Applicators

No, John Deere is Not Freezing Production or Stepping Away From its U.S. Factories

Mon, 09 Jun 2025 16:48:44 GMT

An online report last week claimed John Deere is shutting down ALL manufacturing in response to the ongoing tariff situation in the U.S.

But we looked into it, and we’re here to tell you: don’t take the bait — or, as the kids say, feed the trolls — because it’s simply not true.

An article authored by Kieran Schalkwyk and titled “John Deere Freezes U.S. Manufacturing in Unprecedented Shutdown” appeared on MSN.com and was aggregated by Google News feeds last week, claiming the manufacturer is “making a radical move that some might think is ‘un-American.’”

John Deere shared the following LinkedIn post Friday afternoon. You can also visit Deere.com for more information on the company’s U.S. manufacturing presence.

The MSN.com post has since been taken down and brings up an error page:

MSN.com screenshot

(MSN.com)

It’s somewhat bewildering timing for this particular misinformation ploy.

John Deere recently put out a blog post outlining its commitment to U.S. manufacturing. The statement says John Deere will invest $20 billion into its U.S. footprint over the next decade, which includes major expansion projects in Iowa, Missouri, North Carolina and Tennessee.

Today, the company has 60 manufacturing facilities in more than 16 U.S. states and employs over 30,000 American workers.

What is true is over the past 18 months, the company has been forced to lay off some employees , and it strategically slowed manufacturing at some production facilities in Iowa in response to depressed farmer demand for new tractors and combines.

Of course, John Deere is not alone navigating a treacherous global farm economy. Machinery rivals AGCO and CNH also made the tough choice to layoff factory workers over the past 12 months. CNH even completely shutdown its overseas machinery imports during the first few days of the tariff policy rollout, although that pause was only temporary.

In February, we updated our popular “Who Makes What Where” feature showing where major farm equipment is manufactured around the world.

Our analysis of John Deere’s global factory network shows that of the 60 John Deere machines relevant to U.S. farmers, 50 of them (83%) are manufactured here in North America. Of all the major farm equipment manufacturers we polled, John Deere has the largest U.S.-based manufacturing footprint other than Canadian-based Buhler Industries, which is 100% North America based.

So, it feels safe to say we can put this rumor to bed once and for all: No, John Deere is not shutting down its factories. Myth Busted. Shutdown the rumor mill.

Your Next Read - All The Details: Inside John Deere’s New F8 and F9 Forage Harvesters

Swathers to Sprayers: Strong Oklahoma Auctions and Machinery Pete’s Ratio for Fair Used Farm Equipment Deals

Mon, 02 Jun 2025 20:05:45 GMT

This week, Machinery Pete takes us on a trip down to Oklahoma, where he tracked “a bunch of good sales” over the last week, including his Pete’s Pick of the Week winner:

Last Wednesday, at a sale in Waukomis, Okla., a 2019 Case IH WD2104 swather with only 330 hours sold for $128,100, a new record high for that model (pictured above). The previous record price was $107,200.

(Machinery Pete Facebook)

Pete also notes a 2021 Case IH Maxxum 150 tractor with a loader (700 hours) sold for $123,900 in the same auction. That’s the sixth highest auction price of all time for that make/model, he says.

“I think the (high) price of (a) new (swather) has probably made that pretty attractive,” Pete says. “And sometimes people buy new stuff — it might be for tax reasons, who knows — and they kind of drift for a couple years and don’t use it that much, knowing that when they do have their retirement sale that low hour stuff holds its value tremendously.”

Also of note last week in the Sooner State was a Big Iron Auctions farm retirement sale near Forgan, Okla. A trio of well-maintained, high-hour machines caught Pete’s attention there:

(Machinery Pete Facebook)

A 2012 John Deere 8360R tractor with 8,079 hours sold for $106,250. Pete says that’s the highest auction price “by a mile” he can find on a tractor with more than 8,000 operating hours.

(Machinery Pete Facebook)

A 2016 John Deere S670 combine with 28,106 engine hours sold for $80,750.

(Machinery Pete Facebook)

A 2017 John Deere R4038 sprayer with 23,101 hours sold for $116,500.

“Even though these all had higher hours, the farmer who owned them, Max Huling, obviously he took tremendous care of his equipment,” Pete says. “So, whether it’s low hours or higher hours, if you take great care of your stuff, it pays off when it comes time to sell it.”

The Machinery Pete Ratio Explained
Pete crunched the latest numbers at MachineryPete.com to show where used combine and tractor prices sit today in relation to his Machinery Pete Ratio theory.

The Machinery Pete Ratio is a metric Pete came up with to show that the price of a well-conditioned, late-model, used machine at auction should usually fall roughly between 70% to 75% of the dealer advertised price for the same machine brand new. If the ratio is too high, the price of used is inflated. And if it’s too low, the seller is not getting full market value.

Today, Pete says, the average auction price on a used John Deere S780 combine is $250,781, and the average dealer advertised price on a brand-new one is almost $433,000. That’s 60% less that the buyer has to spend to buy the used S780, on average, than it costs to get one brand new. That’s a good deal for the buyer, but the dealer on the other side of the deal might think they are leaving extra money on the table.

For comparison, the average auction price today on a used John Deere 8R 410 tractor is $334,578 while the average dealer price for new is $450,430. That’s a 76% ratio, which falls slightly over the target zone established by the Machinery Pete Ratio.

That metric would tell you if you’re a dealer and you have an excess inventory of used 8R 410 tractors cluttering up your lot now, it might be a good time to move some to the auction market. Or, if you’re a farmer looking for a bargain on a used 8R 410, you might think about waiting to see if the average auction price drops.

