Who actually makes the tractor and whose engine and transmission does it carry?

[RoyJackson]

Parts are made everywhere and always has been. Henry Ford attempted to make all his own parts and pieces and soon found it was not feasible nor profitable. Forty years ago my best friend was a machinist working at a small privately owned shop that had a contract with Cadillac making parts for engines that the big companies did not want to touch because the amount of waste was prohibitive and made the job unprofitable. He redesigned the machine and process to make the part with much less waste and still meet all specs and quality.

GM and other big manufactures get most of parts from such shops. I have worked at companies that made parts for Boeing, Lockheed, Airbus, Gulfstream, and most other aircraft manufacturers. Why would tractor manufacturers be any different?

There was a thread a while back (probably closed now, but I unsubscribed when it turned really stupid) complaining about John Deere claiming to be a manufacturer when some guys said "Deere's only an assembler" as if there was a difference. I think the real problem is these guys just didn't like Deere for whatever reason...
I hope this thread doesn't deteriorate into that level of stupidity

Most OEMs source out much of the component manufacturing, and it's been like that for decades

 

[Egon]

John Deere, another version.

John Deere History | John Deere Biography | John Deere US

John Deere is the opportunistic blacksmith who turned a broken saw blade and a desire to help his community into a worldwide success story.

www.deere.com

 

[Torvy]

John Deere, another version.

John Deere History | John Deere Biography | John Deere US

John Deere is the opportunistic blacksmith who turned a broken saw blade and a desire to help his community into a worldwide success story.

www.deere.com

Much like most of the famous industrialists, it all depends on your perspective. Captain of Industry, philanthropist or Robber Baron? Methinks most reality lies in the middle. I tell my students that no one in history is 100% good or 100% evil. Even some of our most nefarious characters left some measure of good, intentionally or not.

 

[jezreel]

From what I understand. . . TONKA is the ONLY brand to manufacture and assemble 100% of their tractors

 

[Doughknob]

Here's some history for you.

A blacksmith invented the steel plow, mr deere saw it and offered to buy it. They agreed on a price, and mr deere took the plow, but never paid for it, he stole it!

He DID do a really good job of marketing it, and many folks still believe that deere "invented" the steel plow.

Deere has a reputation of stealing/copying things and marketing them, and yeaaa I know, the deere fanboys aren't going to like this news, but it's all true.

SR

Not quite true. Deere saw someone using a saw blade made into a crude homemade plow. He ran with that idea of using the forged blade instead of a casting as a plow. The original guy using the blade was not trying to sell or market it. He was just using his homemade thingy at home. That is not quite stealing by Deere.

 

[RoyJackson]

Not quite true. Deere saw someone using a saw blade made into a crude homemade plow. He ran with that idea of using the forged blade instead of a casting as a plow. The original guy using the blade was not trying to sell or market it. He was just using his homemade thingy at home. That is not quite stealing by Deere.

No, it is not stealing...John Deere was inspired to produce a more durable piece of equipment.

Just a post by someone who doesn't like, or is envious, of those who choose Deere products...

 

[Sawyer Rob]

Not quite true. Deere saw someone using a saw blade made into a crude homemade plow. He ran with that idea of using the forged blade instead of a casting as a plow. The original guy using the blade was not trying to sell or market it. He was just using his homemade thingy at home. That is not quite stealing by Deere.

At one time there was a site like this one that also had a chat room, one of the guys that hung out there, was the guy who penned much of deere's history (in books) and another guy that also did much ag history but favored Case. They both researched this extensively and even argued quite a bit on the history of deere's start.

Bottom line is, one guy showed with his research what I stated in my last post, the deere historian could NOT refute it, and would never even one time give a direct answer to whether it was true or not. Most times he'd either skirt it, or not answer at all. Also, I noticed he would not ever say that deere came up with the steel plow, only that it came from a blacksmith and deere marketed it, later with improvements.

It was obvious to me, and everyone else on that site, the second guys history was true, and for that reason I believe it to be completely true, no matter what deer or deere fanboys are still claiming.

BTW, I do have some deer equipment, so don't call me a deere hater.

SR

 

[Cougsfan]

Most inventions are really just somebody improving on, or capitalizing on, someone else's idea. The person with the most marketing skills usually gets the recognition. And often it is the employee who does the creating but the boss who gets the credit.

 

[Jstpssng]

Most inventions are really just somebody improving on, or capitalizing on, someone else's idea. The person with the most marketing skills usually gets the recognition. And often it is the employee who does the creating but the boss who gets the credit.

My cousin worked at a welding shop, and approached his supervisor about a change which would save time and money. His boss implemented the changes and got a significant bonus for it. Keith got nothing, and left his job shortly afterwards.

 

[FERLING]

Are there any photos of these companies actually making there own products, other than assembly? I worked since 1990 in sheetmetal jobshops, and could see a lot of the outsourced parts and subassemblies used on others assembly lines. But we were certainly not Cat, Case, Deere, Komatsu, etc, etc. It doesn't take much for purchasing and engineering to put together and submit parts documents for outside quoting and eventually outsourcing. And, other than cost savings internally for those companies, what would be the difference if parts were outsourced to their specifications and qc requirements, or if they were done internally to their specifications and qc requirements.

From my past experience and my opinion of being involved in Quality Control:
If sub-contracted (outsource) they are held to higher standards unless minor problems occur with product then if subcontractors price is cheaper or they are the only ones that can deliver as needed then everyone ignores the quality until the customer complains.
If made by parent company quality is held to specifications unless an Engineer can over rule so product will meet new specs establish by Engineer. This may happen to make a "on time delivery".
Flipping a coin will help you the same on buying Sub-Contract parts or Parent Owned fabricated parts. Both make Quality and Both ship defected parts sometimes.