DlO—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, July 24,1982
Metric in farm machinery inevitable, says Deere manager
HERSHEY - "The change to
metric is inevitable,” announced
John A. Conrads, manager of
Technical Service for Deere and
Company of Moline, Illinois.
Conrads was addressing a group of
state agricultural marketing of
ficials here at the Convention
Center on Monday.
Speaking for Deere, Conrads
described the conversion of farm
machinery from the American
standard measure to metric as an
"evolutionary process,” necessary
in order for the United States to
remain competitive in the in
ternational marketplace.
Deere introduced a complete
moldboard plow line that is all
metric three years ago, said
Conrads. The only thing that isn’t
metric, he smiled, is the tail wheel.
Changing over to the metric
measure has not cost Deere any
Knight bull
PLAIN CITY, Oh. - Woodbine
Ellas Incredible-ET, a young bull
bred by George 111, Paul, Cynthia
& James Knight, Airville, has been
chosen to enter Select Sires
Program for Genetic Ad
vancement (PGA) sire sampling
system.
Based oq his outstanding
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designated a Super Sampler and
his semen is now available to all
Holstein breeders. Incredible is
one of very few Holstein bulls from
throughout the United States to be
selected as a Super Sampler in
1982.
Northcroft Ella Elevation is the
world-famous dam of Incredible.
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additional money, reported
Conrads, who qualified his
statement by pointing out the
switch to metric was done at the
same time the model was
redesigned and retooled.
What about the cost to the far
mer? According to Conrads, the
only expense a farmer might have
is about $lOO for a new set of tools.
Chuckling, he added most
farmers already have "metric”
crescent wrenches.
Are there any cost savings as a
result of metric measure in farm
machinery? Conrads said "yes,”
citing a $380,000 saving on com
bines realized by Deere when they
converted to metric sheet metal in
constructing the gram gobblers.
Because of the metric sheet
metal’s thickness and size,
Conrads reported there was less
waste.
to Select Sires
An “Elevation” daughter, she is
scored Excellent (97-2 E), and
Excellent on mammary. Along
with being named All-American
and All Canadian Aged Cow in
1981, she has several records over
32,000 of milk and 1,100 of fat. Her
best record was made at five
years, nine months with 44,143 of
milk, 1,696 of fat in 365 days. Ella
has an index of +2,968 of milk and
+ll2 of fat.
Incredible was bred to have a
concentration of “Elevation”
blood. His sire is an “Elevation”
son, Marsfield Elevation Tony.
Mars is the “Elevation” son that
Select feels will compliment Ella
most.
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Along with plows and combines,
Deere is incorporating metrics into
its 953 cubic inch diesel V-8 engine,
used in large tractors and earth
moving equipment
Presently, Deere has what
Conrads termed “dual capability”
m 90 percent of its farm machinery
and in 90 percent of its factories.
Conrads explained dual capability
means the ability to change from
American standard measure to
metric “by flipping a switch" a
machine is manufactured with
both inch and metric dimensions. -
When will Deere lake the plunge
and throw away its old thirteen
sixteenths socket wrenches
forever? “Only when it becomes
reasonable, both in time andcost,”
answered Conrads.
Deere is not the only farm
machinery company heading
toward metrics, said Conrads,
adding most of the major com
petition is making comparable
changes. “Ail the international
compames are hurting staying
with the inch system," he said.
Conrads explained that although
75 percent of Deere’s machinery
sales are within the boundaries of
North America, 25 percent are in
the world market. These foreign
sales, which demand metric
machinery, represent ?l*/2 billion
which would be lost if the change to
metric wasn’t made.
Conrads stressed the European
Economic Community already has
threatened to enforce old laws that
stipulate no non-metric products
can be imported mto Us member
countries.
Speaking from experience,
Conrads added U.S. companies
HONDA.
I Jfcwjoy, TtorUoy,, Frifry 'til t:3O ■ Timfcy, Wwhw4»y, SOwiny 'til fcOO
must learn to "do what the market of tractor the European market
wants.” He referred to the $l5O wanted. |T“
million lost by Deere before the "Companies can’t afford to
comp ' learned to make the type wait,’ ’ Conrads concluded.
' Deere’s John Conrads claims metrics is “inevitable" for
farm machinery manufacturers if they want to remain
competitive in the world marketplace. He wasjspeaking to the
National Agricultural Marketing Officials in Hershey on
Monday.
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