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Inside AgRevolution: AGCO’s Bold Mobile Service Play Pledges ‘Farmers First’

Fri, 15 Nov 2024 20:54:58 GMT

Intent on building out a new dealer service strategy for its family of equipment brands, AGCO quietly approached equipment industry pro Stacy Anthony to see if he’d be willing to take on the reimagined dealer network’s CEO role.

The affable-yet-intense farm kid from Kansas was undoubtedly interested, but he wasn’t going to be an easy sell. Anthony recalls three non-negotiables he shared with AGCO executives before agreeing to put pen to paper and go all-in:

The project had to be “something different” than the traditional equipment dealer business model.
He wanted to take the repair and maintenance aspects of the dealer business “straight to the farm, and even to a farmer’s field.”
The new business model needed to embrace an “all makes mindset.”

AGCO president and CEO Eric Hansotia huddled his team of executives and eventually they agreed Anthony was the man for the job.

(Related - Planting A Flag: AGCO All-In On Mixed-Fleet Aftermarket Ag Tech)

A New Era of On-Farm Service
AgRevolution was officially launched in 2021, a time when the world was slowly but surely crawling out from underneath the soul-crushing weight of the COVID-19 pandemic. Fast forward three years and AgRevolution today features 13 dealer locations dispatching service technicians in shiny, well-appointed half ton pickups around the Ohio Valley region to diagnose and wrench on machines.

Anthony says roughly 90% of the jobs his service technicians undertake are finished either on-farm or right there in the farmer’s field. That age-old logistical nightmare of how to get this giant but currently inoperable machine several miles up the road to the nearest dealer shop, has been taken off the broad shoulders of the farmers who call on AgRevolution for repairs and service.

AgRevolution field service tech Steve Bowers uploads a firmware update to a customer’s Fendt 940 tractor on a farm just outside of Urbana, Ohio, in October.

(Matthew J. Grassi)

The concept got off to a shaky start though, not unlike most rookie campaigns. AGCO’s finance team projected the business would lose $1 million. Anthony and his team did what most farmers do in times of peril: they tightened their belts and focused on what they could do to effect positive change. It all eventually worked out and the AgRev team ended up flipping that dismal profit projection on its head, creating a surprise profit that most in the company didn’t think possible at the time.

Today, AgRevolution has invested $7-million-plus into a fleet of over 50 mobile service trucks, and the initiative just expanded into Ohio with five locations around the Buckeye State. Overall AgRevolution revenues are up 400% since year one, Anthony says, and revenues are up 49% from last year.

While it was his ideation that birthed this innovative service model, the humble Kansas native is quick to deflect credit to the guys in the AgRev hats out in the field everyday.

AgRev field service techs (above left) complete 90% of their tasks on-farm with a fleet of well-appointed mobile service trucks.

(AGCO/AgRevolution)

“Our service technicians and the relationships they have with farmers, that’s what has really helped us grow and expand,” Anthony says as we walk around AgRevolution’s newest location in Urbana, Ohio.

Even before its Nov. 1 grand opening, service technicians and sales pros out of the Urbana, Ohio, office were servicing local farmers’ machines for a couple months as they worked on getting the main office ready.

Going on a Service Call
Steve Bowers, a field service technician and Ohio farm kid, let Farm Journal tag along on a quick service call to get a feel for how it all worked. He says farmers in his community love the responsiveness and ease of doing business with AgRevolution, not to mention the fact that AgRev techs are brand agnostic: They’ll come out and fix your Fendt combine, or your Massey Ferguson tractor, and if you’ve got a broken down John Deere sprayer you can’t get to the local dealer, they’ll fix that, too.

The service call we witnessed was routine: Bowers needed to update the operating system on the farmer’s Fendt 940 tractor because the machine was having trouble maintaining connectivity. The adjustment handle on the cab air seat had also been broken off and needed replaced.

AgRevolution field service tech Steve Bowers let Farm Journal tag along as he diagnosed and repaired a couple minor issues on this Fendt 940 tractor.

(Matthew J. Grassi )

Bowers said he would order the new seat handle at the end of day, and it would show up either later that night or first thing the next morning at his house. With the part in hand, he can go straight to the customer’s farm to fix the seat before heading off on his service calls for the day. AgRevolution can also send larger parts straight to the farm so they’re waiting for Bowers when he arrives.

Hear It Straight From a Service Tech
We asked Bowers if there are repair jobs he prefers over others, as one would guess doing software updates might not rank very highly. Bowers said his favorite machines to work on are combines. Since there are so many moving parts and systems, it’s more of a brain stimulating challenge than some other jobs.

As we climbed out of the tractor cab after Bowers completed his work, Anthony didn’t mince words when asked what he thinks puts the “Rev” (think vroom vroom) behind the AgRevolution brand.

“It’s guys like Steve here, the guy wants to service a customer no matter what it takes, because he lives in this community and doesn’t want to leave a neighbor hanging,” Anthony says. “Before his service truck even arrived, I got a picture from one of the guys and it’s Steve out in a field standing on the roof of his wife’s minivan working on a combine.

