The 2025 North American Equipment Dealers Assn. (NAEDA) Dealer-Manufacturer Relations Survey results are in and once again, it shows what dealers value most in their manufacturing partners and expectations. It also highlights who is performing best and who is moving up in the ranks, as well as those that are falling behind. 

Dealers and manufacturers alike anticipate the annual survey results each summer. Over the years the report has been taken quite seriously by some manufacturers — whether their results were positive or negative. For those who do well, the results are often promoted to prospective dealers and customers. For those who don’t fare so well, concerted efforts and changes in practice are often put in place with the goal of improving their results in the years ahead.

Dealers, meanwhile, have used it as a point of reference on prospective lines or in rationalization decisions that follow mergers and acquisitions, and the occasional discussion during dealer advisory board meetings. While NAEDA does not break out results by segment (tillage, planting, etc.), dealers can examine the manufacturers in those categories when comparing suppliers.

In terms of the importance of each category to the dealers, the top 5 — Product Quality, Parts Availability, Parts Quality, Manufacturer Response to Dealer Needs/Concerns and Product Technical Support — remained the same since the 2024 report, but there were a few slight shifts lower down on the list. 

Bourgault takes home the Dealer’s Choice Award in 2025 for the shortlines, with Meyer Manufacturing earning the Gold Level Award.

Company-by-Company Results

Bourgault stood out among the shortline manufacturers for the second year in a row, improving its scores in 10 categories as well as overall satisfaction. It also had the highest average mean score (6.22) of the shortlines and had the highest score in 9 out of 12 categories (Overall Satisfaction, Product Availability, Product Quality, Product Technical Support, Parts Availability, Parts Quality, Communication with Management, Marketing & Advertising Support and Manufacturers Response to Dealer Needs/Concerns).

Meyer Mfg. had the second highest average mean (6.02) score followed by Vermeer (5.85). Vermeer, Bush Hog, Great Plains, MacDon and Unverferth improved in all 11 categories as well as Overall Satisfaction. Salford gained enough dealers to be included in the report this year. MacDon on average showed the most improvement over last year.

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On the other side of the equation, 1 manufacturer sits at the bottom of dealers’ rankings: Gehl finished last in all categories. Gehl was at the bottom in 2024 and 2023 as well. 

Ag Equipment Intelligence’s historical data tables also shed light on those manufacturers “on the rise.” Land Pride, MacDon and Unverferth improved in every single category vs. their 2024 figures.

At the same time, several manufacturers showed significant negative change. H&S Mfg. and Rhino declined in every single category vs. 2024. 

Last year, Art’s Way declined in all but one category — product availability — after being one of the success stories in the 2023 survey, having reacted to low scores to claim its highest scores in 5 years in all 12 categories. This year, Art’s Way was able to gain improvements in its scores, seeing an improvement in all categories except marketing & advertising support.

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The following are the manufacturers’ performance in each of the studied categories, in the order of what is important to dealers. The numerical scores are based on a scale of 1 (extremely dissatisfied) to 7 (extremely satisfied), while the trending data is expressed in percentage change.

Overall Satisfaction

• Highest: Bourgault (6.45), Vermeer (6.07), Meyer Mfg. (5.94)
• Trending Up: MacDon (9.69%), Elmers Mfg. (9.88%), Gehl (7.84%)
• Lowest: Gehl (2.75), Woods (4.96), Bobcat (4.63)
• Trending Down: H&S Mfg. (–8.48%), Kinze (–7.32%), Rhino (–2.64%)

1. Product Quality

• Highest: Bourgault (6.59), Krone (6.12), Meyer Mfg. (6.12)
• Trending Up: MacDon (9.11%), Bourgault (7.33%), Vermeer (7.12%)
• Lowest: Gehl (4.61), Bobcat (4.81), Art’s Way (4.93)
• Trending Down: Degelman (–4.20%), H&S Mfg. (–2.98%), Rhino (–2.62%)

2. Parts Availability

• Highest: Bourgault (6.23), Meyer Mfg. (6.15), Unverferth (5.92), Vermeer (5.92)
• Trending Up: Bush Hog (23.77%), MacDon (6.95%), Meyer Mfg. (5.13%)
• Lowest: Gehl (3.25), Bobcat (4.89), Rhino (4.97)
• Trending Down: Gehl (–26.47%), Rhino (–7.28%), Krone (–6.90%)

3. Parts Quality

• Highest: Bourgault (6.36), Meyer Mfg. (6.12), Vermeer (6.05)
• Trending Up: MacDon (5.67%), Kinze (3.28%), Unverferth (2.04%)
• Lowest: Gehl (4.64), Art’s Way (5.07), Bobcat (5.25)
• Trending Down: Gehl (–7.94%), Rhino (–5.37%), H&S Mfg. (–2.79%)

4. Manufacturer Response to Dealer Needs/Concerns

• Highest: Bourgault (6.32), Meyer Mfg. (6.06), Degelman (5.69)
• Trending Up: MacDon (11.23%), Degelman (9.63%), Elmer’s Mfg. (9.39%)
• Lowest:Gehl (2.19), Bobcat (3.63), Rhino (4.45)
• Trending Down: Rhino (–11.88%), H&S Mfg. (–10.33%), Kinze (–2.08%)

2025 NAEDA Dealer-Manufacturer Relations Report

The 2025 Dealer-Manufacturer Relations Report is available to all NAEDA dealer members and to participating manufacturers. For information, contact Amy Mullady, amullady@naeda.com.

