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The processor takes a log (usually 8 foot length) and cuts it to whatever length we set it to, then splits each piece 4 ways, then runs them up a conveyor belt into a pile where we want it. Basically takes the place of a chainsaw cutting each piece to length (thus saving the back of the person running it) and a log splitter (again saving the back of the person running it).
BTW - chimeas are those little outdoor fireplaces that seem to have become very popular recently. Those process fire wood into ash.
We have been running a firewood business for 4 years now, just figure it time to step it up a notch. My husband also falls trees for a logging operation so has access to the slash piles for firewood. We want to get into hauling short logs (for the logging business since the guy usually leaves them out there) and up the production of our firewood business. Gotta spend money to make money.
What the heck kind of language is that ..?!? .. I just go up to my fireplace, turn a valve and light it with a 12" Scripto ~ and "Phooof" you have fire ... is there any other way.?
Terry ;-)
with a BIC!!!
;-)
We actually own a firewood business, just want to expand it and make some more $$$$. Firewood is an easy product to sell in Alaska.......almost everyone has a woodstove......we certainly do and its nice and toasty right now in the house.
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Is there any special way a dealership decides which way to go?
I've always been curious about this, but what really piqued my curiosity this time was: a Kia salesperson told me when I was ready to test drive the Sedona, I could take it for the afternoon and see how it fits. That surprised me.
Thank you,
Terri
Some dealers will sign you out on a car w/ a form like a rental agreement where you agree to pay for any and all damages you may incur.
Some just don't care.
everyone assumes the driver's insurance will cover everything, but after a bunch of legalese, they didnt, and ours did. from then on, if customers are to be allowed with a car, a dealer employee MUST be present.
Lately though (well, when we bought the Dodge and were looking for a new SUV) the salesman has always gone with us. Fine by me, not like I'm going to go out and hot rod the thing. While looking at the Mazda Tribute and Pontiac Vibe I didn't mind the salesman going with.....he is after all a very close friend and fun to be around.
When I went to pick up my new Explorer the salesman asked me if I wanted to test drive it before signing, I just said no, signed the papers and left. Haven't regretted it either, its been a great little truck.
I hope your daughter is doing okay and that you are still listening to your hubby.
Duncan
i've visited the two in town. they know i'm interested, but not yet commited to the TL. i like the popular colors. i can check their inventory on the net, but not sure how accurate.
The TMV is $2000 over invoice. i think $1000 is fair- and better. should i call the out of town places or contact them online?, then use their offers on the local lots. if i do, do i need to do this all in one day?
since there are only 2 dealers, i'd like to donwplay my commitment to the TL and express my commitment to the best deal. good strategies?
thx for help.
We recently traded in our '02 Explorer for a Focus and doubled our gas mileage -- the Explorer is huge in comparison.
Re: test drives -- did a few test drives a couple of weeks ago after the auto show was in town. We were with another couple who were in the market for a new car; my wife and I were tagging along for the most part.
#1 Hyundai dealer - the other couple had a salesman accompany them when they test drove the Santa Fe (2WD GLS w/ V6). We wanted to drive the LX model with leather and the 3.5L V6; the salesman threw us the keys and told us to enjoy.
#2 Mitsubishi dealer - both we and our friends were able to drive the Outlander (separately)without a salesman.
#3 Pontiac dealer - the four of us test drove a Vibe together; again, no salesman (I don't think he would have fit in the back seat with us).
So, like has been said above, I suspect it is up to the dealer. But, for the dealers who make the decision to accompany sometimes and not others, do you think that it depends upon the prospective customer and the vehicle they want to test?
(example -- youngish looking single male wanting to test drive a WRX or Mustang vs. an older couple looking at a Camry or Accord)
if everything were equal, where would you rather buy the vehicle from?
if the prices are only a few hundred apart, buy from the place you feel the most comfortable. you'll be glad you did.
I've often wondered if appearances mean that much ... I'm sure they do!
I wish I could help on the negotiations but I'm the worst person in that regard.
Compared to our 1999 Dodge Ram 3500 dually V10 4x4 truck my Explorer is a *little truck*.
Last winter I was driving around in a 1990 Suburban, lifted 4" with 35" tires, so again, the Explorer is small to me.
I almost bought a Focus when we were replacing my 97 Explorer.......but I couldn't go that small. I really wanted something at least the size of an Expedition, but settled on another Explorer. No regrets, I like my truck.....even more now that it pulled a friend's Chevy out of the ditch. *Grin*
personally, i dont prejudge someone when they are shopping, but if you are going to negotiate with THOUSANDS of dollars...
And, having visited Anchorage once some years ago, I can understand the need to have something with a bit of ground clearance -- to deal with the elements. I can't see how you lived with a Jetta in that climate.
