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Part prices make me shop around!!!

9K views 26 replies 18 participants last post by  farmshop 
#1 ·
My Rogator 854 with a 5.9 cummins needs a new serpentine belt tensioner. Its kind of cockeyed and makes the belt squeal at high RPM. I phone a local garage thinking they might have one and they didn't. I figured I might as well call John Bob farm equipment. The guy in town said if he did have one it would be $258. Gerald at JB tells me they haven't got one but can order. $580. WTF Gerald I said. After a couple minutes thinking on who might have one it comes to me. Years ago our 903 cummins needed a water pump and cummins of course had none in North America. A neighbor said call Western Diesel in Saskatoon. I did that day and the lady on the other end just replies instantly ya I have one. In fact I have 2. Since that day everytime I need anything engine related I call them and have service and parts instantly. $24 bus freight and $157 for the belt tensioner. Tell me who is thinking that $157 part that western diesel is making money on is worth $580 and have to order it in yet!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
#2 ·
Have sourced many parts through Western Diesel they are always cheaper than Cat and Cummins.
Like how they can walk to the shelf and grab you the right part with no serial number or CPL number, something that the Cat and Cummins wouldn`t have a clue how to do.
 
#3 ·
Yup enough to make you wanna go to the dealer with a big stick. We needed a lift pump for our Ford 8870 tractor dealer wanted 700$ for one found one on eBay for a 100$ with free shipping. As long as we keep grabbing our ankles they will keep sticking it to us. It is nice how no one stocks parts but they get get them next day for a price. You don't stock any thing but we are still supposed to give you a mark up just let me order direct I can screw it up just as easy as the parts boob behind the.counter
 
#4 ·
I busted the cap on the end of the sprayer boom that has the fence-line nozzle assembly threaded into it. I went in to the dealership today, Flexicoil wanted $24 for the piece. So I went to the plumbing shop and got a 1" cap for a $1.75. $22 to drill and tap a hole, in plastic no less, seemed a little much!

And then there's the issue of shipping. I needed some bearings this spring, they had to come from Westward. The girl said they would be here in a couple days. I asked where they were coming from. Red Deer! When I asked why it takes 2 days to get parts from Red Deer she said "the courier they use isn't very good". I wanted to scream "then get a different courier!" There's no reason, in this day and age, why anybody can't get anything from anywhere right away. And it shouldn't have to cost an arm and a leg either.
 
#5 ·
Just went and picked up my seal kit today from JB also, 6 o-rings/seals in a package for the tilt cylinders on my NH Boomer tractor, 140 buck per package, holy chitt, i asked Gerald if they are at least gift wrapped. He laughed and said never. Used to think the engagement ring was my most expensive thing i could carry out of store in my shirt pocket, now that didnt seem so bad!!

Talk about shipping companies and for their protection I wont mention their name ( sounds alot like UPS!). I had a package sent up from states that arrived in Saskatoon on the 7th of May, they finally got it to me yesterday! 7 weeks to travel 200 kms. Need to find new shippers!
 
#6 ·
Just went and picked up my seal kit today from JB also, 6 o-rings/seals in a package for the tilt cylinders on my NH Boomer tractor, 140 buck per package, holy chitt,
Used to think the engagement ring was my most expensive thing i could carry out of store in my shirt pocket, now that didnt seem so bad!!
So 2 tilt cylinders so 2 seal kits at $140= $280.... Does your wife know you spent less than $280 on her ring??? :sFun_rottentomato: lol
 
