Канадский производитель Ursa AG выпускает тракторы без электроники по цене в два раза ниже аналогов

A new tractor manufacturer in Canada is combining the simplicity from decades ago with the functionality of today. And the company is doing it at half the cost. Ursa AG built its first tractor in 2022 after a customer requested something his son, who was taking over the family farm, could afford. Owner Doug Wilson achieved the goal by going back in time to replicate the tractors of the 1970s and 1980s. He didn’t recreate the appearance of the older tractors, but rather the functionality. That meant eliminating the electronics, putting a Cummins engine under the hood and producing a tractor based on simplicity and function. The end result was a tractor that he said sells for about $70,000 ($100,000 Canadian) less than a similar new model from a major manufacturer based on tractor values in Canada. “We figured out how to do it,” Wilson said. “The biggest thing was getting rid of the electronics, which really escalated the price.” A computerized transmission, he said, adds about $35,500 ($50,000 Canadian) to the price tag. A computer on the engine brings it up even more. No electronics, powered by a Cummins and equipped with a simple manual transmission, produced a simple workhorse that is gaining in popularity. From its plant in Bowden, Alberta, Ursa AG offers three tractor models: 150, 180 and 260. The model number denotes horsepower, and Wilson said the 150 and 180, which are built on the same platform, are the most popular. “That’s the size everybody can put to work,” he said. The company produces about 50 tractors a year, but there are plans to scale up to 1,000 annually. Wilson said they will be adding a larger four-by-four model for prairie farmers, along with lower horsepower tractors for smaller farms. “We have to manage the growth so we don’t outgrow our capital and run out of money trying to build tractors,” Wilson said. “That’s being managed very closely because we’re in this for the long term.” Based on the response so far, the company has a bright future. Wilson said Ursa AG is receiving more orders than what it has in inventory, with more calls and emails coming in daily. At some point, he hopes to increase production and add to the dealer network, not only in Canada but the U.S. as well. The company ships to the U.S., but Wilson said there is plenty of room for growth. Right now it’s a balancing act for the new company. Does it add more dealers and then have a waiting period to build and ship tractors to fill orders, or build more tractors and then add dealers? “We have a lot of dealers eager to get on board, but it might be a couple of years before we could supply all of them with tractors,” he said. As far as entering a competitive tractor market already dominated by likes of Case IH, John Deere, New Holland and Massey Ferguson along with overseas companies such as Kubota, Fendt and Mahindra, Wilson said it’s not that intimidating. While there’s certainly a challenge to stake a footprint among the big names, he said Ursa AG isn’t really trying to compete. With no electronics, the Ursa tractors are somewhat of a niche market, he said, and there are still some farm tasks that require the modern technology of the big name tractors. The bigger challenge with market share, according to Wilson, is trying to steer someone away from brand loyalty. “You have to convince someone that not every tractor on the farm needs to be built by the same big manufacturer,” he said. That’s why one of the company’s target customer segments is people who still use the older tractors because of their simplicity but would like something newer without the complexities — or cost — of electronics. And Wilson believes his tractors are the answer. With a 12-valve, 5.9L Cummins engine, no electronics and standard feature like four sets of hydraulic remotes and front weights, Wilson is betting on the simplicity of years ago as opposed to the high-tech of today. “These tractors greatly resemble a lot of the stuff that was around when I was back on the dairy farm in Ontario 30 years ago,” he said. “There is a real hunger in the market for something simple.”