New Household Appliances By Case- International ?

Anonymous-0 · Oct 23, 2008

I was thinking last night how years ago my grandparents had a deep freeze made by International Harvester. I was still working and sold with the house. And International had a big hand in the household appliance industry in the late 40's and 50's. With the comeback with the Farmall name on Case-International Tracors again, is it possible in the near future we can see appliances form them again?

So If Case-International got together with GE,or Amana, ect. and tightened up on some quality issues and made a household appliaces in the USA, and endorsed it. Would you buy one? Would it be successful?

I KNOW Alan and IAGary would be running to get one. They both definatley got red blood.

Bob · Oct 23, 2008

Turkey, you posted:

"made a household appliaces in the USA"

Ain't gonna happen (unless we annex Mexico)!

Brian in Ohio · Oct 23, 2008

I'd buy one. air conditioner in their house that was Paint in Flambeau Red and put Old Abe on the door.

I remember my Grandparents had a Chrysler window air conditioner in their house.

Dave in GA · Oct 23, 2008

Good question. I wish International would start making pickup trucks again. They were some of the toughest trucks back in the 50s and 60s. I have 2 of them. They were real trucks.

Why doesn't John Deere start to design and build a pickup truck? IH built tractors and trucks simultaneously for a long time, and Deere's got a strong name, and lots of Ford/Chevy/Dodge owners are fed up with the quality of today's pickups.

Why doesn't Kenworth or Peterbilt design and build a pickup truck?

Balaton17 · Oct 23, 2008

Hey Dave, IH aint compleatly out of the truck market. They started building the beasts a few years ago. As for the IH Chest Frezers, there is one in my basment and it ways a ton.

Anonymous-0 · Oct 23, 2008

Hey Dave! How about Case-International and Chrysler Buy-out/Merger, instead of GM.

Now That would be INTERESTING!

JDemaris · Oct 23, 2008

I still have my 1948 International Harvester chest freezer. Also still have an early 50s Philco-Ford refrigerator along with several of their radios. All still work, and the freezer is built like a big battleship. I bought a second freezer from Sears in 1973 and it too is still working fine.

That being said, there are fewer companies as time goes on - making this stuff. It's gotten centralized. One or two places make the stuff and then allow other companies to put their names on it. As far as I can tell, much of the newer stuff lasts just as long as the older - just more compact and lighter. Note, I said "much." There is also a lot of junk now, just as there was 50-75 years ago. That's one of the reasons why Nebraska Testing got started - to prove or disprove claims made my tractor companies and to give the farmer a way to know what was worth buying.

If Deere, or IH came out with some appliance with their name on it - first - I'd assume they really didn't make it. Second - I'd buy only if a bargain since there's no shortage of quality appliances if you shop around and look carefully.

In regard to International Harvester - they've haven't even been able to buy their brand-name back, and they've tried several times. I've never been crazy about their change to "navigating the stars", that got shortened to "Navistar." I think the guy that did it was stoned at the time.

moonlite 37 · Oct 23, 2008

I remember my International Harvester M-1 Carbine. I do not know if it was any better than other carbines though. Likely built to meet minimum military specs. Carbines were good to carry for guard buty but I would not want to defend my life with it.

johnandcindy1981 · Oct 23, 2008

My parents had a IH frig for about 30-35 years my dad liked it mom said it was the first self defrosting style made it had a basin you needed to empty after defrost. In the 50`s that was big stuff. Thanks for the memories. John

RobMD · Oct 23, 2008

No, I would not buy one, even if it was from Deere. Simple reason: They will take a GE and slap a CNH or Deere emblem on it.

LenND · Oct 23, 2008

Lot of IH appliances around the country and most of them are still working.
I doubt IH and JD will get into the truck business. Cost too much and they will need that money to survive the way the country is going.
Chrysler hasn't made a full sized truck in what 30 years (not counting pickups). Ford sold their full sizaed truck division to Daimler-Chrysler, actully Freghtliner division, in 1997 (now named Sterling). GM turned their truck division over Navistar this year to make trucks.

Kevin Osborn · Oct 23, 2008

Would be alright if mother DEERE or CASE would watch over quality.I worked for MAYTAGS,our quality wasnt great,but when whirlcrap bought us out our quality went down hill fast.Now they put MAYTAG name on junk,and theres not a MAYTAG plant open today.

RayP(MI) · Oct 23, 2008

Years ago I worked final inspection at a air conditioner manufacturer. One day they decided to repair and send down the line all those machines that had been set aside in the shop. I saw 19 different brands come down the line on that one shift. Many brands, especially house brands were built on contract by manufacturers who had their own brand, and built the extra brands to meet customer specs.

Anonymous-0 · Oct 23, 2008

I fear you remember wrong. IHC made M1 rifles, not carbines. And no, these rifles were not better that the ones built by Springfield, Winchester, H & R or Baretta. IHC actually had some delivery and quality problems. Fasinating history though.

Anonymous-0 · Oct 23, 2008

Nope; I don't think you will ever see IH home appliances again. The biggest flaw with the idea is most of the general public has no clue what "Case International" or "Farmall" is. They've never even heard of it, and whats more; they could care less.

John Deere is about the only name that folks recognize everywhere no matter how detached from rural living they are. Its a household name, just like Harley Davidson or Caterpillar.

Most consumers are shopping for trendy stuff and are concerned about the color of the appliance matching their flooring and drapes. Most are not interested in buying something that lasts, they'd rather buy something cheap, use it for a few years and toss it out. America is very much a throw away society.

Anonymous-0 · Oct 23, 2008

Navistar is the old IHC truck division. When Tenneco bought IHC Ag division they got the name, truck division had to find another name. RN

Jeff-oh · Oct 23, 2008

My question is are you buying the good quality stuff now?

