FarmTrac Troubles

[Farmwithjunk]

Regarding 2nd/3rd tier companies, Yes I do think that if the tractor is not a Kubota, JD or NH it's something less than 1st tier. That's just my perception/opinion, worth about as much as yours is, and it won't change in the near future.

So, AGCO, with Massey Ferguson as a single DIVISION with-in the corporation, would NOT be considered a 1st tier company in your eyes, even though MF has sold more tractors worldwide than any single brand? If so, have your vision checked. You're missing one mighty big player.

Every brand has their "fuzzy math" numbers that somehow show them about to be the next "king of the hill". Then there's US market numbers. The US is only a drop in the tractor market sea these days. Numbers, both US and worldwide sales, may or may NOT include industrial tractors. Include EVERYTHING and the big boys become CNH, AGCO, Deere, with Kubota and Mahindra a ways behind. Toss in the complete product line, implements, financing, ect, and the "BIG THREE" seperate themselves from the rest by an even wider margin. Put construction/industrial numbers in the mix and don't leave out CATERPILLAR. (1st of 4 members of the BIG THREE?)

 

[montanaman]

Makes you think hard about buying a tractor from another 2nd tier tractor builder. Especially with the economy possibly heading south for a while.

From what I have read on this, Farmtrac has been heading down this path for a while. They had options in the past for investors, and them passed them up. Only when it was to the point of no return, did they then want some help.

Also, if you use the term 2nd tier to describe a company that does not do the sales volume to match JD,NH, and Kubota, that is fine and we can all understand that. The problem I have is when people confuse 2nd tier as a quality issue and the truth is that some of the 2nd tier companies will work harder for the dealers and harder for the end user than the big guys that sit back and sell on name recognition, no matter who is actually building the tractor for them.

2nd tier can be a good thing and often a good way for a customer to get a lot move value for their dollar!

Ken

 

[jim_n_nh]

Look on the block, None on the agriculture side of the line are made in the US, going further they seem to be "made under license or conjunction with" another manufacturer. They might be blue but very little is made by them.

 

[Robert_in_NY]

Look on the block, None on the agriculture side of the line are made in the US, going further they seem to be "made under license or conjunction with" another manufacturer. They might be blue but very little is made by them.

What are you talking about? New Holland has Shibabru or however their name is spelled build their compacts for them according to New Hollands specs. The T8000 and T9000 as well as the combines and forage harvesters, almost all of the hay equipment and a bunch of other things are built in the US. New Holland has plants all over the world so they make their own machines in plants all over the world. New Holland isn't some little company that just rebadges other products. They build and design almost everything they sell. If you have proof otherwise then post it or please explain what you are talking about a little bit better.

 

[dgl24087]

From CNH>>Home:
One in three combine harvesters and backhoe loaders, one in four tractors and skid steer loaders sold worldwide come from CNH.

North America

About 42 percent of our net sales of agricultural equipment and 49 percent of construction equipment were generated from sales in North America in 2006. Globally, CNH has more than 25,000 employees and operates 39 manufacturing facilities and 26 research and development centers.
Manufacturing locations in the United States include Belleville, PA - hay and forage equipment; Benson, MN - sprayers, floaters, cotton pickers; Burlington, IA - tractor loader backhoes, forklifts; Calhoun, GA - crawler excavators, dozers; Dublin, GA - compact tractors; Fargo, ND - tractors, wheel loaders; Goodfield, IL - soil management (tillage) equipment; Grand Island, NE - combines; New Holland, PA - hay and forage equipment; Racine, WI - tractors, components; Rocky Mount, NC - engines; Wichita, KS - skid steer loaders; and in Canada: Saskatoon, SK - planting, seeding equipment; and in Mexico at Queretaro - tractors, components; and Guanajuato - tractors.

South and Central America

Manufacturing locations are in Brazil at Belo Horizonte - crawler excavators, tractor loader backhoes, crawler dozers, wheel loaders, graders; at Curitiba - tractors, combines; and at Piracicaba - sugar cane harvesters, coffee harvesters, planters and sprayers.

Europe

Manufacturing locations are in Austria at St. Valentin - tractors; in Belgium at Antwerp - components; and Zedelgem - combines, forage harvesters, large rectangular balers; in Italy at Imola - tractor loader backhoes, mini-excavators; Jesi - tractors; Lecce - midi wheeled excavators, telehandlers, dozers, wheel loaders; Modena - components; San Mauro - crawler excavators and wheeled excavators; in France at Coex - grape harvesters; Croix - components; and Tracy-Le-Mont - components; and in the United Kingdom at Basildon - tractors, engines; and in Poland at Plock - combines, balers.