“That’s the heart of what trust, commitment and resilience is, to do whatever you have to do at any cost to take care of the farmer,” he adds. “Guys like Steve help us build companies like this; you can’t do it without people like that and they’re highly, highly sought after.”

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Spare Change Saves the Day and Keeps A Sprayer in the Field

Fri, 08 Dec 2023 20:22:24 GMT

They’re called field-improvised solutions and tools (FISTs). Sometimes it’s necessary to do things that aren’t factory-approved or by-the-book to get crippled machinery moving again.

I’ve used FISTs that involve a come-along and a log chain to get a wing-fold planter into transport position for a trip to the shop. Log chains have played roles several times when dealing with crippled walking tandem axles on field cultivators.

Spare change from my pocket saved the day on another service call.

A hydraulic cylinder had failed on a folding spray boom. The customer happened to have a similar-sized cylinder in his shop, but it didn’t have machined orifices in its ports to control oil flow through the ¾-inch hoses that fed the cylinder. The uncontrolled oil flow made the wing flop like a turkey vulture trying to take off from a dead ‘coon in front of an oncoming Peterbilt.

I took a dime and a penny and drilled tiny holes in their centers. I clamped them in a vise and carefully used a portable grinder to reduce their diameter so they’d fit inside the flat-face hydraulic fittings where the hoses attached to the cylinder.

The repair worked so well the customer finished the spray season with the FIST orifices in place. When he finally installed the correct cylinder with orifices machined in the ports, he returned my 11 cents.

Did You Know? 5 Rounds of Tire Trivia

Mon, 19 Dec 2022 23:20:37 GMT

Many people ignore tires as long as they aren’t flat. Here are some facts to help tires stay round:

1. Tires exposed to the sun during long-term storage often develop a dusty brown coating. “We put chemicals in tires that reduce damage from exposure to sunlight and ozone,” says Greg Jones, with Firestone Agricultural. “That brownish coating is those chemicals coming to the surface, helping protect the tire. It’s actually better to leave that coating on the surface than to wipe it off. But we can only put so much of those protectants in the rubber. Eventually they get used up, and that’s when tires get hard and start to weather check.”

2. Tire “protectants/preservatives” are, for the most part, cosmetic. “I’ve never seen any product that actually soaks into the rubber enough to make a difference,” says Jeff Miller, with Trelleborg Wheel Systems. “Rubber doesn’t absorb anything well. Most products advertised as rubber preservatives just make tires look shiny and new.”

3. It’s normal for any tire to lose 2 psi of air pressure per month during storage. The slow leakage may be around or through a valve stem or from the bead area. Leave any tire unattended long enough and it will become under-inflated.

4. The biggest factor that influences the longevity of high-pressure semi-truck tires is air pressure. “Heat is the enemy of rubber,” says Miller. “Running a semi-truck tire even 5 psi lower than recommended creates excess heat in the tread and carcass that affects the tire’s life.”

5. In a report by tire re-treader Bandag, it was noted that “pinging” tires with a hammer or tire billy to check air pressure was as accurate as, “…checking the engine oil level by tapping the side of the oil pan.” Bandag recommends using an accurate air pressure gauge to keep tires within 2 psi of recommended pressure.

What's That Clanging in My Combine? Diagnosing Not-So-Funny Noises

Tue, 20 Sep 2022 05:02:41 GMT

You’re running your combine and hear the following sounds. Can you diagnose the cause?

The Sound: A “bam!” or “pop!” when engaging the separator or unloading system--followed by slow shaft speed warning buzzers going off in the cab.

The Cause: This sound is often the result of a shear bolt breaking on an auger or belt drive. Identify why the shear bolt broke before replacing it. If there is no obvious clog, slug, plug or obstruction to cause the shear bolt to break frequently, be suspicious that the holes in the hub or pulley are egged-out with enough freeplay to shear the bolt during normal operation.

The Sound: Rapid-fire rattling, the smell of burning rubber--and slow shaft speed warning buzzers going off.

The Cause: The rattle of a slip clutch is a familiar warning that some belt, conveyor, auger or other system is overloaded. Determine the cause of the overload. Don’t give up until you find the cause. Unless severely worn, slip clutches don’t lie.

The Sound: An increasing odor of burning rubber accompanied by a “whap-whap-whap” sound.

The Cause: It’s never a good thing to smell burning rubber on a combine because it’s usually from an overworked, over-heated drive belt. If the odor is accompanied by a “whap-whap-whap” sound, it means the belt has begun to de-laminate and strands of the belt are flailing against nearby machinery. Ignore the smell and sound long enough, and the sound of a slip clutch rattling will soon be added to the mechanical symphony.

The Sound: A clang-clang-grinding sound that’s only evident when the combine is running empty on end-rows.

The Cause: Augers with failed bearings make a clanging sound when they hit their housings. They may run silent when full of grain, but get noisy on end-rows when the combine empties out. Any unusual noises that appear on end-rows or when combines are running empty suggest significant problems that need to be diagnosed.

