Janeth and Tom Tomlin’s life in the country began 13 years ago with the purchase of five acres about 30 miles south of San Antonio, Texas.

Idyllic?

Hardly.

Tractor Shopping

Tom and Janeth own a heavy equipment repair business, so Tom was already familiar with many kinds of tractors.

“I work on about every farm tractor that’s out there. I like Mahindras because they are heavy duty and ‘old school.’ They don’t have a lot of plastic parts,” Tom says. He wanted something they could use on their acreage as well as with their business.

Still, before purchasing, they researched other manufacturers, including walking the line-up of equipment at a large rodeo near San Antonio in February 2006. They walked up and down the rows, but no one seemed interested in helping.

“They just sat there talking to their buddies and didn’t get out of their chairs. That happened at two or three places,” Tom says. But, it didn’t happen at Bill’s Tractor’s display.

The dealership is the country’s largest Mahindra dealership, with locations in San Antonio and near Austin.

“They were just so nice,” says Janeth. Tom already knew of their good reputation from his own customers. The next day they went to the dealership and began their relationship with salesperson Nancy Turner.

Meet Rural Lifestylers
Tom and Janeth Tomlin

Occupation: Tom and Janeth Tomlin own a heavy equipment repair business.

Property: The Tomlins own five acres about 30 miles south of San Antonio, Texas. The property was undeveloped and overrun with weeds and mesquite trees when they purchased it in 1989. They cleared the land to showcase old trees and fields. Landscaping around their home includes flower beds, a pool and a patio area, with a 700- pound barbecue pit made from the leg of an old water tower.

Equipment: Mahindra 5530 tractor with loader and pallet fork; Howse shred- der; Hustler FasTrak zero-turn mower; Stihl chain saw and Stihl leaf blower. Tom Tomlin built other attachments, including a box blade, rake and plow.

Janeth says Turner asked about their acreage and who would be using the tractor. She learned about Tom’s requirements: dependability, quality and parts availability.

“He wanted something that you would turn the key and it would start right away and work until you put it away at night,” Janeth says. Janeth conveyed that she wanted something “girl friendly.”

“I was a city girl. I didn’t know what all the levers were for. It was intimidating.”

They purchased their first tractor that day, a Mahindra 4110 with loader and bucket. They also bought a 6-foot Howse shredder. Tom had something else in mind to make the purchase even more special. He worked with Nancy to have “Happy Valentine’s Day, Janeth” painted on the loader bucket.

“When we came back, they had the tractor out front, with the loader bucket in the air,” says Tom. Everybody had a good laugh, he says.

Clearing the Land

The couple was now ready to continue the work they had begun on their acreage. The tract had been cleared 20 years earlier by the previous owner, but had become overgrown again. They rented a backhoe and track loader for the early stages of the clearing, since the trees were so dense. They cleared enough area to move in a recreational vehicle in which they lived temporarily. They had sewer and electricity installed; had a well dug; and had loads of topsoil and gravel delivered. They used the tractor and loader to haul limbs, smooth out soil for the yard and gravel for the driveway, and to help with fence repairs. Janeth says she learned to use the equipment through trial and error, with Tom’s help.

In September 2006, the Tomlins were back at Bill’s. Janeth wanted a zero-turn-radius mower to make it easier to mow around their home. Turner talked through the options and they purchased a Hustler FasTrak. The following spring, they were again back at Bill’s, this time to trade in their 4110 and loader for a 4530 with loader. Tom wanted more horsepower. He also purchased a pallet fork attachment for his equipment repair business, which he uses to move engines from the pickup into the shop.

This time, the loader message read, “Happy Birthday, Janeth.”

Tom says the dealership treats them well at trade-in time, too.

“We think we’ve been treated fairly. They’ve always been good to us,” Tom says. His diligent maintenance helps with the trade-in value.

“Our tractors are in top shape when it comes to maintenance. We’ve never had to do any repairs on any of the tractors. They’ve been the best that’s out there,” Janeth says.

Tom adds that his tractor was in such good shape that it was sold to another buyer the day they brought it in.

Maintaining Their Rural Home

Over the next few years, the Tomlins kept clearing and landscaping their acreage, moving from the RV to a mobile home to their permanent home as well as building a shop for their business. They also built a patio area that Janeth calls “Margaritaville.” Their Mahindra came in handy when she wanted to move a 700-pound barbecue pit that Tom had built from the leg of an old water tower.

Nancy Turner, a salesperson for Bill’s Tractor of San Antonio, Texas, wins customers by greeting them immediately when they enter the dealership, lis- tening to their needs and finding ways to make the purchase fun.

Bill’s Tractor of San Antonio, Texas, has sold more than 6,000 Mahindra tractors since it opened in 1992. Dealership owners are Bill and Betsy Bailes (rt.) and their son, Rick (left). Rick credits the Mahindra line and the dealership’s friendly and customer-focused attitude for its success.

“A couple of times I said, ‘I can’t do this.’ But the more blood, sweat and tears you put in, it becomes your home,” Janeth says.

They returned again and again to see Turner, purchasing a Stihl chain saw and a Stihl leaf blower.

“I’m a shopper. I love power tools. A lot of times we’ll go into Bill’s at the beginning of the summer to see the new tools and what might be on clearance.

“Nancy is ‘Johnny-on-the-spot’ with whatever we need. They treat us like we’re their number one customer,” Janeth says. “When I go to town I have a hellacious list. And if I’m making the trip to San Antonio, I want to bring back everything on my list.”

Their most recent trade-in was in 2008. They traded in the 4530, loader, and pallet fork attachment for their third Mahindra, a 5530.

Of course, the loader had a special message: “Merry Christmas, Janeth.”

Why the trade-in?

“I drove by and saw the new one. It was good looking and has a little bit more power. You can never have enough power,” Tom says.

Mani Iyer, Mahindra USA president (rt) and Cleo Franklin, vice president of marketing and strategic planning (left) present Bill and Betsy Bailes of Bill’s Tractor with the President’s Excellence Award in 2011. The dealership also was recognized for excel- lence in oil and parts sales.

User-friendly equipment is still important to Janeth. She is more experienced operating the machinery, but now copes with fibromyalgia and rheumatoid arthritis. She continues to work outside as long as she feels well. She also makes jewelry and they like to travel. In addition to country life, Tom has a passion for racing top fuel motorcycles.

“I told him it was time to retire that thing. He’s crazy,” Janeth says.

A Country Day

The Tomlins continue to make their equipment work hard, as maintenance never ends. They clear fences of wild grape vines and enhance their patio area. They make time to relax around their pool with their family.

Their home is also the playground for their dogs, an English mastiff, a bull mastiff, two German Rottweilers and a miniature dachshund. This summer, their mastiffs, Nicki and Spike, gave them 15 pups.

“It’s a good life and it’s great for the kids. Fun times at mamo and grandpa’s house,” Janeth says.

Sometimes, their rural neighbors come over to visit and talk about what problems they might be having with their tractors.

“I tell them, ‘Go see Bill’s Tractor,’ ” Janeth says.