Asia and Pacific

Manufacturing plants are based in China at Harbin - tractors; and Shanghai - tractors; and Uzbekistan at Tashkent - tractors and cotton pickers; and in Turkey at Ankara - tractors. Are as well in India at New Delhi - tractors; and Pithampur - tractor loaders and backhoes; and in Pakistan at Dera Ghazi Khan - tractors.

By my count, 15 plants are dedicated to manufacturing tractors, 14 if you don't count the Dublin, GA compact tractor facility.

 

[EFC]

What are you talking about? New Holland has Shibabru or however their name is spelled build their compacts for them according to New Hollands specs. The T8000 and T9000 as well as the combines and forage harvesters, almost all of the hay equipment and a bunch of other things are built in the US. New Holland has plants all over the world so they make their own machines in plants all over the world. New Holland isn't some little company that just rebadges other products. They build and design almost everything they sell. If you have proof otherwise then post it or please explain what you are talking about a little bit better.

Shibaura, Pronounced shh bore uh

Buck

 

[Robert_in_NY]

Shibaura, Pronounced shh bore uh

Buck

Thanks Buck. I remembered how they are pronounced but I will forget how to spell it by the time I am done typing this reply

My memory is terrible

 

[Builder]

"Even with Farmtracs current state I would not be scared of buying one, in fact I am talking to one of the dealers on here about buying one. If things work out I will be the proud owner of a Farmtrac 7 series in the future (if a real good deal comes along I might get a 2wd 5 series also to replace my Ford 640). Look at it like buying a great used tractor if you can buy it at a discount. If you buy a used tractor you don't normally get a warranty and with these Farmtrac tractors you know you are getting a great tractor at a great price. Just do your homework so you know where to get parts from and you are fine."

Don't know if this was mentioned yet, but Farmtrac is no longer honoring warranties on what remaining new tractors they sell.

You'd have to get a heck of a lot of dealer price to make it worthwhile.

I think the whole point of this is that some of these less known companies that their owners brag about getting for cheap can get bit if they're not careful.

 

[Nissan197]

I seriously looked at FarmTrac when tractor shopping, but went with a Mahindra instead. If I was able to do more than change fluids on a tractor I would probably buy a FarmTrac without the warranty also, if I was going to get it at a great price. When I was looking at them I was very impressed, but got scared when the dealer I was going to buy from all of a sudden put a "gone on vacation" sign up and never reopened. Hopefully the company can get things figured out. Good luck to all the FarmTrac owners out there.

 

[Robert_in_NY]

Don't know if this was mentioned yet, but Farmtrac is no longer honoring warranties on what remaining new tractors they sell.

You'd have to get a heck of a lot of dealer price to make it worthwhile.

I think the whole point of this is that some of these less known companies that their owners brag about getting for cheap can get bit in the azz if they're not careful.

Builder, that was why I mentioned buying a Farmtrac is like buying a used tractor now. You will get a great tractor for a good price but no warranty. As long as people know what is going on and where they can get parts and don't mind working on their own tractors I see no reason to shy away from a Farmtrac.

I am sure you have noticed how close in price a low hour 2 year old tractor is compared to a brand new rig. You don't get a warranty on the low hour unit unless there is a carry over or the dealer puts one on.

 

[cmuncy]

I had to swing by my dealer today to pick up some lamps. I asked the owner if there was any news.

SHe informed me that there are a group of investors that include Montana in a buyout of FarmTrac. Apparently, Montan is quite close to FarmTrac and a takeover would be pretty easy.

She stated that an announcement was going to be made next week and that once it was made, she was moving all of the FT tractors back up front.

One other thing my dealer said. She was still honoring as many warranty claism as possible, even engine claims, as she goes strait to Korea for those instead of going through FT.

I think that there might be a glimmer of a light at the end of the tunnel.

 

[Charolais]

I had to swing by my dealer today to pick up some lamps. I asked the owner if there was any news.

SHe informed me that there are a group of investors that include Montana in a buyout of FarmTrac. Apparently, Montan is quite close to FarmTrac and a takeover would be pretty easy.

She stated that an announcement was going to be made next week and that once it was made, she was moving all of the FT tractors back up front.

