Maybe thats why we stay AGCO, 3 good local INDEPENDENT dealers within an hours drive. There isnt an independent JD or CIH dealer within 100 miles of us.  All 3 know us by first name and know our equipment. Its not hard to walk in and talk to the owner and alot of times they get up and come talk to us and see how were doing. I know all 3 places will bend over backwards to help us out. We dont buy anything new, our newest piece of equipment is our 07 Telehandler. When we do buy something, we know what we want, and we always give the dealers a chance, you never know what they have hiding out in the country that somebodies interested in moving up but hasnt pulled the trigger yet. If they dont have what were looking for, I have no problem looking elsewhere, 3 of the last 5 things weve bought have come from out of state, and all of them were found on the internet, 2 from Tractorhouse, 1 on Truckpaper, 1 from Craiglist, and 1 on Facebook. We have bought a few minor implements from Bigiron as well.  

Now I know its not the same everywhere. But in this day of mega dealerships, why does a "salesman" need to work to sell anything? If he doesnt have it sitting on his lot, chances are youll get passed off to someone else and theyll get the $$. Also many of them hired on when they didnt have to sell anything, farmers were calling them and couldnt spend money fast enough. They got spoiled thinking thats how its gonna be forever, just like the farmers who thought wed never see sub $5 corn again.

Unfortunately alot of the dealerships were taking a bath on trading in past years, because they could, the money was flowing and now the market is flooded and theyre sitting on machinery they have more than market value in because thats what they gave on trade, I remember reading some of the figures guys were trading for and it was insane how cheap it was. So now they are sitting on an overpriced piece of used equipment that they cant afford to take another bath on, meanwhile the auctions show what that pieces true value is, and its waaay under what the dealerships have them valued at. I think alot of them are nervous, but it hasnt reached critical failure yet.