Ford tractors

[4020deereboy]

Why did ford quit making tractor?
Thank shaun

 

[RodinNS]

Because they wanted some of Fiat's cash at the time... to further other interests of their own.

Rod

 

[sotxbill]

because tractor sales were dropping world wide and henry wanted to sale over 100,000 a year or move on to something else. it was economics and over production of tractors so the market was dropping every year and has still stayed low. Henry got out in time. and since many many others have gone broke and disappeared.. so it was economics and a wise decision made in a timely manner. There will only be 4 or 5 world wide where once there were 100s of different manufacturers. No more little farms and only big big big farms with 4 tractors instead of 25 to 35 tractors.

 

[John_PA]

Henry was a farmer.

Fairlane Farms, if I do remember correctly. Named a car after the farm!

All his kids were no good bums. They never invented things in tree houses or cared about a farm.

Ford did a good job of "farming" out the manufacture of a lot of it's later products. Really, they were just slapping their name on other people's tractors.

All compact diesels were actually Japanese Shibura tractors. All big 4wd machines were actually Versatile. All of their hay tools came from a buyout of Sperry-New Holland. Skidsteers, the same... The final horray was the Genesis tractor which was built again by the Versatile tractor company in Canada. Basically, there really wasn't a "Ford" left, except for the 5610 SU (and other similar models) and Ford Backhoes. Once Fiat saw the brand power that comsumed all these smaller companies, they decided it would be best to buy them out and make the largest international tractor company. They did. Biggest worldwide in sales. JD wasn't even in the top 10 worldwide. In 1999, with the Case IH merger, CNH (under Fiat group) became a giant. I think Bill Ford was the CEO of Ford Motor Company at that time. He probably never lifted a bale of hay in his life. Thus the death of Ford tractors...

 

[Ultradog MN]

I wish they still built Ford tractors.
Sometimes I think it's like reading U.S. Grant's memoirs or Don Quixote or a history of the Falklands war - with the last 57 pages of the book torn out - so you don't get to see how it ends.
Maybe North America will become an industrial giant again someday. And Windsor and Highland Park and West Allis, Moline, Minneapolis and Racine can put their people back to work. Let Ford make a little money, buy Fiat out and write the last chapter of the story...

 

[RodinNS]

Ford did market ISM tractors and NH continues to do that today... and each major is in the habit of marketing some other jap compact because it's more sensible to do that.
Versatile was acquired by Ford in the late 80's after it became insolvent... and the acquisition of NH wasn't a whole lot different in 1985. It was mainly steps in forming a full line farm equipment company, no differently than all the others have done in spite of how much Deere will protest anyone saying that.
As far as Genesis tractors are concerned... they were the first new line approved by the Fiat board after the buyout... and they used the basics of the TW line with some major improvements in some areas along with using a Ford Genesis engine... To suggest that it was outsourced from Versatile in any way would not be correct. It was assembled in Winnipeg in the old Versatile plant utilizing the old line from Antwerp that had been used for the TW's previously.

I'm not really sure where CNH stands in relative size in the AG market today... but I believe Deere has taken the lead away in terms of global sales. The boom of the last 5-6 years has made some major sales for them in the NA market where they're strongest. CNH in spite of Case' presence in NA is probably still stronger in europe...

Rod

 

[Bern]

About the only thing in common between a TW and a Genesis is the radiator cap. There is virtually NOTHING in common between the two.

To compare the two models is an insult to the Genesis line. It's too bad the CNH merger killed that series.

 

[4020deereboy]

Thanks for all the replies guys I worked for two different new holland dealerships and worked on a lot of ford tractors since then I started to like them I always wondered why they sold out.

 

[RodinNS]

I was under the impression that the 8670 used the TW rear end with some revisions while the rest were very different.

Rod

 

[Bern]

I think you're right about the 8670 rear axle.

The fact that they re-used almost nothing from the TW - 8030 series should tell you a lot though.

 

[RodinNS]

IIRC, from what I read... their main reasoning was that the power levels required far exceeded the abilities of what was originally designed for the '8000'.

Rod

 

[wisbaker]

The history of Ford tractors is often misunderstood and has some urban legends involved. First understand the original "ford Tractor Company" had nothing to do with Henry, a group of Minneapolis business men formed the Ford tractor Company one of the various profit motives was they figured they could sell it to Henry, Henry didn't bite and instead formed Henry Ford & Son or "Fordson" and they made US tractor until 1928 when they moved all tractor production overseas and imported tractors for the US market. US tractor production resumed in 1939 when production of the 9n started in a venture with Harry Ferguson with Ford selling tractors to Harry's Company. After Henry 1's death Hank II or HF2 figured out they were loosing a lot of money making tractors, Ford Motor Company (FOMOCO) was selling tractors to Harry Ferguson below production cost. FOMOCO to make them. HF2 formed Dearborn Motors to make tractors and equipment, Harry Ferguson sued and eventually settled. I have heard people, supposedly in the know, claim that Henry 1 had codicils in his will that required FOMOCO continue tractor production. In 1964 Henry Ford & Son and Dearborn Motors were combined and tractors became Fords world wide. Between 1964 and 1987 FOMOCO acquired New Holland and Versatile in an effort to keep the agricultural division viable and competitive, prior to the purchase of New Holland Ford was buying badge engineered Claus equipment and selling it in the US as Ford combines and I think forage harvesters. HF2 died in 1987, in 1991 FOMOCO sold off the tractor operations to Fiat, they were allowed to use the Ford name until 2000. I have heard that enforcement of Henry 1's codicils became null and void with the death of HF2 so only after HF2's death could FOMOCO sell or discontinue tractor production. Other comments have been made that the continued production/sales of Ford lawn tractors satisfied the codicil. Also note that in the 1990s Ford Motor was making some different moves and realigning them selves to operate in the "new" economy things like selling the tractor division, selling off Ford heavy trucks to Mercedes to become Sterling, purchase of Land Rover, Jaguar and Volvo cars. At this time Ford also invested heavily in the internet and technology. IIRC Phillip Caldwell was the man running FOMOCO at this time, William Ford became President of FOMOCO after this era, one thing I have to give William Ford credit- he realized he was in over his head saw dark clouds on the horizon an d brought in professional to make the changes that allowed FOMOCO to survive.

 

[Bern]

That would be correct also. However, the Genesis series is not simply a TW style tractor with beefed up parts. It was designed from scratch.