Xmas Opening

[Barleycorn]

Surely they could share a mobile phone out between the parts men and share the holiday?
Years ago you could virtually build a tractor from the parts kept by Watson & Haig in Hampshire. Now Oakes have taken over you're lucky if they have a fan belt or oil filter in stock.

 

[Martin Holden]

Surely they could share a mobile phone out between the parts men and share the holiday?
Years ago you could virtually build a tractor from the parts kept by Watson & Haig in Hampshire. Now Oakes have taken over you're lucky if they have a fan belt or oil filter in stock.

This is a sign of the times I'm afraid. There are now 30% less farmers now than 30 years ago maybe more? The profitability of the machinery trade is not what many would imagine! Just like farming itself, the supplying industry is going through a period of re structuring. The computer age taught all those running parts dept's that when you stock parts, you automatically buy obsolensence too! That has to be accounted for in write down and scrapping. If dealers stocked for all eventualities, then their spare parts divisions would be a marginal business indeed. Not what you want to here I know, but that's the way it is. 24 hour delivery has also changed much too! The logistics business is cut throat (witness City Link). When we used them occasionally in the late 80's they were expensive!

It's a tough world out there!

 

[Dan7626]

Jd dealer was open for parts on 29th in Leominster. Have always received good service there.

Duncan's have always been good, always go out of their way to get you going again, whatever day it may be.

 

[aggravated farmer]

The only people who should not have to work on a holiday are people scheduled to be off, children, and retired folk. Shorten your hours and make sure your regular customers are notified a month in advance. The folks that deal with any emergency situation (police, hospital, service) are still crucial and my hat is off to them working hard on a holiday.

 

[Guiggs]

Working in construction it's fairly standard to shut down for a week or two at Xmas,
The thing with farming is its not like other industries as your pretty much always on duty, animals need looking after and machinery is used everyday, I think that's probably why your surprised when your suppliers are shut!
Everybody deserves a bit of time off especially at this time of year, even you guys, although you probably don't get that option!

 

[Sussex Martin]

Excuse my nosey-ness and if you don't mind what is it you do?

We sell and stock fire alarm equipment from fire panels through to extinguishers. We are distributors for 30-40 different manufacturers, 5 of them being panel manufacturers, we are the sole importer for one brand.
Places like hospitals, nursing homes, apartment blocks, nightclubs etc. have to have a working fire alarm, a nightclub for instance would not be allowed to open if it's fire alarm wasn't working, hospitals etc may have to employ extra security for firewatch duties so it can be expensive if you have a failure and cannot get it rectified.
Our customers will be the engineers on 24hr callout that will try and fix any problems, some of which can only be solved by using spare parts and in some instances a complete panel change. That's when we are needed in a hurry, our competitors do not offer this service.

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Keenan feeder chain aways broke Christmas morning, until I scraped the lump of iron

 

[ravenhill1]

Perhaps we're the exception to the norm but apart from the bank holidays we have had sales, parts and workshop in working, even a lady in the office answering the phones.

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Truth is a lot of farmers don't recognise Xmas, like the guy with 400 cows who ran out of hay two days after

 

[kill]

Nope main John Deere dealer for Devon is the same! yep you can get parts etc but you will have to pay for a call out fee just to go into the depot so you can collect the parts, fine to charge it on Xmas/ boxing day/ New years day etc but not on other days imo, livestock farming is a 7 day week operation, you cant not feed them just because the tractor breaks down and the dealer wants a week off over xmas..

Would their opening times have been listed on their website to say this????

 

[Kidds]

Seems to me that there are a lot more places open than there ever used to be.
Even shops and supermarkets will be open tomorrow though why you would want to go shopping on New Year's Day is beyond me.

 

[grimmy]

We forgot to check we had enougb gas for heating over christmas period. Two days without heating sucked. Absolute nightmare trying to find someone that was open.
living on a cattle farm you tend to forget everyone else shuts for a week

 

[Barleycorn]

Keenan feeder chain aways broke Christmas morning, until I scraped the lump of iron

Not true, ours broke New Year's Day one year. Give them their due, I drove to Wells and they fixed me up with joiners and links. Cows were a bit grumpy by the time they were fed. (I too was glad to get rid of it)

 

[Derky]

Virtually every dealer around here is shut. Bucking the trend is Olivers who once again prove they are head and shoulders above the rest.

 

[combineguy]

Hi

For those who are open, people will forget it next time you submit a quote,

 

[Jock]

Hi

For those who are open, people will forget it next time you submit a quote,

Precisely.

Just read through this thread. People complaining they are not open and others complaining the online tractor part supplier hasn't delivered two weeks after placing the order.

The less people support their local dealers then the less reason there is for them to open when next to no one needs their services.

We are well served up here. Pretty much all the dealers just close on the 25th/26th and 1st/2nd but will have emergency contacts if need be at these times.

Can't ask for more than that.

 

[Kevtherev]

My local ag engineer ordered me some parts on Monday off Sparex and they arrived yesterday by cooper carriers

 

[Grassman]

Another thread was moaning about the prices of main dealers parts and service and how lots only use them as a last resort. Now this one is moaning about them not offering back up on holidays.
Same with local shops and pubs etc. We moan when they are gone but only use them when no other option. Life is changing and not necessarily for the better.
For some you reap what you sow!!!!

 

[Anonymous...]

I use local suppliers when I can
But .. I leave home for work at 6 am get home at tea time and then sort the farm jobs out for some of us the online parts people are a necessary evil

 

[GTB]

Hi

For those who are open, people will forget it next time you submit a quote,

Maybe I'm getting old but these days I tend to only buy things from people who I can depend on to supply parts and service rather than buy on price alone.