I know a fella that is die hard International (Case IH) through and through. If you want to get this mild mannered guy worked up, just say something about John Deer making a good quality tractor/combine/plow/hot tub/popcorn maker/curling iron - you name it. He'll turn as red as his tractor.
And it seems like he has numerous break-downs. He's loyal to his brand regardless.

BUT

In the time I've known him he's gone through several trucks. And each of them a different brand. He had a F-250, a Chev Silverado, and now he's got a Ram. So here's my question for all the farmers or ag-professionals out there in cyberland... Is loyalty for a tractor manufacturer, but not a truck manufacturer normal? It seems to me that if you're a guy that is sold on one brand of tractor, you ought to be the kind of person that would be just as stubborn about the brand of truk you buy.

 

Maybe he just gets board and likes change. I am loyal to what works and to who stands by the product. Also once you have your tractor and implements it is sometimes just easier to keep it all the same brand. Furthermore he probably does his own work on his tractors but not the trucks. Again, familiarity helps.

 

Depends what you "love" and what is just a tool or implement to you ... I would never ever buy a pick up that was not Ford, but I'm afraid I'm not so loyal with cars (at least 6 different brands so far in this lifetime) ...

PS ... my tractor was a Deere and I would never have anything else (except maybe a Landini, if I could afford it ... )

 

well I live on a 200 acre farm and half of my tractors are ford and all my trucks are to it's just what you can afford. Nothing I own is newer then a 1985.

 

We have quite the opposite of that particular farmer.

My father and I run a 8000 acre farm in Saskatchewan. We have possibly every colour of equipment you can buy. Why you ask? Price. For example, we recently purchased a new Buhler Versatile FWA. The tractor doesn't have every option in the book, but its got lots of creature comforts and is a real nice tractor. Plus its just as good (owner testimonials) as any other tractor. We also looked at Case IH, John Deere and New Holland. The reason we went with the Buhler is because it was almost $100,000 CHEAPER (CDN) then any of the big three. Now in todays world of low grain prices, high inputs and marginal return, what would you pick? Exactly...Buhler.

When it comes to trucks however, for the last 40 years, there has never been anything else other then a Ford truck roll its tires accross our farm gate. We have always liked Fords, due to their reliability and excellent dealer support. So we have never changed truck brands.

Now back to the terms of price. When you buy a new pickup truck, and you examine each manufacturer and the options they provide. There usually isn't more then a couple thousand dollars difference in price to get the same truck each brand offers. So really whats the big deal? You are laying out $60,000 (CDN) for a new diesel pickup, whats another $2000? However when your buying tractors your dealing with tens of thousands in difference, and that can potentially hurt the pocket book.

However, when you talking combines, nobody...and I mean NOBODY builds a better combine then JOHN DEERE!

 

Um...have you run a new CaseIH??? I was a custom harvester state side....we began with massey red and progressed to jd.....the new case blows them all away!

 

I have only had one experience with a neighbors Case IH 8010 AFX. And that experience was looking at the internal damage when the rotor bearing gave way and the rotor literally ripped the concave into a million peices. All with less then 100 separtating hours on the combine. But the cab sure was nice...

John Deeres new bullet rotor puts them up near the top with Case and New Holland for capacity. And as far as capacity goes, any economically driven farmer will tell you that reliability and quality go a lot further then capacity.

EDIT- Just for the record, I have seen all makes and models of combines spit rotors. It really just comes down to a colour preference.

 

How many of your have driven a CLASS Combine or Field Chooper (aka. CAT LEXION)? Once you've driven one its hard to argue that there a better machine made.

 

id beg to differ... our tr-98 is over 10 yrs old and it will run more corn through it in one day then any john deer. this thing loves corn. it impresses me

Matt

 

We just traded out 9500 in on a new 9560 rotor. That 9500 was thru hell and back and it still did the job. Also got a 9550 that seems to be a damn fine combine too.

 

I think brand loyalty with both farm equipment and trucks has more to do with the strength of the local dealers and service than the brand. Farmers buy what they can get service and parts for. Where I live now, almost all tractors are green but trucks are mixed because there is no dominate dealer for one brand. Where I moved from, almost all the tractors were yellow and GM trucks dominated. Prior to that, I lived where most of the tractors were blue and Ford trucks were the majority.

 

Ford trucks & John Deere! Thats all you need to know! I'll agree with osbornk about parts and service though

 

I guess I should have mentioned that the person in question, in the time I've known him, has not bought anything new. Not truck nor tractor. In fact, the Ram he's driving now is 9-10 years old. He seems like a pretty frugal guy.

As for service, there's an Agco dealer/shop in town here, and a Deere service guy (although he doesn't normally have an inventory of machinery for sale). No Case IH or back years ago Farmall or International dealer to speak of.

However. There is a Ford auto dealership in town and no other new vehicle dealer. There used to be a bowtie dealer about six or seven years ago and a mopar dealer about twenty years ago.

And as for his love of all things red... his kid is twelve and recently bought his first truck. He turned around and sold it to someone else for a proffit. But the thing was an 1973 International Binder.

 

we have always ran with ford trucks, nothing new mind you, the first was a '74 2wd 250 300/6 4 spd. parked it in '91 when the cab mounts went bad, got a '77 4wd 250 400/8 C6 in the same 2-tone green. dad sold it last year, now we have a '94 4wd 250 351/8 E4OD. combines have always been deere, from a 45 to a 3300 and now a 6600. small tractors, have a '46 ford 2N bought new the year dad was born, a late 40's JD-A, had a '64 ford 4000 we just traded last year for a 66 deere 1020 with a loader. big tractors are both olivers, 1650 non turbo, no cab 1967. and a '76 1855 turbo with cab. also have a old 8N ford with a backhoe setup. implements are many makes, depends whats a good deal at the time. most are deere, couple I.H. some i dont know what they are. with farming the way it is today, you make work what you can afford, and if it works, run it till it dont run no more than rebuild or upgrade. i would have liked to have kept the ford 4000 to display in ag tractor shows, grandpa on moms side bought it new and it was kinda a rare bird, most 4000s is seen were row crop select-o-speed. this was a 5-speed wide front, never seen another, but dad needed a loader tractor, couldnt find one to fit the 4000, and the 1020 was the right size had a loader and the dealer gave him a good trade allowance for the ford.

 

Whoever said the dealer and service deptartments meant alot more to loyalty than the color or brand pretty much hit the nail on the head. The guy I work for on the side has been with the same CASE/IH dealer for 25 years. WHY? The salesman and service and parts department treat him well and bust their butt for his operation.