Help Me Decide on New Dozer

[Martin70]

So,you’re considering a 155 after thinking about it?.
I’m a fan of the the older 155’s going back 30 years,but any newer ones after the dash 2 155’s were fazed out in the late 1990’s never found popularity in the UK for some reason.

There are a few about I believe,but I’ve never seen one.
As for D8’s,I’ve owned 12 of the things at last count and allways did reasonably well on them financially.
Finnings is our only dealer here and their backup support is worlds apart from what it was 20 years ago,with Komatsu dealership support being even worse.

20 or 30 years ago, I rarely saw anything Komatsu here, this was Cat country, and some JD. But it's increasingly, and quickly, becoming Tigercat, Timber Pro, Komatsu, Hyundai, Sennebogen, and Link Belt country. Cat and Deere are wanting to crap on loggers, and construction it seems, to cater to the rich mines, that spend a fortune. If you are a huge logging company, then they might take care of you, but someone like me, they don't care. I'll never be buying a dozen or more new pieces a year, so they decided to ignore me, and everyone else who is small. After 3 decades of moving other people's equipment for them, that trend is very noticeable. Used to be i would low bed 80% Cat, 10% JD, and 10% everything else combined. Now I move about 20% Cat, 5% JD, and 75% everything else. Cat, and finning, I heard are not doing so well, they did that to themselves. All they had to do was treat people decently, return phone calls, and they would still dominate here I'll bet. Their equipment is okay, but the mentality is we don't care about you unless you're huge. Someone like me, who only has 17 pieces of equipment, and not all brand new, I'm a nobody.

 

[Martin70]

It might be a good idea to check on the cost of replacement major components and see if exchange are available. Like I mentioned before, it was a game changer for the county I was in. Could save a lot of downtime too.

Absolutely!

 

[MG84]

20 or 30 years ago, I rarely saw anything Komatsu here, this was Cat country, and some JD. But it's increasingly, and quickly, becoming Tigercat, Timber Pro, Komatsu, Hyundai, Sennebogen, and Link Belt country. Cat and Deere are wanting to crap on loggers, and construction it seems, to cater to the rich mines, that spend a fortune. If you are a huge logging company, then they might take care of you, but someone like me, they don't care. I'll never be buying a dozen or more new pieces a year, so they decided to ignore me, and everyone else who is small. After 3 decades of moving other people's equipment for them, that trend is very noticeable. Used to be i would low bed 80% Cat, 10% JD, and 10% everything else combined. Now I move about 20% Cat, 5% JD, and 75% everything else. Cat, and finning, I heard are not doing so well, they did that to themselves. All they had to do was treat people decently, return phone calls, and they would still dominate here I'll bet. Their equipment is okay, but the mentality is we don't care about you unless you're huge. Someone like me, who only has 17 pieces of equipment, and not all brand new, I'm a nobody.

I've had the same experiences with the Cat dealers I've dealt with here in VA. I'm a small one man operation (grading/excavation/construction) and I got the feeling I was just a nobody at the Cat dealer unless I was looking to spend $250K or more. As such I run Case and Kubota equipment, both companies have treated me well.

 

[Welder Dave]

Finning is the dealer here too. What I found odd is they don't even have a service counter. I went in to ask about something and the person I asked seemed a little startled. "I'll see if somebody in the shop could come up to talk to you." I waited a few minutes and somebody came but anywhere else has a service counter and service manager/advisor to help customers who come in. There prices are pretty high if you don't have multiple machines and an account but lots of suppliers stiff you if you don't have an account. Can be a big difference on some things.

 

[CM1995]

Cat, and finning, I heard are not doing so well, they did that to themselves. All they had to do was treat people decently, return phone calls, and they would still dominate here I'll bet. Their equipment is okay, but the mentality is we don't care about you unless you're huge. Someone like me, who only has 17 pieces of equipment, and not all brand new, I'm a nobody.

You're a nobody wanting to buy a D8 sized machine with a retail price of $2M Canadian?

**** if you bought a brand new D8 from my Dealer you're getting a trip on their G3 to Peoria to see it built.

 

[Nige]

You're a nobody wanting to buy a D8 with a retail price of $2M Canadian?

I get the same impression from Finning in a different country where my customer is looking to spend probably well in excess of $500M on equipment over the next 5 years. As an ex-Finning employee it pains me to see what the organisation has become.

 

[CM1995]

I get the same impression from Finning in a different country where my customer is looking to spend probably well in excess of $500M on equipment over the next 5 years. As an ex-Finning employee it pains me to see what the organisation has become.

That sucks. What do you think their rational is? $500M? What is Finning wanting $3B?

You know my dealer and I couldn't ask for a better one. Been on their G3 twice to Peoria and the biggest piece of iron I have ever bought is a 325. Now I've been a loyal customer for 22 years and bought many a piece of iron but nothing in this realm.

 

[Nige]

Personally I think it’s a sense of entitlement. They seem to think they are entitled to the business without having to put in the “hard yards” to make the sale.

 

[Welder Dave]

Finning here tried to break the union and the parts department went to absolute *****! Instead of getting parts next day or the day after they could only tell you hopefully in a week. They used a logistics company and moved all the parts into their warehouse. They paid one of their largest customers about $500K for lost downtime because of an extra long weight for some common pistons for the main generator at one of their gravel pits. One of the long term parts guy's who I think went on strike told me what a mess it was. The union won in the end and it was a good thing.

