David Stevenson says customers consider used equipment in this order: price, availability of financing, maintenance history, how the equipment was used and warranty availability.

The series includes 4 models: BX1880, BX2380, BX2680 and BX23S, which offers Kubota's exclusive Swift-Tach Loader and Swift-Connect Backhoe as standard equipment.

Rural equipment dealers forecast another good year for overall and aftermarket sales, according to Rural Lifestyle Dealer’s 2017 Dealer Business Trends & Outlook survey, the magazine’s 9th annual. Despite the economic and social turbulence of an election year, these optimistic forecasts follow a very strong year for growth in 2016. Eighty-four percent of dealers think 2017 will be as good as or better than 2016 for total revenue and more than 90% think aftermarket revenue will also be as good as or better than last year. This compares with last year’s survey in which more than 88% of dealers expected 2016 to be as good as or better than 2015 for total revenue and more than 90% expected aftermarket revenue to be as good as or better than 2015.

Crown Power and Equipment Co., based in Columbia, takes over ownership in mid-January. Fritz Implement will become the seventh store in the Crown group in Missouri.

Succeeding in the market requires recognizing the preferred method of snow removal in your area; matching your equipment inventory with future snowfall; and having technicians willing to repair broken machines during cold weather.

The series includes four new tractor models: BX1880, BX2380, BX2680 and BX23S, which leads the sub-compact tractor class with a standard-equipped front loader and backhoe unit.

Daniel Unruh and his wife, Patty, live the rural lifestyle, both at their home property outside of Spokane, Wash., and a recreational property in nearby Priest River, Idaho. The retired couple needs equipment to help with maintenance, improvement projects and reduce manual labor. Unruh has worked with several dealers over the years, but Jordan Sales & Service of Post Falls, Idaho, has won him over.

Everyone in the equipment business loves retailing the big-ticket items, but those smaller niche attachments are sometimes what pay the bills.

Tim Havens started Falls Farm & Garden Equipment in 1982 in Hudson Falls, N.Y., when he was just 20 years old and still in college. He was finishing up his degree at the local community college and would close the store when he needed to leave for class.