Dargo said:
Um, I don't think so. No doubt they are very adroit at marketing and have, as required in today's economy, branched out to put their label on many items. However, after owning many different brands of tractors the one thing I can personally say about JD is that their service has, without any shadow of a doubt, been head and shoulders above all other brands I've owned. I'd have to say that what John Deere does best is build a quality tractor and back it with top notch service. When they have contracted other companies to build their tractors (I'm thinking Yanmar in my experience), the quality was still there and the support was just as good.
I have a great deal of respect of your opinion on most things, but on this particular statement it sounds like a bit of jealousy and sour grapes. Based on your history of posts that just doesn't sound like you. I assume you have a personal story somewhere but it really isn't important and I don't need to know. If all JD did was hype their products, their reputation for quality would take a steep nose dive like several other brands have done. I'll not mention names so some won't get their dander up, but I'm sure you know several of the 'good old brands' that aren't exactly 'good' anymore.
Jealousy and sour grapes? You have a right to an opinion, but try to make it a SERIOUS attempt and not something so ridiculous as that.
I DIDN'T SAY "ALL they did" was hype. I said that's what they do BEST.
Sounds like we have ANOTHER who has bought into the propaganda.
I've owned several NEW Deere tractors, a combine, planters, balers, and all sorts of equipment. Currently I own 2 Deere tractors, one a is VERY current model that's as "state of the art" as they offer. Their dealers CAN provide good service. Some don't. In 35+ years of farming, I NEVER had CORPORATE JOHN DEERE show up to fix a broken part or change a belt. If you have good service, thank the individual dealer. I've also experienced a couple dealers that were extremely poor when it came time for service. I don't base my opinion on "sour grapes". I use things like REALITY and EXPERIENCE. This ain't just a hobby with me. It's been my living.
As far as quality. Once upon a time, they were ahead of the crowd. Now they're IN the crowd. They have various products that are the class of their given field. They also produce their share of also-rans.
Deere leads the industry in BUSINESS MANAGMENT and MARKETING. While those can possibly indicate a quality product somewhere in the chain, NEITHER are hard evidence of quality. Just because Ashton Crutcher, Billy Bob Thornton, and Jessica Simpson show up on late night tv talk shows wearing JD hats, that's no indicator of product quality. Hype, ad campaigns, product promotion, and even sales figures are no indicator of across the board, unquestioned quality throughout the brand.
I've had quite a bit of personal business success over the years. A few "shrewd" land purchases and sales, a business that took off without warning, and a long term professional relationship with my employer have led me to financial success while farming through times that sent a lot of farmers to bankruptcy and dispair. Does that make me the "best farmer"? Absolutely not. It is of NO reflection of my farming knowledge or abilities. I did well at the business aspects of my life IN SPITE OF my outdated, obsolete farming techniques. Bottom lines don't always speak of quality "product".
In the day, IH was near the top of the game as far as product quality. They dropped the ball and kicked it into the tall weeds as far as business performance. They went belly up for all intents and purposes. That had NOTHING to do with the QUALITY of their product. Business and marketing skills have ZERO to do with the quality and/or lack there-of.
Let's look at what Deere has to offer that isn't so "we're #1". Currently their big selling AG tractor, the 8000 series is plagued with engine failures and transmission problems at an embarrasing rate. Their combines, which sell for double and triple the price of the average American home have a high incidence of fires burning them to the ground along with terminal engine failures. As a former owner of one of the original 5000 series tractors, I can attest first hand to the fact Deere sold a disgracefully junky, poorly engineered, low quality tractor that had a resale value of about $.50 on the dollar after only 4 years of use. They build and sell their share of boners.
Deere sells a number of medium quality implements these days. The price point at which they sell allows many a "I gotta have green" buyers to get in at a fairly affordable level. Problem is, you can buy EXTREMELY high quality items from several other brands at simular prices. Many of these "cheap" quality implements are the EXACT same thing as the actual short line manufacturer sells at a much lower price.
If "Mother Deere" is "better" than the rest, it's only a SLIGHT advantage in SOME catagories. Not this blind faith, lemmings into the sea, we're #1 at everything we do and everyone else is tied for #75 sort of nonsense I'm hearing out of so many that seem to believe every word sent forth from the Deere advertising dept.
BTDT got the overpriced tee-shirt.