One other thing my dealer said. She was still honoring as many warranty claism as possible, even engine claims, as she goes strait to Korea for those instead of going through FT.

I think that there might be a glimmer of a light at the end of the tunnel.

Last info I heard was Montana owned had a hefty share in Farmtrac from the beginning. Montana bought their loaders from Farmtrac once the new style loader machinery was in place and online. If Montana has enough shares this time to put them in control I think they'll be the 3rd largest American Co. in the tractor business. Montana has tried something of the order of a merger two times in the past. They even bought a parcel of land across the highway from Farmtrac . I never could figure that one out because that lot is in a flood plain.

Thanks for the news. I kinda thought that would be the end result after several attempts to take over in the past. I just hope they leave the plant in place and get the workers back on the job.

 

[Builder]

Last info I heard was Montana owned had a hefty share in Farmtrac from the beginning. Montana bought their loaders from Farmtrac once the new style loader machinery was in place and online. If Montana has enough shares this time to put them in control I think they'll be the 3rd largest American Co. in the tractor business. Montana has tried something of the order of a merger two times in the past. They even bought a parcel of land across the highway from Farmtrac . I never could figure that one out because that lot is in a flood plain.

Thanks for the news. I kinda thought that would be the end result after several attempts to take over in the past. I just hope they leave the plant in place and get the workers back on the job.

I though Farmtrac were manufactured overseas?

 

[cmuncy]

If I remember correctly, the DTC series is made here in the states. The larger Ford knockoffs are built in India.

The engines for all of these guys are shared with several other tractor brands.

 

[shvl73]

I think the only stateside manufacturing is loaders and backhoes. The tractors are all imported with possibly final assembly in the US.

 

[firedog]

As far as I know; the loader & backhoe assemblies are made here. The DTC's are manufactured by LG in South Korea and the Larger series are made in India. Escorts has some other plants that cater to the European market I believe.

I spoke with my dealer recently about this issue with FarmTrac, and he seemed fairly confident that Montana was going to make a move on the FarmTrac DTC's simply because they are manufactured at the same plant as theirs.

 

[bluechip]

The "DTC" is the nomenclature for front wheel assist (4wd). It applies to both Indian and Korean models. I'm thinking there would be little reason for Montana to go after Farmtrac for the Korean models because they already have them. They may be intersted in the Indian tractor and I have been told by a Montana sales rep that they would be introducing an Indian made tractor in the future. They have dropped the Romanian tractor (formerly sold as Long and by Farmtrac as Longtrac), and I think they have dropped the TYM tractors they were carrying recently. They may want the loader/backhoe factory. I hope they want to form a strategic relationship with Escorts, but if it was Escorts they wanted, it would seem the merger propositions would have gone more smoothy wouldnt it?

 

[sbrace]

I had to swing by my dealer today to pick up some lamps. I asked the owner if there was any news.

SHe informed me that there are a group of investors that include Montana in a buyout of FarmTrac. Apparently, Montan is quite close to FarmTrac and a takeover would be pretty easy.

She stated that an announcement was going to be made next week and that once it was made, she was moving all of the FT tractors back up front.

One other thing my dealer said. She was still honoring as many warranty claism as possible, even engine claims, as she goes strait to Korea for those instead of going through FT.

I think that there might be a glimmer of a light at the end of the tunnel.

SHe informed me that there are a group of investors that include Montana in a buyout of FarmTrac. Apparently, Montan is quite close to FarmTrac and a takeover would be pretty easy.

Chris I see we both use the same dealer. She told me to get my 555 in and they would take care of my warranty work that is needed.

 

[firedog]

I'm thinking there would be little reason for Montana to go after Farmtrac for the Korean models because they already have them.

Agreed. However, thinking from a business standpoint, It might be adventageous for Montana to increase the market share by offering another tractor line. (Consider MTD's holdings in Bolens, Troybuilt & Cub Cadet, for example.) I have difficultly believing that Escorts or LG would not want to continue their production of tractors for the US market. They just need to develop a decent method to market them here.
Although, I may not agree with concept of using a L.L.C. to market ones products abroad, it does have its advantages and is the current trend in business. Plus who am I to disagree, anyway.

One question though: I've noticed the reference to Textron. It seems to be a dealer thing. Who exactly is Textron?

 

[cmuncy]

Chris I see we both use the same dealer. She told me to get my 555 in and they would take care of my warranty work that is needed.

I take it you use GW also then.

Bunch of great people over there.