It's made of stuff from everywhere....
Know were engines come from?
Body panels and ROPS?
Might have a just a little bit of US labor in it.........

 

Body panels and ROPS?

I thought I heard, at least at one time, the body panels were made in South Carolina?

 

JD is a global company.

Dave

 

I can't stand the thought of how much we get from that dadgummed country.

 

Trouble is it's hard to make stuff in this country. Not just cost it's all the ** you have to go through. Example, the keystone pipeline.

 

My sister worked for John Deere in the World Headquarters and she has traveled the world going to Deere plants. From Germany to India to China. She spent three years in Germany in the 90's. They are truly a global company.

 

I'll bet that in the future "Made in China" will become an indication of reasonable quality, and the next indicator of imperfect goods will be something like "Made in Indonesia" or "Made in Thailand."

I am old so I clearly remember when Japan and Korea were the hated and maligned producers of imported "junk" to the USA.

Also, have you noticed that the fasteners used in Deere assembly are metric? The only countries not in the metric loop are the USA, Liberia, and Myanmar.

Speaking of Liberia, one of my Navy shipmates from years back chartered a medical school in Liberia, granted himself an MD degree from it, and now practices in the US.

edit: If I seem like an old man rambling, it is because I am.

 

I'll bet that in the future "Made in China" will become an indication of reasonable quality, and the next indicator of imperfect goods will be something like "Made in Indonesia" or "Made in Thailand."

I am old so I clearly remember when Japan and Korea were the hated and maligned producers of imported "junk" to the USA.

Also, have you noticed that the fasteners used in Deere assembly are metric? The only countries not in the metric loop are the USA, Liberia, and Myanmar.

Speaking of Liberia, one of my Navy shipmates from years back chartered a medical school in Liberia, granted himself an MD degree from it, and now practices in the US.

Would you go to him for treatment?

 

Being made in China or any other country doesn't guarantee something is junk. I've owned and currently own several items made there that are great, the loader mounts pictured being one of those things. Well, 2 if you count them separately but that's splittin hairs.

The key is how much the company issuing the manufacturing contract cares about quality. Cheap home appliance? They don't care if it lasts years, it just has to hopefully last past the warranty period. Loader mounts on our tractors? Not likely to break in the first place BUT you can still tell they're a quality item. Especially with Chinese stuff, if they're told to make it cheap it will be CHEAP but you'll have rough castings, compoments that don't line up the way they should, holes drilled off-center, all that bs.

Now that being said, if I could buy everything made right here in our country for a reasonable cost I would. But as mentioned, small companies that do that sometimes can't keep their costs down low enough to even be remotely competitive especially with all the ambulance chasers doing their thing.

 

Does Deere have its own plants in China, or do they contract out?

 

What I'd like to know is what company makes the transmission? Not necessarily where but who.

 

The transaxles used at the Augusta facility (1-4 series) are manufactured in South Carolina but I'm not sure if that's by Deere or someone else.

 

My "Japanese" truck was built in Texas. And my friend's "American" truck was built in Mexico.
It's become a small world... where something is made doesn't mean much anymore, other than wanting to support American labor when possible.

 

This is why I love MSC, I do everything I can to avoid China and Amazon

 

I would "Like" this 1000 times if I could.

 

I wonder what Chinese guys think when they look at their tractor and see a “Made In USA“ label?

 

I can tell you with a high degree of knowledge (I used to live in China) that they would feel proud, would show it off, and would gladly pay MORE for the privilege. That is....if they are part of the educated and growing middle class or the relatively new wealthy class. Everyone else....they don't care and buy what is the cheapest. Sound familiar?

We did this to ourselves. It is now cheaper to cast heavy cast iron parts in China and ship them here (or to Mexico in this case) than it is to source the parts from a domestic foundry that lives within the regulatory stranglehold that we have allowed in this country. You don't like that? Vote accordingly.

Best,

 

I'm a dummy - what is MSC?

 

They're an industrial supply house like Grainger's and Fastenal.

 

When I first got my tractor I did the usual look at the whole machine. I saw the loader mounts and the China casting mark and thought to myself "these things look like something we sand cast in aluminum in metal shop in school" they were so rough. Sad, since according to one of their tour pamphlets from days gone by they had one of, if not the largest, grey iron foundry in the world.

Anyway, from what I see the tractor has a lot of India and China on it. And we ain't making things there for quality reasons.

Here in the post-industrial US more folks are worried (or happy about) about DE stock value than how many Americans they employ or how much of their tractor is actually made (not assembled) in the USA.

Sad, because with a skilled workforce like we had in the past and current century technology we could make some world class equipment. Now we're trillions in debt to nations like China and companies like Kioti are ready to start eating Deeres for a snack.

Have to wonder if Deere's employee hiring woes (the subject of another thread) are related to the fact that working for Mother Deere doesn't have the coveted wages/hours/working conditions it once did?

