by Jason Hasert

Buhler-Versatile Tractors

Short line tractors and implements were the big news in 1/64 for June 2004.   Short line farm equipment are brands that specialize on a particular type of product.  Full line brands a big companies like Case-New Holland, John Deere and AGCO that offer tractors, combines, tillage, seeding, hay and forage equipment. 

This month "What is Hot in 64th" will look at some of the newest farm toys from short line companies.  The new items include Buhler-Versatile tractors, a Frontier gravity wagon and dairy farm implements from H&S.   Short line farm toys open up a new range of pieces to collect or add to a farm display.

Buhler-Versatile:  On May 15, 1999 the farm equipment world was surprised by the merger of CaseIH and New Holland.  When the two brands merged they formed the world's largest equipment manufacturer.   The new company's product lines were so expansive that under United States monopoly laws, certain lines had to be sold by Case-New Holland before the merger could be completed.  CaseIH's large horse power tractors the Steiger and Magnum competed with New Holland's  Versatile and Genesis tractors.  The monopoly laws forced Case-New Holland to divest one the tractor lines to comply.  In 2001 Case-New Holland sold the Versatile and Genesis tractor lines to Buhler.  New Holland replaced the tractors with the TJ 4wd line based on the CaseIH Steiger platform and the TG 2wd line with the CaseIH Magnum platform.

When Buhler took over the Versatile they returned to the brands traditional colors.  New Holland blue was replaced by red and yellow.  The Buhler tractors are a proven product and have become a farmer favorite over the past few years.  The Buhler-Versatile tractors offer powerful farming options at a lower entry price than the big brands. 

Collectors have been asking since the introduction of the Buhler-Versatile brand when the toys would be out.  The answer has come from Ertl and Scale Models.   Buhler has licensed both toy makers to produce a small run of Buhler-Versatiles.  Ertl has produced the Genesis tractor in 1/64 and 1/32 from past New Holland castings and Scale Models has produced the Versatile 4wd using  their past New Holland 4wd casting.  Buhler requested that the toys come with a decal set to allow the collector to decal the tractor with their favorite model number.  

The Buhler-Versatile toys have been produced in a small production run by both Ertl and Scale Models.  A total of 2,000 Buhler-Versatiles have been produced.  This model may become scarce.  Buhler has sold 500 to VanKley Farm Toys and 1,500 were be distributed through Canadian Buhler dealers.   If you would like to order either the 1/32, 1/64 Genesis or the 1/64 Versatile visit: http://www.vankleyfarmtoys.com .  Ertl will release a similar small run of 1/32 Buhler-Versatile 4wds at the end of July.  There will be two model options.  One 4wd will have triples and the other will have duals.  Both will have full model number decal sets to create your favorite horse power size.

1/64 Buhler-Versatile Genesis by Ertl

1/64 New Holland 8870 Genesis and Buhler-Versatile Genesis 

1/64 Genesis:  The 1/64 Buhler Versatile Genesis models come in a box with decals for you to make it one of these models: 2145, 2160, 2180, or 2210.  The box is a simple white box with no Buhler markings and only an Ertl stock number.  The Genesis is a fwa model with single wheels.   This model matches up to the New Holland Genesis 8870 that Ertl first introduced in 1995.  If Ertl has the opportunity to produce another run of the Genesis tractor a model with duals all around would be a good modern variation. The Buhler model comes pre-decaled with a grill sticker bearing the Versatile V logo.  When you open the box the model number decals are inside to add to the tractor.

1/64 Buhler-Versatile 4wd by Scale Models

1/64 New Holland 9882  and Buhler-Versatile

1/64 Versatile: Scale Models is producing the 1/64 Buhler Versatile 4WD with duals.  This model comes  in a box with decals for you to make it one of these models: 2290, 2335, 2360, 2375, 2425.  Like the Ertl Genesis the Scale Models 4wd is pre-decaled with a grill sticker.  The Scale Models box is also a closed white package.  It does have a large Buhler-Versatile decal.

1/32 Buhler-Versatile Genesis by Ertl

Buhler-Versatile Genesis with fwa and row crop duals

Super-Steer is a nice extra feature

Genesis with box

1/32 Genesis:  During the 1990's Ertl also produced a 1/32 New Holland Genesis.  The tooling has been brought back. Like the 1/64 model the 1/32 replica comes with decals to create models: 2145, 2160, 2180, or 2210.  The 1/32 model has fwa and rear duals.  A nice update over the past New Holland version is the rear duals.  Ertl in the past always placed the duals tightly together.   The new Buhler-Versatile model has row crop spacing between the duals.  The 1/32 model is packaged in the plain white box bearing only a stock number.  

1/64 scale Frontier gravity wagon by Ertl

Fronteir Gravity Wagon:  Ertl released the Frontier gravity wagon in late May.  Collectors have been fairly quite about this model.  It is the Ertl gravity wagon casting that dates back to the early 1980s.  This new wagon is one of the few that Ertl has ever decaled.  It has Frontier decals and is the first wagon to have hazard lights and a slow moving vehicle triangle decal.  It is a nice variation for collectors a displayers a like.

Extra decals include hazard lights and a smv decals

Frontier is a short line brand that was created by John Deere to market chore equipment like wagons, manure spreaders, mowers, snow blowers and blades.   The next piece of  Frontier equipment from Ertl will be an 850 bu. grain cart.  The Frontier grain cart is built for John Deere by J&M.  Bill Walters from Ertl has told us that Ertl will offer the carts in 1/32 and 1/64.  In late fall 2004 Ertl will release three variations of the 1/32 cart.  There will be a Frontier green version with Frontier decals,  a red J&M cart with J&M decals sold at CaseIH dealers and a blue cart with J&M decals sold at New Holland dealers.  Their will be matching 1/64 models that will replace the old John Deere 500 cart.  CaseIH has already announced that the 1/64 J&M grain cart will be sold in a set with a CaseIH STX 375 Steiger.

1/64 J&M Grain Cart

1/64 scale H&S manure spreader by Ertl

H&S Dairy Equipment: From its beginning, the dairy farm industry has always been H&S's most important market. In 1968, there were 14 manufacturers making forage boxes for the dairy industry, though today that number has dropped to five. In 1968, H&S was the newest manufacturer of that group, while today H&S sets the standard for the industry and dominates the market.  Manure spreaders are another major product H&S supplies to the dairy industry, and H&S manure spreaders have become a dominant player in this market as well. Indeed H&S manure spreaders are used on dairy farms as far away as Korea and Japan.  Ertl has just released a 1/64 H&S Forage Wagon and Manure Spreader.  The spreader and wagon are both tooled from older John Deere castings.  The John Deere hydra-push spreader and forage wagon tooling were used but with H&S paint graphics and decals these 1/64 models have a whole new look.

1/64 scale H&S forage wagon

Short lines are a big part of the farm equipment industry.  Ertl and Scale Models have done a nice job in dressing up some past products with new paint.  Many collectors hope that additional short line products are produced in 1/64.  

You can learn more about the short line brands reviewed this month visit their websites:

Buhler-Versatile at http://www.buhler.com

Frontier at http://www.deere.com/en_US/ProductCatalog/FT/landingpage/FT_LandingPage.html

H&S at http://www.hsmfgco.com

TTT June 2004 Page 9

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