 

[bccat]

I have been around Finning all my life as my Dad was a shop foreman at the Kamloops shop. I have seen it deteriorate over the last 40 years when they moved the head office to Edmonton Ab & started buying out Cat Dealerships all over the world, they just got too big for their britches And forgot about the little guy’s. l worked with a lot of their servicemen & partsmen till I retired in 2013 they were all top notch.I blame Managers & CEO’s. It also has to do with the economy & environment, the Forest industry in BC is just about done which was one of Finnings best customer. Mining is coming back slowly, and the Tariffs well that’s another story . The World is in a terrible state glad I am out of the workforce. Cheers

 

[Welder Dave]

It was the CEO from BC that wanted to break the union and it cost him big. If you can't make money as a large Cat dealer you're doing something wrong. If you're greedy that's wrong too.

 

[Georgia Iron]

Wow. That is a lot of land to clean up. It almost sounds like you will do the job alone. I just finished my first 70 acres using a 963 track loader. I am about to start another 100 acre wooded tract. I have purchased a Cat feller buncher to help, and an 850 john deere dozer which is stronger than the 963 push wish. I however find that I like using the 963. You might consider getting a good 973 track loader.

Based on what i have spent in fuel a 80 or 90 k machine will eat your wallet.

 

[Welder Dave]

I think how efficient you are with the machine makes a big difference. Thousands of acres sounds like a good job for chaining.

 

[nicky 68a]

This thread could easily turn into a Finnings bashing thread.
Going into Finnings with a bag full of $2m to buy a new D8,would get you nowhere.They aren’t interested.Probably cost them $1.9m to buy it from Cat.
They can make more $ for less effort.
They aren’t interested in companies spending a few million,they want customers spending $100m’s.
It’s contemptible really,but that’s how it is.
Many large dealers are the same regardless of tractor,truck,car,dozer etc

 

[bccat]

In 2006, The company I worked for needed a new dozer, the D8k was getting tired. We tried komatsu, they didn’t have a machine close enough to even look at, with a 6 month delay. Same with Finning, but our local Finning branch salesman got us a new D9t in 3 weeks , he diverted a D9 going to the oil patch to us , boy were the big shots pissed. its was just over 1 million in 2006.

 

[Welder Dave]

This thread could easily turn into a Finnings bashing thread.
Going into Finnings with a bag full of $2m to buy a new D8,would get you nowhere.They aren’t interested.Probably cost them $1.9m to buy it from Cat.
They can make more $ for less effort.
They aren’t interested in companies spending a few million,they want customers spending $100m’s.
It’s contemptible really,but that’s how it is.
Many large dealers are the same regardless of tractor,truck,car,dozer etc

That's when a good salesperson can make a big difference. Some don't even want to talk to small customers and do nothing but bash the competition. Good sales people treat all customers the same. A sale is a sale. I ran into that just buying a skid steer.

 

[Martin70]

You're a nobody wanting to buy a D8 sized machine with a retail price of $2M Canadian?

**** if you bought a brand new D8 from my Dealer you're getting a trip on their G3 to Peoria to see it built.

I would be happy with my phone call being returned.

Spend less than $100,000,000 / year here, and you are a nobody.

Go to say Woodland equipment for an oil filter, and you are treated like a long lost friend.
Hey, how are you doing, how is life, great to see you, can I get you a coffee.
Ummmm sure, black please, I'm good thanks.
Just here to grab a filter.
Well its always awesome to see you.

 

[Martin70]

Wow. That is a lot of land to clean up. It almost sounds like you will do the job alone. I just finished my first 70 acres using a 963 track loader. I am about to start another 100 acre wooded tract. I have purchased a Cat feller buncher to help, and an 850 john deere dozer which is stronger than the 963 push wish. I however find that I like using the 963. You might consider getting a good 973 track loader.

Based on what i have spent in fuel a 80 or 90 k machine will eat your wallet.

Definitely not doing it alone, but hope to spend some time on site, not just supervising other jobs. I'm also often on a truck, hauling equipment, or logs. I've built a very good team, took a lot of years, and I'm blessed to have them. The best days are when everything is running smoothly, and I can ride around on my ATV, with a chainsaw, and just fall the oversized trees, then have them skidded for me, and head up, limb and buck them by hand. Throw the Can Am, and Husqvarna in the pickup, and go to another job, and see how they're doing, and repeat. Rarely do days go so smooth, but when they do, its paradise. Running a saw, is still one of my favorite things to do. When I started, as a teenager, my boss handed me a saw, and in a 20 minute lesson showed me how to tighten the chain, sharpen it, mix gas and oil, fuel it, fill the bar oil, fall a tree, limb it, and buck it. Gave me a pair of chaps, and a hard hat, and I had a job. The 80s were a different time, and most learning came as a result of screwing up. How I survived my first year is still a mystery, but sure beat high school in my opinion. I was a high school drop out, back then nobody cared. I was 16, and making what I considered huge money. Sweat poured off me all day, but after 6 months I was in such good shape, that saw didn't even feel heavy any more. Now I'm exhausted after 30 minutes, but still love it.

 

[nicky 68a]

That's when a good salesperson can make a big difference. Some don't even want to talk to small customers and do nothing but bash the competition. Good sales people treat all customers the same. A sale is a sale. I ran into that just buying a skid steer.

Very true Welder Dave.
I wish Finnings would employ some!!

 

[epirbalex]

I think Caterpiller has been trading on its name far too long . Family who had the NZ outlet lost it for various reasons . Market share dropped head over heals and its going to be a slog to recover if it can . New Son In-law has an area he's working on doing just that . Being able to fix the machinery he sells gives a head start for a salesman . Best thing for a parts person is the same , service is whats its all about . Not sure how my daughter got away with it being a parts person selling John Deere bits but smart enough to know the right guy when he waked in the door looking for parts . Service is whats it's all about .