jeeptj19992001
Addicted to ArboristSite
i remember my dad buying a combine back in the early 80's and the deere dealer throw in a snowmobile.... was a pos..... thing was in the shop all the time. while our skidoo ran great....
Deere partners up with Honda
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zogger
Tree Freak
Demographics
Every year, less and less farmers, and the average age goes up. There's just so many pieces of equipment the remaining ones can drive at any one time.
Ya, JD may sell a 200 grand 19 row underwater petunia turbine harvester, but the same month the local box stores might sell 500-1000 who knows pieces of backyard equipment, a lot of them now into four figures apiece. Starts to get weird, but there's gross profit, then net profit as the demographics change. Me, knowing this, I would be doing the same thing if I was in that equipment selling biz, trying to add all the little lines to cater to the huge 'burbs market, while them old farmers start dropping out, leaving still working gear to be picked over at the estate auctions by the remaining getting older farmers...demographics, dealers who can see it coming will profit, those who try to maintain what they always did with zero change as their customer base is shrinking..bye bye.
I used to work for a fairly wealthy guy, he owned several really large interstate truck stops. He is sitting around with some other rich dudes, old biz school frat buds, (story he told me), they were razzing him on his profit margin, his net on selling gas and diesel. They razz him "you only make 3 cents a gallon! Pennies! HARHARHAR!" he counters "ya, but I sell a million gallons a month..."
Every year, less and less farmers, and the average age goes up. There's just so many pieces of equipment the remaining ones can drive at any one time.
Ya, JD may sell a 200 grand 19 row underwater petunia turbine harvester, but the same month the local box stores might sell 500-1000 who knows pieces of backyard equipment, a lot of them now into four figures apiece. Starts to get weird, but there's gross profit, then net profit as the demographics change. Me, knowing this, I would be doing the same thing if I was in that equipment selling biz, trying to add all the little lines to cater to the huge 'burbs market, while them old farmers start dropping out, leaving still working gear to be picked over at the estate auctions by the remaining getting older farmers...demographics, dealers who can see it coming will profit, those who try to maintain what they always did with zero change as their customer base is shrinking..bye bye.
I used to work for a fairly wealthy guy, he owned several really large interstate truck stops. He is sitting around with some other rich dudes, old biz school frat buds, (story he told me), they were razzing him on his profit margin, his net on selling gas and diesel. They razz him "you only make 3 cents a gallon! Pennies! HARHARHAR!" he counters "ya, but I sell a million gallons a month..."
STIHLTHEDEERE
This is Koty
deere bowed out of that business in 84'....for good reason. Some demographics for you all. Deere just released a new combine for farmers who farm 5000+ acres. It is called the "hulk" aka s690-16 row corn head-40 grain table. List with heads is around $800,000.00, but she can be yours for a mere $650,000.00. If there is any farmer that can truely afford that, then the government is paying them too damn much!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Warped5
WingNut
Sounds like Honda is after the service angle as well as an outlet for their premium line.
Years ago, I bought a premium Deere mower that was rated dead-even with its Honda counterpart. Deere sold more because they were priced $100+ under Honda for the same feature set. That mower runs like a champ today and wil probably continue ...
Years ago, I bought a premium Deere mower that was rated dead-even with its Honda counterpart. Deere sold more because they were priced $100+ under Honda for the same feature set. That mower runs like a champ today and wil probably continue ...
MacLaren
Addicted to ArboristSite
Thats mighty convenient.
Zombiechopper
Addicted to ArboristSite
a large reason they are doing this is that it helps the JD financing part of the company. They want you to be able to charge everything under the sun to your John Deere Multi Use account. The real money to be had is in the financing 
our local JD dealers are also idiots when it comes to saws. The stories in this thread are very similar to what I've experienced as well
our local JD dealers are also idiots when it comes to saws. The stories in this thread are very similar to what I've experienced as well
Myarmistired
ArboristSite Operative
Is there anyone JD will not hop into bed with?
cityboy
ArboristSite Operative
FWIW, where I live the Stihl dealers salesmen barely know which end of the saw to hold onto. Ask them any technical question like what's the HP rating on a MS??? and they're stumped. Any parts, even carb rebuild kits are 3-5 days special order typically. I've never tried their service teams, so can't comment there. There are a few other dealers that are a lot longer drive from where I live, that seem to be better at both technical knowledge and parts stocking, but they're the exception, not the rule around here. But then again, I live in an urban area where chainsaws are not very common, so it may just be the way business is done around here.
