John Deere tractors are made by Deere and Company, an American multinational founded in 1837 by blacksmith John Deere in Grand Detour, Illinois, and now headquartered in Moline, Illinois, where the company has been based since 1848.
John Deere is the world’s largest agricultural equipment company by revenue, producing tractors, combines, planters, sprayers, hay tools, construction equipment, and precision agriculture technology sold through the world’s most extensive dealer network.
Deere and Company is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker DE, with FY2024 revenues of approximately 51 billion dollars and over 75,000 employees worldwide.
Knowing that John Deere manufactures tractors on four continents with its own factories and engineering centers explains how the green and yellow brand has maintained global leadership for over 180 years.
This article covers who makes John Deere tractors, where they are produced, who owns the brand, its history, how it compares to a rival, and whether the tractors are any good.
So let’s get started.
Table of Contents
Who Makes John Deere Tractors?
John Deere tractors are made by Deere and Company, which designs, engineers, and manufactures its own tractors at production facilities across the United States and internationally.
Deere is a true vertically integrated manufacturer, developing its own engines, transmissions, hydraulic systems, and precision agriculture technology in-house across its global engineering network.
The company sells its tractors through the largest independent agricultural dealer network in the world, covering more than 4,000 locations in North America alone and thousands more globally.
John Deere Financial is a major part of the business, providing equipment financing to farmers in North America and internationally, as confirmed in Deere’s company profile.
Where Are John Deere Tractors Made?
John Deere manufactures tractors at multiple facilities in the United States and internationally, with the largest tractor plant located in Waterloo, Iowa, which produces John Deere’s large 6R, 7R, 8R, and 9R series row-crop and four-wheel-drive tractors.
Compact and utility tractors for the North American market are produced at the Augusta, Georgia facility, while the Dubuque, Iowa plant produces construction and smaller utility equipment.
International manufacturing plants include Mannheim, Germany for European markets, Pune, India for the subcontinent, Horizontina, Brazil for South America, Monterrey, Mexico, and Tianjin, China.
In 2025, John Deere announced local production exploration in Uzbekistan, reflecting its continued strategy of building closer to key growth markets to serve farmers with regionally optimized products.
Who Owns John Deere Tractors?
John Deere is owned by Deere and Company shareholders, as the company is a publicly traded American corporation with no single controlling owner.
The Deere family’s direct involvement ended in the late 19th century, and the company has since been publicly traded with a board of directors overseeing strategy and operations.
John W. May serves as Chairman and CEO of Deere and Company, leading a management team responsible for one of the most consistently profitable industrial companies in American history.
Deere’s full corporate structure, financial performance, and product strategy are published in its annual reports on the official John Deere about page.
What Is the History of John Deere?
John Deere was founded in 1837 when blacksmith John Deere invented the self-scouring steel plow in Grand Detour, Illinois, solving the problem of Midwestern prairie soil sticking to traditional iron plows and transforming American agricultural productivity.
The company moved to Moline, Illinois in 1848 and has been headquartered there ever since, growing steadily from farm implements into the world’s largest full-line agricultural equipment company.
John Deere entered the tractor business formally in 1918 when it acquired the Waterloo Gasoline Engine Company, giving it the foundation for what would become the most recognized tractor brand in history.
Precision agriculture technology including JDLink telematics, the Operations Center farm management platform, and See and Spray targeted application technology have become major revenue and differentiation drivers in recent years.
John Deere Tractors vs Case IH Tractors: How Do They Compare?
John Deere and Case IH are the two dominant American row-crop tractor brands competing for the loyalty of large-scale grain and row-crop farmers across North America.
John Deere leads on dealer density, precision agriculture technology ecosystem, and overall brand equity, with stronger resale values on used equipment than most competitors.
Case IH competes with its Magnum and Steiger series on horsepower output, competitive pricing, and the Optum CVX and Puma lineups, often offering more power per dollar than comparable Deere models.
For most North American buyers, John Deere’s unmatched dealer network and precision ag ecosystem give it a practical advantage, while Case IH loyalists often cite better value per horsepower and competitive financing options.
Are John Deere Tractors Any Good?
John Deere tractors are consistently rated among the highest quality, most reliable, and most capable agricultural machines available in every horsepower class they compete in.
The brand’s investment in precision agriculture, from GPS-guided AutoTrac steering to the fully autonomous 8R tractor concept, sets the technology standard that all other manufacturers follow.
Resale values for used John Deere equipment consistently outperform competing brands, which lowers the true cost of ownership over a tractor’s lifetime despite higher initial purchase prices.
John Deere’s right-to-repair controversies have created friction with some owner-operator farmers who prefer to service their own equipment, a factor worth considering for buyers in remote areas or those who prefer DIY maintenance.
For farmers who want the most technologically advanced, most widely supported, and most resaleable tractor from the world’s largest and most consistently innovative agricultural equipment manufacturer, John Deere is the defining benchmark of the industry.
For more on related tractor brands, see Who Makes RK Tractors and Where Are Mahindra Tractors Made.
Frequently Asked Questions About John Deere Tractors
Who makes John Deere tractors?
John Deere tractors are made by Deere and Company, an American manufacturer founded in 1837 and headquartered in Moline, Illinois. Deere is publicly traded on the NYSE under the ticker DE.
Where are John Deere tractors made?
Major John Deere tractor plants are in Waterloo, Iowa (large tractors), Augusta, Georgia (utility/compact), Mannheim, Germany (European models), and Monterrey, Mexico. Additional plants operate in India, Brazil, China, and other countries.
How old is John Deere?
John Deere was founded in 1837 by blacksmith John Deere in Grand Detour, Illinois, making the company nearly 190 years old and one of the oldest continuously operating manufacturing companies in the United States.
Is John Deere the largest tractor company in the world?
Yes, Deere and Company is consistently the world’s largest agricultural equipment company by total revenue. In FY2024, Deere reported approximately 51 billion dollars in total revenue across its agriculture, construction, and financial services segments.
I am Jack Neel, a mechanical engineer, researcher, and writer. I created this website to share my knowledge about different brands and products with you. I research the manufacturers behind the brands and provide you with the information you need to make smart buying decisions.