You gotta talk to me! You're preaching to the choir! I ordered an Implement from my local New Holland dealer and Tar River was the manufacturer. The implement I ordered was 4 MONTHS LATE and DAMAGED when it arrived. I ordered in January and my dealer placed the order shortly after. The blade did not arrive until the middle of JuneBoth my dealer and myself had to get on their backsides to finally get them to build and ship my implement. After DOZENS of phone calls and finally DEMANDING they either cancel the order or ship it, they finally shipped. The trucker and trucking company had documented that the damages came from Tar River's facility. Once I got it home the 3pt pin holes were not aligned and I had to drill them to accept the pins. At this point I'm glad I finally got my implement, but I honestly hate it and would sell it in a heartbeat for a better one. My dealer is not to blame in this situation and I still trust him. I know previously it was mentioned they would drop tar river if they came across another manufacturer to replace them with.
ANY time a company has manufacturing of anything done in China they absolutely MUST have their own staff on site in China monitoring every stage of production in order to get a high quality resultant end unit. It does not make any difference what the product is, that quality control commitment is critical!
Appreciate the explanation and rationale you provided about your business decision. Your honesty in every video keeps me coming back to your channel. Whether you are rating tractors, comparing equipment or offering GWT discounts, you have always provided integrity, knowledge and expertise to your followers. Thank you Courtney for all this. I am looking forward to tomorrow’s release. John Policicchio Sault Ste. Marie, CANADA
I've worked in the manufacturing industry for over 25 years. Part of my responsibilities over that time has been purchasing equipment, and equipment related items such as sensors and actuators. I learned early on that if the company can't seem to hit their commitments when things are going well, you're going to have a real nightmare on your hands when the road gets bumpy.
I bought a Kubota M7060 12 speed. I wanted gearmore 4n1, and hydraulic ripper box scraper. I was talked into Land pride. They put a 72" box on the back, hydraulic, top and tilt, the works. I put the rippers in the ground, and the box went vertical breaking the hydraulic ram, and slamming into the PTO shaft. Their first reaction was "what did you do?" "We have to research this." So did it. I found an implement guide and it specifically states "do not put the 72" LP box on an M7060." It was too small, and the radius was smaller than the ram could keep the box from rotating on an axis and breaking stuff. I bought the tractor financing it. Now I have to pay an additional 2 grand for a box out of pocket. I got a Gearmore 84" with float blade. I love it. However, they left the 72" 3 point adjustable arms designed for the smaller box, and I noticed that the right side bowed all the way to the transmission. My dealer does not really seem to know about this tractor and implements. He's a great guy, but I'm kinda screwed on my equipment. I love the adjustable 3 point set up, but it's not strong enough for the 84" box. What other option would I have for a new stronger 3 point arm setup.
Sad sad sad. Unfortunately I’m afraid we are going to see more and more of these type of issues. Our free road is developing this type of workforce or lack of. Hopefully this country wakes up soon. Thank you for taking a stand to maintain quality and integrity.
Hey Courtney..Sorry to hear that TR went sideways in the ditch. Sounds like the writing was on the wall. Hopefully they will righten up and will get back to providing great products again in the future. But for you and your business, the show must go on...Thank you for sharing the information in a very honest and professional manner.
Good Works, Parting ways with any partner can be tough, no less one you have worked with for some time. Sounds like you have had enough, and your right about late deliveries and lack of communication. It sucks that you had to do this, but it's a growing pain, you will find other vendors who do communicate , and delver. You are doing the right things business people do and you made a clear concise video without bashing the customer. You are doing fine!!!
I’m sorry to hear about the trouble with tar river. You are the type of person anyone who is in business or wants to be a business person or customer can hope to deal with. Really appreciate your channel and I know you will be successful in any thing you wish to do. Thank you for your great example and I learn not just about tractor’s and equipment but also how important timely communication is!
You have to do what is right for your business, you certainly made the right call. I've never owned Chinese made equipment and I don't think that I will. We've had a great run with our gear, we have Italian, English, German, dutch, Danish, french, American, Japanese, New Zealand and Australian made. Some of our equipment is over 50 years old and still serving us well.
I understand your frustration completely. I understand that there are material and personnel shortages and issues in every industry these days, which DOES lead to quality issues with products and services. Having said that, I do feel that there is no excuse for a lack of communication with customer concerns. I myself am going through this with a supplier that makes Made in the USA chains and ratchet binders. This coming summer will be one full year that I have been waiting on the completion of an order I placed in the summer of 2021. I have received part of my order and have reached out to that supplier on multiple occasions to get an update on when my order will be completed. They have not returned my emails to them in well over 2 months now. I am not a business. I am just a home owner that wanted Made in the USA chains and binders that this company sells. It is tempting to run to my local “Big Box” store and purchase low-quality imported chains and binders but I wanted quality Made in the USA products. However, the lack of communication from this supplier is causing me to not recommend them to anyone.
