amazing dealer

wayneh · Aug 22, 2010

OK, my local Deere dealer struggles all the time with parts. I assume they just don't sell parts for real tractors, so I get part numbers on line usually before I go in looking.

Two weeks ago I was in Muncie Indiana and drove past Reynolds Equipment. Compared to Maryland, these boys have real tractors and real combines!

I stopped in, and decided to try to get the oil filter "O" ring I needed for my '48 B. The kid says just a second. This other guy comes out, asks what I need, I tell him I need the "O" ring for the oil filter for a '48 B. He tells the kid it is part A519R and pulls one right out. No books, no computers, just off his head. And trust me, this part of Indiana does not have too many '48 B's working the fields any more!

Kudos to a truly amazing parts guy, I wish I knew his name. Fun dealer to check out if you ever get to that part of Indiana!

Wayne

Sean Feeney · Aug 22, 2010

I don't mean to bad mouth
But wouldn't that part be as common as a GM 350
part number

msb · Aug 22, 2010

I worked for that dealer back in the 60s and 70s at Fishers,In.. Ran the diesel room back in those days and worked service on the road. Wish life was still that fun & simple. Good people to work for.

flying belgian · Aug 22, 2010

I went in to Napa several years ago and needed some king pin bushings for a wagon of unknown manufacture. I had part of the old bushing as sample and had stopped at jd and case dealer first. They did not want to spend any time figuring out and matching what I had and said without brand they couldn't help me. Guy at napa said let's get started and dug out a coupla books and started looking. After spending about 20 min. he said lets try ordering these and if they are not right we will send them back and try some different ones. The first try was right and fit perfect. The moral of the story is they spent way more getting the parts then they made off the sale but they gained a loyal customer and I always give them my buisiness first and tell this story every chance I get. Very impressed.

Billy Shafer · Aug 22, 2010

Sadly most of the old time parts guys are gone. Most of the ones today have no idea how to look up parts. Unless they go by the questions list.

I was looking for a water pump for a 300 six Ford that Onan used on a generator. Went to a parts house and the kid starts all the questions on the list. Told him this is not on a car or truck but a generator. So the kid tells me it is an industrial engine and they don't sell parts for them.

So I go get the pump lay it on the counter. The kid tells me that is a pump for a 300 six Ford. He has plenty in stock. So I said no this is off the industrial engine you said you did not sell parts for. Sure wish the old guys were back.

Don S. · Aug 22, 2010

Apparently this isn't a new problem. Back in the 50's, when all JD's were 2 cyl., my dad told me of a friend of his who went to a JD dealer who had a kid in parts.
His friend asked for spark plugs for a JD 730 diesel. Kid looked, but couldn't find any.

Ray · Aug 22, 2010

Some 730 diesels did have spark plugs,in the pony motor.

60 acre hillside · Aug 22, 2010

Years ago when life was simple I worked for an Allis Chalmers dealer and the parts man had been there many days first as a mechanic and later as parts. He would sometimes turn his back to the shelf and write the number on the ticket. The slelves were arranged with the most common parts located closest to counter. Sometimes we mechanics would walk in and pick up what we needed and take to counter for him to write up.

jd b puller · Aug 22, 2010

I've found that most of the dealers in the midwest are better at the 2 cyl stuff than other places. Assume it's just a function of quantity. The midwest has had 2 cylinders since '34 and due to the shear numbers of them out there, there's always people coming in getting parts for them. I think that O-ring is used all the way thru some of the new gen stuff (at least the filter is).

OliverGuy · Aug 22, 2010

Some people want the business, some don"t really care I guess. Tried getting something from the local red dealer the other day--it goes like this: not sure, have to look it up, I"ll call you back, might be here in a week, yadda, yadda, yadda. I get fed up, call Sloan, he"s says yeah got it right here, I"ll run out to catch the UPS man and you"ll have it tomorrow. And guess what, I did. Plus he said "thank you", Case guy just hangs up the phone on me.

Old Timer in Ohio · Aug 22, 2010

Hey there;
Way back when I was a little guy, (I'm 77 1/2 now)it wasn't uncommon to see a "true mechanic" flying down the road, hanging onto the headlight,
doing a "tune-up"!! Now, these "certified mechanics", can't even fix a "simple" problem, even though its shown to them in the"computer brain" printout! Thats something to crow about,
BULLCRAP

Tom Railsback · Aug 22, 2010

Our C/IH/NH dealer in Great Falls, MT has a pretty good partsman, especially for the older Case stuff. He'll even take the time to call the Depot to ask if they might have an obsolete part in their stock. If he gets in a bind about older tractor stuff, he'll even call me as I have been studying Case Parts books for 50 years; I have my own books for the letter series tractors (C, D, L, LA, RC, S, V, and VA,) and the 500,600, 800, and 900's.