Regarding the minimum standard question that was asked, whatever it is, it can't be very high based on my experience. I can get the same amount of useful information from the big box stores to be perfectly honest, although that information is for Husky or Echo products, not Stihl. Funny thing is how my local clueless Stihl dealer makes such a big deal about not servicing any product from a big box store right on their Internet page, as if it's somehow beneath their dignity, LOL.
Not having a huge problem with this one myself. Local Deere dealers aren't very sharp on OPE, but they're learning. Ag is big here, and the "one-stop" business paradigm is a smart one.
Did anyone believe Deere would create and maintain manufacturing capabilities for everything? We ALL know Deere saws and trimmers have been Remington/Echo/Homelite/Efco under the green...why not just sell stuff without the upcharge for proprietary color and graphics?
Did anyone believe Deere would create and maintain manufacturing capabilities for everything? We ALL know Deere saws and trimmers have been Remington/Echo/Homelite/Efco under the green...why not just sell stuff without the upcharge for proprietary color and graphics?
dingeryote
Blueberry Baron
I see what Deere is doing and it isn't a dumb thing. Replace the box stores by becoming a "Unboxstore" Box store, with Ag equipment.
One of us Hayseeds comes in looking for a case of cornhead grease, and BAM! a saw or weedwhacker goes home.
Come in for Trimmer line, and the greaseball salesman gets a chance to bend your ear on financing a new tractor.
With Honda though, I gotta wonder if it isn't going to cause conflicts with taking even more biz away from the small Stihl shops, that also sell and service Honda already. If Stihl starts to lose dealers due to loss of market shares overall to Deere boutiques, it's not going to be good for Stihl period. It's the smaller Stihl shops that are the foundation for Stihls reputation and success, and sets them apart.
Stay safe!
Dingeryote
One of us Hayseeds comes in looking for a case of cornhead grease, and BAM! a saw or weedwhacker goes home.
Come in for Trimmer line, and the greaseball salesman gets a chance to bend your ear on financing a new tractor.
With Honda though, I gotta wonder if it isn't going to cause conflicts with taking even more biz away from the small Stihl shops, that also sell and service Honda already. If Stihl starts to lose dealers due to loss of market shares overall to Deere boutiques, it's not going to be good for Stihl period. It's the smaller Stihl shops that are the foundation for Stihls reputation and success, and sets them apart.
Stay safe!
Dingeryote
I've observed the points about Stihl at the Deere dealer. - seems that way to me also. They are nice to me from a parts point of view but have to look up everything and have nothing on hand. I buy my Stihl parts at the Deere dealer.
I doubt their service ability??? Don't care, I work on my own saws. Most of my saws are changed around anyway which the dealer would not like.
I'm not interested in their new saws as I usually buy used saws. There are a half dozen Stihl outlets within 20 miles of my house.
I doubt their service ability??? Don't care, I work on my own saws. Most of my saws are changed around anyway which the dealer would not like.
I'm not interested in their new saws as I usually buy used saws. There are a half dozen Stihl outlets within 20 miles of my house.
Yep
Just down the road from where I work JD Credit built a new building to double its size.
Brian
a large reason they are doing this is that it helps the JD financing part of the company. They want you to be able to charge everything under the sun to your John Deere Multi Use account. The real money to be had is in the financing
Just down the road from where I work JD Credit built a new building to double its size.
Brian
spacemule
The Peanut Gallery
Deere has been whoring themselves out for decades. Take a look at their twin hay rakes or their round hay balers. The rakes are outright built by Vermeer and painted jd green. The balers have robbed numerous ideas from Vermeer, and had to pay a lot for the use of their patents. It's that way with most deere stuff--they design and innovate little. Instead, they just buy other's ideas or even have others build equipment and paint it green themselves. When you buy john deere, you're buying a name, not equipment.
sawinredneck
Addicted to ArboristSite
The JD JX-75 and JX-85 walk behind mowers were some of the best on the market! The commercial guys couldn't get enough of them! I couldn't understand how someone would spend $800-900 on a silly walk behind mower until I started working on them, then I bought a used one, then I sold it and bought a brand new one!:hmm3grin2orange: These things are tanks!