You have to do what you have to do for not only your business but you’re family has well. Sometimes, corporations, companies, a family business has the older folks retire and younger ones take the helm and quality takes a downhill spiral as the desire for money is higher than the desire for a trusted name and repeat business. There is absolutely no excuse for a company, especially a manufacturer to not be fully honest on delivery of their product to their customer. I think this is a great move to reduce your stress Mr. Courtney, not only the stress for not having the products they told you, but also from your customers. No one likes to have the buck passed to someone who they didn’t do business with
I have to admit watching this video really started to push my heart rate up but thankfully it worked out for me we'll see. I am referring to the fact that I ordered and paid in full for a loader for my tractor from a manufacturing facility in Iowa and was glad you didn't mention them in that light. Labour and parts production shortages are affecting all industries. Hopefully they can rebound. Great videos, keep em coming. Anthony, Ontario Canada
Very good explanation for a quality business decision. The challenge for many sellers of goods is finding high quality at a reasonable price. Too many American manufacturer's in the past became very expensive but without the high quality. Then about 20 years ago, these same companies decided to outsource their work to other countries since it was less expensive. Also many switched to a "Just in Time" (JIT) process for inventory control. COVID19 has shown the fallacy of this type of thinking. Now major companies are unable to obtain the needed supply of parts or equipment which means sellers, like you Courtney, are left hanging. This will change again to more insourcing but the workforces which could do the work are gone. Example: Linens, towels, clothes were made in a lot of east coast and southern towns but when it was outsourced to China/Bangladesh/Vietnam/etc. the mills were shuttered and the people lost their jobs and the money they needed to live on. This created another level of poverty stricken communities. I'm glad you were able to find another source of equipment to replace the TR line. The name of a company located in the Carolinas excapes me, but they make a pretty decent line of farm equipment. All Things Equipment might be the name. The manufacturer posts videos here on UA-cam so you might be able to find a few to see if they might have what you want. Have a good year. By the way, you might send a letter to the president of the company along with a copy of this video so TR will understand what has happened. Maybe things will change. If not, this is their problem, not yours.
What is sad to me is that some companies just will not tell the truth. I am an retired mechanical engineer from the Aerospace Industry. We were a Government contractor and sales would make all the promises to make a sale, and then try to tell us what the delivery date was. It does not work that way. Most of the people we worked with would call Engineering and ask for a realistic date. Several times I had to tell them the technology for the unit(s) had not even been developed / invented, yet. We had one of the best reputations in the World for our products, and our integrity. There are times I sat down with pilots and asked them what they wanted to see in the cockpit. I kind of had a reputation for looking at things different, and was proud of it. It sounds to me like the engineer should set down with the end user and ask what they want, and what price works for them. Then design from the idea session. Many times I told others that we just can not make it for that, and sat down again. No matter how many times it takes. The end result will be well worth the time. Smiles!
I run an 84" HLA 2000 Blade, and it's a quality plow. I put the UHMW polyethylene edge on it that I got from you last year. So far the edge is holding up very well. I personally would not buy marginal implements no matter how much less expensive they are.
I run the same blade and plastic edge. L6060 Nordic edition with blower on back. HLA is a very good company if you can find product. Have a HLA snow bucket as well.
I get it. I bought a new 3 point blade from a "yellow" company. While mounting it to the tractor a pin broke off. The weld was never in the base metal. I spent the next week grinding and rewelding as none of the welds were good. It was the last one or I would have returned it.
I was there with you in the frustration with TR and their supply chain. I knew it was not your fault and stuck with the order. It was worth it as it is a decent grapple and I got lucky getting one before the prices skyrocketed. This probably won't be the last time you will have to drop a supplier. You made the right choice. 👍
Do more coverage of food plot no-till type grain seeders and corn/bean two-row planters. You might find a source that has a 3-point 'accessory bar' to hook seeders and planters to and then sell separate row units. That way gardeners can get a single row unit, truck-farmers could have a two row, and bigger farmers seeking a re-planter could go to four rows. And it allows the gardener to buy a second row unit the following year and so on. Pricing is a major factor in all of it plus simple maintenance so no electronics/etc.
As far as Precision Manufacturing's grapples, I have their 333D60 on my MX5400 and am very happy with it. I will say that I have had problems with the tines on the grapples bending but it is advertised as a "standard duty" and maybe a 50hp tractor pushes it more than a smaller tractor would? You can straighten the tines out with a good-sized hammer/sledge but obviously it's not something you would want to have to do very many times. It would be nice if they would reinforce them the way they have for the rake tines. Anyway, I have used it quite a bit and it has performed very well and I could not imagine being able to do all the clearing, dragging, hauling I have done without it. I would definitely recommend them for the average Joe like myself. Just my 2 cents which may be really only worth about 1.5 cents. lol..
I bought a Everything Attachments wicked root grapple for my 2032R tractor, it worked great. When I got my 4052M I started using the grapple on it. No issues at all, I have not bent a tine yet with very heavy use. Yes I paid more money up front but I smile every time I use this made in USA product.
Hey you know I am usually pretty critical of you and some of your claims and videos, but I gotta say- you impressed me here. Honesty and transparency! I realize this video is a bit older but it was helpful (I was considering a Tar River product at one point) I just got a Worksaver Snow Pusher (My local dealer carries them) and I remembered some of your videos where you were singing their praises, so I realize it doesn't make you any money, but thank you.
There was a guy the said stuff like that over and over again. They branded him as racist and rigged an election to get rid of him before he could eat more of their cake.
I work at a JD dealer in Quebec and we have the same issue with a local supplier that builds everything in their shop. Doesn't matter where it comes from, these things can happen everywhere.
Many companies lose sight of the fundamental building blocks of relationships, quality, reliability, honesty, responsibility and respect. It's not broke, don't fix it, if it needs improvement do it but don't ignore it!
I bought a 3pt finish mower for my bx25 and i had to raise the mower up by hand to hook the lift arm pins. With the mower hooked up…it sit 6” off the ground. I had to cut a fab, and weld a new bracket so the pins would sit low enough to sit on the ground. It was my first TR and my last! I was not impressed but i kept it and modified it cause i got it very cheap.
I think you handled it very diplomatically. Even though I got my Precision Mfg Adjustable Add a grapple forklift from my dealer that is going to install it once our loader comes in on our new tractor, , I think you should show those inclined to do it yourself on how it works. I just don't have the time or an experience on how to do the hoses which need to be custom on several of their products. Keep up the good work and keep us in the loop on the larger stump bucket. We want one!
My goodness brother you have been dealing with one mountain after another lately. Praying the clouds will part soon and the sun will shine brightly on you, your family and your business.
BZ Courtney! I for one have gotten to where you are with this, its time for the C19 excuse driven era we are now enduring to end! Way past time for chair warming to be done and back to work... As for the communication issue - totally unacceptable! Spending 20 years in commercial and heavy construction way back, this kind of thing would have killed me on getting components and completing the project on time. Full Speed Ahead GWT!
