in over 30 yrs in the machinery business, being a factory rep "blockman" in the old days, for NH, FIAT_HESSTON, being a major line dealer having CASE_WHITE_NH, and in the wholesale trade for a bit, yes things have changed. the big companies want numbers, numbers sold, market share, of the stuff they want to sell. if they want to sell 150 hp tractors and your market area is 50 hp tractors, sell the 150 hp tractors, that's what we got, that's what we want to sell, that's where we make the money. because eqpt is getting bigger and bigger, agriculture in our area is changing drasticly. i am a used machinery dealer buying and selling. every time there is a new line announcement from a major, i see a new face in my business, a farmer that can't afford the fancy new stuff. for every 9400jd, 4425jd, 4435jd, 4420jd, 4400jd combine (which there are darn few, for all the hipe jd puts out),there are 10 300mf, 205mf combines in my trade area. mf combine market share here is nearly 75%. why cause these farmers are small. 50_60 hp tractors are the norm but there are a ton of 35 hp tractors out there. the personal service afforded to the customer of 20 yrs ago is gone. many a day i hear from the little guy, "i want to buy a new 35 hp tractor , but the salesman was to busy chasing the dairy farmer for the 90 hp cab , 4wd loader tractor, so he couldn't talk with me" or "they gave literature and a price, take it or leave it, we don't want your trade, it's too old". we've built our business on personal contact, no retail calls unless a trade-in is involved, super fantastic service on some products , none on others and advertised as "asis" and we survive. the 20,000$ computer system tied to jd, or ih, or agco, or whoever cost us 1000$ and it does our books and keeps track of things. we have 1 day parts service from our suppliers. we can do what we want, concentrate on machine models that have a good reputation and a good population, carry the parts we need and give the 7_24 service required,...and remain profitable. BUT THINGS ARE CHANGING! and one needs to see this. it is cheaper today to completely rebuild 5 smaller combines and run them , than it is to buy one giant combine and run it. in either case, if a combine breaks down, one way we are still operating and the other way we're sittin on our ass. big is the way of the future, but everytime something bigger comes along, fewer get sold, fewer people are involved, fewer dealers exist, fewer.., fewer.., fewer.., . where will all this endIJ a few of my thoughts..........more than 2 cents worth.
