Tractor News Bobcat Ending Compact Tractor Line?

[foggy1111]

I'm not sure about marketing and manufacturing agreements....and have little knowledge about the "Kioti" tractor....except for the good reviews here on TBN.

But, it seems to me that these companies have put together a great business plan.....and I can for-see that if they continue along the path they have made....that this could be a top-shelf brand over time. I'm told that Bobcat now has about 50% of the skid steer biz. Maybe the "big three" in compact tractors will include Bobcat? (or already does?)

When I see what my money will buy in white vs green (or blue or orange)....it makes me a convert. It's hard to argue with a 30% savings. :thumbsup:
But.....it cant last forever....and it will be interesting to see if they can maintain market share when the price diff is not so great. :confused2:

 

[Spudland_Dave]

When I see what my money will buy in white vs green (or blue or orange)....it makes me a convert. It's hard to argue with a 30% savings. :thumbsup:
But.....it cant last forever....and it will be interesting to see if they can maintain market share when the price diff is not so great. :confused2:

Therin lies the question....IMO I've viewed the current pricing of Bobcat CUT's as a strategy to buy marketshare and get both dealers and consumers comfortable with the brand and onboard. Once established, they can crank the price knob up a bit and become profitable.
IMO the Bobcat strategy of using smokin good pricing and promotions as a sales tool is very smart. No amount of TV or Radio commercials would have put their name out there like this. The marketing guys & gals over at Bobcat hit a home run. You can see it here on TBN, just 2 years ago the Bobcats were discussed mostly in the Kioti forums, and here we are with its own dedicated section.

To you current Bobcat owners....lets fast foward 5/6 years from now, for the sake of arguement, you have great service/support/etc.. from both your Bobcat dealer and your tractor & equipment. If you need to upgrade machine, even if the price of a new Kitty is equal to that of a Deere/Kubota, would you stick with Bobcat? My guess is yes...and if the answer is yes, then Bobcat has done what needed to be done to get into the CUT market.

 

[IslandTractor]

..lets fast foward 5/6 years from now, for the sake of arguement,.

By that time there will likely be (by then) well respected Chinese tractors undercutting the Korean made brands.

 

[foggy1111]

By that time there will likely be (by then) well respected Chinese tractors undercutting the Korean made brands.

That is possible....but who follows the Chinese? India? It's a dog-eat-dog world these days....and it's so dependent on the cost of labor, economies and currencies. Who knows whats next?? I see people trying to buy a brand with a re-sale value some 20 or 30 years away......I say good luck with that plan!!

I see the marketing plan put together by Yanmar / Cub- Cadet though.....and IMO while they may make some inroads with this "arrangement".....in no way do they have a plan such as the team at Bobcat / Kioti. The Bobcat guys simply have a reputation for, and know dirt better. :laughing:

 

[IslandTractor]

That is possible....but who follows the Chinese? India?

Then the US will be back in the game with solar/wind powered tractors!

 

[lilranch2001]

Yeah, I suppose there is some truth to that, not gonna pretend to not have bias ..To go a step further I'd say I'm a "Tractor Snob" and IMO the only 2 machines where I can smile on all fronts on is Kubota & Deere. The only thing Bobcat has on either Green or Orange is $10kAll that being said...would I have bought a Bobcat when I was shopping? At the prices they are at, definetly.

I disagree, I think the Bobcat for the most part is as good if not better than at least one of these, and in some respects both of them.

I tested and looked at 5 brands before buying, started out with Kubota, and just thought to many parts were chinsey. Went to deere, and to be honest, did not see much that impressed me to even consider paying so much more money for it, other than the drive off MMM. Since I do not have nor want one, it was a non issue.

So far at 98 hours, I am totally pleased with my 235, she just keeps getting stronger n stronger in all three ranges

 

[ElDorado]

What about this idea. Maybe it is Kioti (Daedong) who is the brains behind all this. Look here is a company putting out a good product at a decent price point and they can not reach the market share they want. So marketing at Kioti comes up with the idea to partner with Bobcat (Korean parent). The idea is to make tractors and make money. Maybe Kioti doesn't really care if the machines have Kioti names on them or Bobcat names as long as they can count some money at the end of the day.

Maybe the big plan is to due away with the Kioti dealers/franchises and instead subcontract out the sales side of the equation to Bobcat.

Just wondering.............

 

[foggy1111]

What about this idea. Maybe it is Kioti (Daedong) who is the brains behind all this. Look here is a company putting out a good product at a decent price point and they can not reach the market share they want. So marketing at Kioti comes up with the idea to partner with Bobcat (Korean parent). The idea is to make tractors and make money. Maybe Kioti doesn't really care if the machines have Kioti names on them or Bobcat names as long as they can count some money at the end of the day.

Maybe the big plan is to due away with the Kioti dealers/franchises and instead subcontract out the sales side of the equation to Bobcat.

Just wondering.............

YEP!!...it sure worked out such as you say for Deere and Yanmar (regardless of which company came up with the plan). Yanmar had a small USA following before the Deere marriage....not unlike Kioti.

 

[qed-cat225]

funny i heard that Bobcat was buying the Kioti brand or was it that Kubota said new holland was getting out of the tractor business?? Come on folks!

 

[rutwad]

To each his own, but I try to get as much info as I can before going to the stealerships. Salesmen will tell you what you need to hear, period. If you do go to the dealership, you may get more honesty from the service department.

I am not familiar with the Bobcat CUT's, but somewhat familiar with the skid-steers. Honestly, Bobcat would be one of the last machines I would consider when buying for personal use. From a selling point of view, Bobcat is probably the number 1 to have. Everybody knows "bobcat". Even if the machine is green, black, yellow, or purple- alot of people still generalize them as "bobcat" - like skill saws, crescent wrench, bush hogs, etc. Bobcat is able to sell because of it's popularity.

How does Bobcat compare to Kubota in the CUT market, I don't know. But Bobcat must think Kubota makes good engines since that is what they ran in their equipment. Now since Bobcat and Kubota have parted ways, Bobcat had to find a new powerplant.

Personally, I would look hard before I pulled the trigger on any Bobcat. Research, research, research, but that's me.