Tractor Purchase Not Working Out, Getting Stressed

Oct 24, 2019
228
8
18
IN
It's been over 6 weeks since I first signed up for a BX23S with my local dealer. The two they had on the lot when I first looked at them had been sold, and my dealer said it would just take a few days to get one from the factory. That led into a multiple week delay with some QC issue at the factory (I made a separate post about this). My dealer finally got a BX transferred from another one of their locations, and even that took a couple weeks. Then there was a hydraulic issue with the new tractor and that is taking more than a week to fix (I was assured it was a non-issue, but they had to order parts). From week 1, it's been 'delivery next week', but it never happens.

I was initially ecstatic about this purchase, but now I'm a little stress ball. Many of the projects I'd planned will now have to wait until spring. I even have some materials sitting around now, always thinking I would have a tractor any day.

The good news, I guess, about the huge delay, is that I've been able to read up on a lot of implements that I might want to wrap into the purchase. However, now most of those things are just going to sit around for months before they're useful to me. I didn't initially have snow clearing in mind when I went tractor shopping, but now I'm almost making myself look at snow clearing attachments, kind of to justify the purchase and be able to use it sooner.

Here's what really grinds my gears: Early on, I'd discounted the John Deere 1025r, mostly because it was thousands more. The 1025r is more capable in some ways (loader and position control), but I didn't like the fit and styling as much and also I thought the somewhat smaller BX would actually be better suited for my application (mostly working in small residential lots). They're not vastly different though. Now, my local John Deere dealer (on the same road as the Kubota dealer) is running a special which makes the 1025r basically the same price as the BX. They're trying to move out their 2019 stock. I could have had a tractor last week, or maybe earlier. Had I known I wouldn't have a tractor until mid December (if that), and that the 1025r would become so competitively priced, I don't know if I still would have gone with the BX. I don't know if Kubota dealers also price seasonally, but now I feel like I'm paying September prices on a December tractor.

I like my Kubota dealer, I think he's a good guy, but I feel like this is turning into a lousy deal for me. I'm not sure what to do. I'd feel really bad about backing out of the purchase, and I haven't invested enough time looking into the 1025r and the JD attachments to know if I would really want to switch to that tractor. Is it reasonable to ask my dealer to adjust the price or maybe sell me a couple implements at cost or something like that? Since we first started, the number of implements I was considering went from something like a couple grand, to around $11k, though I haven't made final decisions on all of those yet (still waiting to see if I'll ever get a tractor).

Thanks for your advice.
 

SMKK

Member

Equipment
B2650
Aug 22, 2019
109
4
18
Lachine, QC
In my opinion, the relationship you have with your dealer is critical, more than pricing. Tractors last a long time so if you don’t trust you dealer it won’t be pleasant.
 

BAP

Well-known member
Lifetime Member

Equipment
2012 Kubota 2920, 60MMM, FEL, BH65 48" Bush Hog, 60"Backblade, B2782B Snowblower
Dec 31, 2012
2,513
657
113
New Hampshire
Sounds to me like some of the problems are with your dealership. If they brought your tractor in from another one of their locations, and it took them several weeks to figure out they could do it, then I would say they aren’t that smart. Also, it shouldn’t take too long to set a tractor up even adding on things like 3rd functions.
 

sdk1968

Active member
Lifetime Member

Equipment
B2601HSD & CK4010HST 4WD/FEL
Oct 19, 2016
929
35
28
Ohio
yeah ....

couple of things to look at here:

1: the dealer. sorry this is NOT a good look for your dealer. if he is having this much trouble delivering the tractor & setting it up? imagine if anything actually needs done. gonna have a hard time convincing me or most other people that this dealer is a good dealer.

2: if you are questioning Kubo vs Deere? then you shouldnt have made the purchase yet, regardless of price. a person needs to be satisfied that they picked the right machine BEFORE they pay for it. If not? then you will probably never be happy with it & will always second guess yourself.


so foot notes to all of this?

dealers: some are incredible. some are just in it for $$. my Kubo dealer is actually a woman (Leesa) & she is very knowledgeable & they have it on the lot or they transfer it on the same day..... would never "wait" weeks for a tractor. that means they arent moving enough volume to keep some inventory on hand.

tractors: eh this is the old ford vs chevy thing. if you are a Kubo guy? nothing is better. if you are a deere guy? nothing is better.

there are pros/cons to both.
 

sparky45

Active member

Equipment
L 3301DT
Dec 5, 2018
248
51
28
SEDAN
IMO; it's time to squeeze the Dealer for "pain and suffering". I would have been off that deal after a couple of weeks. He's got to have other tractors in his inventory similar to what you are trying to buy but maybe a step up in value. Offer to buy that model for the same price as you are paying for the one that never seems to be available. Worst he can say is no.
 

