re: Tractor Buyers

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If Massey takes quality, parts availability, competitive financing, warranty and SERVICE seriously, (which YOU will be service), they could make a real run at the small tractor market.

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Thank you for the feedback, we are very excited and have had a very good experience so far. They do offer zero percent financing for up to 84 months and our parts orders are getting to us in 3 to 4 days. We also will have a lot of parts in stock soon but you can never carry everything.

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PS. Pick your short lines well as this will be a large part of your business. Don’t just do business with any supplier because they sell you on consigned machines or other gimmicks. Do your research. You can get over extended if you take in too many suppliers. Find a good ZT line, power tool, and possibly S x S line eventually to compliment your tracror business. That’s how the better dealerships make it all work but it takes time, don’t get too excited and make bad decisions early on.

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Yes, we are also selling Dixie Chopper, Grasshopper, and BigDog zero turns. We will have outdoor power tools by Ego and Redmax. No SxS yet. I am not sure if we want to get into that.

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Sorry to be long winded, but I rely on the success of people like you to do business myself so I want to give all the advice I can. It’s not easy, but if successful can be a very profitable business that can be passed down for generations.

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No, this is really good feedback! My grandpaw has had the business for over 50 years. He is finally ready to slow down (He is almost 89 years old, lol) but My family decided that we wanted keep his legacy going. Part of that is investing in new products and Massey was a perfect fit.

Has your dealership always had tractors or is this a new addition?

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Massey Ferguson Tractor

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Do y’all happen to be located on Florida??

Not sure I agree as Massey has always produced a decent product. No telling how many square bales I picked up from a NH baler being pulled behind a MF 35 Diesel. It was an early 60's model and it's still running, Dad sold it to a guy that raises a truck patch with it.


I'd like to have a 1760 with cab & air but since I would only use it at the deer camp I can't justify the money for it. With that being the case I'm going to continue using my old JD990.

I’ve got a 1995 Massey Ferguson 231 with about 930 hours in it. Still runs good. Found a place in Mississippi for parts since there isn’t a large network of dealers.

I work at a tractor dealership and have a few points:

1.) You are close enough to Mississippi that you may deal with customers crossing state lines to avoid sales tax. To fight back you can sell into Mississippi and all you have to obtain is a receipt from a towing company stating that the tractor was delivered to Mississippi. Whether or not the customer and towing company actually go that far is not your business, you just need that receipt

2.) Going to be tough to have the same labor rate for lawn mowers and tractors, so have a plan for that.

3.) Good technicians are worth every penny.

4.) Right now inventory is low so you will be able to get more margin than normal, but understand that this is only temporary and your margins will likely have to drop once inventory returns and dealers compete with one another more. Right now whoever actually has the tractor gets the sale.

5.) Your service department should bill the cost of assembly and pre-delivery inspection to the cost of the tractor, that way you account for that when pricing it.

6.) Do not carry everything the manufacturer sales rep suggests. You will end up with all sorts of odd ball shite. Nobody want a 2 wheel drive 25hp tractor with no loader anymore.

7.) Ensure that your sales team documents their follow up activities in some sort of CRM (customer relations manager). Audit this and listen to phone calls to coach sales skills

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Your grandfather is a good man. I stopped by there to pick up a replacement disc for tractor and ended up talking to him for about an hour.

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Yea, he loves talking to people. I can't tell you how many people come by the store just to shoot the bull with him.

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I work at a tractor dealership and have a few points:

1.) You are close enough to Mississippi that you may deal with customers crossing state lines to avoid sales tax. To fight back you can sell into Mississippi and all you have to obtain is a receipt from a towing company stating that the tractor was delivered to Mississippi. Whether or not the customer and towing company actually go that far is not your business, you just need that receipt

2.) Going to be tough to have the same labor rate for lawn mowers and tractors, so have a plan for that.

3.) Good technicians are worth every penny.

4.) Right now inventory is low so you will be able to get more margin than normal, but understand that this is only temporary and your margins will likely have to drop once inventory returns and dealers compete with one another more. Right now whoever actually has the tractor gets the sale.

5.) Your service department should bill the cost of assembly and pre-delivery inspection to the cost of the tractor, that way you account for that when pricing it.

6.) Do not carry everything the manufacturer sales rep suggests. You will end up with all sorts of odd ball shite. Nobody want a 2 wheel drive 25hp tractor with no loader anymore.

7.) Ensure that your sales team documents their follow up activities in some sort of CRM (customer relations manager). Audit this and listen to phone calls to coach sales skills

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That is good advice. Very appreciated!