A Fastline Marketing Group Investigation
We Asked the Question No One Else Is Asking
While most marketing firms ask dealers what they think farmers want, we did something different. We went straight to where farmers talk honestly with each other.
We scanned hundreds of conversations on Reddit, OrangeTractorTalks, Kubota Forum, TractorByNet, and other places where farmers share real advice about buying equipment. We read through news articles about dealer relationships. We reviewed discussions where farmers warn each other about what to watch for and celebrate the dealers who get it right.
What we found wasn’t surprising to us. We’ve been in agricultural marketing long enough to know that the best dealers understand something fundamental: Farmers aren’t really buying tractors. They’re buying relationships, reliability, and peace of mind.
But seeing it confirmed in hundreds of independent conversations? That validates what we’ve been telling our dealer clients for years.
This is Part 1 of a two-part series. Today, we’re sharing what farmers say makes a truly great dealership. In Part 2, we’ll cover the red flags and deal breakers that send farmers running to your competitors.
If you’re a dealer, pay close attention. These aren’t our opinions. These are your customers’ actual priorities, in their own words.
Part 1 Key Takeaways:
- Responsive service and parts availability – This came up more than everything else combined. Farmers will switch brands entirely for a dealer who answers the phone and stocks parts.
- Honesty and transparency – Dealers who acknowledge known issues upfront build more trust than those who pretend equipment is perfect. Farmers can spot BS from a mile away.
- Accessible technical knowledge and support – Whether it’s troubleshooting over the phone or hosting maintenance workshops, farmers value dealers whose staff actually know the equipment inside and out.
- The dealer experience matters more than the equipment brand – Multiple farmers told stories of choosing a “worse” tractor because the dealer relationship was better. Location, demonstrations, attachment support, and dealer network all factor into this.
The Six Things That Actually Win Sales
After scanning all these conversations, six themes came up over and over. These aren’t listed in order of importance because honestly, farmers need all of them. Miss one, and you’re vulnerable to competitors who get it right.
1. Responsive Service and Parts Availability
This came up in nearly every discussion we scanned. Farmers don’t just mention it. They obsess over it.
Here’s what one farmer wrote on Reddit: “The dealer matters more than the brand itself. If the dealer is a turd, then it might suck even if you buy a good tractor.”
Another farmer was even more direct: “Dealers are king in the ag world. If you’ve got a good dealer, brand doesn’t matter.”
What responsive actually means to farmers:
When farmers talk about responsive service, they’re not talking about same-day service (though that’s nice). They’re talking about:
- Answering the phone. Especially during planting and harvest when every hour counts.
- Having parts in stock. Or being able to get them fast when you don’t.
- Knowing their equipment. Technicians who can diagnose problems quickly, not guess and bill for it.
- Being available during crunch time. Extended hours or emergency service when farmers need it most.
We found multiple stories of farmers who switched brands entirely because one dealer was responsive and another wasn’t. Not because they liked the orange tractor better than the green one. Because one dealer picked up the phone and the other didn’t.
Why this matters more than you think:
During harvest, a broken tractor can cost a farmer thousands of dollars per day. Rain is coming. Crops are ready. Equipment goes down. In that moment, the farmer doesn’t care if they paid $5,000 less for the tractor. They care if their dealer can get them running before the weather hits.
One farmer explained his choice this way: “My decision was primarily based on dealership support. If a dealership were to fold nearby, I wouldn’t need to drive hours to find another dealer.”
That’s not about brand loyalty. That’s about survival.
2. Honesty and Transparency
This one surprised us with how often it came up. Farmers appreciate dealers who tell the truth, even when the truth isn’t flattering.
On Kubota Forum, we found farmers praising dealers who acknowledged known issues upfront. One discussion talked about hydrostatic transmission quirks on certain models. The dealers who explained these quirks during the sale and showed how to manage them? Those dealers earned trust.
The dealers who pretended the problems didn’t exist? Farmers warned each other to avoid them.