#7 ·
As far as parts guys go Gerald is one of the best. There still are amazing people in the industry and the lady at western diesel takes top honors so far in my book. I swear she has a photographic memory or something. I have been in there and heard other other people in the industry call her about cross referencing parts and she just pulled the number out of her head. Her and her husband run my kind of business. Nothing fancy and no bling. She smokes and am sure she does in the building for being so busy you would go mental not having your cigarette. So often I see fancy new multi million dollar dealerships with 4 guys behind the shiny new counter with nothing on the shelves. You ask for a part and they look at you like its not that common of a part. Carrot River implements obviously wins in my best dealership category. They make farm world and agworld look sick. You go there for parts and John or Brian have a line in front of them all day. It doesn't matter if you spent a million or 1$ there you get in line the order you came and you will get served. Jim Doherty built himself one fine dealership over the years and doesn't have customers he has friends in my book. The building is super old now and the parts they carry are awesome. I wish I had a dealership in our hometown as good as this. We have a coop that carrys some westward junk bearings etc. A phone call during busy season at just about any hour is not uncommon to them and they aren't waiting to bill you for the after hours call either. 8am-9pm every busy season which usually for them means april 20th to oct 15th. No such thing as can't get a hold of them. Saturdays Sundays etc it doesn't matter. These guys care period. People will be people and heard one guy complain one time. I think he was a local. I told the guy you have no idea what you have here for a dealership. You have been spoiled here your whole life and have not seen the real world. Todays fancy building don't come cheap and they are going to pay for them somehow. Call after the doors close and see where that gets ya! Parts guy could care less about your problem and if you insist on dragging him away from his couch you will pay! I have texted John at Carrot River at harvest time at 10:30 pm and gotten a reply just hang on i will look it up I am still at the shop. This is the dealership that a guy should be supporting! Fancy building are good to look at and thats it.
 
#8 ·
Our local case ih dealer in elie has been bought out by rocky mountain equipment and now the parts are up 20% over what they were before . Now we are going a bit further to get parts at leo's sales & service on the north perimeter of Winnipeg . Am quite concerned about rocky buying up all the dealerships as when they fall where is someone going to go for parts and service in western Canada .
 
#9 · (Edited)
A lot of parts are common between New Holland and CaseIH. So we often go to our NH dealer for parts because they are always cheaper than RME.

I definitely try to shop around, often online for parts. I bought sprayer nozzles online out of the US for 40% less than my local dealers could get them, even with exchange, tax, and shipping.

I'm grateful to have a bit of DIY knowledge in terms of mechanics and electronics. Most parts aren't magical once you understand them. I replaced a $400 wheel speed sensor on my NH sprayer with a $30 sensor I bought online, though I had to build a little circuit to adapt it to the so-called "ISO standard" signalling. Though I don't need to replace them often, I can use the same sensors with a simple resistor to replace the $400 sensors used on Case combines for shaft speed as well. What a racket! I'm in the wrong business. I guess I should start assembling my own sensors and sell them for $380 or something.

The one the irritated me the most lately was a telemetry radio board that failed on our Zimmatic fieldnet system on our pivots. Apparently Lindsay Mfg no longer sells the older units we use (they are less than 6 years old) and won't supply parts anymore, so the dealer had to install a used part. But then he charged me $900! And the used radio board isn't even that reliable. Going to talk to them about this next week. The radio unit itself cost at most $100. If Lindsay charged the dealer 2 or 300, the dealer is still making a good $600 markup profit. Wish I could just mark up my wheat like that.
 
#11 ·
Never been to Regina Truck and Trailer, have to remember that, thanks for mentioning it SouthernSK.

How about when Case doesnt even have a part # so cant offer it? Alternator on STX quit charging other day so pull it apart and find brushes wore down and not making contact. Leece Neville 185 amp. Look on Case MyShed and they dont even have a break down of the unit, only for the 185A mounting hardware so call dealer as something must be wrong with app. Nope, parts guy has no breakdown either so cant price. Call around Regina and try Mainline Fleet and they say call Kinetic Auto as Mainline gets all their starter/alternator parts there. Never been to Kinetic, its a little automotive service shop with 2 or 3 bays, call them up and in about five minutes Lorne has it identified and has one in his hand.

I was going to do a thread on a rant on "changeovers/updated parts" after my experience a few weeks ago with a brake master cylinder on a tractor but will leave it alone. For me anytime a parts guy mentions the words "that part is obsolete so we have this change up as a replacement" i always get screwed and find it is more than bolt in and go.
 
#13 ·
Spring broke on a pickup header last fall, 130$ at Claas but had to order.
Hmm, AGCO uses the same header, on hand but 430$!:eek:
Now, to be fair, the AGCO part came as a kit, like a first time installation, I only needed the spring and that maybe all the Claas part included, AGCOs had about 6 parts I didn't actually need.
 
