AGCO grows-Cat is out

[JerryG]

Latest and biggest news in the tractor world happened Monday. It was announced Monday that AGCO (Massey Ferguson) had bought Caterpillars tracked tractor line. AGCO has bought them lock, stock and barrel. Now AGCO’s line doesn’t stop at the mid size 225 horse tractors, but goes up through 425hp on tracks. That also means the Cat is out of the farm tractor business."The rest of the story."

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Hi Jerry,

Do you know if AGCO will get to market the CAT name for awhile... that would be a big shot in the arm if they could...

Back in the 60's and 70's, another company did alot of buying up and consolidating... White and they turned alot of farmers off that were loyal customers of Oliver & Minn. Moline... and eventually White and et al was absorbed by... AGCO...

I do wish them the best...

 

[JerryG]

John,
The way I took it from the Corporate E-Mail was that the tractors will immediately be painted orange and labeled AGCO. It didn't say it in so many words, but it was inferred.

 

[kcook]

Does anyone thing this new news will change the compact tractor line?
KCook

 

[Robert_in_NY]

Cat will still supply Claas with tracked tractors and will still sell Claas Lexion combines as Cat combines. Also Agco will sell the repainted Cat's thru Cat dealers so Cat will not be completly out of the Ag business.

 

[Woodbeef]

The Claas deal is still up in the air....

Helmut Claas is coming over next week to talk to Bob Macier. I would not be suprised to see Cat drop the Claas deal,and turn the Omaha factory over to something else. They are cutting jobs by closing a Perkins factory in Shrewsbury U.K. and giving golden hand shakes in the States,in addition to transferring the Challenger work force over to Agco.

The deal gives Cat access to Agcos line of tractors and other equipment for sale at Cat dealerships. So why build your own then? Especially if they are badge-engineered by Agco for Cat.

Agco also wants to sell the Challenger in Fendt green and Massey red in Europe.

If this is the way it happens then Claas is the real looser,especially after developing a niche market for the Challenger. But that's the way the big boys play!!

 

[JerryG]

Cat will also be selling other select product from the AGCO line up. Some of these are to be from the forage equipment line up. AGCO will take over all production and support for the generation three MT’s. How ever Cat will still supply all support for the gen. 1 and gen.2 machines. When the contract runs out between Cat and Claas, the new contract will have to be negotiated with AGCO. The Ag market is a tough place and with only one tractor and a combine to sell, it has been a hard rock to crack. AGCO should do better with them than Cat. We will have to wait and see. AGCO is only one of a couple of Ag company’s in US that turned a profit last year.

 

[Robert_in_NY]

Re: The Claas deal is still up in the air....

Does Agco still make the AgcoStar 4wd's. Very few people seem to know for sure? If they do are they going to discontinue them now with the Challenger deal?

 

[Woodbeef]

if Claas has to go through Agco.....

If Cat washes it's hands of the Claas agreement,I guess it's curtains then for the Germans and Challengers. I can not see Agco allowing Claas to sell what they could in Europe under the Fendt and M/F brands. But then again wierder things have been known to happen in the badge-engineered ag-business!!

 

[jdkid]

Hi ya
right and wrong on that one AGCO is buying the MT700 OFF CAT the MT700 only goes up to 306 Hp CAT still makes bigger toys 3 other track tractors ,as for claas deal i don't know what will happen there but i do know claas did use MF paint a few years ago on some balers seems the big are just getting bigger if ya had a time machine and went back to ford ,case etc etc and said in years to come you will all be one ya would be shot down in flames ..but bottom line is bottom line with the returns for most farmers and the good runs most get from gear these days there will be more and more takeovers to keep stock holders happy
catch ya
JD Kid