There is a growing temptation among equipment manufacturers to sell directly to farmers — bypassing the dealership network that built this industry and gave their brands market presence.

An April 23 Farm Equipment Insider poll reveals dealers are a bit more pessimistic about how brand loyal their customers are, with 53% reporting their customers are less brand loyal vs. 5 years ago.

In an effort to discover what exactly drives farmers to purchase equipment from shortline manufacturers instead of their majorlines, Farm Equipment surveyed nearly 240 farmers about their shortline equipment ownership, including their preferred brands and what drove them to purchase the equipment.