MESSMAKER
Veteran Member
I keep hearing that The tractor thing is not working for Bobcat, but my dealer says otherwise, and has plenty of inventory. What are you guys hearing? I don't give it much, but I don't know the whole picture.
4th of 5 year contract (bobcat in for long haul?)
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Dslate
New member
I bought my 2009 CT235 from KC Bobcat. KC Bobcat is a franchise in Kansas City with 4 locations. This May they stopped selling the tractors and transferred sales and service to a company that sells ZTR's, golf carts and landscaping equipment.
According to the Bobcat sales guys, the franchise owners felt they needed to open on Saturday to make it selling tractors. They did not want to do that, so they gave up the CUT line.
I don't buy the Saturday opening as the reason. I have 250 hours on my CT and I am very pleased with it but sales and service for the tractor through a Bobcat dealer was a selling point to me. I don't know what the Bobcat manufacturing company's stance is. I hope Bobcat sticks with them.
According to the Bobcat sales guys, the franchise owners felt they needed to open on Saturday to make it selling tractors. They did not want to do that, so they gave up the CUT line.
I don't buy the Saturday opening as the reason. I have 250 hours on my CT and I am very pleased with it but sales and service for the tractor through a Bobcat dealer was a selling point to me. I don't know what the Bobcat manufacturing company's stance is. I hope Bobcat sticks with them.
fbiwrench
Member
I too have heard rumors of this and at first hesitated before recently purchasing a CT230. However IMHO (opinion only), I seem to find that dealers of Bobcat skid steers and other "construction" equipment to be the only ones saying the "tractor" market isn't making it. The dealers that don't see a problem are like the dealer I bought from who also sell another line of tractors, mowers, sports equip. etc. Stands to reason because construction equipment is a line with higher margins and completely different customer base. But in todays economy who knows what corporate shake ups could occur and their effect on the compact tractor future.
If I was that concerned about it I would probably have purchased a Kubota since to my limited knowledge is about the only tractor not relying on another company source and is well established. But in the end I liked the Bobcat features the best and figured with Kioti and now McCormick tractors, produced on the same platform, that parts or service would be available. I personally don't think Doosan or Daedong to be going anywhere if they weather our current ecconomic conditions BUT WHO KNOWS?? Can anyone say for "certain" where JD or Kubota will be in 10yrs???
If I was that concerned about it I would probably have purchased a Kubota since to my limited knowledge is about the only tractor not relying on another company source and is well established. But in the end I liked the Bobcat features the best and figured with Kioti and now McCormick tractors, produced on the same platform, that parts or service would be available. I personally don't think Doosan or Daedong to be going anywhere if they weather our current ecconomic conditions BUT WHO KNOWS?? Can anyone say for "certain" where JD or Kubota will be in 10yrs???
Canada_CT230
Platinum Member
If they are making no money selling tractors, UTVs and other acreage/ranch equipment then why do they send me a nice glossy magazine every few months. That has to cost a few pennies.
Around here...acreage equipment is hard to come by. No one ever has stock. Deals on used equipment have to be had in 10 minutes or its gone.
I couldn't imagine that smaller property owners like me with disposable income to buy tractor 'toys' couldn't support the big boys to manufacture them.
I think the 'gossip' is a load of manure and needs to be composted.
No one can ever tell the future but I don't think BC got into it with a plan to exit 5 yrs later. That would p*ss off their customers and drive business away from the main company. Return sales are big business...I've returned to buy a tiller, cultivator, box blade. I would like a UTV and where will I stop first? Kubota??? No...Bobcat!
Also, BC has taken on the manufacture of their own loaders and other attachments. That is a lot of R&D $$$ to exit the tractor market a year or two later.
Around here...acreage equipment is hard to come by. No one ever has stock. Deals on used equipment have to be had in 10 minutes or its gone.
I couldn't imagine that smaller property owners like me with disposable income to buy tractor 'toys' couldn't support the big boys to manufacture them.
I think the 'gossip' is a load of manure and needs to be composted.
No one can ever tell the future but I don't think BC got into it with a plan to exit 5 yrs later. That would p*ss off their customers and drive business away from the main company. Return sales are big business...I've returned to buy a tiller, cultivator, box blade. I would like a UTV and where will I stop first? Kubota??? No...Bobcat!
Also, BC has taken on the manufacture of their own loaders and other attachments. That is a lot of R&D $$$ to exit the tractor market a year or two later.
milkman636
Veteran Member
- Joined
- Aug 15, 2010
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- Palm of the Right Hand
- Tractor
- Bobcat CT335 + John Deere 1023e (former owner of Kubota BX2370-1, John Deere 5210, and Ford 2000)
So that means they have agreements covering the next 5 years?
I'm with Canada_CT230 on this one, Bobcat made a large investment launching into a new market. Considering they started at zero three or four years ago, I imagine their market share is still increasing. Am I right?
And, one more question Wallace: As a Bobcat tractor dealer, do you handle the whole Bobcat line? or are you limited to tractors and tractor stuff?