Thoughts on the 2013 Britains model range.

[Steve P]

Some interesting points in this thread, personally i am a big Britains fan and i collect both obsolete and current models. I think the company has come a long way when i compare a model made in the 1980s/90s to one of there more up to date relaeses, the build quality and accuarcy is much much better today though they are still available at a reasonable price, it is true that other firms make better products but they tend to be much more expensive to purchase.

 My Britains Ford 7600 and Universal Hobbies Ford 7810 are currently parked next to one another in my display cabinet and in my opinion they look good together and it takes a very close look to see the UH model is slightly better detailed, my 7600 cost £17.99p while the 7810 cost £28.99p so i think Britains models are still very good value for money.

 I find the current Britains range ok though i would agree a more diverse selection of models would be nice, saying that i have always thought this. When i was a child i was amazed as to why Britains made models like Volvo BMs and Duetz-Fahr, machines i hardly ever seen working on farms around my neck of the woods back then but they never made a Leyland, David Brown, International or even a John Deere, machines i watched almost every day, so one could imagine my amazement when the Same Galaxy, Lamborghini and Landini was realesed, tractors i had never seen before. So i think the answer is Britains cannot please everyone they never have and never will, but they have done a pretty good job in pleasing most people during there long history producing decent quality, no thrills models that are fairly cheap to buy and do not look too far out of place when compard with there more costly competiters.. Keep up the good work Britains..

 PS.

 I do have one little complaint about Britains though, i think the company should tighten up a little in there quality control procedueres, when i purchased a International 956XL i noticed the red centres in the front wheels was missing and when opening my New Holland T.9 670 a few weeks ago i noiticed one of the rear tyres was on the wrong way round, such silly little mistakes but these mistakes can give a company a bad reputation, Britains just take a little bit more care as these silly mistakes are avoidable..

Edited January 4, 2013 by Steve P

[ChristianMatthiesen]

@Steve (#26): In the 1950’s and, for some part, in the 1960’s the British economy was, despite the problems caused by World War II, in good shape, leaving the unemployment rates at times around 1 %. Britains had their attention to the home market in these years, thereby making the Fordsons, Fords and Massey Fergusons the first model tractors to be produced by Britains. In 1973 England, together with Denmark, joined EEC while holding an unemployment rate around 3 %. That same year the oil crisis hit and, combined with other things, weakened the British economy. With the entry into EEC, English companies gained the opportunity of exporting to EEC-countries without paying tariff. With a national economy in the defensive, while Germany was experiencing their “Wirtschaftwunderâ€, Britains saw exporting, as they did before the war – especially during the economic crisis in the 1930’s – as a way to keep the company growing. Of the same reason 1978 saw the introduction of the Deutz DX 110 especially market for Germany, thus breaking Ford’s and Massey Ferguson’s monopoly on Britains models, 1979 the Fiat 880DT for the Italian market (though Fiat had a large export in both agricultural machinery and cars, thus making them attractive in other markets as well) and 1980 the Volvo 2654 for the Scandinavian market. Thereby had a cultural change within the farm line been founded that would last for almost thirty years. The reason, why they never made a John Deere model before the 5410 (you can see by the Corn King that they was flirting with the thought), was, that they did not hold the necessary license, as ERTL had that right exclusively.

 

I agree that it is unfortunately impossible to please all. However, if they kept the tradition from the 1970’s, 1980’s and 1990’s and kept a few European brands (perhaps Valtra and Deutz or Fendt) and made a John Deere less every third year, I think they could reach a larger customer basis. However, I do not study business, so that last part is pure homespun philosophy.

 

Post scriptum: I am very pleased you like the new Ford 7600, I am a big fan as well. 

[Deere-est]

Christian, thanks for your indepth repliea in your topic. It is pleasing to see you acknowledge all those replies by other members here who have all each made such good replies here.

[farmmodelconversions]

britians models are getting better year on year just watt i think for watt its worth

[farmmodelconversions]

list of ideas  for new models is good but it all comes down to getting licens to make the models and britians and a like will only make and go for models that thay think will see in large numbers ie the intended run for each model made at the end of the day it all comes down to money or i should say profit