FarmTrac Troubles

[Robert_in_NY]

Doing away with the AGCO line. About time, it was a waste of money to have a line with their name just for the sake of a name. Now they can put their money where it belongs.

What makes no sense to me is why they are keeping the Challanger brand over the Agco brand. Massey covers Agco's product range worldwide and Agco should never have dropped the White brand only to start the Challanger brand. Then there is the dropping of Allis from Agco's name which didn't help them here in the US.

Agco has never been able to build any brand recognition here in the US because they flip names way too often. I am waiting for them to drop Gleaner since Gleaner is only popular in the US and you can get the same Gleaner combine in Challanger and Massey brands.

 

[MessickFarmEqu]

I've never seen a Challanger dealer before... or is that just me. I did know some Agco dealers. I had not heard about this happening to the entire line.

 

[JerryG]

What makes no sense to me is why they are keeping the Challanger brand over the Agco brand. Massey covers Agco's product range worldwide and Agco should never have dropped the White brand only to start the Challanger brand. Then there is the dropping of Allis from Agco's name which didn't help them here in the US.

Agco has never been able to build any brand recognition here in the US because they flip names way too often. I am waiting for them to drop Gleaner since Gleaner is only popular in the US and you can get the same Gleaner combine in Challanger and Massey brands.

I'm sure the only reason they are keeping the Challenger brand is because of Cat. If they weren't sold on their lots, they would drop that brand also. I'm with you on also dropping the Gleaner brand. The old guy at AGCO are trying to hold onto what they had years before and it isn't working. Massey is where their money is, so the other brands need to go. There is no since in duplicating so many machines.

 

[Robert_in_NY]

I've never seen a Challanger dealer before... or is that just me. I did know some Agco dealers. I had not heard about this happening to the entire line.

There was an interview with Martin Richenhagen (Agco's president) in a Dutch tractor and machinery magazine recently in which he said there will be four strong brands for Agco. Massey Ferguson, Fendt, Valtra and Challenger.

Agco tractors are only available in North America while I guess Challenger has more appeal outside of North America because of the Cat connection.

 

[Bob_Young]

Farmers, being conservative, like to buy what worked well for them before. That's a big reason why JD has grown to what it is. It's why a blue tractor from India appealed to so many of us. When old-line names like White and Allis are 'bought and paid for' it seems nuts to cast them aside in favor of alphabet soup or something catchy.

The name is important and carries a lot of implied value. It's hard to believe a company as large as Agco doesn't understand that. It makes you wonder what else they don't understand.

 

[Robert_in_NY]

Farmers, being conservative, like to buy what worked well for them before. That's a big reason why JD has grown to what it is. It's why a blue tractor from India appealed to so many of us. When old-line names like White and Allis are 'bought and paid for' it seems nuts to cast them aside in favor of alphabet soup or something catchy.

The name is important and carries a lot of implied value. It's hard to believe a company as large as Agco doesn't understand that. It makes you wonder what else they don't understand.

Agco has never understood the marketing aspect of a name. They have a name in Massey Ferguson that in the US has always been pushed behind Agco-Allis and White. When they dropped White I thought they would promote MF more but then they came up with Challanger when they aquired CAT. Now they are going to drop Agco and I have a feeling they are going to promote Challanger more then Massey Ferguson here again. And to top that off they have Fendt and Valtra that they hardly promote here in the US at all. They want a global name but can't commit to any one name to do so.

 

[waytech]

Why not start a new thread about other tractors? This one was to be about FarmTrac

 

[Farmwithjunk]

Agco has never understood the marketing aspect of a name. They have a name in Massey Ferguson that in the US has always been pushed behind Agco-Allis and White. When they dropped White I thought they would promote MF more but then they came up with Challanger when they aquired CAT. Now they are going to drop Agco and I have a feeling they are going to promote Challanger more then Massey Ferguson here again. And to top that off they have Fendt and Valtra that they hardly promote here in the US at all. They want a global name but can't commit to any one name to do so.

AGCO didn't own the Massey Ferguson name until far after they owned Allis Chalmers/Oliver/White/ect. AGCO bought the MF name more than 15 years after they bought White and AC. Once they got the Massey name, they've been gradually heading towards putting that name on most all of their AG line-up. AGCO would have never got their chance to buy MF had it not been for Conrad Black and his corporate raiding of MF. They were a solid company with fantastic sales numbers in the world market.

AGCO has a licensing agreement with Caterpillar regarding the Challenger line-up. Massey Ferguson owned Perkins diesel. When AGCO bought Massey FErguson, they got Perkins along with the deal. Caterpillar wanted Perkins. At owns Perkins now, and as a result of that deal, AGCO builds the Challenger tractor line which CAT dealers sell. Obviously we have a case where some of you aren't familiar with AGCO and are making comments based on what you DON'T know about them. They went after these "names" in order to get the name recognition and the dealer networks. By the time AGCO bought the names of Oliver/Cockshutt/White and Allis Chalmers, those brands wree so far behind the market, their products were no longer the "big name" they once were. Gleaner, which was owned by Allis Chalmers was the reason why AGCO went after AC. White had a line of air planters that was the envy of the industry at the time. AGCO went after White for them. As those products became obsolete, so did the names of Allis Chalmers and White. Beyond that, Massey Ferguson outsold White AND allis Chalmers in the worldwide tractor business by a huge margin. They're STILL one of the biggest sellers worldwide. MF combines have always been big sellers. AGCO's products are huge sellers overseas. In this day and age, the US market isn't the only focus of major AG manufacturing. In the last few years, AGCO, with the Massey FErguson name front and center, are making inroads to regain a stronger share of the US market. Their ties to Caterpillar won't hurt that one bit.

 

[glgdiggs]

When did this become an AGCO thread?

 

[Robert_in_NY]

AGCO didn't own the Massey Ferguson name until far after they owned Allis Chalmers/Oliver/White/ect. AGCO bought the MF name more than 15 years after they bought White and AC. Once they got the Massey name, they've been gradually heading towards putting that name on most all of their AG line-up. AGCO would have never got their chance to buy MF had it not been for Conrad Black and his corporate raiding of MF. They were a solid company with fantastic sales numbers in the world market.

AGCO has a licensing agreement with Caterpillar regarding the Challenger line-up. Massey Ferguson owned Perkins diesel. When AGCO bought Massey FErguson, they got Perkins along with the deal. Caterpillar wanted Perkins. At owns Perkins now, and as a result of that deal, AGCO builds the Challenger tractor line which CAT dealers sell. Obviously we have a case where some of you aren't familiar with AGCO and are making comments based on what you DON'T know about them. They went after these "names" in order to get the name recognition and the dealer networks. By the time AGCO bought the names of Oliver/Cockshutt/White and Allis Chalmers, those brands wree so far behind the market, their products were no longer the "big name" they once were. Gleaner, which was owned by Allis Chalmers was the reason why AGCO went after AC. White had a line of air planters that was the envy of the industry at the time. AGCO went after White for them. As those products became obsolete, so did the names of Allis Chalmers and White. Beyond that, Massey Ferguson outsold White AND allis Chalmers in the worldwide tractor business by a huge margin. They're STILL one of the biggest sellers worldwide. MF combines have always been big sellers. AGCO's products are huge sellers overseas. In this day and age, the US market isn't the only focus of major AG manufacturing. In the last few years, AGCO, with the Massey FErguson name front and center, are making inroads to regain a stronger share of the US market. Their ties to Caterpillar won't hurt that one bit.

Bill, I am going to start a new thread here http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1350713#post1350713