US tractor and combine harvester sales reports show that all machine categories recorded “year-to-date growth as 2018 closed out”.
That’s according to the most recent report from the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM).
Source: Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM)
The latest report shows that 154,994 new tractors in the under-40hp category were sold in the US last year. That was up 9.2% on the figure for 2017 (141,913).
60,163 new tractors in the 40-100hp category were sold. That was up 1.5% on the figure for 2017 (59,249).
Meanwhile, 17,958 new tractors were sold in the 100hp-and-over category. That was up 5.5% on the figure for 2017 (17,016).
Big, articulated tractors
Looking at 4WD tractors, 2,741 new tractors were sold last year. That was up 12.9% on the figure for 2017 (2,427).
Bear in mind that, in the US (in this context), the term ‘4WD tractor’ refers to big, articulated-chassis, equal-sized wheel tractors.
Combine harvesters sales
4,849 new (self-propelled) combine harvesters were sold in the US last year, according to the AEM. That was up 18.2% on the figure for 2017 (4,104).
“2018 was a solid year for equipment sales, despite a weak overall farm economy and lingering trade issues,” said Curt Blades, AEM senior vice president (for the agricultural division) for AEM.
“As we look at 2019, we’re still seeing a lot of uncertainty related to the administration’s efforts to reset global trade parameters. We’re also watching some uncertainty with the stock market, which could indicate a potential slowing economy.
As a whole, we remain optimistic that the replacement market for large equipment will continue through 2019, and that the small tractor market will continue to be a bright spot on overall sales numbers.
The AEM ‘Ag Tractor and Combine Report’ is derived from member companies through proprietary statistical reporting programs.
The data is provided by AEM members; it represents preliminary retail sales of agricultural equipment.