Buying American, is it important?

[needatractor]

If you really want something 100% American made to do what you want your CUT to do buy a few horses. Forget just American made you could probably avoid a company all together and buy them from someone you know.

[MessickFarmEqu]

Originally Posted by lorus1966

If you're looking for a CUT that is built in the US, then you should consider the new Yanmar/Cub machines. They are built with a lot of Japanese parts from Yanmar, but from what I've read they are actually built in the US with US labor at a plant in Georgia.

Not totally US made, but probably more so than any other CUT out there.

Not true, what your describing is how basicly every tractor company does business. Most of what Cub is selling is Yanmar kit tractors, ie Deere 790/990, etc. Those have almost nothing to do with our country. From my knowledge Yanmar designs and builds basicly everything. Same thing with New Holland TC30's (by ISM). Thats why they look so different than the rest of the product line.


I don't buy what was said about profits comming back to the USA and being taxed. The few % points of profit thats made from selling equipment is peanutes compared to the investmets made in facilities, employee's, materials, etc. Again, we should be crediting companies who make their investments here, and hold those who are not to the fire. I'd rather see a company invest a billion dollars in USA operations, than bring 150 million of profits back to this country.

[CinderSchnauzer]

Originally Posted by MessickFarmEqu

I don't buy what was said about profits comming back to the USA and being taxed. The few % points of profit thats made from selling equipment is peanutes compared to the investmets made in facilities, employee's, materials, etc. Again, we should be crediting companies who make their investments here, and hold those who are not to the fire. I'd rather see a company invest a billion dollars in USA operations, than bring 150 million of profits back to this country.

Interesting point.

There are many of us who live in other parts of North America. I've driven GM / Ford for almost forty years and just bought a JD that appers to have some NA content (at least with the attatchments).

I read the Canada / US Auto Trade Deficit is nearly $4 billion in the first quarter of 2008, due in no small part to layoffs by GM / Ford / Chrysler CDN plants. Almost in my back yard is a huge Toyota plant employing thousands of locals. A few miles NE is a huge Honda plant and west Toyota is building.

In a few months when its time to trade my new 2008 Sierra, do I support GM and American workers or do I support the "foreign" companies who are providing employment for thousands of local workers?

It seems to me that if American or Canadian companies expect support in the form of customer purchases, they must also be prepared to support the local customer in a more tangible way than just mailing a dividend cheque.

[riptides]

Originally Posted by MessickFarmEqu

....Again, we should be crediting companies who make their investments here, and hold those who are not to the fire. I'd rather see a company invest a billion dollars in USA operations, than bring 150 million of profits back to this country.

Hear! Hear!

Yes, those profits coming back are probably going to a few thousand share holders or board members. Yet the infrastructure investment probably supports entire communities with wages, benefits and services.

Good point.

[tjkadar]

Originally Posted by MessickFarmEqu

Not true, what your describing is how basicly every tractor company does business. Most of what Cub is selling is Yanmar kit tractors, ie Deere 790/990, etc. Those have almost nothing to do with our country. From my knowledge Yanmar designs and builds basicly everything. Same thing with New Holland TC30's (by ISM). Thats why they look so different than the rest of the product line.


I don't buy what was said about profits comming back to the USA and being taxed. The few % points of profit thats made from selling equipment is peanutes compared to the investmets made in facilities, employee's, materials, etc. Again, we should be crediting companies who make their investments here, and hold those who are not to the fire. I'd rather see a company invest a billion dollars in USA operations, than bring 150 million of profits back to this country.

JD invested $90 million in their Waterloo, Iowa plant. They also invested $80 million in an ops center located in Kaluga, Russia. Its also interesting to see them partnering up with Xuzhou Xuwa Excavator Machinery Co., Ltd for a joint venture in China. Its a global economy out there....

[Diamondpilot]

I simply buy what is the most bang for the buck. I am a die hard Ford Truck guy and would never own another GM Truck but I recently found myself purchasing a used Saturn. I needed a small car that got good mpg. The used Toys and Honda's were outragous so I stumbled on the Saturn and had to lower my head and buy a GM.


Five years ago when I need a 30ish HP tractor that was 4 wheel drive and had a FEL the JD, NH, Case, ect were out of the ball park on price. I could buy 2 of the Jinmas that I ended up with for the price. Yes, the fit and finish is not as good but its a **** of a tractor with no major problems in 525 hours of hard use and it will out work my 38HP Ford tractor any day of the week. I would not think twice about buying another.

Chris

[Builder]

Originally Posted by Diamondpilot

I simply buy what is the most bang for the buck. I am a die hard Ford Truck guy and would never own another GM Truck but I recently found myself purchasing a used Saturn. I needed a small car that got good mpg. The used Toys and Honda's were outragous so I stumbled on the Saturn and had to lower my head and buy a GM.
Chris

Gimmie a break.