Steven, in my view the C19 was like the canary in the coal mine. It has opened the eyes of many as to where we are/were headed. We are part of a world wide manufacturing culture but we also must maintain some level for our own protection. For example, most cell phones are made in one country but it is not the USA. The same for a lot of computers and lithium batteries. We need to decide where we want to buy our merchandise from- - built in US or North America or overseas?
I am a subscriber and I like that you wait till late in the video to to ask for viewers to subscribe. I get very annoyed by UA-camrs that start their videos by asking you to subscribe before you even know if you like them. So thank you.
As a business approach, well explained, reasonable thought process, you have to have faith of the product to sell it ! Upsetting your clients with subpar product is a short road. Big picture, everyone will respect you for having the conviction to do the right thing for your clients and ultimately ..... your business. Crack a bottle of red and pray for more snow......... Cheers..... Bring on the snow !
Courtney, see if you can't work out something with CTA - Compact Tractor Attachments. I purchased my grapple from them several years ago and I'd put it up against any other on the market. Packed in a crate made of 2x6 lumber no less. I'd match it against any other brand. Very reasonably priced too.
Checking in LMC AG out of Albany ga. They have a couple of drills in their outdoorsman series of products. Along with several other products that may interest you.
This is a matter of integrity, yours and theirs, given all of the issues you outlined in your video, you've been far more patient than I would have been. I applaud your willingness to be flexible with Tar River, but as you stated, at some point, you have to protect yourself and your brand from a company that seems to have overextended itself and can't meet its contractual commitments to its vendors. What I see here is a small company that believes in customer service and fulfilling its commitments even when shortchanged by a supplier. You have nothing to apologize for... I just wish that others would take a page from your book on integrity. Good luck in your future endeavors with your business, because of this video, you've earned my subscription just so I can follow your future adventures! 😉
Hi Courtney, years ago when I was looking for a 2000 rpm rototiller for my John Deere 420, Befco was the only company to make one. It’s been a good tiller for me. I haven’t had other equipment from them, but if it’s like the tiller has been, then it’s a safe bet the rest will be reliable as well. They’re located in North Carolina.
I understand your frustration and concern. In June of 21 I order a implement from a well-known farm company and was told that because of covid it would be September for delivery. September came and went so did October, November and about the end of December I was notified my order was canceled!!!
Very diplomatic video and no doubt this was a hard decision for you. Ive been trying to build an offroad vehicle, I ordered almost all the parts over a year ago from many different manufacturers and Im still waiting on about a third of them. Its a very frustrating time right now.
Courtney, appreciate your honesty in handling this situation and your growing commitment to buy and sell products exclusively sourced in the U.S. or at least North America. I encourage you to also ensure that you don't unknowingly by from a Chinese owned subsidiary thinking you are buying from an Ametican company. I believe your customers would prefer to have their purchases benefit Americans and not have their money go overseas.
Great explanation, seems like you've been trying to make this work as long as any reasonable person could, let alone someone who is trying to make a living moving these products along. At first i was confused when you talked about the late spring early summer factor but then i realized you kept giving them a chance yea, snow plows are important to have when you need to have them... planting can sometimes wait a week or two with less significant impact but if you're moving snow, and perhaps making a living doing that, you cannot wait til the snow melts to get hitched up
Hello. You should look into being a distributor of the brand "Homestead Implements" they are a made in the USA company and a Veteran owned company. I bought a box blade from them and it is very good quality.
Over the years I had to drop several vendors, mostly for your 3 reasons. It can be tough, especially with a long term vendor, but you need to take care of the people you are suppling. You can’t cover up for vendor problems. Either they fix it or you have to move on. It’s your reputation at stake, lose that and you’re out of business. Your reasons are sound. Oh yeah… I enjoy your videos.
I have seen this before. First poor upper management in the supplier is the ultimate problem. But often it is a form of success breeding failure. They are getting more orders than they can handle, and their systems start collapsing.
Love my HLA Snow Wing 3400 plow. 9ft straight blade with 2.5ft hyd wings that rotate 180 degrees, so you have an angle blade and a pusher box blade as well. After running it for 3 years, I don't think I'd plow with anything else. Everything else I own is Virnig, which have all been trouble free.
I have a tar river grapple that was too tall for my st quick attach. Slop was awful and came off once. Dealer welded a spacer on the bottom so skid steer pins could grab it. No problem since.....
For the cutting edges go, that is a problem across the board. I work for a large equipment manufacture, and we can't get cutting edges for our machines. But the rest of the issues, I'm sorry to hear about these issues. See ya in the next one, Jason
@Twisted Pine: I totally agree about Armstrong Ag. I have a 6' grapple, a 6' box blade, and their landscape rake. These are super stout attachments, almost overkill, but I'll never wear them out with my 40hp tractor. Very capable and price competitive. I agree!! 👍🏻
Another satisfied Armstrong Ag customer. Their Super heavy duty 3 point disk can turn any ground! Perfect for firebreaks and food plots in virgin ground. Highly recommended.
@@johnharris1077 I also just broke one in last season on new ground and I basically abused it because I’m a novice. My neighbor who’s an old cowboy/farmer stopped by and told me I shouldn’t be making 180 degree turns unless I’m lifting it first. Luckily my little 3025e didn’t have the guff to break it. But I can say it didn’t do a thing to it. 👍
We have a 5ft Armstrong box blade, grapple and 6ft rock rake. The grapple top jaw hoses both failed in the first 100 hrs, but TSC replacements have over 500 hrs without failures.No other issues and would buy again.
Armstrong is the “other” brand all of our local Deere dealers sell. I have a box blade, rear blade, landscape rake, and forks from Armstrong. No issues and good stuff in my opinion.
Well, that's disappointing to hear about Tar River. They have drills I am looking to buy, but as you say, no one has them. Although, Kubota is right there with them as to not providing any information as to when something will arrive such as their FEL. My tractor I ordered is sitting on the lot, ready to go, but no FEL to put on it.
