2008 CUT sales off 15%

[HayDR]

AEM | Industry Trends - U.S. Ag Flash Reports: December 2008 Flash Report U.S. Unit Retail Sales

This is the first time since 2002 that yearly sales totals for Compact Utility Tractors have been below 100,000.
The big question is which brands are taking the hits?

 

[newbury]

Note that 4wd went up almost 6%

 

[RJH1]

Good amo for me - thanks - looking at 2410 MF

 

[dgl24087]

Note that 4wd went up almost 6%

4wd being the large, mega horsepower machines.

 

[Ductape]

Wait till we get to the end of 2009.........................

 

[AKfish]

Wait till we get to the end of 2009.........................

Yep... might just be a little tight --- still gotta get up everyday and put one foot in front of the other....

AKfish

 

[rcrcomputing]

So will that affect prices on new tractors?

 

[AKfish]

So will that affect prices on new tractors?

I'd betcha dollars to donuts that most dealers would be more than willing to shave off a few more percentage points... A sale @ 10% margin (or any margin) is better than no sale!

AKfish

 

[DieselAddiction]

I did my part and bought one in 2008.

 

[AKfish]

I did my part and bought one in 2008.

I'm pretty conservative with my financial decisions. I was 30yr old before I bought my first "New" vehicle. Everything before that was well past the Used category and always less than a $1,000.

However, I have begun to appreciate that you rarely get "do-overs" in this life and everyday is the real thing - not a "dress reheresal".

So, the all the gloom and doom - be damned! I went out a bought 2 new tractors in 2008!

"Live it like ya mean it" !!

AKfish

 

[jinjimbob]

So will that affect prices on new tractors?

Not really Kubota is putting there prices up again.

 

[mattman]

Look what happened to the auto industry. Tractor sales being down long enough may put pressure on the manufacturers to have some sort of discounts on the models that are not selling as well as the were a couple years ago.

 

[sixdogs]

The real number is here is December at -26%. And inventories look high meaning there is a lot of unsold supply rusting outside and financed on floorplan. If sales don't pick up ASAP this stuff has got to go and bankers want those loans repaid. Unless we recover fast, some dealers might not make it.

I'll bet sales were OK until maybe September and then tanked after that. Year over year numbers might not reflect the true nature of the sales slowdown.

Great time to buy new or used for CASH if you can get a GREAT deal, need the tractor and don't need the money for something else for the next few years or longer. I think prices will be under pressure for both new and used for several years and some great deals will show up from those forced to sell.
As well, the best price isn't the lowest price since things go wrong and dealer support is very important. Too cheap can be a disaster. Just my personal opinion

 

[MessickFarmEqu]

Look what happened to the auto industry. Tractor sales being down long enough may put pressure on the manufacturers to have some sort of discounts on the models that are not selling as well as the were a couple years ago.

I think I've said this a dozen times on here. If anyone is trying to time the market expecting to get a better deal a few months from now than they are going to get today... your going to loose. The pricing pressure on tractors is only going UP, and our sales are not nearly as bad as you would think from watching the news. The exchange between the dollar and Yen has raised costs to the tune of 15% over the last year alone. Being that there is still some 2008 inventory around your best deals will be found today.

 

[HayDR]

The January sales figures are not any better. AEM | Industry Trends - U.S. Ag Flash Reports: January 2009 Flash Report U.S. Unit Retail Sales

The National Machinery Show was packed with customers, not just high school FFAer's on a field trip. This is good news if we can get the national media to stop the share the misery mantra.