# Livestock Sector Carrying Iron Sales



## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

Making a slow Iron time better.

Regards, Mike

http://www.agweb.com/article/livestock-sector-driving-strength-in-tractor-sales-NAA-tyne-morgan/


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## Tim/South (Dec 12, 2011)

I imagine the majority of the "livestock" tractor purchases should be hay tractor purchases. I know the two go hand in hand, neither could survive with out the other. There are a lot of people in my real life and on this forum who make hay and do not own cattle. Seems a majority of members on the cattle forums buy hay.

I am willing to bet that over the years the hay/cattle/dairy purchases for tractors has carried the load for a lot of tractor companies. We may not buy a half million dollar combine but I bet the large dealers who looked at us as an after thought wish they had our business now.


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## hog987 (Apr 5, 2011)

Tim/South said:


> I imagine the majority of the "livestock" tractor purchases should be hay tractor purchases. I know the two go hand in hand, neither could survive with out the other. There are a lot of people in my real life and on this forum who make hay and do not own cattle. Seems a majority of members on the cattle forums buy hay.
> I am willing to bet that over the years the hay/cattle/dairy purchases for tractors has carried the load for a lot of tractor companies. We may not buy a half million dollar combine but I bet the large dealers who looked at us as an after thought wish they had our business now.


Iam with you. Now maybe some of the dealers will give me the time of day when I go into talk to them. A bunch of them lately wont give a guy the time of day unless he is going to spend at least $100000.


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## endrow (Dec 15, 2011)

.Here in this area there are some big time crop farmers but they are far and few between. Dairy farmers buying the equipment or paying customer operators to do their work and their milk checks are the motivating force behind most new iron purchases


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## NDVA HAYMAN (Nov 24, 2009)

Could not help but notice that the huge Vermeer baler just spit out an itsey, bitsey bale?


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## barnrope (Mar 22, 2010)

NDVA HAYMAN said:


> Could not help but notice that the huge Vermeer baler just spit out an itsey, bitsey bale?


Thats a silage baler.....


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## Grateful11 (Apr 5, 2009)

Wife and son are trying to work out a deal on Kubota L6060 tractor. Heck one dealer an hour and half away wouldn't even give them a quote, said there wasn't much to be made off of them and basically brushed us all off, piss on him. Two other dealers never got back and one of those was for a JD 4066R, he thought he'd give Deere a shot at it also, too bad for him because they will buy a tractor from someone. I told my wife today I was going to call one nearby dealer and see what was going on and she said, "no you're not let him contact us and if doesn't too bad". She's right why should we call them on a follow up, that's what they're in business for, to sale equipment.

Too many of these dealers have forgotten who got them to where they are now. Used to be a 50-100hp tractor or a new baler was a decent sale now that kinda sale seems like it might as well be dust on the floor only to swept out at the end of the day. Maybe when a few more dealerships go under some of the others will wake up and smell the coffee.


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## luke strawwalker (Jul 31, 2014)

Grateful11 said:


> Wife and son are trying to work out a deal on Kubota L6060 tractor. Heck one dealer an hour and half away wouldn't even give them a quote, said there wasn't much to be made off of them and basically brushed us all off, piss on him. Two other dealers never got back and one of those was for a JD 4066R, he thought he'd give Deere a shot at it also, too bad for him because they will buy a tractor from someone. I told my wife today I was going to call one nearby dealer and see what was going on and she said, "no you're not let him contact us and if doesn't too bad". She's right why should we call them on a follow up, that's what they're in business for, to sale equipment.
> 
> Too many of these dealers have forgotten who got them to where they are now. Used to be a 50-100hp tractor or a new baler was a decent sale now that kinda sale seems like it might as well be dust on the floor only to swept out at the end of the day. Maybe when a few more dealerships go under some of the others will wake up and smell the coffee.


Yeah, I hear ya... BTDT. IMHO my money is as green as anybody else's; if a guy doesn't want to put forth a little effort to make a sale, WHY should I reward him with my business??

It's like years ago when we were row cropping, we bought a newer used truck every few years... sometimes we even bought a new one. I got chummy with a local dealer named Dan... he was a fast mover and shaker, didn't pull any BS, just give you the bottom line and if you could deal, sign the papers and hit the road. If not, well, maybe he'd have something else in a couple weeks or so...

He didn't waste time with all the BS sales stunts that the other slick-willy car dealers were taught... he'd look it up, talk to the manager, see how low he'd REALLY go (or go talk to him "inside the main office" if they needed to do a little finagling between them... He'd come back with a figure, if you were trading something in, he'd take a look and give you a number, and either you liked it and signed the papers, or "nah, don't think I can do that-- I'll see what you got in a couple weeks" type thing. Old Dan didn't mess with the "dirty tricks" because frankly, he was making too many sales... he'd sell 3-4 cars a DAY where the other salesmen pulling all the BS car dealer tricks and wasting hours dickering and playing games were lucky to sell 3-4 cars a WEEK. The other salesmen REALLY got jealous and PO'd when you'd be looking around the lot, and they come sauntering up to you layering it on with a spoon and we'd say, "Oh, I want to talk to Dan..." Heck when we bought our new truck, we dealt with Dan... REALLY didn't want to mess with the slick-willy "top salesmen" on the new car floor (Dan was in used cars). Technically, Dan couldn't sell us a NEW truck, but he drew up the papers and had his son sign them and get the commission as if he did the deal... his son got paid the commission and they settled up later between themselves.

I don't mess around with crappy salesmen. If a guy is "too busy" to sell me something when I need it, screw him-- I'll find someone ready to make a deal.

