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Post by Laapa on Jan 10, 2002 19:10:51 GMT 1
This Cat/Claas/Agco deal reminded me of the blue Claas combines brought into America by Ford in the (i think) 1970's.
For some reason the Ford-deal stopped, anyone know why.
Seems strange that the machine many consider to be number one in quality over here should fail twice on the US-market.
Someone said Cat's Ag-dividion is losing money. I do not know how much it costs Cat, but I was under the imression that the LEXION combines sold quite well. Perhaps not...
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Post by Woodbeef on Jan 10, 2002 23:34:02 GMT 1
From what I can gather neither Ford or the farmers were ready for a superior German combine. It was a bit sophisticated for them both. Not ready for the N.A. conditions,style of usage, or maintenance schedules(which gave them a bad reputation as being unreliable). As has been learned by a few Euro manufacturers. I've always thought though that it did help pave the way for Ford's buy-out of New Holland from Sperry.
The problems with the Lexion sales is the same for all of Cat's agricultural products. The dealers are mostly in urban areas,and do not really understand the ag-world. I do not think the sales were ever up to Cat or Claas's estimates.
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Post by Laapa on Jan 11, 2002 10:12:57 GMT 1
Blue Claas didn't work, Yellow Claas didn't work. Perhaps they should not have messed whit the beautifull (I can hear a lot of people laugh...) harvest-green paintjob.
Harvest green works on Jaguar!
I once heard an american dealer at the introduction of CAT LEXION call Claas the "Cadillac of Combines". I think Claas would have prefered to be compared to Mercedes, and perhaps a "Bulldozer of Combines" would suite Cat better...
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Post by 'Guest' on Jan 14, 2002 2:27:40 GMT 1
The Claas name was probably totally unknown to most American Farmers in 66 or 67 when Ford introduced the combines. Deere, IH, Massey, Gleaner and others had been selling and servicing combines since the 1920's. Their reputations and product loyalty were established. Metric tools and parts as well as future parts avaliability concerns were probably a concern.
Cat I feel has helped Claas's reputation. I think one problem with the Claas combine is that they do not have a true rotary as with the IH Axial Flow and such combines. The U S combine market (Seems I've seem more new conventionals excluding JD in Canadain prairies although the rotary is very popular there too) is mostly a rotary market. J D has sold alot of conventionals, but I see only STS combines out front of the dealer now. One guy I know thought the Cat had some great features, but wouldn't want to work on them if the were broken down. He bought a new CIH 2388. He knew the machine and could easily repair any breakdowns.
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