Tractor Buyer's Guide

Choosing a tractor dealer

Buying a tractor involves more than just choosing the right model and the right attachments: you have to choose a tractor dealer you can work with for the long term. Like any piece of heavy equipment, your tractor will wear and eventually break, making your relationship with the dealer important.

Having warranty coverage on your tractor isn't worth much if the dealership can't do the work you need. Ask potential tractor dealers about their service policies:

• What kind of parts inventory do you keep on hand?
• How many technicians do you have? What is their training and experience like?
• Do you do on-site service if my tractor needs repairs? What about scheduled maintenance?
• Do you have guaranteed response times?
• Do you provide loaners if my tractor needs to be taken in for service? Will you pick my tractor up if it needs to go in for extensive work?

You should visit the dealer’s facility. Simply seeing the parts warehouse and service areas can give you a good sense of their capabilities.

Regular maintenance
Relatively simple tasks like changing the oil, replacing filters, and lubricating joints are an essential part of extending your tractor's lifespan, and many tractor owners choose to take care of routine maintenance on their own. But in addition to repairing breakdowns, your dealer should also help with this type of preventative maintenance.

They should provide you with a detailed maintenance manual, and walk you through the basic maintenance procedures if necessary. They can also be your source for the parts and supplies you need to keep the tractor running smoothly.

Handling this routine maintenance isn't difficult, but it does require that you stick to a schedule. Because regularly scheduled maintenance is so important, it can make sense to purchase a maintenance contract. For a small yearly fee, the dealer will make sure all required maintenance is done right and on time, either at your location or theirs.

Other considerations
Many tractor manufactures have been around for decades. While newer or lesser-known brands may be cheaper, choosing a brand with longevity helps unsure that you'll be able to find parts when you need them.

Better dealers will let you take a tractor for a demo at your own site. This is a great way to evaluate different models: you'll be able to get a feel for how well each performs in your specific applications. You'll also be able to directly evaluate subjective issues like visibility and ease of use.

Lastly, don’t underestimate your personal reactions. Choose a dealer you feel is honest with you and easy to work with: those impressions are often good indicators of how the dealer will treat you in the long run. If the dealer aggressively starts selling you on a tractor without trying to determine your needs, you may want to keep moving. Quality dealers want to put you in the right tractor, knowing that if you're satisfied with your purchase, you'll eventually come back.

Mentioned In...

See Also...

Advice & Tips