Which factors influence your machinery purchases most?

[Mark Hatton]

This is driven by my curiosity and a thread from earlier today.
Which factors influence where you purchase a new machine from?
I realise there are many, cost of ownership, depreciation, dealer backup, warranty etc.
Do you buy by brand as that’s what you’ve always run?
Is your local dealer relationship a more important factor than brand in terms of back up, service and repairs?
Do you always purchase based on the price pure and simple?
Would you travel travel further to get better service from a dealership?
What constitutes the best deal, is it just price?

 

[daveydiesel1]

Dealer has alot to do with it. I drive past a dealer to go to another mabe an extra 30-40 miles to same brand dealer as id rather have him

 

[Mark Hatton]

Dealer has alot to do with it. I drive past a dealer to go to another mabe an extra 30-40 miles to same brand dealer as id rather have him

Is that based on service or brand?

 

[Phil P]

Personally I will look for the right machine for the job it has to do, I’m not biased over who supplies it even if that means dealing with someone at the other end of the country. Tractors I’m pretty much all JD but I’m sure a lot on her will know why that is, however I will deal with any dealer who wants to give me a quote without any issue when it comes to getting the right deal. There is no discount for loyalty any more, if anything it’s the opposite!
Pretty much all dealers will have good and bad points when it comes to backup and warranty so that isn’t to high on my list of priorities, they all know how to make a big bill out. However I know from experience that those who call a dealer shouting the odds when there is a problem will be at the bottom of the list to sort it out.
I’m fortunate that I have 5 half decent dealers of different colours all within 25-40 minutes away so spoilt for choice. I deal with all of them for various kit - jd, Claas, Kuhn, Welger, Krone, Kvernaland, horsch, Reco to name just some of the brands we have.

 

[An Gof]

First decide which is the right machine. Then search for best price. Have dealers for pretty much all machines within 30 miles. Some excellent dealers in this part of the world and pretty much all give excellent service.

 

[daveydiesel1]

Is that based on service or brand?

Oh i meant to say they both sell same brand. Its basicly for the way they treat customers compared to the closer dealer. So yeah would come under service

 

[Mark Hatton]

Quality of machinery has vastly improved over the last 20 years, technology has brought advancement in accuracy, cost savings and better productivity. But with that it’s become more complex.
Do you find that you are more reliant on dealer technicians due to this for repair work?

 

[Suffolk Serf]

All the usual stuff- running costs, reliability, dealer backup, ability to do the job etc plus I like a bit of standardisation so that we can switch tractors/drivers (who are stockmen) between tasks in the event of failure of plan A.
To that end I have three pretty much identical loader tractors.

 

[Phil P]

Quality of machinery has vastly improved over the last 20 years, technology has brought advancement in accuracy, cost savings and better productivity. But with that it’s become more complex.
Do you find that you are more reliant on dealer technicians due to this for repair work?

No

 

[traineefarmer]

Build quality. Brand reputation. Country of manufacture. Parts availability. Ability to repair in field without a NASA supercomputer. Dealer.

 

[Mark Hatton]

Build quality. Brand reputation. Country of manufacture. Parts availability. Dealer.

Country of manufacture is interesting, what’s the driver behind that?

 

[traineefarmer]

Country of manufacture is interesting, what’s the driver behind that?

We try to buy British wherever possible, unless such a machine isn't made here or is complete rubbish compared to foreign made. Our customers work in the factories where the machines are made so we support them like we expect them to support British food.

 

[B R C]

Different for every machine surely, there’s price, build quality, expected life span, amount of use/abuse it’s going to get, ease of use, ease of maintenance, parts availability (ie time critical or not), cost of maintenance, residual values, does the colour match your other machines, what the neighbours think. Etc etc etc items with engines or electronics generally need decent back up, other things trailers, cultivators, telehandler attachments generally don’t.

 

[Bignor Farmer]

Generally speaking, I usually know what I want and will only buy from a handful of brands based on my perception of likely functionality, lifespan, reliability, backup and resale. I then start looking for the best deal I can get.

The days of multiple demonstrations from all the dealers to decide between 4 or 5 machines are long gone. In some regards the salesman is fairly obsolete, the farmer might know more about a specialist piece of kit than the local salesman and the demo would be done by a national specialist from the manufacturer...... Tin Hat on

 

[spin cycle]

if i've any money...which isn't very often

 

[Mark Hatton]

We try to buy British wherever possible, unless such a machine isn't made here or is complete rubbish compared to foreign made. Our customers work in the factories where the machines are made so we support them like we expect them to support British food.

Would I take it from that there’s a fleet of blue tractors in the yard based on that then?

 

[Nearly]

@Dave W

 

[deleted user 837354]

First consideration: what does the operator(s) want?

Good labour is hard to come by and allowing them to shape investment in facilities or equipment is one way of keeping them in the job. They will also care for a machine that they value and it will live longer and be less abused.

 

[Mark Hatton]

Different for every machine surely, there’s price, build quality, expected life span, amount of use/abuse it’s going to get, ease of use, ease of maintenance, parts availability (ie time critical or not), cost of maintenance, residual values, does the colour match your other machines, what the neighbours think. Etc etc etc items with engines or electronics generally need decent back up, other things trailers, cultivators, telehandler attachments generally don’t.

Huge amount of factors dependent upon machine I suspect, spares and service back up must play a massive part in decision making. How much consideration do you give to operator preference or does it not play as bigger part in decision making as kit quality has improved over the years?

 

[Dave W]

@Dave W

My considerations???
How fooked is it and will it fit on trailer