Roadworthy

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Lifetime Member

Equipment
L2501 HST
Aug 17, 2019
1,649
525
113
Benton City, WA
From what I read you haven't bought a tractor you've bought a promise of a tractor - and the promise has been broken a number of times. I hope Deere in your area offers better support because Kubota sure isn't cutting it.
 

Tornado

Well-known member
May 7, 2019
793
250
63
usa
Im with the others here. You need to go with your gut or you will never be happy. If I were you I would have likely already backed out of this deal. I think I would pull out of the deal. I would simply be honest and open with the dealer. I would tell him that the whole excercize has just turned into way more headache than you want out of this deal. Over 6 weeks to make a purchase...I just cant understand that. Any big purchase I've made like this, a good dealer will move mountains to get you the product you want, even if they have to reach out across the state to other dealers or something. It has become unreasonable at this point. I would tell him about the john deere offer and just be real about it. If he cares, he will step up immediately and sweeten the deal to get you to stay. If he makes no attempt to keep you, I would 100% walk away from the deal.
 

orange crusher

Well-known member

Equipment
BX 2680
Sep 30, 2017
356
479
63
ontario canada
Im with the others here. You need to go with your gut or you will never be happy. If I were you I would have likely already backed out of this deal. I think I would pull out of the deal. I would simply be honest and open with the dealer. I would tell him that the whole excercize has just turned into way more headache than you want out of this deal. Over 6 weeks to make a purchase...I just cant understand that. Any big purchase I've made like this, a good dealer will move mountains to get you the product you want, even if they have to reach out across the state to other dealers or something. It has become unreasonable at this point. I would tell him about the john deere offer and just be real about it. If he cares, he will step up immediately and sweeten the deal to get you to stay. If he makes no attempt to keep you, I would 100% walk away from the deal.

Absolutely sound advice.....................
 
Oct 24, 2019
228
8
18
IN
A few notes:
Yes, I think the dealer could have worked harder to get a tractor in hand. However, Kubota is also largely to blame for not being able to supply their dealers. My dealer placed the order immediately, and kept making followup calls too. Another Kubota dealer just told me that getting stock in this time of year from Kubota can be very difficult.

The John Deere dealer having stock and the Kubota dealer not having stock doesn't seem like a clear indication that one is a better dealership. It could be the case that people are choosing Kubota at higher rates, and Kubota can't keep up. My dealer has sold a few BX's within a couple months, so it isn't as though they're completely stagnant. They do deal mostly with Case, and the JD dealer told me to be concerned that Case will enter the sub-compact market and then my dealer will stop supporting Kubota...not sure what to think of that.

Strangely, the JD dealer has zero implements on their lot - I can't look at anything and everything has to be ordered. The Kubota dealer actually has some implements I can look at.
The Kubota dealer knew his product much better than the JD knew his. Seems like the Kubota guy comes from a farming background whereas the JD guy is just a salesman. The JD guy barely knew anything about adding a third function, except that he knew it was possible (he couldn't even figure out the part numbers and pricing), whereas the Kubota guy said they'd installed a bunch of them and knew it well. If my tractor needs a part, I'm pretty sure the Kubota guy will know what to order, and the JD guy won't. However, I don't know if that means I'll actually get my part faster. JD just seems to have a stronger parts network.

Regarding JD vs Kubota. Of course price matters - it isn't a non-issue. Coming from a hand shovel, I'll do great with either machine. The loader capacity and position control on the 1025r seemed like pretty big positives for the JD machine. However, I didn't feel that those two things really bought me a lot more meaningful productivity, given that my projects are rather small scale. I saw no reason to pay thousands more. I don't think I'll ever be able to determine how much this matters until I've used a machine for a year or so.

I think part of my frustration goes like this: I like the Kubota BX. I like how compact and sleek it is. Everything seems very nicely though-out and it seems sized perfectly for my use. The JD seems blocky and dated to me, but I just cannot deny that it is the stronger and higher-valued machine. I think I find it upsetting that I'm more attracted to one machine, but my brain won't stop telling me that the other machine is more capable and possibly the better value.

I'm going to talk to my dealer asap and tell him I'm getting really soured with the deal, and see what he'll do.
Thanks for all the advice, and any more that anyone could care to give.
 