 

When I first got my tractor I did the usual look at the whole machine. I saw the loader mounts and the China casting mark and thought to myself "these things look like something we sand cast in aluminum in metal shop in school" they were so rough. Sad, since according to one of their tour pamphlets from days gone by they had one of, if not the largest, grey iron foundry in the world.

Anyway, from what I see the tractor has a lot of India and China on it. And we ain't making things there for quality reasons.

Here in the post-industrial US more folks are worried (or happy about) about DE stock value than how many Americans they employ or how much of their tractor is actually made (not assembled) in the USA.

Sad, because with a skilled workforce like we had in the past and current century technology we could make some world class equipment. Now we're trillions in debt to nations like China and companies like Kioti are ready to start eating Deeres for a snack.

Have to wonder if Deere's employee hiring woes (the subject of another thread) are related to the fact that working for Mother Deere doesn't have the coveted wages/hours/working conditions it once did?

Last time I checked Deere’s CEO salary was over $6 million, and he owned $35 million-plus of Deere stock. I’ll bet he sleeps well, and doesn’t lie awake worrying about rough looking Chinese loader masts.

Full disclosure - I also own Deere stock, just not much. One advantage to owning the stock, even one share, is that you get all the stockholder mailings and information just like the big boys do. I learned that from my insurance company COO father; he bought one share of stock in every competing company, just to keep up with information about the competition.

 

While we are mostly acquainted with cheap stuff from China, they have the ability to make quite good stuff too. We just never see it.

Dave

 

Sometimes we do get the good stuff. The issue is that you can't always tell which is which. Some stuff can look good but internally isn't good due to poor materials.

My brother works at a testing lab and at one point was testing wheels from China. They looked fine but didn't have the appropriate proof marks for sale in the US. He just mentioned it to the rep who said basically, "Show me a copy of the proof and the next set will be stamped." The marks weren't the point, it was the fact that the wheels hadn't been appropriately tested but that slid right by the rep.

 

Unfortunately the 'offshoring' ship sailed a long time ago. I lived through the electronics assembly business moving from US to Mexico, and then to China. Manufacturing moves to wherever labor costs are cheapest and I don't see it ever being reversed unless something really, really catastrophic happens - like that supply spigot gets turned off - in which case we are screwed. We got a glimpse of what that would be like during Covid, but I doubt we learned our lesson.

 

Unfortunately the 'offshoring' ship sailed a long time ago. I lived through the electronics assembly business moving from US to Mexico, and then to China. Manufacturing moves to wherever labor costs are cheapest and I don't see it ever being reversed unless something really, really catastrophic happens - like that supply spigot gets turned off - in which case we are screwed. We got a glimpse of what that would be like during Covid, but I doubt we learned ourlesson.

Roger that. The chip shortage doesn't seem to be fazing the economy.

Industrial labor wields little political clout so the jobs all disappeared one by one. As did much of the IT field.

The largest employers in most places are healthcare and schools. And retail. Not factories.

 

I work at a manufacturer in the tech industry. In my 42 yrs I've seen things shift from the US to Mexico, Europe, the Pacific rim... basically following the cheap labor. We have a sister location in Shanghai because that's where 90% of our product is consumed. In summer of 2019 we were informed our location here was to be shutdown at year end. My scheduled termination date was October. Talk about a shocker (and a huge slap in the face). That date got pushed to December, and then at Thanksgiving I was asked to stay until June '20. Then COVID hit. Our Shanghai facility was shut down from early February through April. In March of 2020 when the you-know-what hit the fan we were told we would be staying open "indefinitely" because the customer base was screaming for backup manufacturing outside of China.

We're a shell of what we were... about 1/3 the size we were in mid '19, but we're still going as support for Shanghai as well as some new business that the customers demanded be made in USA. Seems like, in our industry anyway, that companies are rethinking the China-only model they had been using. The corporation has seen huge growth in Mexico over the last year and it looks like Europe may once again join the party. Everyone thought India might be ready to take China's place but their COVID issues aren't helping their cause.

The point of all this is that there will be a softening of China's stranglehold on manufacturing. While it will likely never go away, it's growth should slow considerably.

I'm about 4-5 yrs from retirement so I'm hoping to ride this train until then.

 

I did vote accordingly. Unfortunately the election was rigged.

 

Let's not let this thread turn political. So far so good, but political discussions currently are not allowed, and will result in closing of the thread.

Carry on...

 

Let's not let this thread turn political. So far so good, but political discussions currently are not allowed, and will result in closing of the thread.

Carry on...

Heh.

 

I work for a Japanese company based in America and we make linear bearings, rotary screw bearings and link balls. We sell to the entire world and most CNC machines use our bearings.
Wife works next door at an axle manufacturer that makes product all over the world and ships it here to be assembled and then sells it world wide.
Very small world we live in now.

 

NSK I bet😁

 

John Deere, as well as every other global company, sees plenty of growth in markets outside the USA. It makes sense they would manufacture parts not only where they would be cheaper to make but also where they would be used. Another consideration is the effect tariffs and regulations on different products. And there have been some threads on here about companies’ inability to find workers in the US to make everything.