What transparency looks like:
Farmers scanning forums appreciate when dealers:
- Acknowledge known issues. Every machine has quirks. Being upfront about them shows confidence.
- Explain maintenance requirements clearly. Not just what’s in the manual, but the real-world maintenance schedule.
- Set realistic expectations. About what the equipment can and can’t do for their operation.
- Admit when something isn’t the right fit. Even if it means losing a sale today.
Here’s a direct quote from a farmer talking about a good dealer experience: “They answered all my questions, delivered on time, full of fuel, everything was explained. That was 3 years ago, still happy.”
That’s transparency creating loyalty.
The hidden power of honesty:
When dealers are transparent about limitations or potential issues, something counterintuitive happens: Farmers trust them more, not less.
Why? Because farmers know every machine has problems. They’ve been around equipment their whole lives. They can smell BS from a mile away.
When a dealer says “This model is great, but here’s the one thing to watch for,” farmers hear “This person is on my side.” When a dealer says “This is the perfect machine with zero issues,” farmers hear “This person is lying to make a sale.”
3. Strong Dealer Network and Proximity
This factor is both a blessing and a challenge, depending on your brand.
We scanned multiple discussions where farmers mentioned dealer network size as a key factor. One farmer noted there were only two Kubota dealers within a two-hour radius, compared to multiple John Deere outlets. That network density influenced his decision.
But here’s the interesting part: Network size matters, but only up to a point.
What farmers actually care about:
It’s not about having 50 dealers in the state. It’s about having:
- A nearby dealer they can reach quickly when equipment breaks
- Multiple sources for parts if their primary dealer is swamped
- Options if their dealer provides poor service (competitive pressure keeps dealers honest)
- Confidence they won’t be stranded if their dealer closes or consolidates
The flip side? We found complaints about mega-dealers forming in some markets. When one dealer controls a three-county radius, farmers feel trapped. Service quality often drops because there’s no competitive pressure.
The proximity premium:
Distance matters more than farmers want to admit. Multiple forum posts mentioned choosing a slightly less preferred brand because the dealer was closer.
One farmer wrote: “The Kubota dealer is within walking distance. GREAT staff. That’s why I went orange instead of green.”
Another said: “I had terrible service from two JD dealers close to me. So I stumbled into a mom-and-pop Kubota dealership and bought from them two hours later.”
Physical proximity + good service = unstoppable combination.
4. Support for Attachments and Accessories
This came up more than we expected. Farmers appreciate dealers who make the whole ownership experience easy, not just the initial tractor sale.
On Kubota Forum and other sites, we found consistent praise for dealers who:
- Stock common attachments (loaders, grapples, backhoes)
- Can source manuals and spare parts quickly
- Help match attachments to tractors
- Offer package deals that make sense
One farmer specifically noted: “Access to accessories often sways decisions.”
Why this matters:
Think about the farmer’s journey. They buy a tractor. Then they realize they need:
- A front-end loader
- A grapple for moving logs
- A box blade for driveway maintenance
- Maybe a backhoe attachment
If they have to hunt around for these items or go to different dealers for each one, that’s friction. Friction creates opportunities for competitors.
But if their dealer says “We stock all of that, let me show you,” that farmer becomes a repeat customer. Not just for the tractor, but for every implement they’ll ever need.
The package deal advantage:
We saw multiple mentions of farmers choosing brands specifically because dealers offered good package deals.
One farmer wrote: “Price, warranty, and financing made buying a new Kubota more lucrative than even buying a used other color of baler.” The dealer bundled everything together and made it easy.
That’s not just about price. That’s about removing obstacles from the buying process.
5. Hands-On Demonstrations and Test Drives
Experienced farmers kept giving the same advice to new buyers: Try it before you buy it.
On Reddit and other forums, the most common suggestion was: “Test drive both brands and see which one feels better to you.”