Last edited:

PaulL

Well-known member

Equipment
B2601
Jul 17, 2017
2,098
1,105
113
NZ
I'll post a counterpoint. Waiting sucks, but once you have the tractor all that will vanish. You'll have it long after the wait is forgotten. Pick the right tractor for you, if that's the Kubota, then keep waiting, and maybe give your dealer a bit of a hurry up on it actually being finished.

If the Kubota isn't really the right tractor for you, then change.

But don't change because of the wait. That's annoying but not a reason to change what you buy.
 

SDT

Well-known member

Equipment
multiple and various
Apr 15, 2018
3,084
923
113
SE, IN
It's been over 6 weeks since I first signed up for a BX23S with my local dealer. The two they had on the lot when I first looked at them had been sold, and my dealer said it would just take a few days to get one from the factory. That led into a multiple week delay with some QC issue at the factory (I made a separate post about this). My dealer finally got a BX transferred from another one of their locations, and even that took a couple weeks. Then there was a hydraulic issue with the new tractor and that is taking more than a week to fix (I was assured it was a non-issue, but they had to order parts). From week 1, it's been 'delivery next week', but it never happens.

I was initially ecstatic about this purchase, but now I'm a little stress ball. Many of the projects I'd planned will now have to wait until spring. I even have some materials sitting around now, always thinking I would have a tractor any day.

The good news, I guess, about the huge delay, is that I've been able to read up on a lot of implements that I might want to wrap into the purchase. However, now most of those things are just going to sit around for months before they're useful to me. I didn't initially have snow clearing in mind when I went tractor shopping, but now I'm almost making myself look at snow clearing attachments, kind of to justify the purchase and be able to use it sooner.

Here's what really grinds my gears: Early on, I'd discounted the John Deere 1025r, mostly because it was thousands more. The 1025r is more capable in some ways (loader and position control), but I didn't like the fit and styling as much and also I thought the somewhat smaller BX would actually be better suited for my application (mostly working in small residential lots). They're not vastly different though. Now, my local John Deere dealer (on the same road as the Kubota dealer) is running a special which makes the 1025r basically the same price as the BX. They're trying to move out their 2019 stock. I could have had a tractor last week, or maybe earlier. Had I known I wouldn't have a tractor until mid December (if that), and that the 1025r would become so competitively priced, I don't know if I still would have gone with the BX. I don't know if Kubota dealers also price seasonally, but now I feel like I'm paying September prices on a December tractor.

I like my Kubota dealer, I think he's a good guy, but I feel like this is turning into a lousy deal for me. I'm not sure what to do. I'd feel really bad about backing out of the purchase, and I haven't invested enough time looking into the 1025r and the JD attachments to know if I would really want to switch to that tractor. Is it reasonable to ask my dealer to adjust the price or maybe sell me a couple implements at cost or something like that? Since we first started, the number of implements I was considering went from something like a couple grand, to around $11k, though I haven't made final decisions on all of those yet (still waiting to see if I'll ever get a tractor).

Thanks for your advice.
I will be very surprised if your dealer reduces his price for you, regardless of the delays.

I would simply go buy the JD, which I prefer.

SDT
 

orange crusher

Well-known member

Equipment
BX 2680
Sep 30, 2017
356
479
63
ontario canada
We can all get an ample drift on how frustrated you are. You have been given some sound advise in answer to your quiry. Instead of continually coming here to vent your frustrations, grow a set and go vent on your dealer. As some have already said on here previously, you should have sent that deal down the road kicking stones well before this point. I'm sure there is more than 1 dealer in Illinois. Since your paying the bills on this
deal learn to be the shot maker not the shot taker.
 

Orangeglow

Active member

Equipment
2015 BX2370
Jun 19, 2014
316
144
43
Prescott, Ontario
Lots of good advice here. I feel the pain that the OP is going thru.
I absolutely hate waiting for anything I want to purchase.
Cancel your order ASAP, and go get the exact tractor you want from someone else.
I would never, ever place an order for a new vehicle, snowmobile, tractor or trailer. It boggles my mind how snowmobile manufacturers are able to suck sledders into ordering a new sled, that they have to wait 9 months for. And the manufacturers have the right to change whatever they want to change, after they get your order, so what you ordered isn,t necessarily what you might be getting.
Re tractors, I,m lucky that within a 100 mile radius, there are several John Deere, Kioti and Kubota dealers, so after a few phone calls I was able to narrow down which dealers I was interested in dealing with. I ended up buying a new Kubota BX2370. I found the dealer that had one in stock, and was giving me a good trade-in value on my BX2360. I spent a few hours on the road, and came home with a brand new tractor.
 

