Does country affect tractor buying decisions

[Jon Bos]

In the post about tractors sold, it was mentioned that New Holland leads the marketshare in the Netherlands.

I am not surprised. Here in southwestern Ontario, all the Dutch farmers drive New Holland tractors. Whether it is people who have just moved here, or 2nd or 3rd generation Dutch immigrants, they all drive New Holland tractors. Of course, the New Holland dealer has dutch roots. But very few Dutch farmers drive John Deere tractors.

But is it the same effect all over the world? Fendt tractors sell well in Germany, or to German immigrants here - you don't catch a Swiss-Canadian drive a Fendt too quickly. Same with Valtra. And look at the USA - its all American made Deere's and Case IH's.

[kenjar]

Hello Jon Bos,

Yes, I beleive it does.
Massey has always done well in Canada, they got their start there.
In a previous post I mentioned sales in Italy. The top 5 all have factories there.


If it produced there, it probably sells well there.

[JoeinTX]

Don't forget the Massey reds and AGCO oranges down here the USA either...... There seems to be a definite connection between country and brand loyalty. National identity? What one grew up around and is comfortable with? Peer pressure? Whatever it is it exists. This may be an ignorant question, but why has Italy become such a major player in the ag equipment industry? When one thinks of this country they see rough, rolling hills and dusty "spaghetti western" type country.....Not the fertile, green plains of the US or France or Canada or even England. Now you have huge players such as FIAT, SAME, and Landini who have emerged from what seems to be a agriculturally limited part of the world. Why have the Italian ag companies become so able in the areas of 200hp+ tractors and large wheatland combines when it seems that they would have relatively little experience with them when most of that equipment can't be used in their area? Again this is probably an ignorant question, but it is something that has made me wonder many times. Would Laverda actually have more knowledge of large grain combining than Gleaner? Does SAME understand the "broadacre" high plains farmer better than CaseIH? Superior business sense on the part of Italian manufacturers? What do you think?......

[Red_Painter]

I can see immigrants, who have come over recently, buying makes of machinery popular in their country of origin. Here in the USA most farmers can still trace their heritage though we're getting at least 3-4 generations down the line. There is almost no significant real interest in machinery made in countries of their forefathers though they may respect workmanship and design reputations. If it were so, Claas would be one of the most popular combines.
JoeinTX raised an interesting question about the influence of Italy in farm machinery. Much of Italy reminds me of the ag areas of California (before irrigation) and the Pacific Northwest. These areas were where the tractor (Caterpillar) and combine were first starting to be accepted around 1900. Italy does have some similarity in machinery needs though the Western US was probably mechanized early due to labor shortage and farm size in dry areas, but I wouldn't expect that to have been a problem in Italy. It seems that drier areas (like Australia) were some of the first users of more mechanized harvesting. Again labor should be considered. ( I'm not forgetting that Northern Italy does have some real intensive farming in the Poe River Valley so I realize it's not all rolling hills)
Perhaps the loyalty of the Italian buyer comes into consideration. But that's probably true for many countries. Could it be that in the past, there has been a more live and let live attitude on behalf of a larger manufacturer so that some of those companies could survive too? Seems to me that I read that once years ago. An interesting question.

[Laapa]

I think it is really a matter of sticking to a BRAND of machinery you like, rather than country of manufacture. Sure, domestic brands will propably sell pretty well in any country.
I these parts (Sweden) Valtra is a big seller. It might be beacuse they are manufactured in neighbouring country Finnland, it may be that people regard them as the extension of long-since-gone domestic VolvoBM, it may be they are manufactured in a country thet has similar conditions, climates etc. as ours or it maight just be they are good tractors at a competitive price.

I think no matter wgere you go, people will think their domestic workers and products are superior.

The NewHolland/Old Holland connection in Canada is interesting. A thought, NewHolland being Italian, how far back does the "duch" roots of the name go?

As far as Italians, JoeinTX brings up an interesting point. There was a post about Italy being the largest importer of large Crawler tractors a while back. This suprised me too.
I think it goes to show the importance of an open mind.
I am sure not all of Texas look like I might think from looking at western Movies. JoeinTX might not even look like JR Ewing! Just the same there might be something more than hills and olivegardens in Italy.
One can learn so much from a forum like this!

[Woodbeef]

Hey Laapa,

The name New Holland actually comes from the town that they started in. New Holland,Pennsylvania is in the middle of the Amish(Pennsylvania Dutch) area of Lancaster County.

Bosman,

I think that to a certtain extent the color-blind still buy on national loyalty. Just look at Hurlimann,how much of it is still Swiss?

[HPP]

Gosch, were to start? This was quite a mouthful.
The New Holland story, as I remember it:
There was a group of people from Switzerland who wanted to emigrate to the great country overseas. They got to Holland but got stuck there for at least a year before they could get on a boat. I´m not sure but I think they were the original Amish people.
When they finally arrived, they settled in Pennsylvania and started building a town.
When the discussion on what to name the town came up they decided to thank the people of Holland for their great hospitality by naming the town New Holland.
Then later, in this little town, a blacksmith started to build machinery. I think the first was a small grainmill.
Well, don´t hang me if this isn´t the real story. However, that´s what I´ve been told, and, it´s really a nice story don´t you think?

Further: I´m convinced that sales has a lot to do with the origin of the product. Just look at Valmet in Finland, Hürlimann i CH, Renault in France a.s.o, a.s.o.
In Germany you have so many"german" tractors. Historically Deutz was the most sold for many years. Up ´til .84 if I remember correctly (this was when Fendt took over the top position) but you also at that time had a lot of other germans : Fendt, Mercedes, Eicher, even IH were considered to be german (Neuss-factory). and they all did pretty well.

Valmet in Sweden then? Well, as I´ve stated before on some other postings, before they went Volvo-red they didn´t sell that many here. Max 2% marketshare. Then the "BM-Volvo" label appeared and BANG! All of a sudden it was fully accepted. Then you must also consider the fact that at that time the Valmet sales was taken over by the Coop, and that in the country were cooperativ- thinking was born!

[Xavier]

Of course, how many Reanults wouldn't be sold in France if Reanults were a Irish tractor?

And if John Deere was a Chinese make how many of the greens will buy it?

Well finally are the people who don't have a national brand, we the catalonians for example , only little tractors.
Then we are free to buy anything, become a Deere or a CNH, thats the question.

[JoeinTX]

Actually, Laapa, I've been told on more than one occasion that I do tend to resemble J.R. Ewing (Larry Hagman.) ;D You know what they say-"All stereotypes have some basis in fact." By the by, are there any Italian posters on this forum? I don't recall ever hearing anyone mention it...........

[HPP]

This is really fun!
I agree! There are way too few italians here, and french, and danes (do we have more than one?), and germans! Hey you guys, were are you? (Could really do with a couple of more swedes as well).

[Laapa]

(continuing HPP's statement:)
... AND WOMEN!

Hmm, there used to be a way to check the top 10 nationalities visiting this site as well as other site statistics. Don't think it can be done anymore.

Would be nice to hear the opinions of some SouthAmericans and Russians as well.

[HPP]

Sorry Laapa! Forgot the women!
Yes I agree! We could do with more of them!
Don´t get me wrong now, I´m serious!
I´ve said many times that a woman could be a top ag-machinery seller! First of all, most of the customers are men! Then, all (?) men tend to get very impressed whenever they meet a woman with technical knowledge. Then, if she happens to be good looking! Well, the deal is already closed!
I know of a good example : the sister (What´s her name? Katarina?) Stark at Väderstad.

[HPP]

A bit out of the topic there, wasn´t I? Sorry!