Converted Red: I agree that some parts fine tuning is needed. We had a hard time getting a vertical unloading auger for the 1660 last fall. Finally my dealer got one from a neighboring dealer. The one he ordered took a month to get. However, they need to start stocking their dealers with floor plan equipment as nobody in their right mind orders out of a salesman's catalog. Also they have abandoned the market with products that seem to sell (like the 5300 drill and 7500 plow). For the CNH brass, let it be known that we in the east have some heavy clay that needs to be plowed every second year or so. My old 720 plow is 27 years old and starting to show it's age. I noticed Kverneland plows on my dealers lot and asked him about that. He indicated you can't get the 7500 any more. That is real disappointing and is indicative of what many here in Ontario see as malaise at CIH. Even the JD dealers whom I am starting to deal with can't understand it either. You want a good used CIH 2188 or 2388 go to the best selection in town (the local JD dealer). Huron Tractor currently has four of them. That is where my 1660 came from. At the time (last June) I had 3 to choose from at huron tractor. That makes 7 CIH combines they have had in the last year. Huron Tractor themselves were amazed they took that many in. I asked why and they said some of the CIH customers felt that CIH were unstable and don't seem to care any more. They further indicated that the message they are hearing in the grapevine is that it is all about New Holland and they don't really care about CIH products. Another area of lost market share is to McCormick for the Maxxum tractors. look at the number of McCormick tractors on their own dealers lots. And the McCormicks are selling. Dielman down in Wallacetown even took a Magnum in on a new ZX McCormick. And I think this is a prelude of things to come next year in Ontario. Watch and see if McCormick ZX tractors don't start appearing on southern Ontario lots when their dealers can't get Magnums on a floor plan. The bottom line is that here in Ontario CIH is getting their lunch eaten by John Deere, McCormick, and Kubota bad enough to lose serious market share. Does New Holland careIJ Who knowsIJ One thing for sure is that is not the way I would manage a company. They need to take a lesson from the late Alexander legge (a senior manager at IH in the 1900 - 1930 period). When Henry Ford was challenging the 10-20 Titan with the Fordson on price, legge stated to his sales people to match Ford of course and not surrender market share. Time will tell.
