Boomer 8N

[TMR]

I also went to a Mpls dealer today to see a new 8N...really nice but pretty large. Also, it had been owned by dealer for quite some time...moved between stores and starting to show surface rust.

Sure would have been nice if they had made one frame size smaller...price 5K less. 50 HP class is a class up from what I am looking for...but........maybe they will want to sell at a LARGE discount

Tom R

 

[jinman]

While I was in my local NH store yesterday looking at a LB75.B TLB, I spoke with the sales manager (one of 3 brothers who own the business). He said NH was offering cash incentives now on the Boomer 8N and it could be had with loader for around $29K. I may have to change my opinion. It's still a "purdy-purdy" tractor, but at $29k you can afford to work it some in addition to pulling floats in parades.

 

[CinderSchnauzer]

While I was in my local NH store yesterday looking at a LB75.B TLB, I spoke with the sales manager (one of 3 brothers who own the business). He said NH was offering cash incentives now on the Boomer 8N and it could be had with loader for around $29K. I may have to change my opinion. It's still a "purdy-purdy" tractor, but at $29k you can afford to work it some in addition to pulling floats in parades.

Agreed. Depends on options but not really out of line for a 50 hp OS tractor with FEL. If I needed 50 hp I'd certainly give it a good look. Seems many of the posters who think it is sooo expensive are comparing with 25 - 30 hp tractors.

 

[bp fick]

Perhaps, the reason folks find it expensive is not because it is over priced for the 50 hp tractor, but it is simply too large and too expensive to represent the tribute intended to the original 8N. The original was an every man's kind of machine and rated, then, at 20-25 hp, depending on model year.

Kind of a broken record, but had NH made this a 23 hp tribute on a smaller frame and priced it $20K. they would have sold many, many tractors. Instead... well, this tribute is pretty much a sales bust, at least around here. Too bad. The idea was great.

 

[CinderSchnauzer]

Perhaps, the reason folks find it expensive is not because it is over priced for the 50 hp tractor, but it is simply too large and too expensive to represent the tribute intended to the original 8N. The original was an every man's kind of machine and rated, then, at 20-25 hp, depending on model year.

Kind of a broken record, but had NH made this a 23 hp tribute on a smaller frame and priced it $20K. they would have sold many, many tractors. Instead... well, this tribute is pretty much a sales bust, at least around here. Too bad. The idea was great.

100% agree and probably posted similar thoughts a while back. For example a 30hp version could have been a serious alternate to my JD 3320. I still remember driving Dad's old 8N as a child. I could be wrong, but estate owners, horsey set, hobby farmers etc - most of us don't need or want 50 hp and I suspect, from what I see around here most "real farmers" don't have a lot of use for a little 50 hp tractor either.

Great idea - wrong market niche.

 

[dex3361]

Anybody ever see any detailed info on the type of transmission that is the Boomer. I love the looks of the thing. It has the retro appeal. I agree they missed the mass sales because of the size and price.

 

[jinman]

100% agree and probably posted similar thoughts a while back. For example a 30hp version could have been a serious alternate to my JD 3320. I still remember driving Dad's old 8N as a child. I could be wrong, but estate owners, horsey set, hobby farmers etc - most of us don't need or want 50 hp and I suspect, from what I see around here most "real farmers" don't have a lot of use for a little 50 hp tractor either.

Great idea - wrong market niche.

Well, if you put a $10k transmission into a $15k tractor, you just wiped out your market on that tractor too. The CVT had to be put into a tractor that was structurally large enough to house it and at a price level that could absorb the cost. Sure, an argument could be made that they could have put it into a Class II tractor, but my guess is there are more Class III sales than Class II (...I could be wrong). I think they picked the market based on where they thought the pricing and size would support the transmission. I just believe that they inflated the price while hoping to develop an "elite" market of buyers. Unfortunately for NH, they not only overpriced it, but they did it in a time of economic disaster. However, now that they have come down in price below $30k, I see a market that could develop, but the question now has to be why buy the style of the open station Boomer 8N over a 3045 cab tractor with CVT? The only reason I can think of would be the strength of the 50 hp engine.

All of this is just rambling and speculation on my part. What I think we can all agree is that NH has a "black eye" from the introduction of the Boomer 8N and they have a long way to go to recover the costs of bringing that albatross to market.

 

[firefighter jim]

I think the Boomer 8N is a novelty and sales will be very minimal..............

 

[bp fick]

A modern "red belly" should have been a dead easy, knock down, drag out, winner. No miss, right?

It will go down as a major marketing blunder, to be sure. As Jim says, the horrid timing could not have been worse either. All that said, had they done it right, or do it right tomorrow, with a smaller frame, 24-29 hp, and price it accordingly, ie, comparable to Kubota top line B series or JD top line 2000 series or 3000 series, I gotta tell you, I'd be there in a heart beat.

 

[Lt CHEG]

However, now that they have come down in price below $30k, I see a market that could develop, but the question now has to be why buy the style of the open station Boomer 8N over a 3045 cab tractor with CVT? The only reason I can think of would be the strength of the 50 hp engine.

You can actually get a Boomer 3050 now with an enclosed cab and the 50 HP engine, as well as the CVT transmission. The problem is though that you're then looking at probably closer to $40,000 than $30,000 (assuming tractor and FEL combo). The CVT transmission really drove up the price of the Boomer tractors. I'm glad I got my Boomer with hydro transmission when I did. Sure I'd love the CVT but the hydro does what I need and I paid a lot less for it. On the plus side my dealer was telling me that the CVT transmissions have been pretty bulletproof so far so I'm really hoping that NH has got a winner on their hands. I could see myself upgrading to a Boomer 3050 cab with CVT in 8 to 10 years or so, especially if I'm ever able to acquire any of the land which borders my current property.