GE Appliances are made in Louisville, KY though GE is heavily investeing in China and other non-US locations.

Or the high end stuff?
Sub-Zero Freezer Co. (Madison, WI): Sub-Zero brand built-in and undercounter refrigeration, Wolf gas/electric dual fuel ranges, and much more, manufactured in Fitchburg, WI

Dave from MN · Oct 23, 2008

If I buy a freezer it will be a "Made in the USA" freezer Electrolux, Frigidaire, Kenmore, Some GE, Arctic Air, and a few others. All made in St. Cloud MN, by a great group of employees. salaried and union. If they said IH on them, I'd buy it for a little more, just for IH love, if they came in IH red, I definatly would make it a main room freezer!

Tom in NE · Oct 23, 2008

When I was a young boy, I remember that ALL my aunts & uncles had one of those early 50's International pick-ups. I always felt left out because we didn't have one. I guess dad did have a big 1950 Ford truck and a 46 Willies Jeep...must of figured he didn't need a Binder. He did have a couple IH Scouts in later years.
Tom

moonlite 37 · Oct 23, 2008

Maybe it was Saginaw (spelling?) division of General Motors.

ohio · Oct 23, 2008

They made carbines, as did underwood, remington rand & rock-ola to name just a few.

ohio · Oct 23, 2008

I think H&R or Springfield had to assume all their production after they realized it wasn't going to work out. On the other hand, Allis-Chalmers built equipment for the manhatten project;>)

bradley martin · Oct 23, 2008

Yes, and Daimler (Freightliner) announced this week they are closing the Sterling plant in March of next year and there will be no more Sterlings produced. The plant is located only about 10 miles from me....approx 2,000 employees at the plant plus all the spin off jobs....gone!!

shortcourse · Oct 23, 2008

International Truck & Engine Corp. a division of Navistar,engineering is in FT. Wayne,Ind. they are hiring.

LenND · Oct 23, 2008

That's too bad. We sure see a lot of them in this area. They are sold by the local Ford truck dealer who also sells Freightliner. That should leave Navistar without too much competition like Volvo, etc.

RayP(MI) · Oct 23, 2008

Electrolux is a Swedish company. 'Bout 3 years back, the closed their Michigan factory, moved everything to Mexico. Left about 3,000 people out of work here, high and dry. Was reportedly the largest refrigerator factory in the world. No more - has been reduced to a grassy field, with the exeception of part of the warehouse and loading docks. If they couldn't run a factory there, no one else can either!

Dean Barker · Oct 23, 2008

We still use a 1952 IH chest freezer, It's never needed anything.

Anonymous-0 · Oct 23, 2008

There was a huge varity on manufactures on M1 and M2 carbines. A M2 is a full auto version of the M1. However neither Remmington or IHC ever made carbines. During WW2 Remington turned out O3A3 bolt rifles and well as the sniper versions of that rifle along with many pistols like the 1911s and others. I am sure they had lots of other contracts. IHC built M1 rifles during the Korean War and after. It is however unlikely any IHC rifles went to Korea during the war. Same with the H&Rs. I am fortunate enough to own at least one M1 rifle from each manufacture except Breda, and I have a chopped up one of those. The best workmanship was done by H&R and Beretta. But they all work, realy, really well. Lost my Korean war uncle last month and the last of the WW2 ones a coulple of years back. Every few months the local gun clubs hold a highpower Garand match and I always pull one out of the rack and compete. I have a blast. I can't help but think of all the places my uncles carried those rifles. Also, a person hasen't really lived till they get a good case of M1 thumb.

Anonymous-0 · Oct 23, 2008

I saw what looked like a new Ford F450 Super Duty Crew Cab Dually Pickup pulling a Stock Trailer the other day and across the Grill was "Sterling".Is Sterling marketing a line of Ford Pickups under thier trade name? I wonder?

Doug in Illinois · Oct 23, 2008

I used to be a parts manager at an IH dealer B4 it was C-IH. We had parts books for all the IH trucks, but you better have the line ticket for your truck, they were sold as new in the year they sold even if made years B4. Could have a 1968 pickup actually built in 1966. Also had the Cub/ Cub Cadet line. Once they started painting them red, that was near the end of the line for the real Cub Cadets. They are, the last I knew, nothing more than MTD junk labeled as Cub Cadet and sold at the big box stores. Appliance wise, I have given up trying to find USA made. All have merged. You can take any American brand name, be it the "big 3" automakers or anything else, with the possible exception of Caterpillar, and we don't really make much anymore. So, WHY IS OUR ECONOMY HURTING? DOUG

INCase · Oct 24, 2008

we used to supply parts to that plant. VERY VERY Big. It was a union shop but I was always amazed at how fast they worked to put those units together. There wasn't too much sluffing off on the lines at least. They could go 1/2 as fast in Mexico and still cost less. always amazed me that they spit out over 1 million sidexside frig's a year. That's just one style from one company. You'll have to look closely at the box or the unit itself on a new appliance to see if it was made in US. Haier, i've heard is a Chinese owned company. GE I've heard is looking to sell its appliance division. GE's appliance park in Louisville is absolutely massive too but not much going on there any more. they even farmed out all their engineering to India and only had a few guys there to interact with suppliers and the plants. Our company tries to get our India division to do alot of stuff too but we've skirted around doing too much of that. Takes as much or more effort to get all the info to them and then have them do it 2-3 times to get it right as it would to just do it here the 1st time.
The appliance companies were as bad or worse than the auto industry for pinching suppliers. I've heard Sears would pull an account for a penny a frig. Wow. Have a nice day.

New Household Appliances By Case- International ?

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