He Specializes In Everything "Steiger"

He Specializes In Everything "Steiger" TRACTORS Miscellaneous 24-5-25 Steiger tractors probably never had a more devoted fan than John Beery of Bement, Ill., who salvages, reconditions, overhauls, repowers, and also leases out Steiger tractors. He has been at it since 1978. Beery has never advertised his services, but he has done work for Steiger owners in Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Missouri, and Michigan. "As far as I know, no one else specializes in servicing only Steiger tractors," says Beery. "A lot of smaller farmers can't justify the cost of a big new 4-WD tractor. I'm doing everything I can to help my customers keep their old Steigers instead of buying an expensive new machine." He emphasizes that, like farming, his is a family business. "My wife does the bookkeeping and parts running, and even goes with me on service calls. My daughter does the office work, and my son works in the shop with me. "There are way more Steiger tractors out there than most people think," says Beery. "If I had to compare them to any other tractor it would be the old two-lunger John Deere. Farmers get attached to them. They're built tough and have a lot of brute strength horsepower. They're also designed as æcomponent tractors' which makes them relatively easy to work on." Beery has built up an extensive supply of Steiger engines and parts by buying up burned out or otherwise wrecked Steigers. "My salvage parts cost only about half as much as new parts and can often extend the life of a tractor for another 10 years. Why put new, expensive parts into a 25-year-old tractor when used ones will do just as good a job?" he asks. Beery says the Steiger Bearcat, Cougar, and Panther all use the same frame. "We boost power on one of the smaller models by equipping it with a bigger engine. In effect, we can convert a Bearcat or Cougar into a Panther. We can also take out any engine and put in a 3406 Caterpillar engine. In some cases I've taken out V-8 Cummins engines, because the customer said they were too noisy and vibrated too much, and replaced them with 6-cylinder models." When FARM SHOW visited Beery, he was beginning the complete refurbishing of an ST 310 Steiger Panther for a farmer from Francisville, Ind. The tractor's 855 Cummins 6-cyl. engine had developed a bad rod bearing. Beery pulled the engine and installed a new crankshaft and also did a complete bare block overhaul. Then he split the tractor in the middle and put in new pivot points. The tractor also got a new cab interior. "All of this will add at least 10 years of new life to the tractor, at a cost of only about $15,000," says Beery. He often uses a service truck to go out to the farm and make repairs in the farmer's shop, saving the time it would otherwise take to haul the tractor back and forth to his shop. Otherwise he uses a semi trailer to haul tractors to his shop for repairs. While the tractors are being repaired, customers can lease a Steiger from Beery at a below-market rate of $35 per hour with no minimum hours. Farmers û even those who don't already own a Steiger - can also reserve a leased tractor for an entire season with a 75-hour minimum. "Most implement dealers charge $70 per hour to lease a big 4-WD Steiger and require a 150 hour minimum, which adds up to too much money for many smaller farmers," says Beery. "I can lease a 350 hp tractor for only $35 per hour if the farmer agrees to keep it for a complete season, and I require only a 75 hour minimum. As a result the farmer might spend only about $2,000 for a leased tractor to finish out the season, instead of $5,000 if they leased from their local implement dealer." He even leases some tractors equipped with snow plow blades. Beery got started with Steigers back in the 1970s when he was injured in a motorcycle accident and went to work repairing Steigers for a Steiger dealer. In 1986, the year Tenneco bought out Steiger, Beery bought out his employer's business, including the shop equipment as well as the contract from Steiger for warranty and parts. In the fall of 1987 Tenneco cut all con

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