Well the dies wore out and JD didn't want to spend the money to make new ones so they dropped the line, this pissed a LOT of loyal customers off! Three years later JD comes out with the new version, but it's not anything like the old one and the customer base is gone now and the typical home owner isn't going to drop the $1k they are trying to sell them for.
Bringing in the Honda line creates a new customer base for JD, people know the Honda for durability and the price point is more realistic with a home owner.
I think they are trying to replace the commercial market losses with home owner sales with this deal.
I also fear it won't be long before JD goes back to their old ways and finds a way to piss of Honda before it's all over!
Well the dies wore out and JD didn't want to spend the money to make new ones so they dropped the line, this pissed a LOT of loyal customers off! Three years later JD comes out with the new version, but it's not anything like the old one and the customer base is gone now and the typical home owner isn't going to drop the $1k they are trying to sell them for.
Bringing in the Honda line creates a new customer base for JD, people know the Honda for durability and the price point is more realistic with a home owner.
I think they are trying to replace the commercial market losses with home owner sales with this deal.
I also fear it won't be long before JD goes back to their old ways and finds a way to piss of Honda before it's all over!
JD bringing in Stihl and Honda is just another way of enticing their customers to buy a nice expensive piece of JD equipment, then possibly throw in or sell the Stihl, Honda at cost or even below cost as an incentive to buy their bigger farm equipment. This is where dealers get bent. People will buy it dirt cheap at these type of JD dealerships and whine to the real Stihl/Honda dealers about service. Honda has BEEN a lost cause. Screw them.
I have a self-propelled Honda push mower. I think it was $500 back in 2001. The engine (the main benefit of Honda power equipment) has always been great. Over 10 years old, and always starts with one pull. The various bag, side discharge, and mulch modes all work great, though my wife once ran over the mulcher plug with the mower, chopping it to bits, which was ironic...
The rest of the mower is standard issue. I had to replace the transmission because it began leaking and eventually failed. It's a sealed unit with a plastic case, so the only fix is a new one. That was about $150 for parts, and I did the labor. The transmission is the same one used by many mower brands, nothing special at all. It's a common failure.
Now the deck is rusting through in several spots. I will see if I can nurse that along for a bit, but at some point it will need a new deck. That's going to be $80 in parts and a ton of labor time. Not looking forward to it. If the engine continues to run well, I may see if I can upgrade to a plastic deck from a similar model line. Had I know the metal deck would rust this bad, I would have gotten a plastic deck model back in 2001.
The rest of the mower is standard issue. I had to replace the transmission because it began leaking and eventually failed. It's a sealed unit with a plastic case, so the only fix is a new one. That was about $150 for parts, and I did the labor. The transmission is the same one used by many mower brands, nothing special at all. It's a common failure.
Now the deck is rusting through in several spots. I will see if I can nurse that along for a bit, but at some point it will need a new deck. That's going to be $80 in parts and a ton of labor time. Not looking forward to it. If the engine continues to run well, I may see if I can upgrade to a plastic deck from a similar model line. Had I know the metal deck would rust this bad, I would have gotten a plastic deck model back in 2001.
BloodOnTheIce
Addicted to ArboristSite
It's a move to streamline the production, and parts end of Deere's business.
For the last decade or so Briggs and Stratton company and associated brands have been producing most of the products Honda will be replacing.
The L100 series tractors were Murray/Snapper, Walk Mowers were Snappers, Pressure washers & Generators were Briggs, Snowblowers
were Simplicities. Just like Efco and Kawasaki were making the Deere handheld products.
So now Deere has the top three brands in the industry under one roof.
For the last decade or so Briggs and Stratton company and associated brands have been producing most of the products Honda will be replacing.
The L100 series tractors were Murray/Snapper, Walk Mowers were Snappers, Pressure washers & Generators were Briggs, Snowblowers
were Simplicities. Just like Efco and Kawasaki were making the Deere handheld products.
So now Deere has the top three brands in the industry under one roof.
HittinSteel
Addicted to ArboristSite
Sweet I can get all the overpriced products under one roof!
