"Makes you wonder how a company that built two cylinder tractors for 25 years after they were obsolete could survive and AC didn't."
I'm half way through the Plow Peddler, also read An Industrial Heritage: Allis Chalmers, A Corporate Tragedy: The Agony of International Harvester Company and a great book (IMHO) John Deere New Generation and Generation II Tractors by John Dietz.
I feel that AC was to diverse to maintain an adequate focus on tractors. What a huge conglomerate - industry segments I could have never imagined until reading about them - impressive none the less. IH - the perfect storm between mismanagement, employee relations and the economy.
Love or hate them - Deere, however, struck me (from the Dietz book) as being VERY well managed, focused on farm equipment (vs trucks, refrigerators), under no real threat to merge, financially sound. Were they innovative - maybe, maybe not. Did they embrace the 3 pt hitch and other creature comforts ahead of some of their competition, kind of. Did they outpace IH in tractor sales prior to the new generation tractors - I think so. Were they daring - with the new generation tractors, absolutely. Whatever Deere did - my boys are 5th generation on our farm. When they are using my newer model JD 5055d - looking down the hood towards the end of the field - I can't help to think about all the great tractor companies that either merged, out of business, bankrupt or bought out and that I bought a NEW tractor from the same company that may have very well sold my great grandfather a NEW plow - back in the day. I guess JD is the only one left on that front.
I would also suggest that EPA regulations took a severe toll on all heavy iron manufacturers during the 70's too.
Before I forget - also read Oliver Tractors by T. Herbert Morrell and highly recommend it too. Oliver was definately an innovator and some of their testing (crazy overkill) is testified by the Olivers still out there (and their White deveratives) working hard every day.
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Today's Featured Article - Machine Shops - by Curtis Von Fange. It is a story that repeats itself countless times. In the process of rebuilding a particular section of the tractor there is a broken part for which a replacement cannot be found. The parts houses find in their catalogue that it is unavailable. The dealerships call it a discontinued part. Salvage yards define it as hard to find or, even worse, rare. Everyone on the NET says, 'what is it?' But don�t despair there is another avenue that can be used to get that piece repaired. The local mach
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