another small tractor question

This message is a reply to an archived post by SodBuster87 on October 17, 2017 at 19:48:22.
The original subject was "another small tractor question".

Hello,
I am enjoying this conversation. I work for Tilmor and love agriculture. In the spring of 2019 we are coming out with our own tractor that is patterned after the G and it is a quality well thought out tractor. I have had the chance to cultivate soybeans, lay beds, rotary hoe, pull a transplanter, plow and use a basket weeder on it, and it really is a solid piece of equipment. Check out our website or give me a call. Thanks!

Ben Baltzly
Customer Advocate
844.255.5864
www.tilmor.com

Baltzly ...... sounds interesting. I'm sure the forum moderators would be more than happy to sell you some ad space on the site.

It always comes down to parts.

5 years from now, can I get parts?

Been a lot of short line manufacturers come and gone, and leave a lot of orphan useless machines sit around because they couldn't last in the marketplace and no one can find parts any more.

Lot of folk just shy away from anything new like that, gonna get burned by buying it new at retail price and then it's just a lump of iron in 5 years.....

Paul

The Model G sure is a popular one for replication by many a wishful entrepreneur.

I think one built with only "off-the-shelf" components, nothing special made, or limited production oddball stuff, etc. would work.

We are not looking to be in this for a couple years and get out. We have been in the manufacturing industry for 50 years and hope to be in it for another 50 years.

Off the shelf drive train - engine and tranny - that can get parts for from off the shelf, and people will be more likely to buy one.

If it can easily convert to,using existing implements (uses the G mounting points, or other similar tractors?) then it will work out for as long as you can find buyers.

The trouble is EPA and osha and so forth have so many rules, its expensive to get new machines in a retail market any more. Folks will say that's just what I want, see the price involved, go white, and then buy a well worn crippled old G when one comes up at auction....

I'm not against it, and I wish you well, hope it works for you.

We are in an expanding workforce environment and the back to the land, grow organic marketplace for now, so it might be about the right time to give it a try, throw your hat in the ring.

Paul

I think there are far too many Farmall A's around, and the cultivators for them, for a new machine to be a success. The organic farms are your market, and they usually don't have a spare 10 grand laying around for a new tractor.

The Japanese and Filipino vegetable farmers around Tacoma, Washington used to have 6 or 8 Farmall A's or AC G's, each with its own implement, so they weren't changing stuff all the time. As they got to retirement age, their kids didn't want any part of that work factory dad called a farm, and civilization had encroached to the point that their 10 or 20 acres was worth millions to a developer. One told me that the Farmall guys used to tease the G guys about their "funny little tractors"- but the laughs faded when the Farmall guys were getting $1,000 apiece for their tractors when they sold out, and the G guys were getting $3,000 and up.

I think if you do your homework you will find that market is already over sold. Very limited market that will never pay for your development cost. Several folks have tried it already and either quit or had very limited success.

It comes down to markets. I've seen on some craigs list Allis Gs Farmall Cub and the like for pennies on the dollar. And other places they'll dang near bring their weight in gold. Different makes/models sold better in different parts of the country/world. The two things that will make or break any new tractor company. Especialy one that caters to a niche market is figuring out which areas are not saturated with similar used machines. The other thing is if you "copy" an existing design you will always be compared to the design you "copied". Any thing short of an exact replica will not be good enough in the eyes of many. DO YOUR OWN THING.


Personaly I think the G Allis was too specialized to catch. Small farms acreages tend to be one tractor farms. As such they need something that can do everything. These new compact utility tractors leave something to be desired but, they do what needs to be done ok.

As I have think about it now. I would rather see a Farmall Cub or A or even an Allis B. Brought back to manufacture. A small simple tractor. Could put a small loader on it if needed. Cat 1 3pt. 20-30 hp diesel GEAR DRIVE trans probably 3×3 or 4×3 gears. 2wd standard but 4×4 optional. Simple off the shelf components.


My two cents. Take it for what its worth.
Sod Buster

The G concept has been done several times and none have been very successful if sales numbers measure success.I have a Hines H-1600 G clone great little gardening or truck patch tractor but
Hines was only able to sell around 400 of them.

(quoted from post at 20:46:55 07/11/18) The G concept has been done several times and none have been very successful if sales numbers measure success.I have a Hines H-1600 G clone great little gardening or truck patch tractor but
Hines was only able to sell around 400 of them.

Click to expand...

Actualy I believe that even the execs. at Allis were disappointed by how poorly the G sold.

Thanks Sod Buster. Your input as well as others is valued. Yes we are not going for a replica of the G but something similar. As I compare the Tilmor Tractor to the G I see it as a much more versatile tractor
that will continue to have new uses developed for it. Thanks again for your input.

Sincerely,
Ben Baltzly

Yes I see the struggle there. I guess we will find out. Thanks for your input. What would you say is your best attributes of the Hines? And what would you like to improve?

Thanks
Ben Baltzly