“It does look like prices are dropping, the key question now is we just passed June 1, which for me, that’s the buoy in the water,” Pete explains. “It’s when dealers take a collective breath, because customers have seed in the ground, and there’s five months on the books (in 2025) and they go, ‘Ok, how are we sitting on our used inventory, and what are our plans for the rest of the summer and fall to work this down?’ Last year, we saw an avalanche of dealers pushing stuff into the used auction market. This year, I don’t know if we’ll see as big of a push. I don’t think we will, but there’s going to be a lot of stuff that does get pushed. So again, tractors have a little more room to adjust downward, I think.”

Upcoming Auctions to Watch
Pete will be keeping his eyes focused on a pair of auctions this week.

On Tuesday, the folks at Del Peterson Auctions (DPA) will kick off their monthly online auction for June. There’s a 2024 Case IH TV620B skid steer with super low hours (15.6) listed in that sale.

On June 26, in Merritt, Iowa, there is a Zomer Company Realty & Auction farm retirement sale for Joe and Diana Rota that features nice, late-model used Case IH farm equipment.

Your Next Read: What Anti-Seize Should Really Be Used For

Before You Panic: How to Fix Simple Machine Issues

Fri, 14 Feb 2025 20:56:05 GMT

The first reaction when a machine malfunctions is to think of expensive, catastrophic causes. Fortunately, a deep breath and careful consideration might offer simple cures for these symptoms.

Symptom: An engine routinely overheats due to low coolant level. There’s no coolant in the crankcase, no coolant on the ground where the machine is parked or no visible leaks on any hoses or the radiator.

Panic diagnosis: Blown head gasket, cracked cylinder head or slipped cylinder liner.

Potential simple cure: Replace radiator cap. A tired pressure relief spring in the cap can release coolant out the radiator overflow, lowering coolant level and encouraging engine overheating. Newer machines with a faulty radiator cap would have problems with the coolant recovery tank overflowing.

Symptom: A main gearcase on a combine, forage harvester or other machine is covered with oil that’s dripping on the ground.

Panic diagnosis: Leaky shaft seals, blown gasket or cracked gearcase housing.

Potential simple cure: Check the area around the gearcase’s vent. If there’s “clean” oil in that area the gearcase might be spewing excess oil from that vent. Check to see if the gearcase was overfilled when its fluid level was last checked. Big gearcases, if checked immediately after operation, might not have fully drained all the oil into the sump, giving a false reading on any sight glasses or dipsticks, leading to overfilling. Check gearcases after they’ve had time to drain to their sump.

Symptom: Some, but not all, functions of the electrical system on a tractor or self-propelled machine are dead. There’s no blown fuses or tripped circuit breakers in the fuse/breaker box.

Panic diagnosis: One of the #%*! computers that run modern machines has died.

Potential simple cure: A fuse or circuit breaker in an accessory fuse/breaker box has failed. Even machines made in the 1980s might have up to three fuse/breaker boxes hidden behind panels in the cab, under a trim panel on the back of the cab or near the battery box. Use the owner’s manual to locate and check every fuse/breaker panel on the machine.

Symptom: The display on a stand-alone seed or sprayer monitor goes blank or displays hieroglyphics.

Panic diagnosis: The console has “blown up.”

Potential simple cure: Check for 12 volts at console wiring harness connector. Check for damage to wiring harnesses on the planter or sprayer, especially at the back of the tractor and at hinge points where wings fold. Yes, monitor consoles fail, but not as often as broken or shorted wires cause them to do strange things.

Always try the simple stuff first. There’s always time to panic later.

Your Next Read: Jump-Starting Dead Battery With Portable Jump-Pack Has Never Been Easier

From the Factory to Your Fields: Where Farm Equipment Is Made

Wed, 12 Feb 2025 17:25:58 GMT

The global agriculture equipment market is currently valued at $181 billion (USD) and is expected to grow by 4% over the next eight years. That’s according to a recent analysis from global consulting firm IMARC Group.

While IMARC Group pegs Asia-Pacific as the leading region for farm equipment manufacturing market share, it would stand to reason most of those machines are being sold to farmers in that region. The farm equipment U.S. farmers use is most commonly built in Europe, North America and South America.

Brand Breakdown
For example, John Deere’s manufacturing footprint is mainly based in North America. Of the 60 John Deere machines relevant to row-crop producers, 50 of them (83%) are manufactured in North America. Drilling down further, the three states with the largest John Deere manufacturing presence are:

Iowa at 61%
North Dakota at 17%
Illinois at 15%

Case IH builds 66% of its row-crop machines throughout North America, while 24% of them are manufactured in Europe.

Fellow CNH brand New Holland maintains a fairly balanced manufacturing presence between Europe (30%) and North America (43%).

AGCO’s Germany-based brand, Fendt, builds 57% of its row-crop machines in the European Union (EU) with North America hosting roughly 43% of its manufacturing. Claas has a large manufacturing presence in Europe, but it also manufactures its LEXION combine in Omaha, Neb., and has facilities in Columbus, Ind., and Regina, Saskatchewan.

McCormick and Landini machines are built entirely in EU factories. In contrast, Buhler Industries’ manufacturing footprint is fully based in North America.

Check out the data to see where your favorite tractor, planter, sprayer, combine and other farm machines are built in 2025.

Click here to download a printable version of the table above.

Your Next Read: Casey Seymour and Machinery Pete Join Forces on the Moving Iron Podcast