#14 ·
I do some shopping online too but I do realize everybody has to eat in this business and am fine with paying a bit more than the internet can provide quickly. Local small town dealerships are far and few between and only getting further distances apart thanks to these big companies. At go time you need it yesterday and the internet can take over 2 weeks. It really is the shafting a guy gets from these bigger company dealerships that bugs me. Big business whether is buying parts or buying your grain has never helped a farmer ever save money ever. The day a company gets big the shareholder is the most important guy not the customer. The stock on the shelf isn't as important because you will be paying them for the part regardless of whether they have it or not and they don't have to pay for it to sit in inventory. It's friggin scarey to think how much markup there is on stuff. Dads dodge diesel had a front wheel bearing hub go a few yrs back. Dodge had one for over 5-600 dollars or maybe more but my memory isn't what it used to be. I know it was dam expensive and by the time tax and installed $1000 likely isn't far off. Dad asked me to look on ebay for him as he suspects one is going on him. Can buy 2 front wheel bearings hubs not 1. Thats 2 complete hubs for $148 free shipping in Canada to boot!! Yes I am aware that one might be better quality than the other which remains to be seen but I know for a fact if I call dodge what one will be worth. I am certain they would love a guy bringing their own parts for them to install lol. I might have to do this one myself I guess if that is the problem.
 
#16 ·
Now this is where I see opportunity!!!! You could charge him $800 dollars labor and he would still be ahead! Win-win!!! Oh wait, that's what the big dealers are doing now, guess I'm no better than them!!!!
 
#15 ·
It is getting sickening having to put up with this all the time. I have countless stories of price differences between the dealerships and the smaller parts stores. It's getting so bad, some of the parts guys I deal with have been giving me numbers and sending me to other stores because the price difference has gotten so bad. Just this spring, our turbo went on our 895 Versy, called local New Holland dealer, the parts guy (who has been friends with dad for years, so maybe helps a bit) said he could get one in in a few days and price was $$$$, said we would be better off to call Wheatcity Diesel. Called them, that turbo was in at the same time as the New Holland place, only $1200 cheaper!!!! They just take advantage of farmers knowing that we are usually in a pinch for time, but to me the prices are getting high enough to wait for a bit and source the part elseware, mind you the dealers always seem to have to order in anyways, so there isn't much difference in time.
 
#18 ·
This is valuable info for all on here so I am going to start a new thread on posting where we find the best price and service etc. for engines etc. We can all add to it. Then when we need something we can just come to the forum and get the info we need. Everyone can benefit and so can the businesses who really stand out for their efforts.
 
#20 ·
It'd be nice just to know where one could go to purchase aftermarket parts. We like to stock quite a few parts in our inventory now because of how absolutely brutal RME and several other dealers are for inventory now a days. What parts stores or online sites are people going to to source stuff? I use Dultmeier for a lot of stuff (sprayer parts, pumps etc etc) but the US dollar isn't helping on that front. JME Sales is a decent sight as well. But thats all more industrial stuff, is there a place to say buy aftermarket MacDon? Or aftermarket Case parts?
 
#21 ·
Doorkiller that would be a great idea to have a thread like you were describing. I was not sure I Should post my comments on the electrical wire in this thread because it does not go well with engine parts but I appreciate when people mention these kind of things. The markup and monopoly dealers have on parts is ridiculous and costing farmers a lot of money.
 
#23 ·
There pricing on drive rollers was even worse. Few years ago had one go out. Thought Agco was close to 2k. Jobber was 700
 
#25 ·
Many parts now you can google the part numbers and find a lot of information and just keep cross referencing numbers till you find what you like. Online parts look ups are nice then you can find a online dealer that has pricing so you know what to expect when going to the local dealer. Timing is always a factor but with nobody stocking anything anymore why pay extra
 
#26 ·
Yes the new era of mega dealership has many expenses to pay for. Stocking the widest assortment of parts isn't one of them. Parts are only as readily available as the speed of the courier. Big fancy buildings with bling look nice but if that money was spent on parts you would be better off. I have literally seen people drive from many hrs away picking up a part at Carrot River on a Friday, as nobody had their part where they lived and were told mon-tues at the earliest. I assumed one time that my 8.3 cummins that needed a crank serpentine pulley was a Cummins only part. Well wouldn't you know it they didn't have one at cummins. Go figure!! I called John a few yrs ago at Carrot after calling cummins and I got the usual reply from John "hang on I will take a look". A min later " ya I have one here". John is dead now and I miss the heckling we used to give one another. He was taken too soon!!
 
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