SidecarFlip

Banned

Equipment
M9000HDCC3, M9000HD, Kubota GS850 Sidekick
Oct 28, 2018
7,197
546
83
USA
Lots of good advice here. I feel the pain that the OP is going thru.
I absolutely hate waiting for anything I want to purchase.
Cancel your order ASAP, and go get the exact tractor you want from someone else.
I would never, ever place an order for a new vehicle, snowmobile, tractor or trailer. It boggles my mind how snowmobile manufacturers are able to suck sledders into ordering a new sled, that they have to wait 9 months for. And the manufacturers have the right to change whatever they want to change, after they get your order, so what you ordered isn,t necessarily what you might be getting.
Re tractors, I,m lucky that within a 100 mile radius, there are several John Deere, Kioti and Kubota dealers, so after a few phone calls I was able to narrow down which dealers I was interested in dealing with. I ended up buying a new Kubota BX2370. I found the dealer that had one in stock, and was giving me a good trade-in value on my BX2360. I spent a few hours on the road, and came home with a brand new tractor.
Gave up on sleds some years back. Depreciation curve is way too steep. If I ever considered another, it would be a used one. Let someone else take the depreciation hit. I do the same with automobiles and trucks.

It's my contention with a tractor that a good dealer within close proximity is everything and I have just that.

I's be very uncomfortable with this dealer, I'd never be doing business with him in the first place and I believe I'd touch base with Kubota concerning the experience as well. Been my experience that Kubota is very receptive tp customer concerns.
 

SMKK

Member

Equipment
B2650
Aug 22, 2019
109
4
18
Lachine, QC
Im with the others here. You need to go with your gut or you will never be happy. If I were you I would have likely already backed out of this deal. I think I would pull out of the deal. I would simply be honest and open with the dealer. I would tell him that the whole excercize has just turned into way more headache than you want out of this deal. Over 6 weeks to make a purchase...I just cant understand that. Any big purchase I've made like this, a good dealer will move mountains to get you the product you want, even if they have to reach out across the state to other dealers or something. It has become unreasonable at this point. I would tell him about the john deere offer and just be real about it. If he cares, he will step up immediately and sweeten the deal to get you to stay. If he makes no attempt to keep you, I would 100% walk away from the deal.
I agree with this - if the dealer is really being hampered by Kubota he will be able to get concessions from Kubota to be able to "give" you something.
As an example, when my snow blower did not arrive with the tractor the dealer still delivered my tractor on the day I wanted it. He then picked up, fitted the blower, dropped it off and gave me a 50% discount on a set of HLA SSQA forks for my trouble of not having my blower in September for me, and he also threw in my 50 hour maintenance, a few hats and some other goodies for kids.

you dealer should know that once he has a client it is going to be a 20+ year relationship and you are going to keep coming back for stuff.
 

MadMax31

Member

Equipment
BX23S, 60" MMM
Nov 5, 2014
766
8
18
New York
I was you, two years ago...

The BX23S was X dollars with MMM

The 1025R was 2000 more without a MMM

I didnt like the ***8220;one at a time***8221; hydraulics on the Deere loader, and the backhoe was way more jerky than the BX. Other than that, I prefered the larger size of the Deere. I prefer the side by side pedals ( hip issues ) BX was 0% for 84, Deere 0% for 60. I put half down, so my payment is nill anyway, but why rush 0% money?

Waiting does suck, and I believe Dealers have no clue what actual wait times are. I ordered my cab Aug 5th so I would have it before the snow and wind arrived. It took until Oct 15th to show up. The build dates on the boxes were Sept, Oct...

Deere makes a great machine but ultimately I believe Kubota makes the best SCUT on earth. Massey makes a damn good unit, but their heads are soo far up their backsides with pricing...
 
Oct 24, 2019
228
8
18
IN
I was you, two years ago...

The BX23S was X dollars with MMM

The 1025R was 2000 more without a MMM

I didnt like the ***8220;one at a time***8221; hydraulics on the Deere loader, and the backhoe was way more jerky than the BX. Other than that, I prefered the larger size of the Deere. I prefer the side by side pedals ( hip issues ) BX was 0% for 84, Deere 0% for 60. I put half down, so my payment is nill anyway, but why rush 0% money?