Farmers appreciate dealers who encourage test drives and offer real demonstrations. Not just sitting in the tractor in the showroom, but actually operating it under conditions similar to what they’ll face.
What good demos look like:
We found farmers praising dealers who:
- Offered to demonstrate multiple models for comparison
- Let them operate tractors on their own property
- Demonstrated equipment doing actual farm work, not just moving around a parking lot
- Spent time explaining controls and features during the demo
- Didn’t rush them or pressure them during the test drive
One farmer’s experience stood out: “The dealer brought the tractor to my farm, let me use it for the afternoon doing actual work, and then we talked about whether it was the right fit. I bought it because I knew exactly what I was getting.”
Why this builds trust:
When dealers offer real demonstrations, they’re sending a message: “We’re confident you’ll like this equipment if you actually try it.”
That confidence is contagious. Farmers walk away thinking “If they’re willing to let me really test it, they must believe in it.”
Contrast that with dealers who discourage test drives or only offer brief rides around the lot. What message does that send?
6. Accessible Technical Knowledge
The final theme we found: Farmers value dealers whose staff actually know the equipment inside and out.
On Kubota Forum, we saw appreciation for dealers who help troubleshoot issues remotely. A farmer might call about hydrostatic power loss, and the dealer can walk them through practical checks: “Check your filters first. Then look at the linkage springs. Here’s what to look for.”
That kind of technical knowledge builds relationships.
What accessible knowledge means:
It’s not just about having smart technicians (though that’s important). It’s about:
- Staff who can answer technical questions without saying “let me check with someone”
- Service writers who understand farming operations and can prioritize repairs appropriately
- Technicians who explain what they’re fixing and why it failed
- Parts people who can cross-reference and find solutions, not just look up part numbers
- Sales staff who understand implements and can recommend the right setup
One farmer summed it up: “I have a good relationship with the local dealer, which certainly helps as well.” That relationship is built on knowledge and competence.
The education opportunity:
The dealers getting this right don’t just answer questions. They proactively educate customers.
They host maintenance workshops. They create how-to videos. They send out seasonal maintenance reminders. They share tips on social media.
This positions them as experts and trusted advisors, not just salespeople.
What This All Means for Your Marketing
After scanning hundreds of farmer conversations, here’s what’s clear: Farmers don’t choose dealers based on who has the flashiest ads or the biggest sale event.
They choose based on trust, reliability, and confidence that when something goes wrong, you’ll be there.
The marketing shift this requires:
Stop marketing tractors. Start marketing your dealership’s character.
Instead of ads featuring equipment specs, create content featuring:
- Your service team and their expertise
- Customer stories about times you solved problems quickly
- Your parts inventory and accessibility
- Transparency about what ownership really looks like
- Demonstrations of your knowledge and commitment
The competitive advantage:
Here’s the good news: Most of your competitors aren’t doing this. They’re still running ads about horsepower and financing rates.
If you shift your marketing to address what farmers actually care about – service, honesty, support, knowledge – you’ll stand out immediately.
In Part 2…
We’ll cover the other side of the coin: the red flags and deal breakers that send farmers running from dealerships. These are the mistakes that cost sales and damage reputations.
Understanding what farmers want is only half the equation. Understanding what drives them away is just as important.
How Fastline Marketing Group Can Help
We don’t just scan forums and write articles. We turn these insights into marketing strategies that actually work.
Our clients see results because we understand what farmers care about. We’ve been in agricultural marketing for two decades, and we stay connected to what your customers are really saying.
If you want marketing that speaks to what farmers actually want – not what manufacturers think they should want – let’s talk.
Ready to market what matters? Contact Fastline Marketing Group to discuss how we can help your dealership stand out for the right reasons.
This investigation was conducted by Fastline Marketing Group through analysis of farmer discussions across Reddit, OrangeTractorTalks, Kubota Forum, TractorByNet, and agricultural news sources from 2024-2025. All insights are from real farmer conversations in public forums.