Our family is moving away from large SUVs (before the Explorer, we had an Expedition) and towards smaller, more fuel efficient cars (the Focus, my Saturn L300 and a VW New Beetle that our son is currently driving).
When I was dressed up, I was treated with more respect, generally speaking.
My wife's step-father, OTOH, bought his last two cars (an Eldorado and a Jeep Grand Cherokee) with cash and looked like a slob both times -- in fact, I think he told me that he had a "green pea" sell him the JGC since the other salesman avoided him.
I have no idea what the supply vs. demand situation is in the midwest but here on the west coast, Acura TL's are far from being "invoice up" cars. You really might want to concentrate on the car's value to you rather than on what the dealer paid for it.
Great cars by the way!
Terry.
Terry.
I run into lots of people - this store is always busy. I'm a friendly guy, so I'll speak to anyone, at least acknowldging the presence of another human being, a forgotten art in these parts. Most "more important" people (yuppies) don't even make eye contact when I'm wearing a hoodie sweatshirt, baggy sweatpants and sneaks.
Yesterday, I had to go to court to testify - I was wearing a fairly new dark olive suit, nice tie, and shiny brown shoes. Same store, same products, roughly the same time - a guy who had driven up in a European import sedan immediately acknowldged me, saying "hi". I mean, not only am I in PA where folks aren't know for being overly friendly, especially the closer you get to Philly, but a young urban professional actually made eye contact and spoke to me.
If I was wearing my favorite hoodie, I doubt he would have.
Now, that being said, how you are judged, and YOU ARE, whether you like it or not, bears strongly on the way you're treated, both in greeting and in negotiations.
I've tried to dress down when buying a car, but I found that getting respect for my negotiating skills was tough.
In a suit or nice casual attire, that skill was assumed, it seemed, and negotiations went very easily.
Your mileage may vary, as this is all my opinion.
On the other hand, my Explorer has proved to be the perfect vehicle and it better plan on staying that way for a long time. I'll be luck to be able to afford to pay attention after hubby gets done dumping all kinds of cash into our business.
I thought I was bad about spending......he's looking at either a $32k log trailer (I'm trying to talk him out of that since its so big and heavy I think it will flat kill our V10) or a $25k short log hauler truck (small semi).
1) Decide what kind of car you want.
2) Decide where you want to buy it.
3) Decide how much you are willing to offer.
4) Go to the dealer of your choice and make your offer. If it is refused, then leave and come back here for some more advice.
From my experience, your offer will almost certainly be refused. However, when you walk to the door to leave, there is a good chance they will change their mind and accept your offer.
I hope you enjoy the whole car buying experience. If you don't, then you are doing something wrong.
Not everyone is looking for an RSX that can be bought for a few hundred over, minus the dealer cash, they weren't big sellers when you bought yours and they have been on a decline ever since ...............
Terry.
I think in the end he end up overpaying.
Car_man
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I have no idea how much they should cost. If I was going to buy one, I would do a lot of research first to get a good idea what they are selling for. Then I would compute my offer and see if they would accept it.
That is all I was advising Smith to do.
I understand what your saying, only because I have read a bunch of your posts .l.o.l.. I just meant that sometimes you have to watch the market and see what it does before you send someone out .. right now, Acura dealers are killing themselves at the auctions to keep these in stock, there seeing just about invoice with 2/3k, their paying the moon for them, so obviously they have a home for em' ....
Terry.
RSX's are another story...hard merchandise to move.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
non-Navi, automatic, both local dealers have at least 30 on the lot. And anecdotal evidence would say they are selling for about $1K over invoice. I profess no knowledge beyond my little corner of the world, though.
But, hey, on another note... Local highline used car dealer has two virtually brand-new BMW 645i. One coupe and one convertible. Naturally, asking over MSRP. Why do dealers send these through the auctions, when there are waiting lists for them?
regards,
kyfdx
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I DO shop based on the monthly payment! But I'm trying to be different this time. Tips always recommend avoiding these questions 'til after you negotiate the purchase price, but in my limited experience, the salesperson always asks these immediately!
2) Regarding Lease Terms (realize this may be for the lease board): my credit report shows I owe $14K for my Bravada, but I only have so many months left @ 356/mo, so don't I use the amount I only have left to pay in the lease calculators?
Thanks again
Response to what payment did you have in mind - Just say as close to zero as possible.
Trade in - Its up to you. Just know what your car is REALLY worth and know that you could sell it yourself for $1000-$1500 more than any dealer will give you for it. Also beware of the getting a great trade-in price at the expense of a higher new car price or high interest rates on a loan.