I think you’ve made the right decision. If we’re ever going to build up America again we need to make a conscious decision to choose American or North American first. As you have said price is only 1/3 of the equation.
You did the right thing dropping them. The customer see you, not the manufacturer that is causing all the problems. I always say if you take car of your customers, they will always be repeat customers. When tar river gets their business running better then you can try them again. You definitely have to keep your name good and take care of your customers. Look forward to buying a JD 2038 from you one day.
Honestly I'm not surprised you're experiencing problems with tar river. I'm a set up tech at a dealer and tar river is junk. Just dealt with a service manager from tar river who refused to admit that one of their 2 basket tedders had an issue.
When I was tractor shopping pre covid , my local John Deere dealer said I could order (2025R) from the factory and the estimated date was 9 months, but they wouldn’t know for sure…it would arrive when it did. Really? Kubota was the exact opposite. I now own orange and very happy.
Time to put Tar River in a box and put the box on the top shelf and some day see if you can go back to them, or do we find a dumpster.... Customer Service is a very fine line to be on..... Hppe the supply chain issues change SOON....
Due to the fact that big business is at the root of all the problems we are seeing I'm parting way with all I can . And made in America doesn't mean anything anymore .
Yep , I thought so . I was on your website a week ago investigating a larger boom mounted snow blade for my 2025r and there were no 72 inchers from this company . Too bad you hadda part ways with this manufacturer Courtney - I'll check back later . In the meantime , my Frontier 60 inch blade will suffice .
I so glad you are moving to more made in the USA products. I will only buy made in the USA products. Even if I have to pay a perineum price. THANKS Dan H
Case, Bushhog,Rhino,Bushwacker,Cid,Stihl,Polaris, Exmark, Grasshopper, Greatplains,Krone, Kuhn all of them we're having issues with but they've all maintained their quality.
I will not buy anything else Tar River makes. I have a tiller and had seals fail at 20 hours but was outside of the 1 year warranty. I could not get them to even sell me the parts. I had to leave a bad review on their Facebook page to get their attention. It did work and they sold me the parts but it was not an easy process.
Happy to hear you are trying to move away from Chinese products. As a consumer, I am looking for every opportunity to buy MADE IN USA products. Lack of truth in advertising adds to the challenge. I wish you much success.
Been subscribing to your videos for a short while now and am finding t5hem very informative. I have an 84" HLA hydraulic angled snow plow and love it! It is a brute of a plow. It mounts on either my 3 series or 5 series JD and tackles the job in Vermont's winters.
I own a tree farm and co-own a saw mill and grew up at my dad's auto restoration business and grandfather's electrical contracting company. I've had to break ties or switch services for an excavator, arborist, tire shop, mechanic, etc over the years. Sometimes all it takes is a manager leaving or a change in ownership/business philosophy to completely wreck a decades long partnership. Always focus on your own reputation and if you've over-extended never short change your employees, even if it hurts in the short-term. Hopefully they'll remember that in the long-term. Be the kind of boss you'd want to have. That's all you can do.
EA Attachments is the only way to go! All American made and VERY robust equipment! I have their 60" land plane and 55" grapple. Hands down, the best equipment I've seen - ever! They are on UA-cam and have videos of their manufacturing plant very regularly!
I think many people are leaning back toward made in the USA quality and leaving the cheap chinese products mindset. Glad to hear you are finding replacements for tar river.
Great video, love the fact your going american made as much as possible. Every time I buy something I look where it's made and try to bue american as well. Fath,family,country. Nothing else really matters.
Good call! Just knowing that i'm supporting local, Canadian, American, North American and even "reputable" International companies makes spending more well worth it. Like my dad says, " What do you want for nothing, something?" Cheers from Canada
Have you had any complaints about the Brush Crusher, I was watching some videos on this grapple on UA-cam and there has been people say this grapple has did a thousand dollars worth of damage to their tractor. Most of the damage has been where the grapple mounts to the tractor JDQA or ? Thanks for the info.
Sorry to hear about issues with Tar River. I was fortunate enough to buy a Tar River land plane from you before it all went down hill. It has been a great tool thus far. However i sure like the Dirt Dog products and everything else you have is also top quality. Keep up the good work
You gotta talk to me! You're preaching to the choir! I ordered an Implement from my local New Holland dealer and Tar River was the manufacturer. The implement I ordered was 4 MONTHS LATE and DAMAGED when it arrived. I ordered in January and my dealer placed the order shortly after. The blade did not arrive until the middle of JuneBoth my dealer and myself had to get on their backsides to finally get them to build and ship my implement. After DOZENS of phone calls and finally DEMANDING they either cancel the order or ship it, they finally shipped. The trucker and trucking company had documented that the damages came from Tar River's facility. Once I got it home the 3pt pin holes were not aligned and I had to drill them to accept the pins. At this point I'm glad I finally got my implement, but I honestly hate it and would sell it in a heartbeat for a better one. My dealer is not to blame in this situation and I still trust him. I know previously it was mentioned they would drop tar river if they came across another manufacturer to replace them with.
Thanks for sharing the info in a fair and balanced way
It’s so important whose name you associate with and sometimes you have to make hard choices
ANY time a company has manufacturing of anything done in China they absolutely MUST have their own staff on site in China monitoring every stage of production in order to get a high quality resultant end unit. It does not make any difference what the product is, that quality control commitment is critical!
Appreciate the explanation and rationale you provided about your business decision. Your honesty in every video keeps me coming back to your channel. Whether you are rating tractors, comparing equipment or offering GWT discounts, you have always provided integrity, knowledge and expertise to your followers. Thank you Courtney for all this. I am looking forward to tomorrow’s release.
