An Ode To SpraCoupe Style
AGCO will soon cease production of its SpraCoupe self-propelled sprayers. In memory, CropLife IRON pays tribute to this industry favorite brand.
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The SpraCoupe Old No. 1
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A SpraCoupe from the early 2000s, in white colors.
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A SpraCoupe sprayer at the AGCO assembly plant in Jackson, MN.
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A SpraCoupe 4000 Series in orange colors.
This May, the last SpraCoupe self-propelled sprayer will roll off the assembly line at one of AGCO Corp.’s production facilities. For a brand that dates its history back to 1961, this will mark the end of an era.
For the past 50 years, the SpraCoupe brand has served growers who wanted smaller professional-grade self-propelled application equipment for applying fertilizer and crop protection products on their own. However, in recent years, the North American customer base for this segment has been shrinking, reflecting fewer, smaller farms and a growing number of larger farming operations, fueling demand for larger, more productive machines.
In addition to diminishing demand, says the company, new EPA regulations and the cost for Tier 4 engine compliance have made it impractical to continue the SpraCoupe brand after the 2013 model year. This includes the models 4460, 4660, 7460 and 7660.
The End Of The Line
“Our SpraCoupe brand has enjoyed a proud, 50-year heritage of serving farmers’ application needs, and we thank our customers for their confidence in our quality AGCO products,” said Mark Sharitz, AGCO’s marketing director for application equipment. “This was a difficult decision, but a necessary step for AGCO to maintain its leading position in the application industry.”
But this won’t be the end of SpraCoupe completely, he added. AGCO will continue to manufacture SpraCoupe parts, which will remain available to customers along with professional service support from their SpraCoupe dealers.