Heavyduty1 · Aug 22, 2010

(quoted from post at 23:14:57 08/22/10) Our C/IH/NH dealer in Great Falls, MT has a pretty good partsman, especially for the older Case stuff. He'll even take the time to call the Depot to ask if they might have an obsolete part in their stock. If he gets in a bind about older tractor stuff, he'll even call me as I have been studying Case Parts books for 50 years; I have my own books for the letter series tractors (C, D, L, LA, RC, S, V, and VA,) and the 500,600, 800, and 900's.

I was getting $500 worth of parts at the local JD dealer in NC and was told flat out that the parts guys only look out for the guys spending 20k plus a year.

Another time I was going to buy a used tractor off the lot. The sales guy never returned my calls, even when left a meassage saying I had cash.

It seems that if they can't make a killing off ya, they don't care about the little guy any more.

Will Herring · Aug 22, 2010

Dealerships are completely 50/50. I've had plenty of bad experiences at all the colors of dealerships, and plenty of good ones as well. Some people just should not run a parts counter. Usually when I experience a failure in that department, I come back again in a few days, and if I catch somebody else, give them a shot. I've had good luck doing this here, actually.

NY 986 · Aug 22, 2010

I would not say none of the local dealers here have a top-notch parts person though a few do try hard. Guys that were real hands on with equipment in terms of parts are dead or retired.
The nearest JD dealer does the best to earn my business. Case IH used be pretty good but has back slid to earn the business of the high roller farmers in my area. Parts dept. of the nearest NH dealer is the only bright spot in that organization. AGCO place is pretty good but I really don't want to be too AGCO dependent in the future.

Bill(Wis) · Aug 22, 2010

But then, a John Deere B only had three moving parts. (;>))

mile0001 · Aug 22, 2010

Green Power Equipment in SE MN is like that. The main parts guy Mitch has rattled off a few part numbers off the top of his head before for me, and he's not an old guy. And if JD no longer has it, they'll do searches through offline inventories for me.

Mike (WA) · Aug 22, 2010

Herb had been the head parts guy at local JD emporium for about a hundred years when I went in many years ago for a manure spreader bottom chain. Didn't even occur to me to buy a complete chain- was just going to get the links and build it myself.

He said, "We've got a complete chain setup for that model- Bill, run up and get it." It was covered with dust- he wiped off the tag, and said "That'll be $87.xx" (probably a third of what the parts to make it would have cost). One of the other guys said, "Herb, I think there's a price update on that." (Ya think?)

Herb gave him a withering look, blew some more dust off of it, and said, "That thing has been here as long as I have, and it hasn't been exactly flyin' outta here. I better sell it to this lad while I can. He may have the last one of those spreaders in the whole state." The boss overheard this, just shook his head and smiled, and went back in his office.

Was in there many times when someone asked for a part for an old Deere, young parts guy started to look it up, and Herb would reel off the part number, without even looking up from what he was doing. Not many like him left.

greygoat · Aug 23, 2010

I went to the John Deere dealer in West Salem
Wisconsin 2 years ago to ask about a part for a
John Deere pressure washer. (it was given to me-
i'd NEVER buy anything green) The counter man
said, "they don't make that model anymore" and
turned his back to me and walked away. I repeat
that story as much as possible--hoping it will
cost them some business !

tjdub · Aug 23, 2010

> I went to the John Deere dealer in West Salem
Wisconsin 2 years ago

It hasn't improved much since then. Sometimes I use the jdparts website to order parts and pick them up there, but never go there expecting help/advice. Everyone in the parts dept. is a minimum wage button-clicker. If you want to talk to someone who knows something about the parts, go one dealer over (Caledonia, MN).

Kruse · Aug 23, 2010

There is a restaurant in the area that I occasionally frequent that has a huge food choice on the menu and has lots of side orders listed. There is a server in that restaurant that takes your order by memory. It does not matter if there is a party of one or a party of twenty five, it's all stored in her head. It's amazing to watch this lady (she's probably 23-25) when you have a party of 25 and after everybody has ordered, have 2 or 3 people change their order to something completely different. She takes it in stride and I've never seen her mess up an order.
I would imagine some of the seasoned parts guys that have been mentioned here have a long term memory like this lady has a short term memory.

Anonymous-0 · Aug 23, 2010

Since this is the complement a dealer thread, I nominate Brenda over at Sandy Lake Equipment, western PA Agco dealer, she knows her stuff!

Jimmy King · Aug 23, 2010

There was an old man at the IH Dealership in Springfield, MO. The man that retired as Service Manager told me that when they invertoried, Millard would set down at his desk with his clip board and start writing. He would ocasingly check a price in the book. Went he fnished writing he would walk through the bins and double check the quanties.

Jimmy King · Aug 23, 2010

There was an old man at the IH Dealership in Springfield, MO. The man that retired as Service Manager told me that when they invertoried, Millard would set down at his desk with his clip board and start writing. He would ocasingly check a price in the book. Went he fnished writing he would walk through the bins and double check the quanties.

amazing dealer

Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Member

Well-known Member

Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Member

Member

Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

New User

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Member

Kruse

Guest

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Similar threads