ALL ABOUT TRACTORS By PAUL WALLEM From a country with the world’s largest population, India is the home of Mahindra tractors. At last year’s Louisville National Farm Machinery Show, I visited the Mahindra exhibit. I learned that they keep adding dealers throughout the U.S. This column will look closer at the leader in world tractor sales. This company was formed in 1945. It first concentrated on the steel business. In 1949, it started assembling Jeeps. Then, in 1963, it formed a joint venture with International Harvester to build and assemble tractors. In 1955, the company went public. In 1977, they developed their tractor division to design and manufacture tractors. By 1994, their units included automotive, farm equipment and financial services. Mahindra’s U.S. presence began in 1994 when they established a headquarters in Houston. In 2003, the company formed an alliance with Mitsubishi to expand its compact tractor lineup. Also, that year, the total sales of Mahindra tractors reached 1 million worldwide. In 2005, as sales grew in the U.S., an assembly and distribution facility was opened in Red Bluff, Calif. Following that, a second distribution center was established in Chattanooga, Tenn. In 2010, Mahindra became the number one tractor seller in the world, a position it continues to hold today. A big reason for their success is the steady growth of the small tractor market. Made up of subcompact and compact tractors in the 25 to 60 HP range, many of these are sold to small- and family-owned farms throughout the world. More affordable than large tractors, they are more energy-efficient and align well with eco-friendly practices. The global compact tractor market was estimated in 2023 at U.S. $7.7 million and is forecast to rise at a 4 percent rate. Mahindra models range from their 1100 series at 20-25 HP and 2100 series at 23-25 HP to the 5100 series at 45-55 HP and 6000 series at 62-71 HP. I visited Diller-Rod, a Princeton, Ill., Mahindra dealer. Duane Rod became a dealer in 2016 and visited the Mahindra headquarters in India. He estimates his sales are 20 percent in the sub-compact models and 80 percent in the larger horsepower sizes. Much of his sales are to newer small farm operators growing specialty crops. In 2019, Mahindra added motorcycle production, followed by electric car production in 2019 and electric SUVs in 2022. Deere announces new autonomous models Deere & Company announced new driverless tractors on Jan. 13. The 9RX tractor (for large-scale agriculture) has 16 cameras to provide a 360-degree view. The new 5ML Orchard tractor is for air-blast spraying. The self-driving 460 P-Tier articulated dump truck is for quarry operations. The company is increasing its efforts to provide equipment during skilled labor shortages and high labor costs. The autonomy gear can be fitted to existing Deere tractors depending on their year and compatibility. Implements, such as planters and combines, can also be upgraded. BURMA SHAVE sign: At intersections, look each way. A harp sounds nice, but it’s hard to play Paul Wallem was raised on an Illinois dairy farm. He spent 13 years with corporate International Harvester in domestic and foreign assignments. He resigned to own and operate two IH dealerships. He is the author of THE BREAKUP of IH and SUCCESSES and INDUSTRY FIRST of IH. See all his books on www.PaulWallem.com. Email comments to pwallem@aol.com |
