Deere sighted in Northern Japan!

[Henro]

Hi,

I guess this is an owning/operating post...since the tractors I saw are being owned and operated... /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

We are in Japan at the moment and travelling around quite a bit, mostly by train. But a couple days ago we were on the norther island of Hokkaido, and being ferried by a friend in his car to a hot spring in the country.

There was a half hour segment of country road through farm country. I saw maybe 20 tractors...three of which were<font color="green"> John Deere green /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif </font>.

That is because they were John Deere tractors.

Size I would guess would be around 50 to 80 PTO hp. I do not know much about JD so I can not report much more than that. One was really new and one was fairly well used.

Still, that means 15% of the tractors I saw on that piece of road were Deeres! Hokkaido grows a lot more than rice, so these tractors were being used for duty other than rice paddy work I would guess. As a matter of fact, I do not think there were any rice paddys in that area.

Wonder if anyone has any export data for US tractors being sent to Japan? I was amazed to see a US tractor. Never would have dreamed I would...

Regret I could not get a picture... /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

Guess I should close this post with the standard...

Having a great time, wish you were here! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[art]

Just in general for the world market the tractors up to 40-50 horsepower 80% are from the orient and used there. From the 50 to 100 the eurpeons own the market for sales and building the majority of them. From there up it is the big American tractors. They do get shipped all around the world from there origins. Kubota is one that is bucking the trend by building up to the 120 horsepower tractors.

 

[fivestring]

Bill.....
You didn't have to go to Japan just to get your third Kubota!!! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
While you're there, are you going to the Kubota factory?

 

[kokopelli2]

how was your trip? i miss it there so much! if i had known, i would have asked you to get some gum for me!
yeah i saw alot of jd's there when i lived near tokyo

 

[Slamfire]

I'm glad you said they were imports, cause Japanese deer are spotted. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[Docsknotinn]

And they have funny looking antlers and dont weigh more than a little japaneese girl. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif Dave

 

[frank_f15]

BILL WISH I WAS THERE ALSO /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif but don;t know if u can classify JD as being american built. not sure anything is totatly built here anymore. shame on u for not getting pictures /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[JimC]

Just for the record, My JD 2955 85 HP tractor was built in France and my Nissan Quest was built in Tenn.
Walmart was showing a "built in USA" video in the local Super Center on a Japanese TV, using a Korean VCR, I think my F250 was built in the USA but not sure where all the parts came from.
Jim C

 

[Henro]

I Guess I will have to pay closer attention to things here, just out of curiosity. In the states it is hard to find a Japanese product that is made in Japan anymore...most often the Japanese name is made in Korea, Taiwan or some other asian country. Have to check some of the products here to see where they are made...

Hope to at least get to a tractor showroom, Kubota or whatever while here. Not a high priority on my wife`s list...can`t understand that...

Did go past a Komatsu dealer of some kind last night around 10 pm but that was in a car...again no chance to stop... /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

If I do get into a show room I will certainly take some pictures for posting after we get back.

Everyone here thinks it funny that I have asked my wife to check the net to see if there is a Kubota museum...Hey, Kubota is an old enough company...if beer companies here can have museums why not a tractor company???? Seems reasonable to me... /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif