Combines Why didn t AGCO let Cat have Gleaner instead of MFIJ

[dakota]

I wonder how the manufacturers keep up with their high development cost anyway. I just heared from one of the big Gleaner manager (sorry I am bad in remembering names) how the combine market declined in the last decades. It went from like 30,000 machines in the seventies to like 3000 new machines per year sold now. You would expect that sometime one of the colors has to disappear. That person also said, that last year there were only two ag machinery companies who made a profit. One of them was AGCO. I know that Claas was the other one what had a year with a record profit. Now you know that the others are struggeling. CNH will move their combine production into one plant in Grand Island. The yellow and red will slowly merge together. I leave it up to your phantasie what else could happen.

 

[Aussie]

In OZ it's a simular story except production has gone to zero. Just not enough units made to get any sort of economies of scale. Figures I guess, one machine does as much as three 25 years ago.

 

[DAB]

I'm also wondering about that. I wouldn't think that Agco would just do away with the gleaner combine. I think it's a really good design to just give up on, but I don't keep up on these things enough! Besides, since I run the older combines, if they quit making them today I would still be good to go for another 20 or 30 years.

 

[Glnrguy]

The reason AGCO did not let the cat dealers have the Gleaner combine is because Gleaner has much better market share than MF. AGCO produces way more Gleaner than MF combines and they are trying to get the MF machine out there more. Also it would hurt and tick off lots of Gleaner dealers(the few that are left and doing a good job)

 

[John]

How did the longtime Gleaner dealers feel when AGCO gave White delers the 2500 and 2600 combines (R52 and R62)IJ They didn't go over very well apparently (I've only ever seen two, a new one and a pretty well used one).

 

[Rooster]

I would, the Gleaner is a dead issue. Soon to be replaced with an AGCO combine (Masseys will remain in Europe).

 

[John]

Rooster, if you will page down and look at the responses from Europe about Gleaner vs Massey combines, the Gleaner and US Massey are rotary and not well accepted in Europe because they chew the straw up too much, and that the European Massey combine is not well accepted because of a bad manufacturing plant reputation. So as the facts are stated, Massey combines in Europe are near or at the bottom of the list for quality to the European eyes. The Massey tractor is exactly opposite and at or near the top of the list for quality. Gleaner does have more of the market share and more loyal customers in the US than Massey does. And moving the Massey's under two different colors and brand names should bring up the market share in the US for the rotary design and will give them more dealers with the Cat name. Think about this, Allis and White became Agco tractors, they may be thinking in terms of Massey and Cat as a joint group as well. From my area of the US, White dealers have picked up the Gleaner line as well as the Allis dealers kept them, Massey Rotary is a White Rotary and being marketed as such, not a White anymore. And Cat is known for lARGE equipment and the Massey Rotary is technically larger than the current R72 (without modifications). Personally, if Gleaner would cease to exist, I would look long and hard at an Axial Flow before the Massey and both are excellent machines, just more Axial dealers that are closer than Massey dealers, this of course can change with the addition of Cat dealers added to the spectrum.

 

[Rooster]

I do not disagree. However, I have witnessed the Gleaner's replacement, last year in NE Arkansas. Not an overly large machine but, those who knew more about it than I, in that region, stated that it was to replace the Gleaner. Cat dealers will certainly add much value to the stream. With the MT tracked Challengers and lexion combines at one extreme and AGCO Challengers at the other, the Cat dealers are sure to gain ground. Possibly with more momentum than previously thought. P.S., Not all lexions are larger (class 5-8).

 

[robbie]

here in our town,we used to have 5 dealers, flying multiflags or single franchise MF,IH,Ford,Horwood Bagshaw,Connor Shea,Chamberlain now we have 1 dealer left,with a multiflag franchise