SNOW HILL – In an effort to standardize equipment, county leaders bypassed low bids to purchase two John Deere tractors.
The Worcester County Commissioners voted last week to spend $117,543 to purchase two John Deere tractors from Atlantic Tractor in Salisbury. The decision came at the suggestion of Commissioner Merrill Lockfaw, who served as Worcester County’s roads superintendent for 19 years prior to his retirement.
“I personally feel we should continue with John Deere,” Lockfaw said. “We could maintain a lower inventory of parts and have that guarantee of service when needed.”
John Tustin, the county’s director of public works, presented the commissioners with bids from four vendors interested in providing the two tractors needed by Worcester County. He recommended the county go with the lowest bid, $106,600 for two Massey Ferguson tractors, but said he didn’t object when Lockfaw advocated for John Deere models.
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Up to a certain level, John Deere tractors are the SAME as many others brands and aren't even made by JD. I have a Sears Craftsman for example that is screw to screw identical.
ReplyDeleteI'm not a Government official so what do I know?
Massey's are not the most reliable tractor but there are some other reliable brands around other than John Deer. I only say this because of the concerns that were brought up in the article believe it or not Kubota's larg tractor's are very nice. Haven't seen any on the Shore but they are very nice and reliable.
ReplyDeleteIt is my understanding all of the John Deere dealerships in Pa., Md., De., and Va. are owned by the same company which dictates the retail prices. Therefore, there would be no competition. Massey Ferguson was their best deal.
ReplyDeleteSome JD products can only be serviced by JD reps with the computer programs that interface with the equipment. There are some pending lawsuits out there concerning inability to have equipment serviced by non JD mechanics.
ReplyDelete