USED MACHINERY: Sold through John Deere dealers since 2017, the number of Kramer handlers sold year on year has strengthened, with a good range of used models on offer.
John Deere is no stranger to the telescopic handler market; the company started with a tie up with Matbro in the mid-90s with the company subsequently buying the design rights to build its own handler range in 1998. Deere subsequently moved its telehandler production to Zweibrucken in Germany, in-house handler production ending in 2006. This move coincided with Claas deciding to enter a manufacturing agreement with Kramer to build its hydrostatic drive Scorpion models, these replacing its predecessor Claas Targo (see profi used machinery 07-08/06 , 01/11 and 04/20 for more info on these). John Deere perhaps recalled having got its fingers more than a little burnt with their initial telehandler offerings, possibly explaining why a marketing agreement to sell Kramer ‘green line’ agricultural equipment through its dealers is preferable to selling Deere liveried kit made by Kramer. Whatever the case, John Deere dealers have taken up the incentive to sell Kramer kit and done well out of it too.
To prevent confusion, it is worth noting that there remain independent Kramer dealers. These will sell Kramer ‘yellow’ finish models specified to meet the demands of the construction/industrial sector. They will typically have a specification to suit different sets of handling demands and are not an alternative to ‘green line’ handlers.
The initial Kramer range sold through John Deere dealers broadly followed equivalent Claas Scorpion models, albeit with detail spec differences and a modified model offering (see tables). Claas dealers continue to support the previous Kramer built Claas Scorpion models.
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