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).
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.