Compact Utility Market Share Numbers - Anybody have Facts or Guesses?

[jenkinsph]

Greetings Luke,


If one were to ask about my "psychology", it could be summarized in very few words.

1. I love to learn.

2. I challenge myself and others.

3. Heritage wisdom is to be gathered.

4. I'm impressed by courage and determination mixed with passion and humility . . not titles or certificates.

:laughing::laughing::laughing::laughing::laughing::laughing::laughing::laughing::laughing::laughing::laughing:

 

[MessickFarmEqu]

Messick,

1. I've heard that any LandPride item that is marketed for Kubota use has to be thoroughly evaluated and approved by Kubota engineers before LandPride offers it for sale. That certainly shows their commitment.

Yes. They are quite insane about that testing process, to their detriment in my opinion. There is a lot more stuff they could be offering though LP / RAD / TerrainKing (all partner attachment companies) that does not get a stamp by engineering. They have errored on the side of performance matching things.

2. Does Kubota actually manufacture the mmm units and fel units and backhoes themselves . . or does someone else build them to Kubotas requirements?

Yea. They always have at KMA in Georgia.

3. I'd heard that Kubota actually acquired or owns part of LandPride . . is that true or just gossip?

I don't know anything that's not Gossip, but have also heard things along those lines. They have done partnerships in the past, but this one is different.

 

[AxleHub]

Thanks Mesdick,

I met a territory rep for LandPride some time back. I was very impressed with his knowledge and people skills. Thats a high compliment for me, because I'm continously around professional sales people and true people skills is much rarer than manipulative skills.

What was interesting is how long delays are between when LandPride has a product ready to market . . and when they can get approval from Kubota. They had a hot product ready to go and then they were sitting on it for quite a few months. That's got to be frustrating given the competitiveness of implements. Hard for LandPride . . and hard for dealers when a peak season comes and goes and the item isn't able to be sold till after peak season . . not to mention ir can't be included in financing for tractor.

It makes good sense when engineering is a critical issue . . but when it appears to not be an impediment . . It just makes a barrier imo.

 

[Grandad4]

Take as an example Kubota . . Still lots of dealers . . but those dealers also were/are involved with Agco/Case/White/Massey . . So now lots of those kubota shops also are selling Massey scuts like the GC1700s because Agco said so as of 2013. My point is that numbers in 2012 compared to 2016 are going to be greatly different for sales by size of tractor as well as which brand names are involved.

There was another fellow several years ago announcing the imminent downfall of Kub... due to the greatly superior products offered by Mitsubishi, I think it was. He ended up buying - wait for it - a Kubota, liked his new tractor and got off his soapbox.

While I'm not expecting any great market upheavals, I think it's healthy to see good products marketed successfully by more than a small handful of competitors. Regardless of what industry you look at, greater customer choice yields better products and competitive prices. If Agco, Kioti, Mahindra or anyone else brings those things to the tractor market, it's a win for all of us. Of course one shouldn't expect big orange to stand by idly if their market share is about to be siphoned off by competition. They are pretty smart, from what I can see, and have a lot at stake.

However there may be benefits to Kubota in having other strong players in the tractor market. If they are hovering somewhere around 50% of the small tractor market, diversification seems like a smarter move to me than trying to get up to 60 or 70% share. It's certainly no coincidence that Kub is working hard to find growth in other markets... construction, larger ag equipment, implements, etc.

 

[sixdogs]

Ironic that Belarus is so low.

Drive or work on one and let me know what you think. Eastern Bloc thinking and decades of party influence is hard to reduce overnight and the products I have seen were not very user friendly.

what constitutes a tractor in 3rd world countries can also be darn close to a walk behind rototiller. People in near poverty are not buying the same kinda stuff we do.

Absolutely. I have seen Kubota marketing materials for walk behind tractors intended to be sold in India or China. Just a giant rototiller but I'll bet counts as a tractor. Here's a photo off the net of a random walking tractor.

 

[ovrszd]

However there may be benefits to Kubota in having other strong players in the tractor market. If they are hovering somewhere around 50% of the small tractor market, diversification seems like a smarter move to me than trying to get up to 60 or 70% share. It's certainly no coincidence that Kub is working hard to find growth in other markets... construction, larger ag equipment, implements, etc.

I've been watching Kubota closely for 13 years. They are pushing hard into the AG line. You called it larger ag equipment. I live in farm land. I'd call it small AG equipment. But a push none the less. Getting more common each year to see 100+ HP AG Kubota tractors on farms here. Most are doing small AG work such as haying. But what a change over the last 13 years!!!!

 

[onelostdogg]

Always best to look at TRENDS (1, 3, 5 year...) instead of today's statistics. Unless you're planning to die tomorrow.

 

[AGRIMAN]

Since 2013 we are seeing significant changes in brand sales in scut and cut sales in the U.S.. Frankly all the activity outside the U.S. is immaterial . . because there is no way for me to understand it.

Even in the U.S. the geographical differences make it hard to evaluate. We all know that ag equipment saes have dropped cnsiderably in 2014 and 2015 in areas like WI and MN and have increased in the non-ag scut and cut areas.

Take as an example Kubota . . Still lots of dealers . . but those dealers also were/are involved with Agco/Case/White/Massey . . So now lots of those kubota shops also are selling Massey scuts like the GC1700s because Agco said so as of 2013. My point is that numbers in 2012 compared to 2016 are going to be greatly different for sales by size of tractor as well as which brand names are involved.

I agree. SCUT and CUT are basically considered to be consumer products and tied to the housing market. When people have money to buy land and build new houses they also buy these size tractors.

When the housing market crashed a few years ago, the sales of SCUT and CUT took a big hit. At the same time, commodity prices were at record highs so the large AG market was booming. Now things are headed in the other direction.

Just a few years ago the demand for new combines was growing at such a high rate that there was talk if the industry could meet it. Now... It's not a problem.

 

[airbiscuit]

I kind of read through older posts on the same topic. By interpolating a few different figures, I come up with annual US CUT sales of 65,000 - 70,000. That is lower than I would have thought. If Kubota has a 50% market share that leaves 35,000 for all the rest? Average of 700 per state?

 

[quicksandfarmer]

I kind of read through older posts on the same topic. By interpolating a few different figures, I come up with annual US CUT sales of 65,000 - 70,000. That is lower than I would have thought. If Kubota has a 50% market share that leaves 35,000 for all the rest? Average of 700 per state?

That's interesting. When I bought my Jinma the dealer said Jinma was exporting 1,000 tractors a month to the US. That would put them in the 15-20% market share bracket. That sounds awfully high to me.