Frustration with waiting on new Kubota order

[lynnmor]

I am still puzzled how some dealers can get implements and others can’t.

If a dealer orders tractors and implements for a customer and pays Kubota when received, that order is serviced first.

 

[Chanceywd]

I am still puzzled how some dealers can get implements and others can’t. I ordered my tractor the third week of June. Got it the end of the next week with everything but the LP grapple (0660)
it came the second week of August.There was another dealer close to me that had one in stock but I wanted to get the grapple wrapped into my 84 mo financing package. Call around and see what other dealers have. Seems to me the shortages are not all the same.

I'm having the same thoughts. I ordered my SGC0660 in may, the 8th I think. I was supposed to get it in mid June, then august, then September, now told last week march of 2022. So I haven't canceled it yet but have started another order with another dealer for a comparable Virnig VRG60CT. That is "expected" in the next couple of weeks. I Searched online and found 4 SGC0660 at dealers 1 in ohio the closest near dayton. He wanted over $2100 for the grapple and was quoting $1500-2000 freight charge to central new york.
The Virnig, IF it comes to pass is about $2500 and $150 freight from PA.

Do you think some of it is cash flow problems with the dealers?

Bill

 

[benius]

Well, I'm officially switching brands...gotta look out for #1. Found a 4066R in stock at a local dealer and they matched the price of the L6060 I ordered.

Maybe someday we'll get back to normal...good luck everybody else!!

 

[seankirbydp]

Well, haven't had a chance to respond back about some progress of my order on a 4060:

I reached out to Kubota headquarters and left them a message in early August.

I then checked out a 6 year old cab L6060 with backhoe and loader. Was very close to going for it in mid August. I went into my dealer to tell him I was considering it. He understand but I ultimately decided to pass, liking the idea that if I was going to spend that kind of money on a tractor, it would be covered by Kubota's insurance.

A few days later, I received an email from Kubota saying that everything I ordered was available to be shipped save for the loader and back hoe. (their expected production time was September) This was mid August. My dealer also received word that I had reached out to Kubota directly (and told me I was the first customer of his to ever do so). He said he was going to start working on getting what he could get in and try to have Kubota ship the loader and backhoe when they were ready.

Less than a week later, my dealer called and said that Kubota had shipped including the backhoe and loader! A few weeks after that, it finally arrived at my place. Two weeks shy of 7 months after I ordered it.

Not sure if bugging Kubota and my dealer helped but it seems it might have so be that squeaky wheel and good luck.

 

[NCL4701]

Has Covid really made more people "go back to the land"?
"
[/QUOTE]
That and the work from home policies many employers now have that allow people to move to more remote areas. Some like living in concentrated population centers; many live there only out of necessity for work.

 

[Goz63]

Has Covid really made more people "go back to the land"?
"

That and the work from home policies many employers now have that allow people to move to more remote areas. Some like living in concentrated population centers; many live there only out of necessity for work.
[/QUOTE]
I think it is a wide range of things that have happened FROM Covid not necessarily Covid itself. People have moved out of high density populated areas, people are getting paid as much or more than when they worked to stay home, supply chains are still behind for raw materials, people are scrambling to buy things because they are not sure IF they can get stuff and that is just my partial list. Many rumors are that after the first of the year tractor prices are going up as well. I was planning on buying my tractor about this time, it is my retirement present to me as I leave active duty. As I was shopping in June to see what the potential supply issues might be there was the 84 month zero present dangle and confirmation of short supply so I pulled the trigger. Glad I did. Friend was in the same dealer last week just looking and the sales guy came out and said that EVERYTHING on his lot was already sold and nothing coming in for 6 months.

 

[PortTackFarm]

And it's not just tractors or other vehicles. The guy that I work with contracted for a new fiberglass pool project for his home in June of 2020. It was supposed to be installed July of this year. They finally dug the hole a week ago in preparation for the pool to be delivered and installed this week. Now he says delivery is pushed back two more weeks. His family will finally be swimming two years after they pulled the trigger for their pool. That scenario is repeated for all types of products and projects.

 

[River19]

The delays are impacting darn near everything. Those pictures of the hoards of cargo ships waiting off shore to be unloaded hold a ton of goods in every industry. The supply chain is in rough shape......dock workers, truck drivers, warehouse and DC help.

Sure there are raw material and component delays like the well known chip shortage but try ordering things like a hot tub etc and you will wait many months.........

 

[NCL4701]

Right now there are many people who just don’t want to work. I’m trying to fill an entry level position, $14.42/hr, $30k/yr, no degree required, good benefits. Only requirement is moderate intelligence, willing to work, willing and able to learn. Same position I started in and I’m the hiring manager now. Several good paying levels beyond entry level but below me so plenty of advancement opportunity with a growing company.