John Policicchio
Sault Ste. Marie, CANADA
I've worked in the manufacturing industry for over 25 years. Part of my responsibilities over that time has been purchasing equipment, and equipment related items such as sensors and actuators. I learned early on that if the company can't seem to hit their commitments when things are going well, you're going to have a real nightmare on your hands when the road gets bumpy.
I bought a Kubota M7060 12 speed. I wanted gearmore 4n1, and hydraulic ripper box scraper. I was talked into Land pride. They put a 72" box on the back, hydraulic, top and tilt, the works. I put the rippers in the ground, and the box went vertical breaking the hydraulic ram, and slamming into the PTO shaft. Their first reaction was "what did you do?" "We have to research this." So did it. I found an implement guide and it specifically states "do not put the 72" LP box on an M7060." It was too small, and the radius was smaller than the ram could keep the box from rotating on an axis and breaking stuff.
I bought the tractor financing it. Now I have to pay an additional 2 grand for a box out of pocket. I got a Gearmore 84" with float blade. I love it. However, they left the 72" 3 point adjustable arms designed for the smaller box, and I noticed that the right side bowed all the way to the transmission.
My dealer does not really seem to know about this tractor and implements. He's a great guy, but I'm kinda screwed on my equipment. I love the adjustable 3 point set up, but it's not strong enough for the 84" box. What other option would I have for a new stronger 3 point arm setup.
Sad sad sad. Unfortunately I’m afraid we are going to see more and more of these type of issues. Our free road is developing this type of workforce or lack of.
Hopefully this country wakes up soon.
Thank you for taking a stand to maintain quality and integrity.
Hey Courtney..Sorry to hear that TR went sideways in the ditch. Sounds like the writing was on the wall. Hopefully they will righten up and will get back to providing great products again in the future. But for you and your business, the show must go on...Thank you for sharing the information in a very honest and professional manner.
Good Works,
Parting ways with any partner can be tough, no less one you have worked with for some time. Sounds like you have had enough, and your right about late deliveries and lack of communication. It sucks that you had to do this, but it's a growing pain, you will find other vendors who do communicate , and delver. You are doing the right things business people do and you made a clear concise video without bashing the customer. You are doing fine!!!
I’m sorry to hear about the trouble with tar river. You are the type of person anyone who is in business or wants to be a business person or customer can hope to deal with. Really appreciate your channel and I know you will be successful in any thing you wish to do. Thank you for your great example and I learn not just about tractor’s and equipment but also how important timely communication is!
You have to do what is right for your business, you certainly made the right call. I've never owned Chinese made equipment and I don't think that I will. We've had a great run with our gear, we have Italian, English, German, dutch, Danish, french, American, Japanese, New Zealand and Australian made. Some of our equipment is over 50 years old and still serving us well.
my kubota dealer here in canada gets bunch of kubota tractors and equipment from u.s.a and japan
I understand your frustration completely. I understand that there are material and personnel shortages and issues in every industry these days, which DOES lead to quality issues with products and services. Having said that, I do feel that there is no excuse for a lack of communication with customer concerns. I myself am going through this with a supplier that makes Made in the USA chains and ratchet binders. This coming summer will be one full year that I have been waiting on the completion of an order I placed in the summer of 2021. I have received part of my order and have reached out to that supplier on multiple occasions to get an update on when my order will be completed. They have not returned my emails to them in well over 2 months now. I am not a business. I am just a home owner that wanted Made in the USA chains and binders that this company sells. It is tempting to run to my local “Big Box” store and purchase low-quality imported chains and binders but I wanted quality Made in the USA products. However, the lack of communication from this supplier is causing me to not recommend them to anyone.
You have to do what you have to do for not only your business but you’re family has well. Sometimes, corporations, companies, a family business has the older folks retire and younger ones take the helm and quality takes a downhill spiral as the desire for money is higher than the desire for a trusted name and repeat business. There is absolutely no excuse for a company, especially a manufacturer to not be fully honest on delivery of their product to their customer. I think this is a great move to reduce your stress Mr. Courtney, not only the stress for not having the products they told you, but also from your customers. No one likes to have the buck passed to someone who they didn’t do business with
I have to admit watching this video really started to push my heart rate up but thankfully it worked out for me we'll see.
I am referring to the fact that I ordered and paid in full for a loader for my tractor from a manufacturing facility in Iowa and was glad you didn't mention them in that light. Labour and parts production shortages are affecting all industries. Hopefully they can rebound. Great videos, keep em coming.
Anthony, Ontario Canada
Very good explanation for a quality business decision. The challenge for many sellers of goods is finding high quality at a reasonable price. Too many American manufacturer's in the past became very expensive but without the high quality. Then about 20 years ago, these same companies decided to outsource their work to other countries since it was less expensive. Also many switched to a "Just in Time" (JIT) process for inventory control. COVID19 has shown the fallacy of this type of thinking. Now major companies are unable to obtain the needed supply of parts or equipment which means sellers, like you Courtney, are left hanging. This will change again to more insourcing but the workforces which could do the work are gone. Example: Linens, towels, clothes were made in a lot of east coast and southern towns but when it was outsourced to China/Bangladesh/Vietnam/etc. the mills were shuttered and the people lost their jobs and the money they needed to live on. This created another level of poverty stricken communities.
I'm glad you were able to find another source of equipment to replace the TR line. The name of a company located in the Carolinas excapes me, but they make a pretty decent line of farm equipment. All Things Equipment might be the name. The manufacturer posts videos here on UA-cam so you might be able to find a few to see if they might have what you want. Have a good year. By the way, you might send a letter to the president of the company along with a copy of this video so TR will understand what has happened. Maybe things will change. If not, this is their problem, not yours.
Much respect to you Sir for coming out and being transparant.
A great "Business Man" making business decisions!!! Keep up the great work that's why we support you because your honest and up front throughout ....
🎯
What is sad to me is that some companies just will not tell the truth. I am an retired mechanical engineer from the Aerospace Industry. We were a Government contractor and sales would make all the promises to make a sale, and then try to tell us what the delivery date was. It does not work that way.
