Has announced a Employee Buyout program similar to 2016. The Company noted STILL making a profit yet they are looking to scale back. Been a lot of talk in local dealerships as to costs of machines, excess technology driving away buyers where lease is the only way machines of any size are leaving lots. Perhaps there is too much tech on these and too much dependency on Proprietary information. They also depend on overseas production to provide machines here.
I certainly hope so. Oh for the days of manuals that explained how it works and how to fix it.
Just look at the cost increases of new machines over the last 8-10 years. Combines for example have almost doubled. A new S780 is over $500k. Was $300K not to long ago. We used to trade every couple of years. now we are running 5 year old machines. They are also jacking up the cost of parts. I think because new sales are down so trying to make it up on parts or force you to new machine. Not only JD all brands are doing the same. The commodity prices have not kept up with the expenses it takes to operate in farming. Will be interesting next couple of years.
In my field the aftermarket is beginning to creep in where OEMs jack up the price on what were traditionally dealer only parts.
What is amazing too is how fast components inside combines wear out. 2000 hours on a separator has all sorts of bearings, chains, belts, augers, wear plates, etc worn down and in need of serious replacement and all of that crap is ridiculously expensive to replace. My grandpa had the gear shift lever for his chaff chopper break off when a belt let loose. He goes to Deere and is told they don't sell the lever as a separate part, it only comes as part of the entire gearbox assembly. None of the components in the gear box were available for replacement, Deere would only sell the completed gear box. Grandpa said F that, took gear box apart, removed handle and had a local fab shop male a replacement.
They all have become complacent and greedy it seems like. It is a shame. If I had grandchildren and gave them one of my tractors that was twenty years old they would be incurring a debt as they would probably not be able to find parts to keep it running. A TRACTOR IS NOT A PRINTER!! You are not supposed to throw it in a few years because parts cost more then a junky new one.
we get a lot of parts through other aftermarket vendors. Some things you cant get or sometimes it takes to long. JD is also good at using an odd sized bearing so local bearing houses don't have it available.
One of the BIG problems I see in the future is the electronic control units for everything. There are aftermarket people that serve that niche well after OEM, but if it is not pretty mainstream you could be in trouble or be waiting a longtime for someone to build you something.
Allis pulled that crap, can see where that took them.
Equip.ent prices seem to be the biggest barrier to a startup or younger guys that dont have any money I know I could take on more work with more iron but I cant justify the price point at the moment the market is not supporting it
This may also be due to the new tariffs taking effect later this month. I don't know what the rates are but they are pretty stiff from what I hear. I was told that the tariffs were on ALL imported goods, but I cannot confirm that. I bought a bottle of scotch over the weekend and the cashier asked me if I wanted to buy several. I looked at her like she was nuts, but she explained the tariffs were going to double the price on it. Over $100.00 for a bottle of scotch!!! GEEZZZZ
Good scotch is over $100/ bottle now.
I was only paying 50 for it
Not arguing the fact parts wear out quick, but...a modern combine is going 3x faster and has 2x+ of header on it than an old one. As a designer I find it amazing how it can clean such a huge ammount of grain so fast. Just like the big square balers, holy ****! Tom did a late1st cutting of grass hay on 5 acres at my place...15 flippin minutes, 8 3x4x8' bales, really? Thats 1 beer... Ed
We've been charging a steel tariff surcharge on every contract since April or May. I'm not sure if we're paying a tariff yet, but we sure are collecting a surcharge for it.
I did a project over a year ago on some roll off bins. Price of new almost doubled in two weeks because of the tariffs on foreign steel. Supplier would only quote price on the day of order because the price of steel was bumping around so much.
Local steel source here price is day to day, they are a consignment sales shop stocking what they generally use and marketable materials for outright sales.