Manufacturers and dealers grapple with potential “right to repair” legislation
It has to rank right up there as one of the most hotly debated topics in the farm machinery industry, and it has become known by the catch phrase “Right to Repair.” John Deere was (and arguably still is) the primary focus of fury, with many both inside and outside the ag sector railing against […] Read more
Manufacturers offer new yard care machines for 2018
As the warm weather comes on, a job on every farm is to pull the yard care equipment out of storage and get it running again. If that’s getting to be a nuisance, you might want to look at some of the new offerings in the lawn and sub-compact tractor segments that manufacturers have introduced […] Read more
AGCO injects new life into the MF brand in Europe, promising to add “an avalanche” of new products in bright red paint
The attitude of marketing staff and the overall experience of just being at AGCO’s giant display at Agritechnica this year was different than I’d seen in past years. The stand was clearly divided between the company’s two primary brands sold in Europe: Massey Ferguson and Fendt. Then, an incident really drove home the reality of […] Read more
Three new loaders designed for on-farm handling
In late January, John Deere introduced the new 344L compact wheel loader at an industry show in Las Vegas. Although this machine comes out of the green brand’s yellow construction side, it is also being marketed as an ideal fit for an on-farm fleet. “The 344L is a quick, nimble machine that is optimized for […] Read more
Winnipeg-based manufacturer shows new combine, anniversary tractor
The regional Manitoba Ag Days indoor farm machinery show in Brandon takes place every January, but isn’t exactly known as the kind of event where major manufacturers debut new machines — with one notable exception. Versatile, whose manufacturing plant is just two hours down the highway, has embraced the event as a place to show […] Read more
Rocky Mountain Equipment exec Jim Wood talks about Canadian ag machinery sales trends
As U.S. and Canadian farm equipment dealerships wrestled with their hangover from the half-decade of hyper sales activity that ended a couple of years ago, the job of finding new homes for a large number of used machines may have been their biggest problem. For the most part, that trouble has now faded from view, […] Read more
Washington may be divided on NAFTA, but machinery manufacturers certainly know where they stand
Through mid-winter, the push from machinery executives for the U.S. government to reach a deal on NAFTA seemed to be gearing up. AEM (the Association of Equipment Manufacturers) was sending out that message even louder and clearer than it had been on behalf of its member companies in the ag and construction machinery sector. An […] Read more
How significant is the local dealer in determining what you buy?
One evening a year or so ago I sat in a hotel lounge in rural England with a couple of other ag machinery writers. We were gathered there for a machinery event and were all staying in the same hotel. We spent part of that evening discussing the differences between farmer perceptions of machinery in […] Read more
More models and a unique fuel guarantee to boost Deere’s European presence
Several years ago, John Deere was one of the earliest brands to give the digital component of its equipment a strong emphasis. Without a doubt they were ahead of all the major brands, which have since recognized the growing importance of that technology. Now, Deere is again getting ahead of curve by using the data […] Read more
Machinery manufacturers are offering European farmers new options for in-crop weed and pest control
Walking the 15 kilometres or so of aisles at Agritechnica in November, one trend was hard to miss. It was in the tillage segment, where the number of options and the sophistication of that technology is obviously on the rise. Efficiency has always been the driving force behind farm machinery evolution, but it’s clear that […] Read more
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