Kioti vs. Bobcat prices

[efudd]

In Lafayette, IN: The Bobcat dealer has had an open house to display the new CUT and these are the prices I was quoted:

The Bobcat CT225 HST with FEL $17586 compared to a Kioti CK25Hst w/FEL from a dealer 40 miles away is $15970.

The BC CT120HST with FEL is $14798 and the Kioti CK20 HST w/FEL is $13500. These prices were given to me about December 1st.

The Bobcat doesn't have a gear drive model as far as I know, but they are about 5 mile from where I will be living instead of 40 miles. I guess I hate to pay 10% more just for the color of paint that I really don't like as much as orange. I also felt very comfortable talking with the Kioti dealer.
Then, of course the forty mile ride won't be a big deal when I'm retired.

efudd

 

[gordon21]

I'm only guessing here, but Bobcat has a long term excellent reputation in the USA. Anyone who drives and is over 30 has been seeing their name for many many years merely by driving. There is probably at least one piece of Bobcat equipment in every town in America with over 500 people in it. They may be testing the waters to see if that reputation is worth an extra 10%.

I never heard of a Kioti until 2 years ago. But then, I never owned a tractor until 2 years ago.

 

[dgl24087]

Could be that Daedong is charging Bobcat a higher price than their own dealers as well.

 

[bluechip]

Since Daedong now ownes KIOTI (no longer a third part importer) Kioti dealers are buying with (at least) one less middle man that a Bobcat dealer and so I would expect, in a fair world, that their prices would be a bit higher. Or it could be that us tractor dealers are more accustomed to "dropping our drawers" on price to get the sale. Ive heard construction equipment is very competitive too, so it could also be that the Bobcat guys hoped that compact tractors offered better margins. In any even, being a KIOTI dealer, I guess I'm glad that the pricing didn't run the reverse!

 

[davitk]

I don't think Bobcat intends to compete with Kioti. At all. The dealer I spoke with claimed to be matching Kubota with their machine, and I would guess most of their buyers will not even know Bobcats are Kiotis.

 

[mark.r]

. . . I would guess most of their buyers will not even know Bobcats are Kiotis.

I have a feeling that they are banking on most of their prospective buyers not knowing this.

 

[albmn10]

If you go to Bobcats website they show the new tractors.. I did notice a few things that looked like misprints.. They listed the CT25 as a 27 hp? The 3 point lifts were not the same either at 24" back , they listed them at 1225lbs, instead of the 1765lbs.. It was interesting to see their own spin on the machines though..

 

[Slackdaddy]

Stopped at the Bobcat dealer in Balt MD, they had a 25HP, talked to a no BS sales person - said they are Kioti, said it took a while for kioti to get some things squared away to satisfy bob cat (parts supply), etc.
Quoted 16.5K for the 25 HP, that is a solid price for the Balt-Wash DC area.

Here is the odd thing, Kioto list the CK25 as a geared shuttle shift, bob cat list the 25HP as a Hydro, the unit at bob cat was a Hydro.

so they are not the same tractor ??

Nick

 

[IXLR8]

Nick,
Kioti makes both a geared (w/ shuttle shift) and a HST version of most of their tractor line. So you can get a CK25 gear or for about $1K more you can get a CK25 Hydro. From what I am hearing, Bobcat is only offering the HST versions at the moment.

 

[tommybr]

I think the tractor-buying public will figure out pretty quickly that the Kioti is a "Chevrolet truck" and the Bobcat is a "GMC truck"....same truck, different name...both good products, but the "Chevrolet" version (KIOTI) will probably cost less.....buying prices , parts prices and shop labor rates for later on will probably be less expensive at the Kioti dealership.

 

[OldOrange]

I was just offered a new Bobcat CT230HST with loader and R4 tires delivered for $17,600. The dealer said there are about 120 differences between the Bobcat and the Kioti CK30HST, but that only about 5 of them were of real interest to a prospective purchaser. They include the faster operating Rhino loader (He also said that the Kioti capacity specs for the loader are tech specs, not operating specs and that the front axle on both is only rated for 1200lbs). The Bobcat has a sealed electrical system, Kioti does not. The suspension seat is a Bobcat fully adjustable seat, like on the skid steers and the muffler has a spark arrestor.

