used B7600 made in Japan?

[wickman]

A friend is looking at a used 2005-ish B7600. He's new to tractors and I'm trying to offer limited advice. The SN plate on the tractor he's looking at says made in Japan. Would this be normal for a Kubota from 2005? I would think most Kubota's today would be made in the US.

THX> Eric

 

[rScotty]

A friend is looking at a used 2005-ish B7600. He's new to tractors and I'm trying to offer limited advice. The SN plate on the tractor he's looking at says made in Japan. Would this be normal for a Kubota from 2005? I would think most Kubota's today would be made in the US.
THX> Eric

Eric, that's an interesting question. I guess I hadn't thought about it much. In the older world where I grew up, with Kubota being a Japanese company... of course one would have expected them to be made in Japan. But I guess that's not so true today. I may be in the minority, but I think it is important for maintaining quality manufacture to have as much of the manufacture as possible done at one place.

I just looked at our 2008 Kubota tractor serial number and mine also says, "Made in Japan". Whew....I'm glad of that.
Kubota designed our tractor in Japan and I'm glad they made it there too because that way they can use their own factory & craftsmen with experience and education.
That quality assurance is a large part of what I'm paying top dollar for; hopefully what I'm getting for that price is Japanese quality. Same for binocs, cameras, and cars.

It seems like different things are made best in different countries. In our business our work trucks are Ford and GM and our heavy equipment is mostly John Deere for both Ag & commercial. But we drive Japanese cars and most of our precision engineering equipment is Japanese or European.
rScotty

 

[art]

Kubota tractor chassis are made in Japan. The final assembly is in Georgia. Many countries don't have the same accessories as American tractors do but the chassis is the same.

 

[rScotty]

Kubota tractor chassis are made in Japan. The final assembly is in Georgia. Many countries don't have the same accessories as American tractors do but the chassis is the same.

Art, I've heard that too. Someday some of us TBNers ought to go down to that Georgia site so we can see with our own eyes just what "final assembly" really means.
Are they assembling engines&transmissions or just adding accessories?
Is "final assembly" a mechanical distinction or a political one?
rScotty

 

[Streetcar]

Parts have cheaper tax than a complete unit. Toyota pickups use to be imported without beds to save taxes

 

[rScotty]

Parts have cheaper tax than a complete unit. Toyota pickups use to be imported without beds to save taxes

I thought that sort of manufacturing practice of using an obvious loophole to avoid taxes had been discovered and fixed decades ago. But maybe it has been revived.
When I was a youngster we simply called that sort pseudo-manufacturing "Cheating".
And the people who did it deliberately were called worse.

Anyway, to the OP who brought the issue up, it is normal and good that the Kubota serial number sticker says, "Made in Japan". That's a mark of quality.
rScotty

 

[art]

Final assembly is about roll bar, sheet metal and that is about it depending on models which also include the front axles being mounted. The engine and rear end are together. Been the same for years. CNH tractors and all come that way!

 

[wickman]

Thanks everyone. Sounds like this is normal with Kubotas. I appreciate the thoughtful responses.

Eric

 

[MHarryE]

Kubota’s last blurb said sub-compacts are assembled in Georgia. My Grand L came from Japan in a shipping skid. They’re really partly assembled in order to package in the smallest space. Loaders for most are built in Georgia. When I traded my L5740 off it looked like the loader came from a completely different company as it’s paint had faded so bad while the tractor sourced from Japan was still bright.

John Deere does not assemble many tractor models in the USA. Our largest JD was built in Iowa and the other 2 were built in Germany.

CNH tractors come from all over. The largest are built in USA but as you move down they start coming from Europe or elsewhere.

But what constitutes made in USA? If the block is sourced from India, the pistons from Brazil, the crank from Korea, the injectors from France, the ECU from Japan, but final assembly is in USA is it an USA product? Countries have specialties. Typically 5% of a machines cost is in the final assembly.

 

[4570Man]

I thought that sort of manufacturing practice of using an obvious loophole to avoid taxes had been discovered and fixed decades ago. But maybe it has been revived.
When I was a youngster we simply called that sort pseudo-manufacturing "Cheating".
And the people who did it deliberately were called worse.

Anyway, to the OP who brought the issue up, it is normal and good that the Kubota serial number sticker says, "Made in Japan". That's a mark of quality.
rScotty

The government might be better at getting their share. Probably the only thing they are good at. I’m pretty sure it still goes on though. “Made in America with globally sourced components” would be one example. BTW, made in America doesn’t necessarily equal good.