Hesston primes its dealers for '85.

THE WEEK before Hesston started hosting its 900 North American dealers at Wichita for a series of new product showings, the company's president, Howard Brenneman, had been in Montreal for the NFPEDA convention (reported on pages 24-26). He came back with the same view as many others about the business outlook: It's tough out there, and it shows no signs of letting up soon.

When he greeted the dealers in advance of the product unwrappings, Brenneman made no attempt to minimize problems. Instead, he cited the current problems afflicting agribusiness as a prelude to future opportunities for them.

As the shakeout in agriculture continues, he said, billions of dollars in assets will go off of farmers' balance sheets and there will be "a lot of trauma." But new farms will be able to start up as a result, he said. "This may take three, five or 10 years, but it will take place."

He added: "More dealers will have to go out of business because they can't compete. This means more new customers for you, but in order to attract those farmers who were customers of those closed-up dealer-ships, you'll have to get meaner and leaner."

Brenneman also discussed the new symbol under which Hesston operates: FIATAGRI. "This symbol," he said, "is to Hesston much the same as GM is to Chevrolet...." It now takes in all farm equipment activities of the Fiat organization, which holds controlling interest in Hesston. The other elements of FIATAGRI are Fiat Trattori, the major European tractor maker, and Laverda, a combine line. Both are made in italy. Tractors

Tractors unveiled were:

The 66 series (utility models) 55-66 (45 pto hp) 60-66 (51 pto hp) 70-66 (62 pto hp) 80-66 (70 pto hp) 70-66DT (62 pto hp) 80-66DT (70 pto hp)

The first four are available in both two-wheel drive and front-wheel-assist versions. The latter two, high-clearance models, are for special uses such as vegetables, rice, tobacco and other such crops and are four-wheel drive only.

The 90 series (ag models) 60-90 (51 pto hp) 70-90 (62 pto hp) 80-90 (70 pto hp) 90-90 (81 pto hp) 100-90 (91 pto hp) 130-90 (107 pto hp) 140-90 (123 pto hp) 160-90 (141 pto hp) 180-90 (162 pto hp)

All models come in both two-wheel-drive and front-wheel-assist versions. Hesston-made

Hesston's BP-20 tilt-tub bale processor, a self-loading grinder-feeder, is a new concept, according to company executives. The tub, 49 by 90 inches, tilts 90 degrees and picks up a round bale as the tractor backs it up.

Other new or upgraded products from the home factory were:

HaySaver mower-conditioners, models 1085, 1095 and 1150.

Self-propelled windrowers, models 6655, 6555 and 6455, and two-sickle auger headers.

Forage boxex models 7322 and 7326.

Forage blowers, models 7014 and 7015.

Pull-type forage harvesters, models 7145, 7155 and 7165, and five auger base headers, a pickup header, a direct-cut header, three row-crop headers and a snapper head.

A center-line baler, the 4650 (16- by 18-inch bales).

Two round balers, models 5545 and 5585.

Four loaders for the 66 and 90 series tractors, models L330, L350, L350H and L370.

Hesston is also offering a European-made disk-type mower (convertible to a mower-conditioner), the model 1030 (1035), and the model 3700 tedder-rake.

Hesston continues to designate two types of dealers: Prime-line dealers who sell the full line of Hesston products applicable to their trade territories; and choice-products dealers who sell only selected product lines.

Hesston dealers, coming into Wichita in three shifts from Aug. 13 through Aug. 30, were shown and briefed on the products at the 4,000-acre McCurry Farms at nearby Mt. Hope, Kan.