Combines AGCO loosing out

What is the FARM SCIENCE REVIEWIJ Is it something like a state fairIJ Several years ago a few manufacturers stopped displaying at the Minnesota state fair because of demographic changes from rural visitors to urban ones. Today there is no machinery there. Could something like demographics be the reason for AGCOs lack of enthusiasmIJ Tom in MN

The Farm Science Review is a farm show in london, OH at the Molley Caren Agricultural Career Center. This year it was Sep. 18-20. You really need to go 2 or 3 days if you want to see the whole thing or even half. They have 83 acres of exhibit space filled with machinery dealers, all kinds of equipment manufacurers etc. They also have over 2,100 acres of field demos including areas for tillage, and side-by-side demos with combines harvesting corn, soybeans, and I think wheat too. They also have something like 150,000+ bushels of on site storage. We try to go every year and it is always a good time. John

I agree that AGCO has a poor representation at shows and these type of events. Allis Chalmers used to pull into the Farm Progress Show with a N7 and a 12 row corn head and blow every other combine out of the water and have factory representatives around. I remember at Farm Fest in Minnesota one time they were doing wheat and they had a N5 there and no one could keep up with it, the JD guys came up to the wheat field with a 8820 and tried to keep up with the N5 and plugged it up so bad they had to quit for the day ! Both IH and NH did a good job that day too. One year, I think it was 1992, it was in Austin Minnesota, they decided in the spring that they would have a combine demo for corn harvest, they set the date in September early enough so farmers would not be busy at home combining, well it got to be a late spring and fall rolled around and the corn was wet, actually they took a sample to the nearest town and it was 42% moisture. There was only one machine that could harvest corn that wet, a GlEANER R50. And the grain sample was very good. The rest tried and went home, the R50 combine kept going and going and going. The elevator that they were going to told them they could not dry corn that wet and I believe they told them that they had to dump it someplace. Back to my point about your comment, I believe that those of us that use Gleaners believe in them more than AGCO does, I do not think that AGCO knows how good of a combine they have. Rememeber those traveling combine shows that Gleaner used to put on IJ Where they would bring the new Gleaners and then they bring other color combines along too and let you drive all the colors and then there would be Allis Chalmers salesmen around to show the people the advantages to the Gleaners and actually be able to walk around a JD and show why a Gleaner is better, I never made it to one of those, but I bet those sold combines !

It is too bad something like demographics stand in the way of ag exhibits at some state fairs. Sure a lot more urbanites than rural residents visit, but it does not mean there is any less agriculture in a given state. Maybe just fewer people at it, making the farms bigger, therefore increasing the market for more advanced machinery. Beside, bringing ag equipment back to the state fairs can be educational for those who don't have a clue as to where our food comes from. I went to the Texas state fair in 1977 and even then, saw no large ag equipment or a combine.Texas is still a major ag state.

AGCO hardly does any marketing in my view - the combine has to sell itself! Having said that, the machines are good considering the market share they maintain. The job Deere has done in marketing is commendable from a corporate standpoint, but I have a uneasiness about doing business with Deere - feels too much like a cult mentality over there!

Aw come on now. You are not very charitable. Go to a weekly revival meeting at the Deere dealer where the entire loyal following stands around the parts counter holding hands and singing the praises of Father Deere and you would be a believer too. They also give special prices on green toilet seats and mailboxes. That alone is enough to get folks to open their checkbooks and buy some of that third-rate iron. Tom in MN

I wasn't about to go that far, but I agree with the spirit of what you said! My goodness, you can be brutal!

It must be those new ornery pills.

Demographics is part of it, but cost is another part of it. Working for AGCO I know what a lot of fairs and farm shows charge for booth space. It is not cheap. A lot of these fairs and shows have gotten way to greedy. They charge most major manufactures around 30-50 grand for a nice size booth. Add to the expense of dealers to haul equipment in and cost of hotels and meals during shows. On farm demos are a lot better way to gain customers.

Thank you for the explanation, Gleanerguy. I never realized the expense was so outrageous. I agree about the farm show exhibits and demo's. I just wish I had the opportunity to go to one of the bigger farm shows. I used to really love the one in Ft. Worth, TX, but that show was cancelled in the early 1980's. It was still Allis-Chalmers then, and they put on interesting skits and a good program. it was only a static exhibition. No field demo's. I would like to hear from you though, when you have time to e-mail and talk a little of AGCO's history.