U.S. Tractor, Combine Sales Continue To Soften

According to the Association of Equipment Manufacturers' monthly "Flash Report," the sales of all tractors in the U.S. for October 2009 were down 30.3% compared to the same month last year.

For the year 2009, a total of 136,017 tractors were sold, which compares to 176,204 sold through October 2008.

For the month, two-wheel-drive smaller tractors (Under 40 HP) were down 24%, while 40 & under 100 HP were down 41%. Sales of two-wheel-drive 100+ HP were down 26% from last year, and four-wheel-drive tractors were down 23% for the month.

For the year 2009, two-wheel drive smaller tractors (Under 40 HP) were down 21% from last year, while 40 & under 100 HP were down 30%. Sales of two-wheel drive 100+ HP were down 14.5%, while four-wheel-drive tractors were up 0.8% for the year.