Usually I have plenty of applicants. Now all I have is people submitting resumes who won’t return my calls because they don’t want a job or career, all they want is to show they’re applying for jobs so they can stay on unemployment. We always get some of that but now that’s all I’m getting.

If anyone knows someone in central NC that fits the above description and actually wants to work and start a career, shoot me a PM. Getting pretty stupid out here.

 

[skeets]

As I understand it as of right now ther are 30+ cargo ships waiting to be off loaded in one of the west coast harbors,, why ,, as far as I can find out there is not enough help to unload them,, why ,, damned if I know

 

[NCL4701]

As I understand it as of right now ther are 30+ cargo ships waiting to be off loaded in one of the west coast harbors,, why ,, as far as I can find out there is not enough help to unload them,, why ,, damned if I know

Why? See my post above. Right now employers are competing with the government who is paying people to sit on their couch or the beach or wherever. Hard to compete when we still require work in exchange for pay, but the government doesn’t.

 

[B737]

Right now there are many people who just don’t want to work.

Usually I have plenty of applicants. Now all I have is people submitting resumes who won’t return my calls because they don’t want a job or career, all they want is to show they’re applying for jobs so they can stay on unemployment.

another real world example to add to your experience...

I was out in Denver for work a while back. It was during a gap when they were sorting out the unemployment extension during cares act, but it hadn't passed just yet. I got in my uber and got to chatting with the driver who said he hadnt driven in the last few months. I said oh, what brought you back to driving again? His answer "unemployment benefits ran out"

amazing how that works...

 

[PaulL]

Politics more than tractors. But anyway. There's a reset underway. People have been talking about pay rises trickling down for years. Looks like they finally are. Which is a good thing - under the last US govt the people at the bottom started to get pay rises for the first time in a while. With the shortages of everything there's a shortage of labour. And when there's a shortage of anything the price goes up. That's not all bad, but it'll take a while for things to settle.

And yes, if anyone's asking, I'm aware that most of the statistics about how lower to middle income people are going backwards are distorted in all sorts of ways, ranging from most of them being household income and household size shrinking (so your average household has fewer earners), more people self employed and paying themselves dividends as a tax dodge - makes it look like pay's going down - and the general problems of measuring income at the lower end and people misstating their income when you survey them, as well as "misstating" their income when the IRS asks them. But even ignoring all that, it's true I think that people at the bottom are about to start doing better than they were, and that's never a bad thing.

If you have to pay $16 an hour instead of $14 an hour to get staff, it'll make a bunch of businesses harder to operate, but it's not bad for those people.

 

[NCL4701]

Politics more than tractors. But anyway. There's a reset underway. People have been talking about pay rises trickling down for years. Looks like they finally are. Which is a good thing - under the last US govt the people at the bottom started to get pay rises for the first time in a while. With the shortages of everything there's a shortage of labour. And when there's a shortage of anything the price goes up. That's not all bad, but it'll take a while for things to settle.

And yes, if anyone's asking, I'm aware that most of the statistics about how lower to middle income people are going backwards are distorted in all sorts of ways, ranging from most of them being household income and household size shrinking (so your average household has fewer earners), more people self employed and paying themselves dividends as a tax dodge - makes it look like pay's going down - and the general problems of measuring income at the lower end and people misstating their income when you survey them, as well as "misstating" their income when the IRS asks them. But even ignoring all that, it's true I think that people at the bottom are about to start doing better than they were, and that's never a bad thing.

If you have to pay $16 an hour instead of $14 an hour to get staff, it'll make a bunch of businesses harder to operate, but it's not bad for those people.

I wrote a really lengthy reply, then reminded myself this is a tractor forum.

The job isn’t worth $16. It’s a toss up at $14.42 between automating some functions to reduce staff v retaining the quantity of positions we have at that level. We’ve retained the quantity we have largely for strategic reasons rather than pure numbers. At $16 the position will basically go to automation and no one will be hired. There have been quite a few people over the past 150 years or so that realized they priced themselves completely out of the labor market for their skill set when the super expensive automation alternative became less expensive than the workers.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

Here in Ontario , the minimum wage went up 10 cents an hour and the RAGE over that increase made nationwide news. Those that it applies to are 'upset' and 'will take action' ! I changed channels when I heard that. China has ruined our economy, between cheap goods and Covid, plain and simple. as long as the masks stay on, we're never getting out of the 'slump'.
ANY pay raise costs the company, especially those struggling like restaurants AND the PUBLIC ends up paying for the increase in higher prices for meals, 2by4s, etc. The ONLY way a business can stay in business is to make a profit and that's mighty hard when there's next to no INCOME yet lots of EXPENSES, every month.
what I find intersting, is that it seems the loudest ones complaining about needing higher minimum wages appear very well fed, classy clothes,3 SUVs in their driveways and have $1000 smartphones. NOT exactly the picture of 'poor'.

