| Cabelas cancels sales of farm tractors |
|
||
|
By:
JusPassin
Date:24-Jan-16
|
I live in the Midwest, not ten miles from Cabela's. When I saw them trying to sell these off the wall tractors I thought at the time it was about the dumbest marketing decision possible.
We have 100's of tractor and implement dealers, well established farm sales companies that sell and fully support ag equipment.
What could possibly make Cabela's think they were going to compete with the likes of John Deere, Case/IH, Massey Ferguson, Kubota, etc.?
|
By:
RutNut_@work
Date:24-Jan-16
|
I figured as much when I seen an ad on our local CL for huge discounts on the new Cabela's tractors. The people hit hardest b this will be the hunting shows that got their tractors and implements for free/discount as sponsorship.
|
By:
caribou77
Date:24-Jan-16
|
They probably would have done better if they just sold them under the "woods" name and as a dealer for them. But if they ever really thought they were going to sell a lot of them they must have been on crack.For the cost of a new tractor I could pay some to put them in for me for the rest of my life....and a few lives after that. Most whitetail hunting happens in areas that have a tractor every mile or 6 every mile. Getting some help to make an acre food plot with a 30 ft disc and a front wheel assist tractor is not hard and literally takes longer for them to drive to your place than put in a plot! lol
|
Date:24-Jan-16
|
BAD idea to begin with. They really lost their way.
|
By:
BK
Date:24-Jan-16
|
Like everyone else, they were just trying to get a piece of the latest whitetail craze...food plots. They just bit a little more than they cared to chew. Bad decision for Cabelas all around but it could be good for someone looking for a tractor!
|
By:
Kevin Dill
Date:25-Jan-16
|
I would only purchase a tractor from a knowledgeable and established tractor dealer with a good history of service. That wouldn't be Cabela's.
I wouldn't buy a bass boat from Target either, though they sell plastic kayaks. I've also noticed that the nearest Walmart no longer has a corral full of red Murray lawn tractors for sale every April.
|
By:
meatus
Date:25-Jan-16
|
Does the Bass Pro Shops buy out of Cabelas also have a factor in this?
|
By:
JusPassin
Date:25-Jan-16
|
So Pat, if you were in on the original discussions, , what was the rational?
|
By:
Iowa_Archer
Date:25-Jan-16
|
I'm neutral on this, but I am not surprised. Cabela's really had no value to add to a tractor line, the brand just doesn't carry over to ag equipment.
|
By:
Mark Watkins
Date:25-Jan-16
|
Cabela's in my opinion is at a bit of a precarious point in the evolution of their business model.
They tend to think that any product is better if they put their name on it.
One of the top considerations in buying a tractor (much like a bow) is who is competent to service it as you are going to have maintenance and repairs (at some point). I still don't know the difference between a hammer and a screw driver, so I need qualified help.
I think as a publicly held company which has a tendency to think short term (quarter by quarter results to appease share holders) they looked at the big ticket price and thought..."Wow, we can really drive top line sales and gross profit!"
On the other hand, at least they were willing to try something....
Mark
|
By:
drycreek
Date:25-Jan-16
|
I'm with Kevin on this, unfortunately I bought my Kubota from the local dealer and their mechanics are either lazy, stupid, or both. Having been a contractor though, I do have some contacts that are independent heavy equipment mechanics, and these guys are good ( couldn't stay in business if they weren't ), and besides that, they will come to you if necessary.
