Post by quicksandfarmer on Aug 10, 2010 23:05:09 GMT -5
When I tell people I have a Chinese tractor one of the comments I often get is "but what about parts?" This is usually accompanied by rolling of eyes and/or shrugging of shoulders. I guess the skepticism is understandable, because a lot of Belarus and Zetor tractors were sold around here and many of those are now scrap because you can't get parts for them.
But my experience has been only positive: I break something, I go online to one of the dealers, I order a part, and 2-3 days later the UPS guy is in my driveway and I'm back in business. Judging from what I read on the forums my experience is pretty typical.
By way of contrast, in 2007 I bought a rotary mower, a good American brand, Woods. A few weeks ago I mowed over a large rock and broke the stumpjumper into three pieces. No problem, I thought, I'll just order a new one. I contacted a Woods dealer. He didn't stock the part but he could order it, said it would be about two weeks, so I gave him my credit card and placed the order. A few days later he calls back and says that Woods has increased the price on that part and the actual price is going to be 50% more than he'd quoted. I'm not happy, but in for a penny in for a pound, I tell him to go ahead.
Two weeks pass, and I hear nothing, so I call him. He says that Woods no longer makes the part and he doesn't know anywhere else to get it.
I'm dumbfounded. My mower is only three years old. This is not some obscure brand or some oddball part. Is my mower essentially an orphan after only three years?
Fortunately, I go on eBay and I find a stumpjumper that I think will work for me, based on the measurements. We'll have to see when it arrives.
So "what about parts" indeed!
But my experience has been only positive: I break something, I go online to one of the dealers, I order a part, and 2-3 days later the UPS guy is in my driveway and I'm back in business. Judging from what I read on the forums my experience is pretty typical.
By way of contrast, in 2007 I bought a rotary mower, a good American brand, Woods. A few weeks ago I mowed over a large rock and broke the stumpjumper into three pieces. No problem, I thought, I'll just order a new one. I contacted a Woods dealer. He didn't stock the part but he could order it, said it would be about two weeks, so I gave him my credit card and placed the order. A few days later he calls back and says that Woods has increased the price on that part and the actual price is going to be 50% more than he'd quoted. I'm not happy, but in for a penny in for a pound, I tell him to go ahead.
Two weeks pass, and I hear nothing, so I call him. He says that Woods no longer makes the part and he doesn't know anywhere else to get it.
I'm dumbfounded. My mower is only three years old. This is not some obscure brand or some oddball part. Is my mower essentially an orphan after only three years?
Fortunately, I go on eBay and I find a stumpjumper that I think will work for me, based on the measurements. We'll have to see when it arrives.
So "what about parts" indeed!