Most of the people we worked with would call Engineering and ask for a realistic date. Several times I had to tell them the technology for the unit(s) had not even been developed / invented, yet.
We had one of the best reputations in the World for our products, and our integrity.
There are times I sat down with pilots and asked them what they wanted to see in the cockpit. I kind of had a reputation for looking at things different, and was proud of it.
It sounds to me like the engineer should set down with the end user and ask what they want, and what price works for them. Then design from the idea session. Many times I told others that we just can not make it for that, and sat down again. No matter how many times it takes.
The end result will be well worth the time.
Smiles!
I run an 84" HLA 2000 Blade, and it's a quality plow. I put the UHMW polyethylene edge on it that I got from you last year. So far the edge is holding up very well.
I personally would not buy marginal implements no matter how much less expensive they are.
I run the same blade and plastic edge. L6060 Nordic edition with blower on back. HLA is a very good company if you can find product. Have a HLA snow bucket as well.
I get it. I bought a new 3 point blade from a "yellow" company. While mounting it to the tractor a pin broke off. The weld was never in the base metal. I spent the next week grinding and rewelding as none of the welds were good. It was the last one or I would have returned it.
I was there with you in the frustration with TR and their supply chain. I knew it was not your fault and stuck with the order. It was worth it as it is a decent grapple and I got lucky getting one before the prices skyrocketed. This probably won't be the last time you will have to drop a supplier. You made the right choice. 👍
Do more coverage of food plot no-till type grain seeders and corn/bean two-row planters. You might find a source that has a 3-point 'accessory bar' to hook seeders and planters to and then sell separate row units. That way gardeners can get a single row unit, truck-farmers could have a two row, and bigger farmers seeking a re-planter could go to four rows. And it allows the gardener to buy a second row unit the following year and so on. Pricing is a major factor in all of it plus simple maintenance so no electronics/etc.
He used to sell Tar Rivers
As far as Precision Manufacturing's grapples, I have their 333D60 on my MX5400 and am very happy with it. I will say that I have had problems with the tines on the grapples bending but it is advertised as a "standard duty" and maybe a 50hp tractor pushes it more than a smaller tractor would? You can straighten the tines out with a good-sized hammer/sledge but obviously it's not something you would want to have to do very many times. It would be nice if they would reinforce them the way they have for the rake tines. Anyway, I have used it quite a bit and it has performed very well and I could not imagine being able to do all the clearing, dragging, hauling I have done without it. I would definitely recommend them for the average Joe like myself.
Just my 2 cents which may be really only worth about 1.5 cents. lol..
I bought a Everything Attachments wicked root grapple for my 2032R tractor, it worked great. When I got my 4052M I started using the grapple on it. No issues at all, I have not bent a tine yet with very heavy use. Yes I paid more money up front but I smile every time I use this made in USA product.
Thank you for taking care of us !!!
Hey you know I am usually pretty critical of you and some of your claims and videos, but I gotta say- you impressed me here. Honesty and transparency! I realize this video is a bit older but it was helpful (I was considering a Tar River product at one point) I just got a Worksaver Snow Pusher (My local dealer carries them) and I remembered some of your videos where you were singing their praises, so I realize it doesn't make you any money, but thank you.
Appreciate your integrity.
Thank you for being honest and explaining your business decisions. I wish more businesses would do the same.
Excellent explanation of WHY we should incentivize made in America products. Thank you for the emphasis you have placed on supporting your customers.
There was a guy the said stuff like that over and over again. They branded him as racist and rigged an election to get rid of him before he could eat more of their cake.
You think it doesn’t happen to things made here?!
@@12POINTER The company is just a distributor of made in China products I believe. Don't think they manufacture
I work at a JD dealer in Quebec and we have the same issue with a local supplier that builds everything in their shop. Doesn't matter where it comes from, these things can happen everywhere.
Thanks for the update!
You have more patience than me, I recently had a bad experience at a lumber yard and I won't ever be going back.
Honestly is the best solution to any policy ! Great to here from the best !!!
Many companies lose sight of the fundamental building blocks of relationships, quality, reliability, honesty, responsibility and respect.
It's not broke, don't fix it, if it needs improvement do it but don't ignore it!
I bought a 3pt finish mower for my bx25 and i had to raise the mower up by hand to hook the lift arm pins. With the mower hooked up…it sit 6” off the ground. I had to cut a fab, and weld a new bracket so the pins would sit low enough to sit on the ground. It was my first TR and my last! I was not impressed but i kept it and modified it cause i got it very cheap.
Makes good sense Courtney. Good for you - tough decision but you have to look after your customers. Cheers!
Agreed! As always, thanks for watching GP!
I think you handled it very diplomatically. Even though I got my Precision Mfg Adjustable Add a grapple forklift from my dealer that is going to install it once our loader comes in on our new tractor, , I think you should show those inclined to do it yourself on how it works. I just don't have the time or an experience on how to do the hoses which need to be custom on several of their products. Keep up the good work and keep us in the loop on the larger stump bucket. We want one!
Thank you for being up front about this it is appreciated.
I'm sure not an "easy" decision but looks like a solid one...best with new lineup!
My goodness brother you have been dealing with one mountain after another lately. Praying the clouds will part soon and the sun will shine brightly on you, your family and your business.
BZ Courtney! I for one have gotten to where you are with this, its time for the C19 excuse driven era we are now enduring to end! Way past time for chair warming to be done and back to work... As for the communication issue - totally unacceptable! Spending 20 years in commercial and heavy construction way back, this kind of thing would have killed me on getting components and completing the project on time. Full Speed Ahead GWT!
Steven, in my view the C19 was like the canary in the coal mine. It has opened the eyes of many as to where we are/were headed. We are part of a world wide manufacturing culture but we also must maintain some level for our own protection. For example, most cell phones are made in one country but it is not the USA. The same for a lot of computers and lithium batteries. We need to decide where we want to buy our merchandise from- - built in US or North America or overseas?
