Dealer verses Big Box Store

[jekjr]

See on here and out in the public on a daily basis guys who are doing commercial work who see where they can save a few dollars on equipment going to big box stores or ordering off line.

Here is my inPut on this.

First off you are buying a machine that is going to last years. Secondly the amount of savings is many times like the income from cutting one or two yards. With that said when you buy from a requitable dealer he is going to have parts. In my situation and I am sure most others that are requitable he is going to get you running if you come in broke down. With that said the loss of productivity on two yards verses being back up and running just paid the different in price you saved going to the big box place to get that machine.

When you really compare apples to apples and oranges to oranges the dealer will win out every time in the long run. Thus buying that machine a few dollars cheaper is not necessarily cheaper in the long run.

 

[reynoldston]

I have worked in dealer shops as a mechanic and any shop I ever worked in it didn't matter where it was bought. They never turned down repairs and as far as warranty work the manufacture paid that.

 

[exotion]

Quite a lot of lawn guys do their own mechanic work. So buying from a dealer doesn't make since when you can buy from bbs and save money. As a business the bottom line counts one or two lawns profit is better than not.

That being said I try to buy from my dealer when the price is very similar I go to the dealer because I keep them happy they keep my discounted stuff going. The more you buy the more you save. I cannot buy trimmer line at the dealer it's $15 more... I still need a place to order parts, help diagnose, or sometimes when I don't have time fix something for me

 

[jekjr]

I have worked in dealer shops as a mechanic and any shop I ever worked in it didn't matter where it was bought. They never turned down repairs and as far as warranty work the manufacture paid that.

Yep but the order they work on it matters a lot. If it is warranty they are going to make the same off it whether they work on it the first day it comes in or the fourth day after it comes in. Every one I have ever been around is going to take care of their customers who bought from them and trade with them regularly before they do somebody who bought the thing from some where else..... All of them will work on it normally. Just how soon? For us that how soon means a good but at times even when we have back up equipment in the trailer.

 

[reynoldston]

Yep but the order they work on it matters a lot. If it is warranty they are going to make the same off it whether they work on it the first day it comes in or the fourth day after it comes in. Every one I have ever been around is going to take care of their customers who bought from them and trade with them regularly before they do somebody who bought the thing from some where else..... All of them will work on it normally. Just how soon? For us that how soon means a good but at times even when we have back up equipment in the trailer.

I guess there are all kinds of dealers, it just so happens it didn't matter in any of the dealers I worked at??? Also I have worked for several different dealers also. We also worked on any brand that came into the shop, if the dealer sold it or not. Yes some of the off brands it took longer to get parts is the only different. Good service brings in new customers.

 

[ILENGINE]

Something to keep in mind. Some of the larger dealer have a service work level.

Level 1 is the commercial cutter that purchased equipment from them
Level 2 is the consumer customer that purchased from them.
Level 3 is warranty work and customers that purchased equipment from other locations.

Any time there is a level 1 or 2 in the shop the level 3 stuff will sit in the corner until they have nothing else to work on.

 

[jekjr]

Something to keep in mind. Some of the larger dealer have a service work level. Level 1 is the commercial cutter that purchased equipment from them Level 2 is the consumer customer that purchased from them. Level 3 is warranty work and customers that purchased equipment from other locations. Any time there is a level 1 or 2 in the shop the level 3 stuff will sit in the corner until they have nothing else to work on.

Exactly.

As a commercial operator, Personally if I bought from a dealer and he let my stuff sit while he worked on anything and everything he would not be my dealer long. If equipment does not run it does not make money.

 

[Ric]

Something to keep in mind. Some of the larger dealer have a service work level.

Level 1 is the commercial cutter that purchased equipment from them
Level 2 is the consumer customer that purchased from them.
Level 3 is warranty work and customers that purchased equipment from other locations.

Any time there is a level 1 or 2 in the shop the level 3 stuff will sit in the corner until they have nothing else to work on.

That's the way my dealer is, commercial stuff he sells warranty or not comes first other commercial stuff purchased else where is secondary and the the homeowner stuff when they have nothing else to work on.

 

[ILENGINE]

And then pray for good luck if you have a warranty issue with a mower purchased at Walmart. Because the contracts with the company only require you to work on stuff at normal shop flow. Which means Walmart is a level 5 item, and may not get repaired until January.