construction machinery or industrial equipment

Sounds about right although I also consider industrial equipment mostly tractors used in a factory or on the grounds to pull carts, winch stuff and mow around the buildings.

Kind of splitting straws, I guess.

It's not so much of where it 'comes from'... it's where it was 'marketed to'.

See... when a manufacturer of equipment is making components, they start by making them for a specific product, and then as time goes on, they find additional markets for that product, they reutilize components as much as possible, so that higher production of similar parts yields economies of scale.  Sometimes, that means altering an existing part so that it's more robust in the duty of a more challenging environment.  For example... let's say you take a tractor chassis and driveline, and utilize it in an all-terrain forklift for construction, and also as an industrial or aircraft tug.  In the latter forms, a little more strength in axle shafts may be necessary.  Instead of designing an improved axle shaft, and using it for the industrial/construction markets, they implement it in all THREE, and eliminate (actually just supercede) the prior part.  This greatly reduces the cost of production and parts inventory maintenance, at an otherwise insignificant materials and production cost increase.

The construction equipment 'division' are essentially sales and engineering staff that focus on construction industry.  The industrial division focuses on industrial customer base, and ag is farmers.  How the equipment is produced, is basically irrelevant, as long as it's good, and economical.

'Utillity' sounds light duty, 'Industrial' sounds TOUGH !!

Though I'd raher buy a 'utility' A-C than an 'industrial' JD

Orangeman