Gleaner's Future: Will the Brand make it's 100th ?

Now with Kevin Bien sadly no longer with us, I wonder how much longer the Gleaner combine brand will be around? I know they seem to have a good guy in place right now at AGCO that took over for Kevin, but I am not sure weather Gleaner will make it to it's 100th anniversary or not.

Used to be A LOT of Gleaner combines around our area, L2's, F2's, K2's F's, K's, and "G's, a few C2's and A's. The N series were not that popular in our area. There seemed to be a few R2 series Gleaner's around. R42's and R52's seemed to be the popular sized Gleaner's with a few R62's around. I have seen a few R5 series Gleaner's and a few S series Gleaners, but 90% of the farmers up here are either DEERE or Case IH. Personally think the Gleaner is the better combine out of the other two brands, but no one gives them a chance and everyone goes Red or Green. Don't think AGCO really cares what happens to the Brand, and it's pretty much in a bad spot with in AGCO Corp.

So do you think the Gleaner Brand will be phased out within the next 5 years? Repainted MF Red, and sold as a MF in North America? Or perhaps we will see a Class 9 Transverse Rotary Gleaner in the future, etc.. S99?

I like the Gleaner combine brand, but I think the writing is on the wall, and I really hate saying that.

Kevin was the only one who pushed the brand. Without anyone pushing the brand like he did it will surely fail with the poor exectutives of the company. I suspect they will paint them red and stick massey on them like they do everything else.
Its a shame to watch them put a Fendt cab with all the newer more complex electronic screens and controls. What they had worked good for many years. Plus the comebines are barely silver anymore, they are grey like its future. A Gleaner should be galvanised even if its painted silver over it. Long live the silver fleet.

I think Gleaner will definitely make 100, probably more. Yes, Kevin definitely was the driving force behind the brand, and I think his hard work has made enough of a difference that Gleaner is fairly safe. They definitely haven't been pushing the Challenger combines any at all, and yes they do make them still. Any of their promotions, they mentioned Gleaner and Massey. Don't forget that Mr. Schleder (took Kevin's place) is marketing manager for all AGCO combines in the US, not just Gleaner. He is promoting the Gleaner WAY more than the others. I went to the Hesston plant on Google maps and counted the colors of combines out on their lot. There were 68 Gleaners, 36 Masseys, and 8 Challengers. They would be mentally unstable to get rid of the Gleaner. I may get shot for this, but I would buy the Gleaner transverse rotor in whatever color they make 'em in if it comes to that.

Gleaner L IV's were made in Mexico years ago. Cuba is reproducing the mighty AC G. And now, China has bought 100 or so Gleaner S series combines. Hmmmm.

JarrodACFan wrote: I think Gleaner will definitely make 100, probably more. Yes, Kevin definitely was the driving force behind the brand, and I think his hard work has made enough of a difference that Gleaner is fairly safe. They definitely haven't been pushing the Challenger combines any at all, and yes they do make them still. Any of their promotions, they mentioned Gleaner and Massey. Don't forget that Mr. Schleder (took Kevin's place) is marketing manager for all AGCO combines in the US, not just Gleaner. He is promoting the Gleaner WAY more than the others. I went to the Hesston plant on Google maps and counted the colors of combines out on their lot. There were 68 Gleaners, 36 Masseys, and 8 Challengers. They would be mentally unstable to get rid of the Gleaner. I may get shot for this, but I would buy the Gleaner transverse rotor in whatever color they make 'em in if it comes to that.

I would say that would be a pretty good indication on the numbers they sell. Compared to the others. But remember you have a company that owns Gleaner like a 4th cousin at a reunion.

shameless (ne) wrote: when will the 100th year be?

   

2023 will be the 100th anniversary of Gleaner. 2018 will be the 95th Anniversary of the brand. Will be interesting to see if Gleaner does anything next year for the 95th anniversary.   

Orange Blood wrote: When was the last time you could buy a new Rumley part from Allis?

Gleaner is the majority production over mf... there is a new combine on the way - huge- rumors say it is a Claas clone.  The catch 22 on the Gleaner is the cost - stainless and chrome not found in competitors are the reason so much thru put can be had at such a low cost to run.  Add to that cost of scale... The gleaner is still  a chunk of cash to Agco. As stated the smaller R55 might be a bright spot for overseas sales as it is a hill side unit at no additional cost.   Agco has a super high tech plant in China,,,, do some creative thinking... 

Here is a story I have heard before, can't exactly remember where. When they came out with the A series Gleaners in the mid 2000's, the long term plan was to do away with the transverse rotor combine (R series) and have one AGCO combine painted 3 colors. They sold some of the axial Massey copies, but not as many as the transverse. Kevin talked AGCO into working to develop and improve the transverse machine, and the S series was born. I think if they were really in the mood to axe the transverse they would have done it when they had the chance earlier. Now, I am not saying that they never will, but the Super Series has been enough of a success that I think the S series is safe for a while yet.

victoryallis wrote: Nothing is impossible.   They were dumb enough drop orange tractors in the US.   Someone has a hard on for the MF paint and stickers.

I would like to take this opportunity to put a plug in for Gleaner. When i was 14, my dad bought a gleaner a2. That was 1967. I spent a lot of hours in that combine. It had an allis built g230 cubic inch engine. That was an excellent engine. I remember having cold feet all day long because there was no heater in the cab. Then dad bought an F in about 1974, and an F2 in 1979 i think. The F2 had the diesel engine, and i could combine the best soybeans we could grow on 9 tenths of a gallon of fuel per acre. I don't think there is a combine on the market today that can even come close to that. In corn, fuel consumption was closer to 1.25 gal. per acre. We had problems with capacity in soybeans with the  rotaries. But today, we drive an S67, and i can say that Gleaner is so much better that it used to be. Our dealer took the wedge shape out of the feeder house for us, and that made a combine out of it, as far as soybeans goes. I don't know why it took them 25 years to figure that out. For it's size, a gleaner will out harvest anything out there. My son in law is a combine mechanic for Case IH. When i walk around the machines he works on,i am amazed at how big they are, it almost seems impractical anymore. The Fendt combine is a monstrosity too. I would hate to have to work on one. I think dealer preference and location, or lack of it might have something to do with the downturn also, but who knows really.