I feel lost - dealer wise

[prosperity]

This is weird, I know, but..please bear with me.

I've owned nothing but Deere equipment all my life - started out in New Jersery when I was 19 years old, and has continued all my adult life. I've been in and out of the mowing business during these past 30 years, but have always had at least one piece of Green equipment with me.

Over the years, I have been both ridiculed, and congratulated for having Deere equipment. And, my history over the last 30 years with Deere has been just great. Even my wife can only see green....

Onward to the last couple months.....

My one and only Deere dealer, just changed hands. It was actually a forced buyout by a "mega-dealer" - long story....this seems to be the way Deere is staying in the market, or to be a market leader.

In the past, for example, if I broke down, with a piece of equipment even out or warranty, if my dealer couldn't get me fixed up withing a couple hours, they would give me another piece of equipment so I could keep on going. I don't care what color the equipment is - the dealer support means everything, and in my history, it has been my Deere dealer. Everything I own, down to blowers and trimmers, is Deere for this reason.

Now, the "mega-dealer" takes over......
Who turning out to be my friend over the years, the sales manager, has now left.....and of course I asked him "why"....he said the new company will not let him do business like he has for the past 20 years. If you break down, even with a piece of equipment under warranty, the will not offer me something to keep me going. They are into the volume sales only.....

It's only been about 1 month since the takeover, but I needed to go in and give a "test" for myself. I used to get a 15% discount on parts (yes, I have some older Deere equipment).....list price...period!

I live in a very rural area - for commercial mowing equipment, this dealer is the only one close enough - even at 20 miles away.

I'm scared now.

The next closest dealer, has Gravely - and I like the machines. But, they are ~60 miles away. Stopped in today - for the first time - got the feeling of service from them that I had over the last 20 years......

What did Deere do to me...the little solo operator.....

Geeze, I've spent probably 50K with Deere over my years, and, I know, not as big as some, but........

Any comments..?

[jkingrph]

I live in a small town where a local law equipment shop handled JD. I had bought a couple of JD products, one of the high grade lawn tractors and a string trimmer and have excellent service from them, then about two years ago JD pulled their dealership. I refuse to go 30 miles for green, so went across town and bought a Scag ZTR

[DiyDave]

From bad to worse! Don't let the Gravely dealer fool ya! They are worse than Deere (if that's possible!) Just sold the last Gravely I"ll ever own. I feel free!:walking: :walking:

[Vikings]

From bad to worse! Don't let the Gravely dealer fool ya! They are worse than Deere (if that's possible!) Just sold the last Gravely I"ll ever own. I feel free!:walking: :walking:

Privately owned dealerships have their tone set by the owners not the brand they sell. That being said, my Gravely dealer sucks to.:laugh: They also sell Toro but when I asked about Toro they gave me their gravely brochure. It's the same colour and maybe I can't read.

[DiyDave]

Privately owned dealerships have their tone set by the owners not the brand they sell. That being said, my Gravely dealer sucks to.:laugh: They also sell Toro but when I asked about Toro they gave me their gravely brochure. It's the same colour and maybe I can't read.
Flock together!

[Cut n Edge Lawncare]

brought my shindaiwa eb8510 blower in for the fourth time in 2 months for a throttle cable problem. told the toro/kubota dealer it needed to be fixed right this time or I needed a new blower. The owner then proceeds to tell me he doesnt cater to commercial guys, he makes his money off of the services on his kubota tractor customers.

I stand their stunned looking at the toro mowers and shindy blowers and trimmers. He told me if I had any more problems with the blower I would have to take it up with shindaiwa. I was beyond pissed but I remained calm. I am gonna express my opinion by not spending another dime with him and trashing him too every lawnguy I know.

Went home called shindaiwa, talked to the csm for my area told him who the dealer was, what was said, and how I was treated. The csm then told me there was a fix for the blower, not a recall, but a fix. They are replacing the 3 piece cable with a 1 piece cable. going Monday too have it corrected.

I cant believe the nerve of these jerk off dealers, If you are in EAST TENNESSE beware of the EQUIPMENT that you buy and where you buy it:nono:

[newz7151]

Went home called shindaiwa, talked to the csm for my area told him who the dealer was, what was said, and how I was treated. The csm then told me there was a fix for the blower, not a recall, but a fix. They are replacing the 3 piece cable with a 1 piece cable. going Monday too have it corrected.



Hmm.. now you'd think, that being a Shindaiwa dealer, we would have been told about this, or at least get to read it in a service bulletin. That stupid 3 piece cable is what caused me to dick with a new 8510 out of the box for 30 minutes trying to get the carb to open all the way before I pulled all the covers off and found that one side of the cable was out of place. I guess since they had Redmax making their 630 engines for so long the Shindaiwa people lost themselves in backpack blowers.

Plus I get the feeling the Shindaiwa distributor for our area doesn't have their **** together the way it needs to be. Ordered a display for the multi tool system in December and JUST GOT it in on a truck today.....almost 5 months later. Other dealers in the star state know who....

[lawnman_scott]

I cant believe the nerve of these jerk off dealers, If you are in EAST TENNESSE beware of the EQUIPMENT that you buy and where you buy it:nono:Clever, very very clever.