JCB
UK-based JCB celebrated an anniversary in 2016 as well. It was 25 years since the first Fastrac ag tractor rolled off a production line in Great Britain in 1991. Before that the brand was only known for building light construction-related equipment. According to JCB executives, the limited production 4000 Series silver ag tractors were sold out very quickly after being made available to customers.
Photo: Scott Garvey
Case IH
Case IH celebrated 25 years of Patriot sprayer production with the fall release of limited-edition 4430 and 3340 models. In keeping with the silver anniversary theme, these sprayers get a unique red and silver livery. They come equipped with Michelin rubber, Raven Industries technology and Wilger COMBO-RATE nozzle bodies as standard equipment. The red brand also marked another anniversary in 2016: 20 years of Quadtrac tractor production. The company’s display at the U.S. Farm Progress Show included a blinged-up Quadtrac special anniversary edition tractor parked beside a pristine, 20-year old example of one of the first models ever to head out to a dealership. Case IH is building only 30 of the anniversary machines.
Photo: Scott Garvey
Versatile
We’ve shown you the Legendary Limited Edition Versatiles in the pages of Grainews before, but they’re worth another look. With a stop-you-in-your-tracks paint scheme, the original announcement was made very late in 2015 and orders were still being taken into early 2016. The keys for all 50 machines were presented to their owners at a special event just outside Winnipeg late last summer.
Photo: Scott Garvey
Case IH Patriot
Case IH released a limited number of 4430 and 3340 sprayers wearing a special paint scheme to celebrate the Patriot's 25 year production mark.
Photo: Case IH
You may have noticed an apparent contradiction in the title of this page. We’ve put this article under the “Classic Machinery” heading, yet this feature is all about models that appeared in 2016. No. It isn’t a mistake.
So, why did we do it?
We’re taking a quick look over our shoulder at what “special,” limited production machines were made available to farmers in 2016. Yes, we’re barely into 2017, but those machines now represent what might best be described as modern classics. Hence, the classic machinery heading.
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CNH plans for “more than 15 new tractor launches, 10 combine launches, 19 crop production launches and over 30 precision technology releases between now and the end of 2027.”
Eventually, the unique paint jobs and features on these limited production machines will make them rare and possibly highly sought after — at least for those with a big enough bank roll to consider something like a very-high horsepower tractor a collectable item. (Those of us with just a bookshelf to display collectibles will have to settle for scale models of them.)
Every year there are at least a couple of “special edition,” limited-production machines made available to buyers, and 2016 was no exception. Here’s a quick round up of what farmers could have parked in their garages if they wanted a really unique machine.