Waiting does suck, and I believe Dealers have no clue what actual wait times are. I ordered my cab Aug 5th so I would have it before the snow and wind arrived. It took until Oct 15th to show up. The build dates on the boxes were Sept, Oct...

Deere makes a great machine but ultimately I believe Kubota makes the best SCUT on earth. Massey makes a damn good unit, but their heads are soo far up their backsides with pricing...
I'm surprised you put any money down, or was it 0% for 84 months requiring a down payment?
When I thought about the pedals, frankly, I'm not sure I cared for either one. I don't know what I would want instead, but neither of the two thrilled me. I'm probably just used to shifting gears to reverse. What I did conclude, was that the BX was probably much safer to let someone else operate, since the pedal control is super obvious.
 

GreensvilleJay

Well-known member

Equipment
BX23-S,57 A-C D-14,58 A-C D-14, 57 A-C D-14,tiller,cults,Millcreek 25G spreader,
Apr 2, 2019
9,670
3,916
113
Greensville,Ontario,Canada
re:...
Waiting does suck, and I believe Dealers have no clue what actual wait times are

It's rediculous that Kubota doen't KNOW where very machine is, that's what 'computers' are for.

I can go into a Ford dealership or go online, 'build a truck' and within seconds( whirr,buz,click,clik ) a report is issued to matching and near matching vehicles. Where and how far away.SQL is basic, entry level computering.

I bet my BX23S that Kub head office KNOWS the location of every tractor,bucket,BH, loaders, etc. IF it has a barcode on it..it IS in the 'system'. I KNOW the defective tires and rims are.

Buying a tractor is same as buying a truck, LOTS of makes, lots of dealers, lots of options...YOU get to choose WHERE to spend YOUR money.
 
Oct 24, 2019
228
8
18
IN
Met with my Kubota dealer for about an hour today. Listed my issues. He agreed and apologized about the string of delays. He was very adamant that this situation was a fluke and that their parts and service are usually very fast. I believe him. I've been in there a number of times over the past couple months and their service trucks seem to stay moving.

Before I proposed anything, he offered to do some of the implements at cost. We didn't get into any exact numbers though. I'm not really sure what the margins are on Land Pride stuff.

The BX is basically there any ready at this point. There was one other minor thing they needed to do, but I can't even remember what it was. I got to drive it around and operate everything. Some immediate thoughts:
BX is faster than the 1025r. I thought the specs only said 0.5mph faster, but it felt like more than that. Maybe I didn't try the 1025r at full throttle when I was driving it? Actually, I don't know if engine rpm's affects drive speed.
The loader actually has two functions at once, but since I barely know how to operate it, it is hard for me to appreciate that yet. I can't tell if the BX loader is bouncing more than the JD, or if I was just being much more careful operating the JD (dealer was saying they have to be really careful to demoing equipment). BX loader felt bouncy though, which I didn't like. The bigger JD hood blocks more view than the BX, but the loader buckets are about equally visible because the JD bucket is bigger. In general, I feel like I can see around the BX better, which makes sense because it is a bit smaller.
The backhoe on the BX is definitely smoother. JD is claiming that the updated 260B backhoe has cushioned cylinders, but it still felt pretty bangy to me. The BT603 on the BX felt much nicer. I'm glad I got to operate both machines within 24 hours, because I noticed some other things: the visibility on the BX backhoe seemed much better, and one big one that didn't occur to me is that the JD backhoe really can't be operated at all when in the drivers seat, because the backhoe seat completely blocks the backhoe controls. On the BX, you can just turn your body in the seat a bit and play with the backhoe - quite useful if you're just picking something up with the thumb to carry elsewhere.
The BX is not quieter as claimed on one of the Messicks videos. Both machines topped out at about 89db at full throttle, using my meter.

I asked my dealer more questions about the front sweeper for the BX. This item has given me more questions than anything, and another bigger dealer an hour away doesn't stock it either. My dealer is arranging a meeting with someone 20min away who has that BX sweeper setup, so hopefully I can actually see it operating. This item alone could draw a huge price and quality difference between the Kubota and the JD. Kubota's 60" sweeper setup is around $3800, and JD's 60" sweeper setup is about $5700. JD has a 52" sweeper for $4250, but it just seems like a much lighter duty version.

My Kubota dealer offered to drop off the BX tomorrow, less implements, so I could start using it. He's actually offering to do this before we even have a final sales contract, and after I told him I was feeling uneasy about going through with the purchase. I was surprised and didn't really give an answer to the offer. It sure would be nice to have a tractor this weekend.