Combines Any news on the dealermeeting yetIJ

yes, lots, but can't tell yet.

I've seen the pictures, but I don't have direct access to them. The machines are clearly just another color of AGCO. They did a really bad job of branding them as CAT.

I also saw pictures of Agco products painted Cat yellow, branded Challenger.

All companies are not supposed to make money. Ideally those who bring quality cost effective machines to us should get the business. look beyond the hype and mega ad campaigns, and look carefully at the product and you can tell which are deserving.

you guys are on the right track. Here's my assumption: we will service , 1) 10% truck engines 2) 5% construction equip. 3) 85% ag a) a large population of steel tracked machines,D4E,D5B-SA, D6C D ,even some old D6-9U b) challenger tractors,65,75CDE,85CDE,95E c)mt 700, mt800 tractors d)lexion combines here's the asumption part; E)Two other lines of combines, Cheaper lower frill models (for the smaller farmer) with cat engines and cat yellow paint, and called a challenger.The lexion was intended for the custom cutter and corporate farm.one of thes combines is a gleaner and one is a massey. f)a wheel tractor painted cat yellow, with a cat engine and called a challenger. g)a line of implements and hay tools painted cat yellow and called a challenger. Also a short note about the dealer situation,(mt tractors) the cat dealer gets first choice of selling and service of the tractor. If that dealer does not want the area for ag, then the neighbor cat dealer gets a choice. The agco dealer gets third choice. These asumptions are strickly mine , I could be wrong.

All them challenger line pictures are computer generated.. Cmapare them to the regular Agco ad slicks and it is the same picture, just a different color. All they did was some computer magic, The MT tractor though is a picture of the real one

i kinda have mixed feelings about this merger its nice to have a tracked tractor under the agco banner but the thing that really TORKS ME OFF is that i got a letter in the mail the other day

Catmechanic, I doubt very seriously if you will see any type of Agco combine on your Cat dealer's lot, or any other Cat dealer's lot, unless it is used and received on trade. The lexion was not designed for custom harvesters, the core combine market is farmers, therefore the Cat version of the lexion has been developed for North American applications. The fact that "any" custom harvesters owns_operates "any" brand of combine is simply a benefit to that combine_mfg. As for tractors, I doubt that any Cat dealer will assume marketeting responsibility for any tractor painted Cat yellow, labelled Challenger and powered by a Cummins motor, especially if the motors are to be replaced in the near future with Cat engines. I can see them taking on the smaller models because they are equipped with Perkins (Cat) engines.

The writing on the wall that concerns me the most is that Cat is eliminating all of their regional ag reps. This tells me that Cat corporate is no long in the business of servicing ag customers. If I have ag equipment, and have a problem with my dealer, who do I take it toIJ I'm not very confident that Cat is going to send somebody out of Peoria to take care of my problems. If Cat is going to sell AGCO farm equipment, they need to make an across-the-board change, and AGCO needs to follow by making sure that their support structure is adequate to back up the dealers.

Cutter, Why do you have so much trouble accepting that the Agco products are going to be painted yellow and sold as CATIJIJIJ That is all that they did with the lexion combine,put a cat motor on it paint it yellow stand behind it as a company and you have a Cat combine. Pure and simple. If that wouldnt have happened how many of those Claas combines do you think there would be aroundIJIJIJ(Not that there is many anyway). I bet there is 10 to 1 agco combines to Cat combines in our 3or 4 surrounding counties,and there isnt very many Gleaner or Massies. Illinois Gleaner