 

[jimh406]

Minimum wages were never intended to be the final salary of employees. People are supposed grow, develop skills which eventually grows their worth to the employers.

I agree most people who are complaining about minimum wages aren’t the ones dependent on them. When I was starting out, I was always more concerned with getting a job and starting to make money than my pay, and yes, I worked for years on the minimum wage while I worked my way through school.

 

[forky]

The whole problem is that folks don't live below their means. If they did they would be saving money. One can become wealthy in this country if they do. Stop spending and start saving. If you have too many expenses cut here and there....don't blame the wage.

 

[River19]

Minimum wages were never intended to be the final salary of employees. People are supposed grow, develop skills which eventually grows their worth to the employers.

I agree most people who are complaining about minimum wages aren’t the ones dependent on them. When I was starting out, I was always more concerned with getting a job and starting to make money than my pay, and yes, I worked for years on the minimum wage while I worked my way through school.

Agree with this wholeheartedly.

I'm a New England guy and spent my teenage years in MA where at the time (perhaps still is) the min age for employment was 14 years old. With the talk of $15/hr min wage, I cannot reconcile that a McD's drive thru worker that is 14 years old ( yes that was my first gig) would be making the annual equivalent of $31K/yr.

While I understand the plight for a "livable wage", I do believe the part we are completely missing here is the acquisition of an "in-demand" set of skills that the marketplace is willing to actually pay a livable wage for. I thought that was a simple concept.

I cannot fathom the mindset that drives someone to spend $200K on an undergrad degree in Art History only to realize they then need to spend another $250K and 6-8years to get a Phd in Art History to finally land that coveted Museum gig paying $42K/yr and they now have $400-450K in debt to service and then complain there is no "affordable" housing and wages are too low. I don't think anyone needed a Phd to see that outcome as highly probable.

If art or something similar is your passion, by all means roll with it......but you go in knowing the financial aspect is bleak and when that reality hits you in the gut it isn't anyone else's responsibility to work hard to subsidize your life choices.

But what do I know.......

 

[Bmyers]

River19, you hit the nail on the head, there is only so much some jobs are worth. A business is in business to make money. You can debate how much a business should make, but ultimately, the business wants and was developed to make money. Once labor becomes more expensive than automation or automation becomes more productive than just labor, then the business will switch. Forcing companies to pay more for unskilled labor just causes the business to switch to automation.

Many of your large stores have already started the process: self-checkout (redirecting the labor), ATM machines, online bill paying/automatic monthly bill payment, automatic floor sweepers/cleaners, automatic forklifts (Amazon warehouses), etc. are all low skill jobs that it has become cheaper to automate.

Coal mines use to be filled with lots of workers, but as automation has progressed it has change the coal industry (not necessarily for the bad).

Our local McDonalds has the touch screens where you place your order and what for your number to be called, one less low skill job replaced by automation and redirected labor 9making you do it yourself).

As labor cost go up, more automation will come and less minimum wage jobs will be around.

 

[River19]

River19, you hit the nail on the head, there is only so much some jobs are worth. A business is in business to make money. You can debate how much a business should make, but ultimately, the business wants and was developed to make money. Once labor becomes more expensive than automation or automation becomes more productive than just labor, then the business will switch. Forcing companies to pay more for unskilled labor just causes the business to switch to automation.

Many of your large stores have already started the process: self-checkout (redirecting the labor), ATM machines, online bill paying/automatic monthly bill payment, automatic floor sweepers/cleaners, automatic forklifts (Amazon warehouses), etc. are all low skill jobs that it has become cheaper to automate.

Coal mines use to be filled with lots of workers, but as automation has progressed it has change the coal industry (not necessarily for the bad).

Our local McDonalds has the touch screens where you place your order and what for your number to be called, one less low skill job replaced by automation and redirected labor 9making you do it yourself).

As labor cost go up, more automation will come and less minimum wage jobs will be around.

Agree.

I work in Workforce Mgt at a large corporation and yes, the same principals of a small business apply for a Fortune 10 company. We have a duty and mandate to shareholders to hit our earnings targets for the Street. When labor makes a paradigm shift in cost, basic math is needed to determine whether a capital investment in technology like automation is more predictable and cheaper over the next X years than paying for and dealing with the associated challenges of the human labor force. Sucks but there is no free lunch and that higher wage has downstream impacts. Unless people want to pay $17 for a "value meal" automation is there to stay.