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John Deere brags about sabotaging competitors & customers on hot mic - they're PROUD of it!
(www.youtube.com)
this post was submitted on 19 Aug 2023
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There is competition - New Holland, Massey Ferguson, Case IH, etc... The problem is that despite all the anti-consumer nonsense John Deere still tops the lists as the best option.
Deere has the most massive dealer network in the U.S./Canada. So when looking for a part farmers have an easier time finding them. In other places of the world the competition is much more fierce and they don't compete as well.
As for quality of equipment, Deere makes stuff about average. It's not terrible but it's not great.
Other companies have specialized in some things and make vastly better equipment.
New Holland/Massey F has the best swathers and bailers.
Kubota has the best small tractors.
CLAAS has the best choppers and combines.
I have no doubt that this is caused at least partly by the decline of keeping spare parts on the shelf in a warehouse, something most companies did before everyone shifted to 'just in time' inventory management because it saved money up front.
But as it turns out 'just in time' doesnt work so great when a farmer needs a part right this moment since it relies on ordering then shipping only whats needed.
It probably made Deere's dealer network look pretty good by comparison since they (presumably) stock parts that another farm store down the road doesnt carry.>
There's also legislation ( at least in Canada) that requires a manufacturer to have parts for machines less than a decade old to be readily available. A "machine down" order is 3 days or they can explain to the ag minister why they can't comply.
I wouldn't trade our 569 for anything else. We've had Case and Heston balers, they're kinda meh and break way more often than if seen on our Deere's. As for the rest, well parts availability is king.
I'll move my goalposts a bit then. The industry needs more significant competition for that top spot. It's not an area I know much about though, just what I've picked up from discussions like this about how they respond when people get the crazy idea that they own the equipment they paid for.
query because I am not a farmer: Is Deere tops because they make products that are superior / better bang-for-buck, or is it just hometown advantage of no shipping/delivery overhead, tarrifs/taxes/import fees etc?
Honestly I don't know. All three I listed are American or have American production facilities (New Holland was founded in PA, and still has a facility there, but is owned by an Italian company).