Don't make me compare GM to Ford's pathetic drivetrain, AGAIN.

[redneckford]

Brand Loyalty----from food to automoblies------Many Many Americans buy by emotion and not facts!!!!!!-----No!!!!No!!!!!I MEAN NO!!!! COMPANY PAYS TAXES----THE COST OF THOSE TAXES THEY SEND TO THE GOVERNMENT ARE PASSED ON IN THE PRICE OF THE PROUDUCT OR A REDUCED DIVIDEND CHECK TO THE STOCK HOLDER!!! I agree Messick with the investment opinion but everyone needs to go reread the FramTrac Trouble's Thread. We need to make sure that investment is their money and not borrowed from some unsupecting US Loan Company or from the government its-self. We have become a 3 third world nation in trade because when you let the money out of the bag(out of the country) you break the capitalist economic model because all world currency is somehow tied to the US Dollar. I really got an education the other day reading about the Brennon Woods Conference and how going off the gold standard is now kicking us in the rear now. But also I came to understand how we American's Hurt other country's economys in the 50's, 60's and 70's when the dollar was strong we just pulled all our money out of their country's due to rapid inflation. Was it really rapid inflation are a business decesion.(ESCORTS) I like the neighberhood idea but heck it does not take long if you are in business that you can only satisfy 50% of the people because their expectations and your profit margin collide.Work for me for free and charge the other guy ----another american culture issue!!!! Warranty---- I know i broke it but heck you can cover it with warranty that was not suppose to break even though I was abusing it. You can't blame all those added cost on the Union man he/she buys all their stuff right here in america, they don't own any boats or planes to import things. Business men import things and try to past the cost blame onto someone else while they are playing golf. Like all This CEO pay---Just wish I was smart enough to be CEO then if would be ok----I'm just the dish washer.

[Volfandt]

The American craftsman is 2nd to no one. But don't be fooled into a false sense of security in thinking we're head and shoulders better than anyone else cause we ain't ..... Nor is our engineering and leadership ....

American companys are in business to do one thing, make their owners/shareholders profitable. Thats why they continually close American factories and invest millions in foreign country's to make their products cheaper for the American market.
Sometimes they do it for their own greed, sometimes they do it to escape their unions greed.....

Conversely, foreign owned companys, companys run largely by American university trained executives, are finding it more profitable to invest millions on American soil, employ American craftsmen, engineers and executives and build products suited especially for Americans. Kinda ironic tain't it.....

Folks say they rather that the profits line American born fatcats pockets as opposed to their foreign counterparts but to me it doesn't make that much difference. Their millions tain't benefiting me! It's going into their tax defered annuities & 401K's etc etc etc.
On the flip side, when a Kubota or Toyota or Honda or Volkswagon is made and/or assembled on American soil, it's the American workers that are benefiting from the good wages and the surrounding communities that are benefiting from the property taxes and sales taxes generated by the plants presence in their county. These same plants also breed other plants to supply it.
Go and buy a JD2305 and you get a 100% imported Japanese tractor. It says Country of Origin Japan on the ID tag.
Go and buy a Kubota BX2350 and you get a tractor that is MADE in an American plant in GA with only the engine and HST being imported from Japan. It says Kubota Manufacturing of America on it's tag.
Tis a strange world we live in today and whats on the surface can be VERY misleading.....
Carry on

[lorus1966]

Okay, so Yanmar brings in components from overseas. So does Ford, GM, etc.

Here's a quote from the Georgia state website:

"ATLANTA宥eorgia Governor Sonny Perdue announced today that Japanese machinery company Yanmar American Corp. will more than double the size of its Adairsville plant, adding up to 200 jobs and investing $20 million.

The company broke ground earlier this summer on a 240,000 square foot facility in Bartow County on 70 acres. The company already has a 220,000 square foot facility in place. The combined plant and office complex will house Yanmar Marine USA Inc., Yanmar Agricultural Machinery America, Inc. and the Yanmar Construction Equipment Group. Completion is scheduled in late 2007."

I may not be the brightest in the bunch, but this appears to me to indicate that there is a SUBSTANTIAL investment by Yanmar in the US, including employing US workers. It may not be all made in the US, but it certainly indicates a larger investment in our economy than the likes of many other imported tractors.

IS there actually a company that totally manufactures CUTs in this country? I don't think there is. With manufacturing being what it is today, I think you'd be hard-pressed to find a CUT made anywhere that doesn't have components and parts from around the world. My understanding is that the 24 hp SCUT is actually being built in Georgia, but the engines/trannies are coming from Japan.