A RED John Deere?

rockyridgefarm · Oct 7, 2003

A buddy of mine (who swears is not on drugs) insists that he keeps seeing a RED John Deere tractor line. They are advertised on the Outdoor Channel, during the Biologic food plot show.

He says they say John Deere Scorpion right on them.

Is he nuts, or what?

In googling this (note use of fashionable brand new verb) I have found a Chinese brand called Scorpion, and John Deere Snowmobiles which may have been OEMed by a Scorpion...

RonR · Oct 7, 2003

Don't know about that, but locally, I saw an 8/9N Ford (I don't know the difference) that was painted JD Green with JD Yellow wheels.

Looked pretty awful to me. Maybe he was trying to get some JD dealer to buy it and scrap it or at least repaint it the right colors.

Take care,
Ron

jerrym4 · Oct 7, 2003

Here are a couple of possibilities.

#1. I remember seeing a red John Deere at one point in the past. It seems (memory is sketchy) that John Deere was OEM'ing some of their tractors to a company that was allowed to keep the John Deere name on the tractor.

#2. Scorpion tractors are made in South Korea by TYM. Some models have John Deere engines and marketing makes it a point let everyone know this.

Bob_Skurka · Oct 7, 2003

Just out of curiosity, what is a John Deere engine? I thought they bought their engines from Yanmar?

rockyridgefarm · Oct 7, 2003

( I thought they bought their engines from Yanmar?
)

On CUTs yes, on the rest of the line, there are several sources, including John Deere.

yellowsocks93 · Oct 7, 2003

Well, if its a larger John Deere starting with the Utility tractors they turn into John Deere designed and built JD Powertech engines. They are used in everything from combines to construction equipment. The compact tractors all have Yanmar engines which are also excellent.

Bob_Skurka · Oct 7, 2003

Right, I understand JD makes their own larger engines, and I think they might also use Cat as well, but on the smaller units I was under the impression the engines were Yanmars.

And since much of the discussion prior to my original post seemed to key in on smaller tractors, even mentioning some possibility of a Korean built ones as a possibility, I presumed the Yanmar connection from Japan to be a reasonable question because of the size units being discussed. And I was not trying to disparage Yanmar, because they are dynamite units.

So all that said, and going back to the possiblity of a RED JD tractor, what is the likelyhood it exists?

stvman · Oct 7, 2003

I think jerrym4's second choice is it. If you look at the Scorpion dealers they list John Deere engines as well as Kubota engines powering their tractors. I think it is entirely possible if JD owns a percentage of Yanmar (which I believe they do) you could technically call it a JD engine.

I have talked to the president of TYM and he told me that.... the Mahindra compacts (prior to the new 15 series built by Mitsubishi) are a TYM tractor with a Kioti engine. The TYM/Scorpion are the same tractor as the Mahindra but using JD/Kubota engines depending on the model and all use Eaton transmissions or Hydros, and the majority of the rest of the tractor is Iseki. If you look at a Massey Ferguson tractor(Iseki) you can see some striking similarities

pruntyc · Oct 7, 2003

I don't believe JD owns any part of Yanmar. It is a family owned company in Japan. Same family all the time. And they have made enough engines and tractors they don't need to be part owned my JD. The only reason they don't make a Yanmar for this country is that they have a deal with JD to make their small tractors, and engines, in exchange they won't make a Yanmar as such for this country. It's just good business to have a market, and know you will sell so many tractors if you hold up your end. That is why Yanmar, won't sell parts here for the grey market tractors. But they will sell parts for the ones that was made for here, before they made the agreement with JD about not selling any more here. That is not JD owership in anyway, just a agreement.

cowboydoc · Oct 7, 2003

I believe Yanmar is a stock owned company. As such anybody could buy a share JD or Joe Blow.

stvman · Oct 8, 2003

( I believe Yanmar is a stock owned company. As such anybody could buy a share JD or Joe Blow. )

Thats what I thought. A dealer told me that Deere owns 49% and the only reason they don't have 100% is that Japan Will not allow any company outside of Japan to own more than 49%

stvman · Oct 8, 2003

But then again the same dealer told me the rear axle on a 4310 was NOT aluminum.

5030 · Oct 8, 2003

I don't think I have ever seen any motorized vehicle, be it a tractor or on-road vehicle with aluminum axles.

Sure you don't mean the housing??

Aluminum, alloyed with other metals can be made very strong, but from a machining standpoint it would be cost prohibitive.

I'd like to have titanium alloy axles, but I'd have to machine them myself!!

MikePA · Oct 8, 2003

I believe Yanmar is a stock owned company. 
I searched the NYSE, NASDAQ, Amex and Tokyo exchanges for 'Yanmar' and got no hits. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

kokopelli2 · Oct 8, 2003

i have never heard of any rule, not allowing foriegners to own more than 49% of a company in japan. but from a business standpoint that makes alot of sense. if you sell more then 49% of your business its not your bus. anymore is it? it also seem unlikely that jd owns 49 percents of yanmar, since that would mean that jd is the only invester in the company besides the family that started it. as well it would mean that if the yanmar sold any stock before jd came along in japan that jd would have control of the company. and since i am pretty sure that yanmar has been around for quit some time and is part of one of the 7 kiretzu (sp?) that would mean that there are many other companies that have intrest in yanmar, which to me would say that there is no way that jd has that much power in yanmar.

ofcouse i would be wrong, but after studying business in japan for 3 years, i never came across this law, unless they were keeping it from me!

Old_Hickory · Oct 8, 2003

Yamnar privately owned,family owned according to this link.

Yamnar engines

Old_Hickory · Oct 8, 2003

I know for a fact American held companies are now starting to buy Banks in Japan.
So I do not think your 49% max ownership is valid.

I know for a fact Ripplewood holdings in the US is the 1st foreign company to buy a bank in Japan.
The problem of failed banks is also being resolved. Ripplewood Holdings of the U.S. has taken over the former Long-Term Credit Bank of Japan, which it has named Shinsei ("Rebirth") Bank. Another bankrupt lender, Nippon Credit Bank, was reborn as Aozora ("Blue Sky") Bank Sept. 4 after it was sold to a consortium led by Japanese Internet giant Softbank. A third insolvent institution, Tokyo Sowa Bank, will be taken over by U.S.-based Asia Recovery Fund. Japan's business community is in for more shocks. Shinsei Bank's American owners have refused to forgive $1.9 billion in loans to major department store Sogo. The government decided to take on these obligations, but a public uproar forced it to back down. Sogo has declared bankruptcy.

Bob_Skurka · Oct 8, 2003

I don't know about the JD and Yanmar ties, but I believe that Ford now owns Mazda.

fivestring · Oct 8, 2003

It's a shame we don't have that limit here.

Junkman · Oct 8, 2003

Bet that most people don't know that the US is one of the very few that allows farm land to be owned by foreigners. Most countries around the world restrict farm land purchases to their Nationals only. the Junkman