5. Product Technical Support

• Highest: Bourgault (6.50), Meyer Mfg. (6.18), Vermeer (5.99)
• Trending Up: Art’s Way (12.36%), MacDon (4.17%), Unverferth (4.10%)
• Lowest: Gehl (3.07), Bobcat (4.35), Kinze (4.91) 
• Trending Down: H&S Mfg. (–6.95%), Gehl (–4.95%), Krone (–2.68%)

6. Product Availability

• Highest: Bourgault (6.27), Elmers Mfg. (6.04), Meyer Mfg. (5.97), Vermeer (5.97)
• Trending Up: Gehl (43.02%), MacDon (35.20%), Kuhn NA (12.24%)
• Lowest: Gehl (2.56), Rhino (5.00), Art’s Way (5.23)
• Trending Down: H&S Mfg. (–4.96%), Rhino (–3.47%), Degelman (–2.18%)

7. Warranty Payments

• Highest: Meyer Mfg. (5.88), Vermeer (5.79), Bourgault (5.77)
• Trending Up: Bush Hog (27.16%), Elmers Mfg. (10.69%), Vermeer (6.04%)
• Lowest: Gehl (2.95), Bobcat (3.77), Kinze (4.71)
• Trending Down: Gehl (–15.95), Rhino (–10.24%), H&S Mfg. (–7.89%)

8. Communication with Management

• Highest: Bourgault (6.27), Meyer Mfg. (6.0), Vermeer (5.82)
• Trending Up: Degelman (7.77%), Elmers Mfg. (7.29%), Gehl (6.91%)
• Lowest: Gehl (2.32), Bobcat (4.08), Rhino (4.35)
• Trending Down: Woods (–19.11%), H&S Mfg, (–14.94%), Rhino (–12.83%)

9. Warranty Procedures

• Highest: Meyer Mfg. (5.97), Bourgault (5.86), Vermeer (5.86)
• Trending Up: Bush Hog (27.18%), Elmers Mfg. (10.69%), Vermeer (6.04%)
• Lowest: Gehl (3.03), 
• Trending Down: Gehl (–16.95%), Rhino (–10.24%), H&S Mfg. (–7.89%)

10. Marketing & Advertising Support

• Highest: Bourgault (6.27), Meyer Mfg. (5.94), Highline Mfg. (5.71)
• Trending Up: Elmer’s Mfg. (11.52%), Highline Mfg. (7.13%), Meyer Mfg. (6.26%)
• Lowest: Gehl (3.0), Art’s Way (4.45), Bobcat (4.54)
• Trending Down: Rhino (–10.22%), H&S Mfg. (–9.00%), Art’s Way (–4.09%)

11. Return Privileges

• Highest: Meyer Mfg. (5.94), Bourgault (5.73), Vermeer (5.55)
• Trending Up: Degelman (7.60%), Meyer Mfg. (5.51%), Art’s Way (3.43%)
• Lowest:Gehl (3.32), Bobcat (4.37), Rhino (4.62)
• Trending Down: Gehl (–19.61%), Kinze (–18.29%), Rhino (–10.29%)

Additional Analysis

Ag Equipment Intelligence provided additional analyses this year to simplify the results. As such, it consolidated the 12 individual categories into 3 broader areas: product/parts availability; product/parts quality; and administrative programs/protocols.

That results of that first-ever aggregation of the shortline manufacturers into those 3 categories, and the change year-over-year is shown in Table 1. In these grouped categories, Bourgault, Meyer Mfg. and Vermeer claimed the top spots in product/parts availability. For product/parts quality, Bourgault, Unverferth and Krone had the highest scores. Bourgault, Meyer Mfg. and Vermeer were at the top of the list for administrative programs and protocols. 

Gehl was once again the bottom-dweller in all three of those same categories. Table 1 also shows the year-over-year change in performance of the shortliners in those broad areas. 

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Production-sized Tractor Performance. Ag Equipment Intelligence examined the broad tractor results by horsepower range. What follows below is the dealers’ rankings of production-sized tractors. The small tractors, meanwhile, are examined by Rural Lifestyle Dealer. The bigger tractor manufacturers, such as JCB, McCormick and Versatile, generally score poorly vs. their small-tractor counterparts. But when examined on their own, there are a few surprises. As seen in the table, Versatile took the top scores in 9 categories and average mean score, but had the lowest score for product availability, which has been an ongoing challenge for the company. In February 2025, Versatile’s parent company Buhler Industries announced an amalgamation agreement with ASKO, to take the company private.  In examining the 3 “binned” categories put together by Ag Equipment Intelligence, JCB improved in 2 of the 3 categories, while Versatile fell in all 3 and McCormick fell in product & parts availability and administrative programs & protocols.

Manufacturer Type Breakdown 

According to NAEDA, aggregate ratings were consistent from the previous year for all categories in each manufacturer classification (Full line, shortline, OPE and tractor manufacturers) except for tractors which decreased.

The change in manufacturer aggregate ratings increased or remained generally consistent overall, with 56% seeing an average increase or no change in ratings of +4% and 44% receiving lower aggregate ratings of –5% in 2025 from the previous year. The highest percentage increase in aggregate rating scores by a manufacturer was 10%, and the largest decrease was 23%.

As a whole, the shortline manufacturers improved in performance to dealers between 2024 and 2025, and the group outperformed the average mean score for all manufacturers in 2025. In aggregate, only the performance in return privileges declined for the shortline manufacturers in 2025. For comparison sake, for the full line manufacturers scores were down in product technical support, parts availability, return privileges and marketing & advertising support. 

The tractor manufacturers as a whole (both production tractors and small tractors), saw the aggregate scores drop in all categories. 

Overall, dealers report a satisfaction level with shortline manufactures of 73%. As usual, dealers are less forgiving with their full line (62% satisfaction) and tractor manufacturers (57%). Outdoor power equipment has the same 73% satisfaction as shortlines.