It’s difficult finding anything positive coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic, but it appears the stay-at-home/work-from-home directives are pumping up the sales of small farm machinery.
Times are tough for producers, and dealers need a silver lining. Between the chaos caused by late planting, followed by the cloud of uncertainty created by the trade disputes with China, equipment dealers’ sentiment came in lower in this year’s Ag Equipment Intelligence 2020 Business Outlook & Trends Farm Equipment Forecast.
Many economic indicators that measure the general health of the U.S. economy are trending upward, and this is good news for rural lifestyle dealers who count on sales of smaller equipment and machinery. This is particularly true when compared to dealerships who rely on big ag equipment for a bulk of their sales.
For dealers who focus on the rural lifestyle market, spotting economic patterns that provide data for planning or support marketing and sales efforts isn’t as clear cut as it is for retailers whose main customers are production farmers.
According to an Ag Equipment Intelligence report, lawn and garden equipment, 2WD mid-size tractors and 2WD compact tractors are best bets for improving unit sales in 2019.
Every 3 years since 2011, Ag Equipment Intelligence and Farm Equipment magazine have conducted a poll asking farmers why they would move away from their favorite brand of equipment.
For dealers who specialize in smaller equipment, the professional farmer who is categorized as “small” should also represent a fertile area for customer prospecting — because it’s huge.
Yanmar America is the North American headquarters of Yanmar Holdings. Ranked #1 in Product
Quality for five years in a row by the Equipment Dealers Association, Yanmar provides innovative
solutions for Rural Lifestyle and Industrial Equipment customers.
Yanmar was the world’s first manufacturer to develop a practical small diesel engine in 1933 and
has continued to push the boundaries of innovation and technology ever since. As a manufacturer of
diesel engines, compact tractors and utility task vehicles, construction machinery, and industrial
equipment, Yanmar's products are sold in over 130 countries.
At Yanmar America, we are committed to providing our customers with the highest quality products
and services, backed by a strong team of professionals who share our dedication to excellence. We
look forward to the opportunity to work with you in achieving your goals.
Virginia Beach-based STIHL Inc., produces a full line of high-quality, handheld outdoor power equipment including blowers, trimmers, brushcutters, and multi-task tools, as well as the number one selling brand of chainsaws worldwide. STIHL Inc. manufactures over 260 model variations of handheld outdoor power equipment for sale in the U.S. and around the world.