Later! OL JR


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## 8350HiTech (Jul 26, 2013)

On principle, I can see what you guys are saying about not having to call a salesman an extra time. But what is the downside? If you call an extra time and he blows you off, no harm done. If, on the other hand, he presents you with a figure you like, you might just be very happy you hounded him a bit. Even if you hate his guts, you get to deal with the service and parts department from then on.


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## luke strawwalker (Jul 31, 2014)

8350HiTech said:


> On principle, I can see what you guys are saying about not having to call a salesman an extra time. But what is the downside? If you call an extra time and he blows you off, no harm done. If, on the other hand, he presents you with a figure you like, you might just be very happy you hounded him a bit. Even if you hate his guts, you get to deal with the service and parts department from then on.


Yeah, I see your point... and I've been known to call back if I'm *really* interested in hearing what they have to say...

Not above letting them know how badly they bungled their customer service, either... Like you said, it can't hurt...

I've had a dealer try the "we've got protected territories" routine on me after trying to scalp me on a tractor deal and I ended up buying it from a dealer 100 miles away. I wasn't shy of telling him how the cow ate the cabbage on that one either-- "Well, protected territories or no, I wouldn't have paid what YOU were asking for that tractor anyway-- I'd have bought a Massey or put more with it and got a Deere before I'd have paid what *YOU* quoted me..." He shut right up!

Someone mentioned the "protected territories" nonsense with a Deere dealer... I wouldn't let that stop me... buy the thing local, if you can make a deal, then give all your follow-up business to the dealer *elsewhere*. Have him do any service needed and buy the parts from the other other guy as well...

Problem is *some* local dealers are real CROOKS and just want to clean your plow on the sale and aren't worth a rip for service or parts anyway... in that case, yeah, I'd probably be looking for another brand if the dealer "elsewhere" doesn't want to sell to you because you're "in the other guy's territory"...

Later! OL JR


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## Tim/South (Dec 12, 2011)

I called several dealers last year asking the price on a new Krone disc mower. Only one returned my call. He got my business.

A friend was at a farm expo and was looking at sprayers. The ones on display were the mega sprayers. He wanted a new 500 gallon tag along. The sales rep or company rep, not sure which, looked my friend in the eye and said, " Do you think we rented all this floor space to sell 500 gallon sprayers"? "You can see those on a local lot".

My friend just smiled and walked away. My friend could have written a check for any piece of machinery at the expo. Self made millionaire who started a business with one wielding machine and good bed side manners.


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## deadmoose (Oct 30, 2011)

Some are just not bright.

I recall a story when I was a kid about my grandpa going to buy a new vehicle. His glasses recently broke but some tape fixed that no problem. The vehicle he wanted was at first dealer. They didnt give him time of day. He ended up at another with different make.

Did I mention he wrote a good check in the full amount?

Salesman has gotta be a tough job. Never judge a book by its cover.


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## Tim/South (Dec 12, 2011)

Smart salesmen around here will rush to meet a man in overalls. Too many stories about the man reaching into his bib and buying a new truck with cash.


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## Grateful11 (Apr 5, 2009)

Tim/South said:


> I called several dealers last year asking the price on a new Krone disc mower. Only one returned my call. He got my business.
> 
> A friend was at a farm expo and was looking at sprayers. The ones on display were the mega sprayers. He wanted a new 500 gallon tag along. The sales rep or company rep, not sure which, looked my friend in the eye and said, " Do you think we rented all this floor space to sell 500 gallon sprayers"? "You can see those on a local lot".
> 
> My friend just smiled and walked away. My friend could have written a check for any piece of machinery at the expo. Self made millionaire who started a business with one wielding machine and good bed side manners.


I knew an elderly man that went to a Mercedes dealership in Charlotte one day, said he always wanted to own a Mercedes, drove one after some odd looks by the sales people and their high dollar clothes. He asked them about the seats and the sales guy told it wasn't real leather but something better. The elderly guy said thanks but no thanks and he never heard back from them again, they had his number. He could have written a check for any vehicle they had on the lot. I know this is true because I went with him that day. He ended up buying something, a loaded Thunderbird I think, didn't keep that very long. He could go to the local Chevrolet dealer and pick out a new truck and drive it home. They knew him and knew he was good for it. He would go back after a few days or weeks later and hand them a check. He never carried collision insurance on any vehicle he ever had, they were always paid for and he said, if "I" wreck it it's my fault, I'll pay for it.


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## Tim/South (Dec 12, 2011)

In 1976 my grandfather bought his first brand new vehicle, a Ford LTD. Paid for it in $20 bills. Took a while to count and recount the money. He was raised during the depression and was always saving in case "hard times" returned. He finally figured he had enough put back to enjoy a new car.

He died the next year at 72. Cut hay one day, had a massive heart attack the next day.

Took us a month to convince my grandmother to gather all the hidden stashes and put them in the bank. The banks had gone under during the depression and my great grandfather went from well off to dirt poor and scratching to keep the farm.

A year later, on her own, my grandmother took more than a dozen coffee cans with silver coins to the bank and cashed them in at face value. I still blame the bank for allowing her to do that. Not the money as much as taking advantage of a widow not knowing the value.


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## luke strawwalker (Jul 31, 2014)

Tim/South said:


> I called several dealers last year asking the price on a new Krone disc mower. Only one returned my call. He got my business.
> 
> A friend was at a farm expo and was looking at sprayers. The ones on display were the mega sprayers. He wanted a new 500 gallon tag along. The sales rep or company rep, not sure which, looked my friend in the eye and said, " Do you think we rented all this floor space to sell 500 gallon sprayers"? "You can see those on a local lot".
> 
> My friend just smiled and walked away. My friend could have written a check for any piece of machinery at the expo. Self made millionaire who started a business with one wielding machine and good bed side manners.


Yep... lotta turkeys out there with a bad attitude...

Ends up costing them sometimes... Seen it and experienced it myself...

Later! OL JR


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