Combines trading combines

So it is up to us farmers to eat every possible little cost there is. Next thing we will be paying to send the dealers on vacation. Makes me think of the saying by JFK. Not sure if I got it exact but it will be close. Farmers are the only business men who buy at retail sell at wholesale and pay freight both ways.

I agree somewhat. Unfortunately everyone is cash tight these days. And if all companies and dealers do it the same way, we don't have a place to turn to. But ... if one day a manufacturer would come out with a product that performs well (I am optimistic that the CR does) and provides an A plus service with no questions asked, it would not be too hard to outclass the competition and take quite some market share in a hartbeat. Many people are willing to pay a little more for a product, if it comes with top nodge service.

We must be lucky to have a good dealer then because they have been known to turn up 400 to 500 miles away during the main havest to check with their clients that are custom harvesters.On one such occasion one of our new combines broke a stud in a shaft and I rang up to check on why this would happen and they said straight away" do you want us there to fix it_" I fixed it myself but it was nice to be asked.

Just how many service calls are you usually making on a new combine for warranty workIJ I can see one for setup and first startup but after that warranty work for most new combines should be few and far between. From first hand experience on my last 3 combines I've purchased new I've had 2 warranty service calls and 1 was from a factory screwup when they made the combine the other a computer qlitch. Now maybe with extended warranties(which I've never had nor needed) more service calls would be required but still there's no way the travel times could offset the dealer income from the sale of a new combine.

So 115 miles is to far to driveIJ Two hoursIJ You paying that guy $10-15 an hour is going to break youIJ What if you had 5 other combines along the wayIJ Would you not make money after the warranty is upIJ What if that combine guy buys other things like tractors and tools from youIJ Do you not make money thenIJ Think! Think bigger! Sorry just the facts. Ilnh

Yeah, I agree with you all the way. First off, how long is a warrantyIJ And after it is up all the work done would be paid for by the owner at a rate of near $70 an hour, or with the extended warranty the owner is still paying for the service. Maybe the dealers need to quit driving brand new pickups and stop taking so many vacations a year.

Obviously you are not a dealer of any major brandIJ Straight from the company purchases are commonplace and have been for years. Just not that many farms that big to make the numbers needed. I know of farms that buy 20-30 tractors at a pop, and they deal direct with dealers help in doing so. They are always gonna sale parts and some sell service if they careIJ Most don't thoughIJ It's a big world out here, venture past the next headrow sometimeIJ JD

If some of you think being a dealer, especially one who takes the risk of selling, or perhaps not selling, one or multiple $200,000 combines is easy money, jump right in! The man is right. Companies don't necessarily pay travel time or mileage for warranty work. And just how many warranty trips are these CR's going to takeIJ like any new machine, especially a combine, quite a few. Now while I don't agree with totally refusing to sell an interested party a machine, it is tough to try to 'guess' just how many trips out of my own pocket it is going to cost me. like the old adage says, try walking a mile in his shoes.

Harvester, I may not sell tractors and combines but I also have a trucking and feed company. I sell feed up to 65 miles away from my farm. At first I didn't make much money on one diary farm(maybe none at all) but soon I had more farms and it was all from word of mouth. Not to many other feed dealers there so now I have the whole area. About 20 farms there now. I have about 65 total farms I sell to. I got a bigger truck and trailer that I can fill up to 4 or 5 farms at once. I cut my overhead as I work out of my farm and don't have a feed store. I take the feed to them, nobody has time to come and pick up feed. I work 7 days a week at it and all hours of the day. People like my service and it's at a good price. I think combine dealers have to change and have there shop on wheels and go to the combine and not think the combine has to come to them. Not sure they really need a big shop any moreIJ Things change and you or we can also if we want too. Some people don't want too and that's okay because it makes way for new people to find a better way. Two things are for sure, there is not going to be more farmers in the future and farms are going to be big. Same will be for the combine dealers, less and bigger. Ilnh

Perhaps you should try walking a mile in australia we have just done over 300 mile with my dealer to look at a second hand tr99 at his expence and he payed for our meal I may be wrong but I bet he won't make as much out of the second hand machine as he would our of a new machine and with petrol in oz around $1 a litre(about 4 litres to the us gallon )it aint cheep to drive around. 100 mile hell that aint far we have to go 60 mile just to do the grocery shopping.