Knowledge is power - Some numbers to keep in mind are $20 per thousand (or so) for a new car loan at 60 months. So if you buy a car for $22k and put $2k down your payment is around $400. loan amount = 22-2k = 20k. Loan payment is then 20 times 20 or $400 a month. Bring a small calculator with you. If you trade in your car and get some equity out of it then take that off the loan. So if you get a net of $5k for your trade your new loan drops to $20-$5 = $15k which gives you a payment of $300 a month.
Know these numbers like the back of your hand before you start negotiations.
Also talk to your bank/credit union BEFORE you go to buy a car to know what rate you can get financed at. You'll usually pay more for financing at the dealer. So based on the bank rate you'll know how much car you can afford (or chose to afford).
If your current lease hasn't expired yet it will cost you EXTRA to get out of the lease regardless of what the salesman says. My advice is to wait until the lease expires to buy a new car.
If you do your homework, continue to get help on here....things should go pretty well. One of the most important things I can suggest is get a referral to a dealership and salesperson who a friend or co-worker purchased from and had a good experience. This makes things alot easier than playing salesperson and dealership roulette.
For SUV-FAN, just don't answer questions you don't want to (or more accurately, brush them off). Just say you want to concentrate on the selling price, and will discuss finance options later. Same for the trade. Not that many people do it this way, but it does make it clear exactly what you are paying for the car and financing, and getting for your trade.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
#1 the salesman will see you as a more serious prospect than a walk in.
#2 the process should be more pleasant because he will not want to alienate the guy that referred you.
#3 your attitude will be better because you won't feel like you're going to be ripped off.
this is only an assumption, but i think salesmen will work harder to make a do-able deal with a referral.
A lot of cars are way soft of book while other hot cars will often command more than wholesale.
Assuming you really can get 1000.00 more by selling it yourself, do you really want to assume that much trouble, time and risk?
Here in WA, we have a whopping 9.1% sales tax on cars. We also have a sales tax credit that applies.
This means if a seller is looking for 10,000 for his used car and a dealer only offers 9000.00, they would "save" 181.00 assuming they could really get the 10,000 they are looking for.
This doesn't count the price of the ad, the fun of sitting by the phone, waiting for no shows and dealing with non serious shoppers.
Then there's the buyer who will take you to small claims court six months later when the automatic transmission fails.
Still think it's worth it?
I don't disagree with anything that you posted. I agree that the REAL price is probably less than the book price.
However I stand by my post that you can probably (exceptions of course) sell your car for $1000 to $1500 more than a dealer will give you for trade in less all the fees and effort. Is it worth it ?? That's up to the owner.
With respect to sales tax, I suspect that many dealers (yours excluded) are well aware of the traders dilemma and price their offer accordingly to capture at least some of the sales tax equity.
I prepared income taxes for one of the young phenoms that I work with. When I was done with his taxes, his refund was about $1500 higher than what he originally calculated. He had forgotten about the carryforward of capital losses from the prior year.
Some people would say that they can do their own taxes. And some of them get it right ... sometimes. Is the $200-300 worth it? You decide.
Currently, I have a couple of cars to sell. I will probably do it myself. I would be happy to unload them to a dealer. However, my experience with the few that will give you a cash bid in this area offer me about $1000-1500 BELOW THE AUCTION PRICE that Terry gives me. If they would give me the auction price, both parties would probably come out ahead.
if i ask those 2 questions, i can more accurately point you to a vehicle that will work.
example:
"mr. suv_fan, do you plan to finance or lease?"
"finance."
"ok. what does your budget allow for your next vehicle?"
"$350/mo."
"ok, how much money do you have to put down?"
"$1500"
now, knowing that you need a vehicle with 7 passenger capacity, i would point you to a 2-3 year old domestic minivan. windstar, caravan, venture, etc...
if you refuse to answer or you duck the questions, i might show you a new quest or odyssey that would carry a $500 payment or higher. what an incredible waste of our time if we do that, huh?
you cant turn a salesman against you faster than to not trust their professionalism. you dont have to trust them personally, but trust that they know what their job is. we have just as much interest in finding the right car at the right price as you do. if we dont, then a deal doesnt happen, does it?
Simply ignore the question.
Just because you are asked a question puts you under no obligation to answer it.
I visit a car dealer to get answers to my questions, not to answer their questions.
I personally do lots of research online first (hence my visits to these boards) to see if I can afford certain vehicles. I was really aiming for a Honda Pilot, but with its $30K and my poor credit, I know it isn't going to happen
I won't even test drive one. I might check out used ones, but we'll see. I realize many people do not do these things.
I always appreciate ANY advice people give! Even when I don't really want to hear it
I LOVE the Navigators, but have always known they're way out of my league, so haven't bothered with them. I just checked out 2-year-old Navs; they're "going for" $38K!!! Hah, hard to imagine I'll ever have one. Ah, well, we must have dreams...