I could never fathom Cabelas selling tractors when the support wasn't there.
|
By:
Kurt
Date:25-Jan-16
|
I would not buy a tractor, quad or SxS UTV from Cabelas, and I AM a Cabelas fan in general. As Mark says, these mechanical things need parts and service over the long haul and I'd rather have John Deere and Honda taking care of their issues than Cabelas who are now seeing the error in their business model. A friend bought a new Cabelas SxS to save a $1,000 - $2,000 a couple of years ago and it has been a nightmare for him.
|
By:
South Farm
Date:26-Jan-16
|
They should drop their line of drones and military assault wear/weapons too while they're at it..
|
By:
LINK
Date:26-Jan-16
|
I would disagree with caribou, if you have enough money laying around to buy a quality tractor, it's likely to bring more in 30 years than what you paid for it. I see this all the time and have bought a few. Farmer is easy to deal with cause he is getting more or close to what he paid for it in the 80's. I know a dollar was worth more then but good ones hold their value.
|
Date:26-Jan-16
|
I bought a '63 John Deere 4020 with a loader on it back in 2001 for $7000. and it's still worth what I paid for it, maybe more. I can put in all my plots in a day on my 21 acres.
|
By:
Jaquomo
Date:26-Jan-16
|
South Farm, what do semi-automatic rifles and flying cameras have to do with tractors being unprofitable?
AR-15 style rifles are the most popular long guns in the U.S. Lots of people buy mobile cameras for a ton of reasons, all legal. If they weren't profitable, Cabelas wouldn't continue to sell them.
I don't get the connection?
|
By:
Iowa_Archer
Date:26-Jan-16
|
I am sure this varies from area to area across the US, but even though my land is in an agricultural area and there is no shortage of real farmers around and I have developed a good relationship with many of them...I always had a very tough time coordinating with the local farmers to get plots in on time.
I frequently ran into situations where the farmer was behind schedule on his real work and understandably so, my 1 or 2 acre food plot was last on the priority list. Shoot, even after getting my own tractor, I too have had trouble a couple of times trying to get stuff done in right "window" because of drought/floods/etc.
I still work with local farmers to put in bigger plots(3-5 acres), but I now do all of my own smaller plots with my own tractor and ATV.
|
By:
Matte
Date:26-Jan-16
|
I have never seen the need to buy a tractor when you can rent a 4x4 diesel tractor from most rental sites at about $250 a weekend. Add a brush hog and a rototiller for another $50 and bam $300 to get the dirt work done. You never have to worry about repair, theft or damage. I put all my plots in in one weekend. Just can not beat the price compared to the trouble you can have with equipment and theft in my area.
|
By:
kellyharris
Date:26-Jan-16
|
Agree 100% Matte unless I needed more than just one weekend.
|
By:
Sivart
Date:27-Jan-16
|
My old college roommate has worked for Cabelas since he graduated 15 yrs ago. He is in corporate.
He doesn't give me a positive outlook for the future of the company as a whole. A lot of neg things have happened in a short period of time.
|
By:
buckhammer
Date:28-Jan-16
|
Cabelas has gotten too big for it's britches.
|
Date:28-Jan-16
|
Agree with Pat. I do plots more to fill my desire to farm. I grew up on a farm, wanted to be a farmer, and got a degree in Ag from and land grant college in the Midwest. I am not a farmer because my mother did not want me to be a pauper (her words) and the whole 7 days-a-week-work thing interferes with bow hunting. 5 acres of food plots scratches both itches. As for cabelas and farm implements, tym is not a well known/trusted brand as is JD, Case, IH, Ford/New Holland, and lately Kubota. Also, the nearest Cabelas is 225 miles, while I have 7 Kubota and 5 JD dealerships within 40 miles of the house. I took one look at the reverse controls on the cabelas tractor and walked away with a "never buy" position. Woods is another deal altogether, but all of the Kubota dealerships in my area also carry woods equipment.
|
By:
South Farm
Date:28-Jan-16
|
It's just one more step away from what and who made them the company they were, Jaquomo, that's all. I'm old, and when I look back at all my old catalogs the cover art indicates to be directed at a certain type individual...I just don't think that type individual, AR-15's and Drones really go together. Wasn't meant as any kind of testament to these particular items or their popularity.
|
By:
Jaquomo
Date:28-Jan-16
|
South Farm, I hear you, as I have Cabelas catalogs from 1970. But those people aren't around anymore. They sell what people want. Not for idealistic reasons, but because they are a public company. Today's outdoorsman but fewer muskrat traps and more AR-15s. That's just how it goes.
