<html>
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8">
</head>
<body>
<p>Where Deere & Co. lost me has nothing to do with antique
tractors at all, but rather with their service and maintenance
policy for today's highly software-driven ag machinery. They have
effectively put a 'No User-Serviceable Parts Inside. Warranty void
if seal is broken' sign on their tractors, and with the
destruction of the network of small local (some would say
mom-and-pop) dealers, a simple failure can be a multi-day
adventure in high-tech repairs. I'm not sure if it is true for the
whole country, but this policy has been upheld by courts in
California.</p>
<p>One of my sources works for one of those now-former JD dealers.
Deere offered to buy back their inventory, with a one-time deal,
and told them that they didn't *have* to sell everything back
(tractors, implements, and parts) but that they would get no
factory support for anything they sold after the cutoff date. The
'word on the street' is that Deere & Co. wants to have
regional dealers with at least 6 outlets, and that more than that
is even better. At the same time they got bought out, the big
regional dealer in Missouri (Sydenstricker) merged with
Nobbe...the combined dealership has locations in 26 towns in
Missouri and Illinois. It's virtually impossible to avoid them in
central to north/eastern MO and southwestern IL. [That said, I've
never tried to deal with them myself...]<br>
</p>
Mark J<br>
Columbia, MO
<p><br>
</p>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 7/9/2020 1:44 PM, <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:deanvp@att.net">deanvp@att.net</a>
wrote:<br>
</div>
<blockquote type="cite"
cite="mid:048901d65620$fc6fdce0$f54f96a0$@att.net">
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8">
<meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 15 (filtered
medium)">
<style><!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:blue;
text-decoration:underline;}
span.EmailStyle18
{mso-style-type:personal-reply;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:windowtext;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
--></style><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1026" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]-->
<div class="WordSection1">
<p class="MsoNormal">Part of the problems were related to the
x60 series of tractors in the late 50’ which allowed JD to
capture the lead in # of tractors produced but that was just
one of many mistakes that I/H made and they were in such a
weakened position by the time the 80’s farm crisis arrived
they could not ride it out…., alone. It is a whole series of
mistakes. There is a book written by a woman that exposes
these mistakes by the name of Barbara Marsh titled: A
Corporate Tragedy: The Agony of International Harvester
Company. Worth reading.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I think it would be unwise to think that JD
only overtook I/H in total Farm Equipment Sales because I/H
made some mistakes. JD made a few mistakes along the way as
well. But they made some really good decisions too. The JD New
Generation tractors announced in the fall of 1960 were one of
many good decisions JD made to become the power house they are
today. I have no experience on comparing how good a JD Tractor
vs a Case I/H tractor is today so I make no judgments on that.
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Dean VP<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Snohomish, WA 98290<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<div style="border:none;border-top:solid #E1E1E1
1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in">
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>From:</b> AT
<a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:at-bounces@lists.antique-tractor.com"><at-bounces@lists.antique-tractor.com></a> <b>On Behalf
Of </b>Howard Pletcher<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Wednesday, July 8, 2020 4:13 PM<br>
<b>To:</b> Antique Tractor Email Discussion Group
<a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:at@lists.antique-tractor.com"><at@lists.antique-tractor.com></a><br>
<b>Subject:</b> Re: [AT] Cub - Update<o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal">Sounds like you think the downfall
stemmed from the tractor problems. Tractors were about 40%
of the company and couldn’t have saved the company even if
there were no problems. The real mismanagement was in the
financial area going back as far as the 20s & 30s. <o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal">On Wed, Jul 8, 2020 at 4:37 PM Brian
VanDragt <<a href="mailto:bvandragt@comcast.net"
moz-do-not-send="true">bvandragt@comcast.net</a>>
wrote:<o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<blockquote style="border:none;border-left:solid #CCCCCC
1.0pt;padding:0in 0in 0in
6.0pt;margin-left:4.8pt;margin-right:0in">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt">IH has
had plenty of time to catch up, but they just can't.<br>
<br>
Brian<o:p></o:p></p>
</blockquote>
</div>
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal">-- <o:p></o:p></p>
<div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal">Howard<o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<br>
<fieldset class="mimeAttachmentHeader"></fieldset>
<pre class="moz-quote-pre" wrap="">_______________________________________________
AT mailing list
<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:AT@lists.antique-tractor.com">AT@lists.antique-tractor.com</a>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://lists.antique-tractor.com/listinfo.cgi/at-antique-tractor.com">http://lists.antique-tractor.com/listinfo.cgi/at-antique-tractor.com</a>
</pre>
</blockquote>
</body>
</html>