EFC Equipment LLC

509-374-3398 

EFC Equipment is centrally located in the middle of the Pacific Northwest in Richland Washington.  We sell and service used import compact tractors with a smile.  
Buck picking tractors in Japan

So you're ready to buy a tractor.... sweet!!  For the consumer there has never been a better time to buy then now. I have seen the compact homeowner tractor market just explode in the last few years. Seems like everybody is building a tractor these days. The choices are endless. That is where it all goes wrong. Too many choices, too many opinions, too many creative finance plans to suck you in but not help you out, too many cleverly written specifications (just try to compare one brochure to another...that is not a mistake or by accident that you cant),  and finally just TO MUCH B.S.

Buying a tractor, large or small is a big decision. I recognized form the beginning that tractors especially for homeowners are regarded as somewhat of a luxury. You normally wont use it to drive to work, it will not keep rain off your head while your sleeping and the average 5 acre tractor owner will only use their tractor 50 hours a year (the rough equivalent of 2700 miles on a car). Besides only farmers and guys who grew up on tractors and have a tool box in their kitchen should or could own tractors right........? Well, that used to be true to a point but the needs of homeowners have changed and so have the tractors to accommodate. A house on 5 to 10 acres is the norm now. Just because you don't plan to produce crops for sale the regular maintenance requirements of your property (trust me on this one) turn the tractor from a luxury to a absolute necessity.

So where do you start, most people start by driving around to all the major dealers in their area just like they would if they were buying a car. They collect piles of brochures with an equal pile of price quotes and financing plans. Then comes the comparison process with brochure spread out across the table. Then back to the dealers. Then back to the table covered with brochures. Then drive to half a dozen homes to look at used tractors for sale they saw in the local news paper or online.  One of two things typically happen a this point. The idea of owning a tractor gets thrown out the window for all time or  a tractor model and brand is chosen in an effort to just stop the pain of comparing manuals and driving all over town...... Sounds like a bunch of fun right? (this is the part where if you say yes, get help.... and lots of it)

I personally hate buying anything like that. It should not be painful instead it should be a happy experience. Your goal of getting the work done around your house is at hand and your chiropractor bills are going to go down... the wheelbarrow will soon be what it always should have been...a planter buried in the back yard. So how do we make this a happy experience, something to look forward to. Try this

1. Make a list.... In two columns write down what you need the tractor for today and what you need it for in 5 years  Take this seriously the more specific you are the easier it is to find the correct tractor. How much do you need the loader to lift. What implements will run off the PTO and what size are they?

2. Be realistic.... Your just not going to get a tractor with loader and backhoe for $2500.00 and if you do find one you are going to work on it more than you will use it if you ever get to use it. This is a tool, an important tool, that can save you hundreds of hours of backbreaking work and even a broken back. It is also an investment.

3. Sit on everything....the tractor brochure can only give you general specs but it wont make your butt feel any better at the end of a long day in the drivers seat if the tractor doesn't fit you. A tractor should be comfortable and most importantly you should be able to easily reach all the controls. If you cant quickly push in the clutch and apply the brakes it is not the right tractor for you.

4. Go with your gut...... If you feel uncomfortable with the product or the dealer move on. There are plenty of choices and dealers so use that to your advantage

5. Spend as much time finding a dealer as you do a tractor.......A good local dealer, that will stand behind your and your purchase, is almost as valuable as the tractor itself. Regardless of what manufacturer builds the tractor, it is made from natural resources and built by humans. They do break down. A good dealer can make the whole process a snap and have you up and running in no time. If you want to buy of the internet or at auctions to get the lowest price ever in the history of tractors, please ask yourself. Will the internet retailer 1000 miles away show up with a trailer in a snow storm? Will the auctioneer answer the phone with the technical knowledge necessary to turn an expensive 3 hour job into a 5 min solution? Heck, will he even answer the phone?

A good dealer will also size the equipment to the task and the tractor, greatly reducing breakdown and repair costs.

A large part of our business has been supplying equipment to the Vineyard, Orchard and Hops industry. Japan, due to their unique farming and limited acreage have tractors narrow enough for even the tightest vineyard. The only drawback is limited horsepower so as of 2007 we now carry the specialty line of Vineyard/Orchard tractors from Deutz-Fahr. The Deutz name is synonymous with power and reliability but beyond that the Germans and their equipment are known for their ingenuity and commitment to quality. With the first Deutz tractor rolling off the line in 1894 and over 164 years of engine development, it is a brand I feel confident is in business for the long haul and will stand behind its customers, dealers and product line. Please visit the Deutz-Fahr web site for more information and stay tuned for our new specialty tractors web site.

The newest scam in the import tractor business is the "factory remanufactured" tractors. Gorgeous, freshly painted tractors that tout a "like new tractor" experience. These tractors are actually salvaged junk sent to Vietnam. Broken smashed tractors that penny on the dollar laborers hammer back together. An easy way to spot one of these salvaged units is the overwhelming smell of new paint and a brand new hour meter. Since EFC is a service facility we see a lot of these tractors come through for repairs. Hand made parts, Bondo and gum holding them together. I know the sellers sound convincing and the tractor looks so nice but maybe taking a look at them before they went to Vietnam might help.
Headed to Vietnam then to you...yes, even the burnt one.
Now ours
Headed to EFC just for you!
I have said it so many times that my throat hurts. There is no way, NO WAY I would spend one week of every month, away from my family, missing fishing trips, family outings ect, on a plane for 30 hours each way, being manhandled by rubber glove happy TSA agents, enduring jet lag and sleeping on beds that resemble plywood if I thought for one second, ONE SECOND that I could buy a tractor from Vietnam that isn't junk. Whew, I need a nap now :-)

Enjoy your tractor shopping, sit on a bunch of tractors don't just read the spec sheets. Find something that fits you and your pocketbook and get those darn chores done already. See YA soon!

Buck Bond
EFC Equipment LLC


CONTACT INFORMATION

PHONE
OFFICE 509-374-3398
FAX 509-374-4339

EMAIL
SALES@EFCCONSTRUCTION.COM GENERAL SALES QUESTIONS AND PRICING
SUE@EFCCONSTRUCTION.COM BILLING AND ADMINISTRATION
SERVICE@EFCCONSTRUCTION.COM SERVICE, PARTS AND SHIPPING
BUCK@EFCCONSTRUCTION.COM VENDOR CONTACT

EFC Equipment LLC

Featuring... DEUTZ-FAHR, YANMAR, MITSUBISHI, HINOMOTO, ISEKI, SHIBAURA tractors. 

Copyright (c) 2001 EFC Equipment LLC

Click for map
1243 Montana Ave.
Richland, WA  99352
509-374-3398
Questions and Pricing click here