GOAT (Greatest of All-Time) John Deere Tractor?

   / GOAT (Greatest of All-Time) John Deere Tractor? #31  
Making a profit and maximizing a profit are substantially different things. More often than not, maximizing profit in the short term generally means the company is turned into what we used to call a milk cow. You under-invest in the root items that make your company viable in the long term, and over-pay shareholders and company executives.

If you ask many American company CEO's, "Who do report to?", they will respond; "The shareholders". I'd prefer the company CEO place the customer on equal emphasis as the shareholder. If it isn't, design "improvements" such as plans to monopolizing the maintenance of your tractor and designed obsolescence might become the primary focus for development.

Unfortunately, John Deere these days rely on the rock solid reputation created by their incredibly well made old tractors to sustain sales of their newer equipment. To date that has been working fairly well, but I wouldn't count on that working forever.

Those all seem to be very good points, and I feel the same. But given the excellent returns in recent years, shareholders are unlikely to complain about JD's monopolization of repair and maintenance - or about the current design goals.

And as you point out, the customers have no voice.

So I don't see any reason to expect JD to change their new way of doing things. It's interesting that by making their recent changes in manufacturing and design, JD has opened a well-defined path for their competitors to follow. It's a very well known path - being the same route that JD used to get to where they are today.

rScotty
 
   / GOAT (Greatest of All-Time) John Deere Tractor? #32  
A local ag mechanic shop has an annual tractor pull and anyone can bring their tractor. This 520 was punching beyond it size and never did stall out, the tires dug a hole and he was finished. So for now the 520 is my favorite John Deere. Notice there is only one front tire.
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