 

There are also tax advantages in that many countries tax on shore profits differently than money earned in other countries and brought back.

 

True but even if the Augusta and other US plants just assemble bits and pieces from all over the world, they're still providing jobs for Americans.

Better than some companies that build the whole product overseas and ship to dealers direct.

 

Just installed our 4th (Chinese made) Santa Fe dehumidifier. First one lasted 9 months. 2nd one didn't make enough water. 3rd one absolutely would not work, only the fan. 4th one now is making water. Was making lots of water on the floor of the utility room. Tested it there first.

Should have gone with US made Aprilaire. Think the SF used less amps and something else but not if I gotta be replacing it or replacing a bunch every 9 months. Should last 9+ years like a frig. Our present Whirlpool frig is 12 years and being replaced today.

 

I have had real good luck with GE kitchen appliances. I bought a GE Profile 26 cubic feet double door refrigerator in 2006 that is still running just fine 15 years later. So when I bought this place 7 years ago and rehabbed it, I put in all new GE appliances to match the frig. The ice maker on the frig had to be replaced within the first year, but no hiccups since then, including the new appliances 7 years ago.

Dave

 

Like most "brand name" appliances the only thing GE (or Westinghouse) on it is the name.

I'll mostly leave the political stuff aside and respect the moderator's ask. I lived and worked in China for a number of years, speak the language, etc. My real beef with products sourced from China, especially anything related to safety, is the complete lack of control over quality, lack of consistent quality control verification, and RAMPANT corruption which allows things like that to persist. I have seen first hand:

new cars that fold up like an accordion from hits that a Ford Fiesta would survive intact
melamine put into milk to fool tests checking for protein content and allowing farmers to water down the milk
(melamine...as in the plastic that is used to make counter tops...that milk found it's way into baby formula and killed children)
routine food safety issues that cause illnesses and death on a regular basis
etc...

All of that is enabled by a slavish cultural desire to make money and the very low likelihood of getting caught and punished. Government officials are often paid to look the other way.

What does that have to do with a loader mast? Not much. A simple cast iron part is straight forward enough that I wouldn't lose sleep worrying about it failing. But when it comes to safety components, medicine, aircraft parts, etc., China would be the LAST place I'd want my supply chain to source parts from. If these supply disruptions due to the pandemic have shown us anything, it's that much of the world has an extremely unhealthy reliance on China as a supplier (ignoring the politics). We used to make all that stuff here. Hopefully this is the wake-up call that companies needed to see how short-sighted offshoring critical manufacturing really is.

Hope that wasn't too preachy.

Best,

I think you stated it quite well without the finger pointing of partisan politics that often happens.

Even more worrisome is that not only do we have a huge trade deficit but a huge budget deficit and one country is the beneficiary of both of those US woes. They're both our supplier and our financier.

As I said earlier I don't ever see manufacturing coming back unless we can do it so cheaply here that locale doesn't matter. OR US wage earners demand those kind of jobs come back. Unlikely for reasons that wade into the cesspool of politics.

The only other route is/was tariffs and we don't have the economic or political stomach to wait out China and other low wage countries.

Sad, since those kind of smokestack industries built up places like Detroit. And Moline.

 

Quality should not be the main reason for whether we buy chinese products or not. It's the horrible regime we willingly accept and support. Let your conscience be your guide. This is not about politics either. It's about moral principles. If nothing else, think about who gave the world Covid.

 

Quality should not be the main reason for whether we buy chinese products or not. It's the horrible regime we willingly accept and support. Let your conscience be your guide.

I'll mostly leave the political stuff aside and respect the moderator's ask. I lived and worked in China for a number of years, speak the language, etc. My real beef with products sourced from China, especially anything related to safety, is the complete lack of control over quality, lack of consistent quality control verification, and RAMPANT corruption which allows things like that to persist. I have seen first hand:

new cars that fold up like an accordion from hits that a Ford Fiesta would survive intact
melamine put into milk to fool tests checking for protein content and allowing farmers to water down the milk
(melamine...as in the plastic that is used to make counter tops...that milk found it's way into baby formula and killed children)
routine food safety issues that cause illnesses and death on a regular basis
etc...

All of that is enabled by a slavish cultural desire to make money and the very low likelihood of getting caught and punished. Government officials are often paid to look the other way.

What does that have to do with a loader mast? Not much. A simple cast iron part is straight forward enough that I wouldn't lose sleep worrying about it failing. But when it comes to safety components, medicine, aircraft parts, etc., China would be the LAST place I'd want my supply chain to source parts from. If these supply disruptions due to the pandemic have shown us anything, it's that much of the world has an extremely unhealthy reliance on China as a supplier (ignoring the politics). We used to make all that stuff here. Hopefully this is the wake-up call that companies needed to see how short-sighted offshoring critical manufacturing really is.

Hope that wasn't too preachy.

Best,