I am a subscriber and I like that you wait till late in the video to to ask for viewers to subscribe. I get very annoyed by UA-camrs that start their videos by asking you to subscribe before you even know if you like them. So thank you.
As a business approach, well explained, reasonable thought process, you have to have faith of the product to sell it ! Upsetting your clients with subpar product is a short road. Big picture, everyone will respect you for having the conviction to do the right thing for your clients and ultimately ..... your business. Crack a bottle of red and pray for more snow......... Cheers..... Bring on the snow !
Courtney, see if you can't work out something with CTA - Compact Tractor Attachments. I purchased my grapple from them several years ago and I'd put it up against any other on the market. Packed in a crate made of 2x6 lumber no less. I'd match it against any other brand. Very reasonably priced too.
I have an Ideal box blade. Have been very happy with it so far.
Checking in LMC AG out of Albany ga. They have a couple of drills in their outdoorsman series of products. Along with several other products that may interest you.
This is a matter of integrity, yours and theirs, given all of the issues you outlined in your video, you've been far more patient than I would have been. I applaud your willingness to be flexible with Tar River, but as you stated, at some point, you have to protect yourself and your brand from a company that seems to have overextended itself and can't meet its contractual commitments to its vendors. What I see here is a small company that believes in customer service and fulfilling its commitments even when shortchanged by a supplier. You have nothing to apologize for... I just wish that others would take a page from your book on integrity. Good luck in your future endeavors with your business, because of this video, you've earned my subscription just so I can follow your future adventures! 😉
Hi Courtney, years ago when I was looking for a 2000 rpm rototiller for my John Deere 420, Befco was the only company to make one. It’s been a good tiller for me. I haven’t had other equipment from them, but if it’s like the tiller has been, then it’s a safe bet the rest will be reliable as well. They’re located in North Carolina.
Both are located in rockymount n.c.
I understand your frustration and concern. In June of 21 I order a implement from a well-known farm company and was told that because of covid it would be September for delivery. September came and went so did October, November and about the end of December I was notified my order was canceled!!!
Very diplomatic video and no doubt this was a hard decision for you.
Ive been trying to build an offroad vehicle, I ordered almost all the parts over a year ago from many different manufacturers and Im still waiting on about a third of them.
Its a very frustrating time right now.
Courtney, appreciate your honesty in handling this situation and your growing commitment to buy and sell products exclusively sourced in the U.S. or at least North America. I encourage you to also ensure that you don't unknowingly by from a Chinese owned subsidiary thinking you are buying from an Ametican company. I believe your customers would prefer to have their purchases benefit Americans and not have their money go overseas.
Thank you for supporting MADE IN the USA products!!!
Highly consider Fisher, Western and SnowEx for your snow and ice solutions. They are the best! Their people are incredible! Another informative video!
Great explanation, seems like you've been trying to make this work as long as any reasonable person could, let alone someone who is trying to make a living moving these products along. At first i was confused when you talked about the late spring early summer factor but then i realized you kept giving them a chance yea, snow plows are important to have when you need to have them... planting can sometimes wait a week or two with less significant impact but if you're moving snow, and perhaps making a living doing that, you cannot wait til the snow melts to get hitched up
hyyn
Hello. You should look into being a distributor of the brand "Homestead Implements" they are a made in the USA company and a Veteran owned company.
I bought a box blade from them and it is very good quality.
Over the years I had to drop several vendors, mostly for your 3 reasons. It can be tough, especially with a long term vendor, but you need to take care of the people you are suppling. You can’t cover up for vendor problems. Either they fix it or you have to move on. It’s your reputation at stake, lose that and you’re out of business. Your reasons are sound. Oh yeah… I enjoy your videos.
Thank you for giving us confidence, where and who is looking out for us
9:58
Thank you, not all heroes wear capes
I have been having the same issues with a vendor, up until 2021, had been spot on with service. Now they are as unreliable as the weather.
I did not see any tar river seeders on your site. Is there any available?
No sir
Again, it’s unfortunate that this vendor is not stepping up to the plate. Thank you for doing this difficult video in style.
I have seen this before. First poor upper management in the supplier is the ultimate problem. But often it is a form of success breeding failure. They are getting more orders than they can handle, and their systems start collapsing.
I understand fully, JD salesman here, took about a month to get a response from them. Still waiting on pricing.
Tough decision
Keep up the great work
Be well be safe
Love my HLA Snow Wing 3400 plow. 9ft straight blade with 2.5ft hyd wings that rotate 180 degrees, so you have an angle blade and a pusher box blade as well. After running it for 3 years, I don't think I'd plow with anything else. Everything else I own is Virnig, which have all been trouble free.
Good to know , and that HLA snow pusher I bought from you was the best snow removal investment I have ever made. Keep up the good work.
I have a tar river grapple that was too tall for my st quick attach. Slop was awful and came off once. Dealer welded a spacer on the bottom so skid steer pins could grab it. No problem since.....
Yes, this is why we trust you, brother. Much thanks
For the cutting edges go, that is a problem across the board. I work for a large equipment manufacture, and we can't get cutting edges for our machines. But the rest of the issues, I'm sorry to hear about these issues. See ya in the next one, Jason
Look at Armstrong products. Made here in TX in Brenham. I have a few of their implements and I can tell you I am hard on my toys. 😂
@Twisted Pine: I totally agree about Armstrong Ag. I have a 6' grapple, a 6' box blade, and their landscape rake. These are super stout attachments, almost overkill, but I'll never wear them out with my 40hp tractor. Very capable and price competitive. I agree!! 👍🏻
Another satisfied Armstrong Ag customer. Their Super heavy duty 3 point disk can turn any ground! Perfect for firebreaks and food plots in virgin ground. Highly recommended.
