Future of New Holland Utility and Compact tractor line.

[Gary Fowler]

Take a farm of 100 acres - and how many tractors does the owner need? 1 or 2 100 HP tractors at maybe $75k a piece???? (I'm just making up numbers here).

Divide up that land into 1 acre housing lots -and you might get say 80 lots out of it? Out of those 80 lots lets say even just ten people buy a sub compact tractor - at $15k a piece (with some accessories) - you're talking the same money that you made on the two large tractors (maybe more) - and you're talking a lot more parts and accessory sales and also the possibility that some of them might convert to larger tractors later.

Early like in the 50s my dad was farming 40 of the 100 he had with just an 8N Ford and 2 row equipment. Later when I got old enough to operate a tractor we did row crop farming on 100 acres with one 90HP tractor and one 50HP for a while. It isn't easy and requires some long hours during the spring disking and planting. Later we got rid of the small tractor and got a 130HP to help with the disking and cultivation. That allowed for much more land to be put in service so we rented some and bought some more land. We ended up farming about 300 acres. We also bought a combine and a cotton picker for our own use as it was getting hard to get custom harvesters when we needed them. After doing our own crops, we custom harvested soybeans and cotton for others to help pay the notes on the extra equipment. Farming back then didn't make much money, just enough to live on after paying all the expenses as they didn't have a lot of government programs like they do now to keep farmers afloat. Not many (if any) 100 acre farms in existence now, at least in our part of the world. Large consolidated farms now occupy most of the farm land with thousands of acres in row crop. Cotton has almost ceased to be farmed in Northeast Louisiana due to the expense, like $500K for a cotton picker, $300K for a large tractor not to mention high cost of implements to go along with those huge tractors. NOW most of the farms grow wheat, milo, corn and soybeans and just about all of it is irrigated. Only a very few irrigation systems were used in the 70's but now the weather is so unpredictable that it is a requirement. I am sure glad I got out of the business when I did. Dad retired in 1980 and sold everything but his land, kept a few cows on the pasture and rented the rest of his land to those who thought they could make a go of it.

 

[downslope]

I can surely understand the NH dealer's frustration with LS. They are trying to sell an LS tractor with less features than the same LS tractor but trying to get thousands of $$$ more for it. Those with any savy at all will know that the LS brand is a much better buy AND they are both blue so what's to loose with buying LS if you are even considering NH.

Why would a large worldwide corporation like Case/New Holland allow themselves to get in a position like this? John Deere was/is sourcing a large number Yanmar compacts, but you don't see Yanmar dealerships opening up down the road selling the same sized new machines for less. Same with MF and Iseki or whoever they are dealing with. It's good for the consumer to have another lower priced choice but it seems like someone on the NH corporate level dropped the ball with the import licensing agreement to allow this situation to exist.

 

[sixdogs]

New Holland better figure it out and fast or they're going to get into a hole they can't get out of. CUT tractors are a very competitive business with demanding customers who want a functioning product and none of the corporate drama of reinventing the company. I wish they would go back to the Japanese connection.

 

[MessickFarmEqu]

John Deere was/is sourcing a large number Yanmar compacts, but you don't see Yanmar dealerships opening up down the road selling the same sized new machines for less..

Actually they are.

 

[Jackfr]

customers who want a functioning product

This is more important than any thing else! If NH can't produce a functioning product to it's customers nothing will save them. They will lose market share in their complete line of tractors as customer confidence will die. If the piece of crap 3050 CVT I just purchased is any indication of how they care about a functioning product than NH will be no more shortly!

 

[TSO]

I understand that folks have a hard time with change, but judging by the problems reported here regarding the Shibaura-New Hollands (easy to find), I'm surprised that more folks aren't happy with the switch to LS. They are proving to be very reliable tractors.

Now, I can see C-NH not being too thrilled about LS selling under their own name, especially with the success LS has had. I'm sure C-NH didn't expect that LS would gain as much market share as quickly as they have.

 

[xtn]

I agree with TSO. I'm happy with my Boomer, but if I had researched better I would have saved myself some money and bought the LS version of it.

 

[tractorman]

Selling them with a smile I might add!

 

[jdbnh]

The Boomer tractor has been nothig but a GREAT thing as far as i am concerned being a dealer...no issues, they are good strong tractors, and in our area, (central Texas) out sale and beat the Deere and Kubota equiavalent. As far as any LS dealers in the area, there is one, small one, and he might sale 10 a year....nothing that bothers us, and actually i have had folsk compare, and even thought LS dealer might be a little cheaper, New Holland has better interest rates, and parts, service, etc...This is from a customers stand point of view...

 

[GManBart]

The Boomer tractor has been nothig but a GREAT thing as far as i am concerned being a dealer...no issues, they are good strong tractors, and in our area, (central Texas) out sale and beat the Deere and Kubota equiavalent. As far as any LS dealers in the area, there is one, small one, and he might sale 10 a year....nothing that bothers us, and actually i have had folsk compare, and even thought LS dealer might be a little cheaper, New Holland has better interest rates, and parts, service, etc...This is from a customers stand point of view...

Glad to hear your customers are having good luck with the Boomer series. I got a quote for a Boomer 50 set up just like my R4047, and it was close to $10K more. I paid $21,500, and he quoted me $31K and some change.