[AJD] Fwd: Re: [JDAT] Re: NewGen vs TC

Sun Feb 3 14:38:11 PST 2008

Guess I was only half listening to this so here's my two cents, unsolicited input that it is.

I agree with JR, we tend to have similar views on a lot of this stuff. 

When I entered this business, it immediately became crystal clear to me how this all ranked out. It was a natural 
categorization.

First level, the Two Cylinders. Antique, legendary, quaint, and collectible. Still some earning their keep with a 
few isolated innovative souls doing far more with them than was ever intended. But basically tractors whose glory 
days had passed. 

Second level-NewGen. Again, to me, when I entered the world of Deere this was an era that had only recently 
vacated center stage. Large, efficient farming machines and still mostly paying their way on their farm. But! 
They had made way for the new kid, the 4430 and the like. NewGen-big,strong, a bit crude in the ergonomics and 
would never be confused with the NewGen 2 tractors and of passing interest to collectors.

Third level-NewGen2-4030,4230, transforming into the 4040,4240 ane the like. Farm tractors. Nothing special and 
nothing I was ever terribly excited about as being of collector interest.

Fourth level-everything else. I never cared too much about these as, to me, they were of no collector interest 
and simpy too new.

While on this subject, I break the collector's hobby on lawn and garden tractors into the 110's up through the 
420. Nothing built after the 318 and 420 had the same feel or design as the earlier models had and the execution 
of the building of the later models lacked the singular Deere "touch". I think you can understand what I mean. 
Today's models are basically a poor attempt at imitating a John Deere lawn tractor. Then again, I am getting old 
and somewhat set in my ways. You'll never interest me in anything later than a 420 Deere lawn tractor so far as 
collecting them goes.

So what I mean by all this, the hobby to me has always and will always encompass all experimental, two cylinder, 
and New Gen tractors. They just seem to go together. An entirely seperate class would have to be created to deal 
with the NewGen 2 and later tractors. I leave that to others if someone were to rise to the occasion.
Also, the TC and NewGen era was when Deere was truly Deere. No corporate rethinking and loss of vision had yet 
occurred. The blinders to what was being built and the upheaval in customer and dealer relations had yet to be 
installed. The TC and NewGen era were a truly tremendous time in the history of Deere, never to be repeated no 
matter how often empty and baseless references today are paid to "tradition" and "history". Today's Deere can 
talk the talk but I guarantee you they no longer walk the walk in this area. This is a different world and a 
different time.

So sure, the hobby should include NewGen. If ya don't like, don't read it! 

Just my musings

Greg

NOW!! CHECK YOUR PART #'S AT WWW.JOETRAKTOR.COM!

WE ARE NO LONGER ON THE JOHN DEERE PARTS LOCATOR

Greg Stephen
The Old Tractor Company
Stephen Equipment Company
PO Box 709
Franktown, CO 80116
303-663-5246
303-468-0377 FAX<<--GREAT WAY TO REACH ME!
OR INTERNET FAX 866-381-3703

On Sat   , Kenneth Jones  sent:
>JR, 
>
>
>
>Thanks for your thoughts, as they are right on target.  As you stated,
>there will always be those who will not be pleased with a particular
>edition. Please keep up the excellent work that Jack and you are doing
>feeding us the information about a darn good product whether it be 2
>Cylinder or New Generation.  If we as subscribers don't like a particular
>edition or article, we have choices, we can elect not to read that edition
>or article, we can send a complaint letter or we can cancel our
>subscription and cut our nose off to spite our face.  You folks have
>presented us with a wealth of knowledge over the past 20+ years and I for
>one have been be pleased with your choice of articles since you haven't let
>me down in my eighteen years of subscriptions.  Best of health to you and
>we will keep you in our thoughts..  
>
>
>Just My Humble Opinion...  
>
>
>
>
>
>Ken Jones
>
>
>
>"J.R. Hobbs" jrhobbs
>2004 at yahoo.com> wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
>
>Frank,
>
>
>
>If you knew anything about the economics of the publishing business, you'd
>know that what you propose simply isn't possible. The rest of this year
>will be far more TC than NG, but there will be some NG this, and will be
>for the foreseeable future. You have to realize that people like Jack and
>myself, no matter what our personal preferences might be, have to try to
>please over 18K subscribers per issue, which simply isn't possible. 
>
>
>As for the cover photo, I thought it was great, no matter who it was taken
>for. But everybody likes different stuff. We get people who are PO'ed we
>won't put a photo of their chrome-plated butchered-up pulling tractor on
>the cover (not gonna happen, EVER) ,so it's a no-win situation.
>
>
>I'm sorry, I don't think we're out of balance. How many more times would
>you like us to go over every fact and re-run (for the 4th or 5th time)
>every photo we have on, say, early Model "D" Tractors? There's no interest
>in them. We've not had a spoker D at Expo for 3 years!! If we covered
>what's popular right now, it would be "20" and "30" Series tractors. I
>think you'd get sick of those in short orderl
>
>
>I'm sorry you feel the way you do. I hope that someday you'll see that
>we're doing what we think is necessary for the hobby to continue. Jack is
>65, I'm 55, disabled, with a possibly terminal illness, and there's nobody
>coming up to take our places.We're trying to recruit people and getting
>nowhere, because you have to devote your life to this, and young people
>don't want to do that. What's gonna happen when Jack says "Enough", or if I
>die? If we don't get this info out while we're alive, it may never get out
>at all. Chew on that for a while.
>
>
>JR
>
>
>
>Frank wrote:
>
>
>
>JR
>
>
>
>still think you should put NG in their own mag.......then you will say put
>
>implements in one too........
>
>I am only interested in two cylinder and don't read about NG.......I do
>
>agree with you that there is a place just don't think it is this
>
>mag........I also agree that it is a tractor that is becoming collectable
>
>but.......
>
>
>
>The picture is a great picture and I imagine Mr Cherry was proud of it as
>
>his son and future family should be....
>
>
>
>could be some sort of balance in your mag but ...........
>
>
>
>Frank
>
>gremaux
>@midrivers.com
>----- Original Message ----- 
>
>
>
>_______________________________________________
>
>Antique-johndeere mailing list
>
>http://www.antique-tractor.com/mailman/listinfo/antique-johndee
>re
>
>
>
>
>_______________________________________________
>
>Antique-johndeere mailing list
>
>http://www.antique-tractor.com/mailman/listinfo/antique-johndee
>re
>
>
>