Gleaner L Combine Back On The Market

Gleaner L Combine back on the Market COMBINES Miscellaneous 14-5-32 One of the most popular conventional combines ever built is back on the market thanks to a Mexican manufacturer who bought the license rights to the Gleaner L-Series and is now marketing a new L-4 model in the U.S. and Canada. Built in San Luis Potosi, Mexico, the L-4 is a continuation of Allis Chalmers' popular L-series combine which was a big seller until the Gleaner rotaries were introduced in the 1980's. "L-series conventional combines were sold in the U.S. and Canada from 1972 through 1985. In the late 1970's, the L-2 model had 40% of the U.S. combine market," says Darold Swenson, Canadian distributor. "The combines originally were made at the Allis Chalmers plant in Independence, Missouri. In 1985 the Missouri factory, under Deutz-Allis ownership, stopped making the model to promote the company's rotary combines. Since then no L-series models have been available in the U.S. or Canada." In 1980, A.C. Mexicana, a joint venture corporate partner with Allis Chalmers since 1963 but now totally Mexican-owned, acquired the marketing and licensing rights for the L-series and started making them for the Latin American market. In 1985 A.C. Mexicana bought total control of the marketing and licensing rights to the L-series combines: Due to the interest and demand for the combines they recently introduced an improved 1990 L-4 combine for export to the U.S., Canada, and other countries. According to Swenson, the L-4 model is less expensive than any other comparable size conventional combine on the market due to the low cost of Mexican labor. It offers improvements over the previous L-3 model including a Cummins 6BTA 5.9C 177 hp turbocharged, intercooled engine (20 more hp than the L-3 model), a heavier duty final drive, heavier duty rear axle and spindles, heavier front axle assembly, heavier gauge steel in the main frame assembly, heavier rear deck and ladder, heavier engine drive, and 100% heavier main threshing clutch shaft. All moving and service parts are the same as the late L-3's. Suggested retail price is $115,000 in Canada and $98,000 in the U.S. Swenson, who's the distributor for both the U.S. and Canada, has set up dealers in North Dakota and Montana and is looking for more. For more information, contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Darold Swenson, Swenson, Inc., Box 1030, Preeceville, Sask., Canada SOA 3B0 (ph 306 547-2260 or 306 547-2125).

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