The Bobcat dealer is about 20 miles from my house and the nearest Kioti dealer is over 100 miles away. Also, the Bobcat dealer said they had to purchase a full maintenance parts inventory before they could get their first tractor.

Now the question. Is this a good price, or do you think a Kioti dealer could beat it by enough to make the difference in distance worth the money?

 

[mark.r]

Interesting video . . . I didn't know Daedong had dealers in the states.

Bobcat enters compact tractor market with new CT Series | National Farm Machinery Show

 

[TBDonnelly]

(He also said that the Kioti capacity specs for the loader are tech specs, not operating specs and that the front axle on both is only rated for 1200lbs).

Several years ago, I researched the front axle capacity for the Kioti CK25/30. The info had come right from Kioti/Daedong. It was much more than 1200 lbs. I'm looking for the exact numbers but have not come up with them yet.

Don

 

[davitk]

I was quoted 17,100 for the same set up last December. Same Kioti was 15,900. Prices seem to have gone up after the first of the year, so the Bobcat price does not seem out of line.

 

[dfkrug]

Several years ago, I researched the front axle capacity for the Kioti CK25/30. The info had come right from Kioti/Daedong. It was much more than 1200 lbs. I'm looking for the exact numbers but have not come up with them yet.

Don

Of course, 1200 lb is ridiculous. The tractor naked weighs either 3058 lb
(brochures) or 3300 lb (service manual). That would put 1500-2000 lb on
the front right there, depending on weight distribution. A full loader will
add as much as 2500 lb MORE to the front. Kioti has always had a tough
time getting the real #s out there.

 

[mark.r]

Of course, 1200 lb is ridiculous. The tractor naked weighs either 3058 lb
(brochures) or 3300 lb (service manual). That would put 1500-2000 lb on
the front right there, depending on weight distribution. A full loader will
add as much as 2500 lb MORE to the front. Kioti has always had a tough
time getting the real #s out there.

Yeah I noticed this the other day on the DK90. They have two different weights listed on their website.

 

[OldOrange]

Thanks all for the replies.

I thought the info on the front axle sounded strange. I am going to the Farm Show in Kansas City on Saturday and will have a chance to talk to the Bobcat reps. If the difference between a Kioti and a Bobcat is over $1500, I will also be checking with the 2 nearest Kioti dealers on their pricing.

 

[wallace]

I was just offered a new Bobcat CT230HST with loader and R4 tires delivered for $17,600. The dealer said there are about 120 differences between the Bobcat and the Kioti CK30HST, but that only about 5 of them were of real interest to a prospective purchaser. They include the faster operating Rhino loader (He also said that the Kioti capacity specs for the loader are tech specs, not operating specs and that the front axle on both is only rated for 1200lbs). The Bobcat has a sealed electrical system, Kioti does not. The suspension seat is a Bobcat fully adjustable seat, like on the skid steers and the muffler has a spark arrestor.

The Bobcat dealer is about 20 miles from my house and the nearest Kioti dealer is over 100 miles away. Also, the Bobcat dealer said they had to purchase a full maintenance parts inventory before they could get their first tractor.

Now the question. Is this a good price, or do you think a Kioti dealer could beat it by enough to make the difference in distance worth the money?

Ask the Bobcat dealer a couple of these question if you did not already?
How long is the warranty?
What kind of financing are they offering?
How much weight can their loader lift?

 

[dfkrug]

Interesting video, Mark.

I have not seen one of the Bobcat CUTs yet, and I missed the World AG
Expo last week. I like to ask the manufacturer's lots of tough questions.

The video alludes to tests performed on the Kiotis by Bobcat and their
decision to fix a few things. I guess that is why they went with the
Rhino loader. That loader has much lower boom supports and no cross
brace over the instrument panel I notice. Interesting.

BTW, all 3 of the Kiotis I bought new and assembled myself are still running
great.

 

[wallace]

I would also like for the Bobcat dealers to provide the 120 differences between a Kioti and a Bobcat.
As a matter in fact just tell me 50 differences.
I stood their and watched them roll down the assembly line one orange tractor two orange tractor 1 white tractor another orange tractor.
I did not see anyone grabbing from different parts baskets.

I think the only real difference in these tractors are going to be made by the salesman!

O and of coarse the color and loaders and backhoes.