildbill23c]

I ran into this problem with my closest John Deere dealership, and they lost a sale from me forever...I'll never set food back on that lot ever again. I wasn't even looking for a tractor at the time, I was looking for a serious garden tractor/mower to replace the Craftsman lawn tractor that just blew up. I walked in and my initial impression was hmm, this seems like a great place everything all nice and neat, all the parts racks and such all stocked, etc. Then I met the sales guy. I told him what I was after, and wanted to take a look at one of their X700 series machines and take a bit of a test run with it to see if it was something that would work out for me. The first words out of his mouth "you cannot afford one"...well after that I said well you know what I guess I'll just go talk to the Kubota dealer then. Course things took a downward spiral so I still haven't bought a tractor, but I did venture over to the Kubota dealer. I had submitted a quote on Kubota's build site for a BX-2680, with a few implements. It goes to the closest dealership in the area, and 1 other dealer if you choose to. The first dealership and the one I actually went to, sent me an email within an hour with a quote. Followed by a phone call from their salesman about 20 minutes later introducing himself and asking questions as to what I needed the machine for. After about a half hour on the phone with him, he agreed the machine I requested the quote on would fit in great with what I need to use it for. I asked if they had any in stock he said they didn't because of the whole pandemic issue they sold out of pretty much every machine they had that normally lasts them 7-9 months. He said when they got a machine in he would give me a call and let me know so I could come over and get some seat time with it. About a month later he called and said he had a machine with nobody's name on it that I could come over and take a look at and get some seat time and everything on it. So I ventured over, I spent a good 2-1/2 hours there with the salesman he went over everything, gave me small tasks to do with it that fit in with the previous discussion we had with what I'd be using it for. So I left the dealership with a great bit of knowledge, and experience that showed me how to not only use the machine but doing things like I'd be using it for at home. I guess there's a reason that dealership is the #1 Kubota dealer in my area....the salesman took all the time I needed to feel confident with what I was looking for, put me in the seat and let me get used to the machine and taught me from scratch how to use it as I have no equipment use knowledge other than lawn tractors. He gave me a tour of their service department, parts department, etc. Awesome place, and awesome dealer. I haven't been able to purchase due to some major problems that arose but I've kept in touch with my dealership and they've kept in touch with me about finance offers, incentives, ideas on some other implements I may need in the future, etc. I've even had other questions arise and they have taken the time to answer them as quickly as possible. They even offered to bring a machine out to my property to let me try out for a day...I of course declined that, I don't want a $20k+ piece of equipment on my property that isn't mine LOL. Just the offer of them doing that was another plus in my book. The 2nd dealership in the area has never called or messaged me about a quote or anything 3 months later. So, the #1 Orange dealer in my area is gonna be my first tractor purchase and I am hoping very soon I have quite a chore list for that tractor when it gets here HAHA!!!

[@MikeDPlxztc]

I personally consider sales people unnecessary I usually know more about the product than they do that's been my experience

[@wildbill23c]

This has been the case twice for me with new vehicle purchases. I was telling the salesman the specs of the vehicle and features LOL. I think I taught him far more in that hour we were doing the test drive and looking at the truck than their marketing team ever taught them LOL. On the tractor side though I'd have to deal with a salesman as I have absolutely no idea when it comes to equipment LOL. However, I have been researching, and talked to a dealer and have received excellent help from them.

[@keithnavarro2930]

Years ago, a salesman told me "I'm not a salesman. I'm a tailor. I make the tractor fit you, not you fit the tractor".

[@petefink9664]

I see your Tractor's are NH is that a preference or because the dealership you worked at sold NH? I will be purchasing a NH Workmaster 75 with cab in the near future . I hear good and bad reviews , like you do with anything. It seems like you get more bang for the buck. Curious on your thoughts

[@TractorMike]

Pete, I'm pretty brand neutral, I owned a Massey Ferguson 1250 when I worked for them and got rid of it and got the New Holland when I went to work for an NH dealership. The TC's were outstanding tractors, I'll probably own this one until I croak. The Workmaster 75 cabs came out after I left the dealership world, I'll have been gone seven years in May, so I don't have personal experience with them. Have the dealer give you the names of a few people that own them and call them, is my best advice.

[@davemount2607]

I know I’ll catch crap for this but my “green” dealer in my area of NY doesn’t really have any interest in dealing with anyone other than the huge farms that spend piles of money on equipment. Yes I understand they’re in business to make money but more than once I’ve been to that dealer and was treated as though I was an annoyance when I wanted to spend $50,000. Is this a common practice cause I gave up after that and am using my 30 year old wore out tractor until it’s dead and will NOT get that color tractor when the time comes mainly cause I’d have to drive 100 miles to get to another dealer not affiliated with that one

[@stephenrhodesianridgeback7418]

👍👍👍

[@judyhall4637]

Given current circumstances can you give me any idea how prices compare to this time last year?

[@TractorMike]

Judy, generally tractor prices go up about 2-3% a year. When Tier IV emissions stuff came out there was a 10% or so jump in one year. Steel prices are headed up and that will hit tractor prices very soon, but what's coming in now may not have been impacted by that yet. If you're going to buy, now could be the best time versus later in the year.

[@stevewarner8880]

Good video Mike. I’m surprised the John Deere salesman put his magazine down to talk with you. Everybody knows they make the best tractors so you should beg them to sell one to you.

[@roged3229]

Question-how much can you afford.