And finally, here’s a noise I heard in a combine cab that only took a few seconds to figure out. I was riding with the operator, and kept hearing a faint voice saying, “Hello? Hello?” There was a brief silence then a string of faint profanity, as the operator got cussed out for accidentally “butt dialing” his best friend.

Clogged Combines: The Damage Weeds Can Do to Machinery

Tue, 20 Sep 2022 05:01:53 GMT

Whether you call it slugged, plugged or wadded-up, a combine jammed with weeds or damp crop is enough to make a preacher cuss. Here are tips to minimize your frustration and downtime.

Clear the clog now. Damp weeds and crop material swell and get tighter the longer the machine sits. Waiting to clear the clog in the morning or after you get the grain trucks emptied only makes it worse.
Resist the temptation to hit it one more time, to see if it will clear on its own. If a threshing cylinder or rotor is plugged, at a minimum, fully open the concave before that Hail Mary attempt.
Aftermarket companies offer cheater bars, pulley hub adapters and other accessories to help unplug combines. Some manufacturers offer OEM tools and gadgets for unplugging their brand of machines. Check with the parts per-son or service manager at your dealership before harvest.
Appropriate tools make tough jobs easier. Grandpa used a pocket knife and a hay hook to unplug his combine, maybe a bean hook, too. (If you’ve ever walked beans, you’ll remember that tool with a 3" hooked blade on the end of a long handle.) Mechanics now use box cutters and battery-powered reciprocating saws to slice through the tangled mess.
Fractions of an inch count when unplugging a combine. Loosening the bearing mounting bolts for a cylinder or beater shaft can gain just enough clearance to drag out those first strands that lead to more strands. The same applies to loosening concaves, beater grates or housings associated with the clog.

KEEP CLOGS AT BAY

After the clog is cleared, investigate for damage that could lead to a replay:

Replace charred or cracked belts. Burnt belts might be narrowed in areas where pulleys or sheaves slipped. That will make the belt jump when it goes around a pulley and shake the entire machine.
If threshing quality is poor after clearing a plug, check the concave clearance and brackets. The torque of eating a wad or breaking loose a slug can tweak the adjustment of concave grates from side to side on conventional machines and from front to rear on rotor combines.

Read More
In The Shop: Tool Storage on Combines

Dan Anderson: Prep Combines for Storage

Dan Anderson: When is “Old and Used” Too “Old and Used”?

The Cost of Love: How to Avoid The Missing Ring Finger

Wed, 13 Jul 2022 20:32:38 GMT

How many of you know someone who has a mangled or missing ring-finger because his wedding band snagged on a piece of equipment? Many equipment dealerships prohibit their mechanics from wearing rings to prevent such all-too-common accidents.

If the symbolism of a wedding ring is important to you, there are alternatives.

A co-worker had a wedding ring tattooed on his ring finger. A good tattoo artist can incorporate gold ink and use shading to create a 3-D effect of an actual gold band at a cost of $100 to $300.

Silicone or “breakaway” wedding bands are another alternative. “ SafeRingz ” silicone wedding bands are an option for guys who like the idea of wearing a wedding band with reduced risk of injury. The silicone bands stretch or break away if they snag. SafeRingz come in a range of colors, including black, pewter and approximations of silver and gold.

You can find them and other “safety wedding bands” on the internet for around $20 to $30.

7 Tips to Rebuild Your Spray Pump

Wed, 13 Jul 2022 20:31:49 GMT

It’s not difficult to rebuild centrifugal spray pumps like the Hypro pumps used on many farms. But there are things that ease the process:

Before disassembly, use a center punch or scratch-all to mark both halves of the housing so you can maintain the correct orientation of the discharge port in relation to the pump’s mounts when you bolt the two halves back together.
A conventional seal kit provides the basics to rebuild a pump: ceramic seal, gaskets and o-rings. It’s not a bad idea to replace the impeller at the same time, especially plastic impellers. The narrow little vanes inside plastic impellers wear at their tips. Also, the tapered nose of the impeller where it fits into the flare of the inflow housing must be a close fit. Damage or wear to that nose can impair the pump’s performance.
The fast way to remove the old ceramic seal is to break it with a punch then remove the pieces. Be careful when prying out the fragmented ceramic seal to not mar the surface where that seal sits in the relatively soft cast iron housing. Ceramic, especially the sharp edges of broken ceramic pieces, is harder than cast iron.
Follow instructions included with the seal kit about whether to assemble the ceramic seal “dry” or to use light oil between the lapped (super-smooth) surfaces. Don’t guess—depending on manufacturer and design, it must be either completely clean and dry, or lubed.
Lube all rubber O-rings with petroleum jelly or white grease to reduce chances of damage during assembly.
Do not over-torque the acorn nut that attaches the impeller to the drive shaft. Ten to fifteen lb./ft. is usually enough. Blue Loctite isn’t a bad idea.
Final tip: to minimize future leaks due to corrosion, grease the threads of the small square-head air-bleed bolts before installing them in the cast iron housing.