Winkler, Manitoba Canada | robyroad - 8/6/2022 21:22
And I still don't trust Agco for older equipment. What's their flagship brand today? Massey? Challenger? Fendt? Claas? Who knows. And the answer will be different in a couple years. They were all about the Masseys when they bought them and killed the orange tractors, then it was all about Challenger when they bought them and started selling wheeled versions. Now Fendt, which they've owned for decades, is getting the big push. What brand gets discontinued next? No thanks.
And yet it seems like every dealer, regardless of their new brands, has a perfectly functional 4430, 4440, 4630, 4640, 4840 (or multiple of each), etc. sitting on their lot (probably with 10,000+ hours), along with a 1486 or 1566, and one of the last Case series. Where's all the old Agco brand tractors?
Claas is not and has not ever been an Agco brand. Claas in the past has supplied parts and machines to various companies. Ford for a time sold a blue version of the combine. CCIL sold a pull type combine based on Claas internals. MF sold a combine that was a repainted Claas after the demise of the 850/860. The linkage between Caterpillar and CLaas with the Challenger track tractors and Lexion combines was at the time not connected with Agco. Cat pulled out of their joint venture with Claas and late spun off the Challenger track tractors to Agco.
Agco has struggled with its branding. Some of that is due to a leadership vacuum and change in direction when both the CEO and the sales/marketing Vice-President perished in an unfortunate plane accident in 2002. Another part of that is the transition from a North American focus to a world focus as the company has grown. Still the changes in direction are not appreciated by the customer. I hope that there will be more continuity going forward.
I think your timeline regards orange tractors is not realistic. Orange tractors were long gone before Agco ever was involved. Deutz had already demolished any hope of reviving them. Yes Agco painted a few Deutz/Whites and later Masseys orange and seemed be going in that direction for a time. Probably ended with the aforementioned accident. I never did understand the effort to create another brand with Challenger when they already had too many brands.
Don't think any dealers locally have much for used tractors on the lot, certainly not a fleet of old JD's.
Edited by WTW 8/6/2022 23:01
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Brand Loyalty