@@johnharris1077 I also just broke one in last season on new ground and I basically abused it because I’m a novice. My neighbor who’s an old cowboy/farmer stopped by and told me I shouldn’t be making 180 degree turns unless I’m lifting it first. Luckily my little 3025e didn’t have the guff to break it. But I can say it didn’t do a thing to it. 👍
We have a 5ft Armstrong box blade, grapple and 6ft rock rake. The grapple top jaw hoses both failed in the first 100 hrs, but TSC replacements have over 500 hrs without failures.No other issues and would buy again.
Armstrong is the “other” brand all of our local Deere dealers sell. I have a box blade, rear blade, landscape rake, and forks from Armstrong. No issues and good stuff in my opinion.
Well, that's disappointing to hear about Tar River. They have drills I am looking to buy, but as you say, no one has them. Although, Kubota is right there with them as to not providing any information as to when something will arrive such as their FEL. My tractor I ordered is sitting on the lot, ready to go, but no FEL to put on it.
I think you’ve made the right decision. If we’re ever going to build up America again we need to make a conscious decision to choose American or North American first. As you have said price is only 1/3 of the equation.
You did the right thing dropping them. The customer see you, not the manufacturer that is causing all the problems. I always say if you take car of your customers, they will always be repeat customers. When tar river gets their business running better then you can try them again. You definitely have to keep your name good and take care of your customers. Look forward to buying a JD 2038 from you one day.
Honestly I'm not surprised you're experiencing problems with tar river. I'm a set up tech at a dealer and tar river is junk. Just dealt with a service manager from tar river who refused to admit that one of their 2 basket tedders had an issue.
When I was tractor shopping pre covid , my local John Deere dealer said I could order (2025R) from the factory and the estimated date was 9 months, but they wouldn’t know for sure…it would arrive when it did. Really? Kubota was the exact opposite. I now own orange and very happy.
Time to put Tar River in a box and put the box on the top shelf and some day see if you can go back to them, or do we find a dumpster.... Customer Service is a very fine line to be on..... Hppe the supply chain issues change SOON....
Due to the fact that big business is at the root of all the problems we are seeing I'm parting way with all I can . And made in America doesn't mean anything anymore .
You should play the new game File suits...lawfare.Breach of contract.
I’m not sure if they make everything you deal in but I’ve had good experience with Homestead Implements in NY
Appreciate the honesty. Thanks.
Yep , I thought so . I was on your website a week ago investigating a larger boom mounted snow blade for my 2025r and there were no 72 inchers from this company . Too bad you hadda part ways with this manufacturer Courtney - I'll check back later . In the meantime , my Frontier 60 inch blade will suffice .
I so glad you are moving to more made in the USA products. I will only buy made in the USA products. Even if I have to pay a perineum price. THANKS Dan H
Case, Bushhog,Rhino,Bushwacker,Cid,Stihl,Polaris, Exmark, Grasshopper, Greatplains,Krone, Kuhn all of them we're having issues with but they've all maintained their quality.
Also does Borla have spacers for the front wheels of tractors? Is that even a thing?
Yesss
I just went to Borla to look at spacers, and they had both front and rear for by Kubota
I am so glad you did what you did makes me feel good about to do business with you
I will not buy anything else Tar River makes. I have a tiller and had seals fail at 20 hours but was outside of the 1 year warranty. I could not get them to even sell me the parts. I had to leave a bad review on their Facebook page to get their attention. It did work and they sold me the parts but it was not an easy process.
Good video and very fair. Customer service is a lost art to some.
Happy to hear you are trying to move away from Chinese products. As a consumer, I am looking for every opportunity to buy MADE IN USA products. Lack of truth in advertising adds to the challenge. I wish you much success.
Not an easy decision to make but as you said it’s your reputation on the line and only you can protect yourself! Nice job!
This is always hard decision. Happy Tuesday
Had to do the same! Always tough
Been subscribing to your videos for a short while now and am finding t5hem very informative. I have an 84" HLA hydraulic angled snow plow and love it! It is a brute of a plow. It mounts on either my 3 series or 5 series JD and tackles the job in Vermont's winters.
I own a tree farm and co-own a saw mill and grew up at my dad's auto restoration business and grandfather's electrical contracting company. I've had to break ties or switch services for an excavator, arborist, tire shop, mechanic, etc over the years. Sometimes all it takes is a manager leaving or a change in ownership/business philosophy to completely wreck a decades long partnership. Always focus on your own reputation and if you've over-extended never short change your employees, even if it hurts in the short-term. Hopefully they'll remember that in the long-term. Be the kind of boss you'd want to have. That's all you can do.
EA Attachments is the only way to go! All American made and VERY robust equipment! I have their 60" land plane and 55" grapple. Hands down, the best equipment I've seen - ever! They are on UA-cam and have videos of their manufacturing plant very regularly!
Great explanation and you did the right thing. Cheers!
I think many people are leaning back toward made in the USA quality and leaving the cheap chinese products mindset.
Glad to hear you are finding replacements for tar river.
I personally had issues with land pride and after finally having enough I quit buying their products now I have been buying bush hog brand implements.
Great video, love the fact your going american made as much as possible. Every time I buy something I look where it's made and try to bue american as well. Fath,family,country. Nothing else really matters.
Good call! Just knowing that i'm supporting local, Canadian, American, North American and even "reputable" International companies makes spending more well worth it. Like my dad says, " What do you want for nothing, something?" Cheers from Canada
do you sell used implements? and how much will the tiller cost. i have a workmaster 35
Good for you ! Made in the USA only!
Thank you and good luck.
Have you had any complaints about the Brush Crusher, I was watching some videos on this grapple on UA-cam and there has been people say this grapple has did a thousand dollars worth of damage to their tractor. Most of the damage has been where the grapple mounts to the tractor JDQA or ? Thanks for the info.
Sorry to hear about issues with Tar River. I was fortunate enough to buy a Tar River land plane from you before it all went down hill. It has been a great tool thus far. However i sure like the Dirt Dog products and everything else you have is also top quality. Keep up the good work