Future of New Holland Utility and Compact tractor line.

[daugen]

wow groundbreaker, your first post in over six years. Now that's "groundbreaking" news...
sorry. :welcome: sort of, you've been reading this stuff longer than I have.

I wonder why almost every highway mowing machine for decades were Fords, kept their natural color or painted
some awful highway yellow. Must have been seriously reliable machines.

 

[sixdogs]

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I wonder why almost every highway mowing machine for decades were Fords, kept their natural color or painted
some awful highway yellow. Must have been seriously reliable machines.

Indeed. Ford tractors co-ruled the roost with JD. There was a time in the 50's and 60's when they ruled it. Not sure what Ford did; maybe it was Henry's passing but tractors started to become orphan children in the 1970's. Fully abandoned in the 1980's and cast adrift in the 1990's. Ford tractors were my first true love.

Ford made some remarkable quality machines and their tractors from the golden years were seriously reliable. The good ones are still hard to find. Such a shame. This is where good management would have made a difference and why good managers make the big bucks. If someone in charge had the insight to recognize what would be the future and the true grit to put his nads on the line, Ford could have been a dominant force in the mid size utility, the Japanese CUT line and smaller ag tractors. They could have two sets of dealers and distinguished themselves by building car and truck loyalty among the tractor people and the reverse as well.

But, that's the way it goes. I, along with others, bailed and went to JD and when JD seemed to neglect the little guys went to Kubota. And look at Kubota now. That's how companies are started and become successful. One wins and one loses. Oh, well.

I forget the movie but I think it was Marlon Brando (in sort of the Godfather voice), lamenting his lack of success in life. Blaming it on others he mopes and moans and painfully groans something to the effect of "If only...if only...well, I could have been a player"'

 

[pacerron]

Moving from the city life, I bought my first Ford in the 1980's. A 3910 which now has 4000 hours on it and runs like a champ.
Over sized backhoe, FEL, brush hog, finish mower, round bail hay making equipment, fence pounder, grader blades. It has done it all faithfully even though I have done all the no,no's with it like digging stumps with FEL, overloading it, pushing down trees, etc.
About 3 years ago I bought a CNH 4020 4WD from the same dealer with a new New Holland FEL. It has run great and taken over most of the operations except back hoeing, manure cleaning, and pushing down trees, as I now leave the back hoe on the 3910.
The CNH was made at the Peli, Italy plant and they did not spare any metal. Built really heavy.
I looked at a comparable Green at the same time made in India and it was not nearly as well built for heavy utility work, and had an exposed 4wd shaft.
I did use the cash price quote on the Green to get the CNH down to and less than the green. Tractors are priced like cars; they jack the price up and then say they are giving 0-2% interest on a loan with them. Like cars, it is much better to get the money elsewhere and then really knock the price down for a cash deal as far as the dealer is concerned.

 

[Utopia Texas]

After owning Ford/New Holland tractors for over 20 years, In 2009 I switched to green.
If it wasn't for nh teaming up with ls tractors, I would be still running blue. They were some **** good tractors.
cnh lost me as a customer in their boomer line.
Say what you want about the new line, BUt I know for a fact they will never compare to the old shib models.
My old dealer doesn't even stock them and hasn't since the change.
THat should tell you something

My 2013 build Boomer 3050 has a Shibaura engine.

 

[groundbreaker]

Well that's news to me. Why on gods green earth would they hire 2 manufactures to build their compacts???
As I mentioned earlier, I lost interest when the new LS line came into play.Only problem I ever had which was common was the pto lever would disengage on its own. That's it.
Again,not here to start a war, but wish you guys the best on whatever you choose.

 

[RKJeepXJ]

Why on gods green earth would they hire 2 manufactures to build their compacts???

Its amazing what pitting 2 vendors against each other can do for your cost position.

 

[dave1949]

<snip>
I forget the movie but I think it was Marlon Brando (in sort of the Godfather voice), lamenting his lack of success in life. Blaming it on others he mopes and moans and painfully groans something to the effect of "If only...if only...well, I could have been a player"'

"On The Waterfront" 1954

Marlon Brando: "I coulda had class. I coulda been a contender. I coulda been somebody, instead of a bum, which is what I am, let's face it."

"I could've been a contender. I could've been somebody" - On The Waterfront - YouTube

 

[dave1949]

Its amazing what pitting 2 vendors against each other can do for your cost position.

Until nobody or far fewer wants to buy your tractors.

 

[RKJeepXJ]

Until nobody or far fewer wants to buy your tractors.

Or the company building your tractors comes to your market and sells direct with more features, better warranty, at a better price. (i.e. I bought an LS)

 

[wolftree]

The world is a much larger market than just North America. As it stands right now the Fiat/Case International/Case New Holland conglomerate has a pretty big market share of that world. It would be interesting to hear from our European and Pacific members on how the Case International and Case New Hollands are being received there.