Tractor News Bobcat Ending Compact Tractor Line?

[art]

There is a lot of mis-information here as to who owns who and the Bobcat line is not owned by Ingersall Rand anymore!

The US as much as it's market has been growing is still small potato's to the orient!
Market share in those countries with frugal pricing on everything from tractors to wages are where there market shares count. They do look for the initial quality of build and the warrantee's that are superficially long here don't mean much to them over there as it is figured on a long term investment often ten to fifteen years at a minimum.

We are becoming a larger part of there business plans and for many the frontier so to speak but they use them actively for farming in large numbers so it will be a while to match up.

 

[Duffster]

There is a lot of mis-information here as to who owns who.

Like what?

 

[art]

Maybe it's not mis-information, they are both the same!

 

[kattywumpus]

Based on my resend tractor shopping exercise it appears to me Bobcat prices are already climbing higher the Kioti. Granted some of prices differences appear to be the result of dealer geographic coverage. For example I was able to get three quotes for the CT335. My local dealer, which is a large dealership with multiple locations in Maine, was almost $5K more then the lowest quote I received from a small Dealer in NH. When comparing the large NH dealer with the large ME dealer the ME dealer was still 3.5K higher for the base tractor. I saw a similar but smaller price spread between the larger and small Kioti dealers. The other thing I notice was the Bobcat dealers appeared to be less interested in my business then the Kioti dealers. The salesman for the Maine dealer asked if owned or worked for a construction company, when he found out it was a private or individual sale he pushed me to a different sales associate. Communication became more difficult as a result.

From this experience I have to wonder if Kioti and Bobcat are now focusing on different markets.

The end result was I purchased a Kioti DK40SE for less then the lowest priced CT335.

 

[sweettractors]

Based on my resend tractor shopping exercise it appears to me Bobcat prices are already climbing higher the Kioti. Granted some of prices differences appear to be the result of dealer geographic coverage. For example I was able to get three quotes for the CT335. My local dealer, which is a large dealership with multiple locations in Maine, was almost $5K more then the lowest quote I received from a small Dealer in NH. When comparing the large NH dealer with the large ME dealer the ME dealer was still 3.5K higher for the base tractor. I saw a similar but smaller price spread between the larger and small Kioti dealers. The other thing I notice was the Bobcat dealers appeared to be less interested in my business then the Kioti dealers. The salesman for the Maine dealer asked if owned or worked for a construction company, when he found out it was a private or individual sale he pushed me to a different sales associate. Communication became more difficult as a result.

From this experience I have to wonder if Kioti and Bobcat are now focusing on different markets.

The end result was I purchased a Kioti DK40SE for less then the lowest priced CT335.

Many small dealers will be glad to make 1K on a new tractor sale and the bigger guys need $2-3K profit on each sale, I don't know why this happens, unless it the overhead the larger dealer has? Ken Sweet

 

[tulenutn2o]

Many small dealers will be glad to make 1K on a new tractor sale and the bigger guys need $2-3K profit on each sale, I don't know why this happens, unless it the overhead the larger dealer has? Ken Sweet

Same goes in any business that has gotten too big. A small business owner/ single man/woman can be perfectly happy making a living whereas big companies seem to have a bit of greed take over. I will always take the smaller business over the larger one since the bigger ones have all the different salesman to go to depending on how much they figure they can wrestle out of ya. Small business made this country and will bring it back.........if not too late. One local car dealer has a slogan" price sells cars" and he's right. So why can't these larger, higher volume dealers beat these little guys on price? I understand the overhead argument too, but if it denies you sales, get rid of the guy sitting on his but drinking coffee waiting for the next sucker to walk through the door. Can you tell that I despise salesmen?:laughing: Also,Small guy doesn't have to answer to anyone but his spouse.:laughing:

 

[wade simpson]

I hope that isn't true as the Bobcat dealer is guite close while the Kioti dealer is not. I've been planning on buying the parts I need from them.

 

[doall]

no way, just look how many of you here alone have bought the cats. If there would have been one close to me thats one machine I would have definately considered. It's been huge for bobcat, they would be crazy to turn their back on the new cuts.

 

[IslandTractor]

So why can't these larger, higher volume dealers beat these little guys on price?

In my limited dealings with tractor dealers it seems that the "mom and pop" small roadside dealers are often unrealistic about competition and the need to discount. Similarly the biggest dealers with established reputations feel they can hold steady with their prices. I have found the medium sized dealer/owner to be most flexible on pricing. They do enough volume and are well aware of competition from other tractor colors/dealers but don't have the take it or leave it mentality of the largest dealers. I should note that these comments refer to New England where we don't really have lots of tractor dealerships so things may be very different elsewhere.

All's well that ends well and it is nice to see that the OP got the best tractor of all: the DK40se. Best bang for the buck out there.:thumbsup:

 

[Spudland_Dave]

Based on my resend tractor shopping exercise it appears to me Bobcat prices are already climbing higher the Kioti.

I think it has zero to do with Bobcat and everything to do with Dealer. Seen/heard this exact scenario play out with pretty much every brand depending on location.
Personally I can say the same is true when I was shopping (in Maine)... Kubota dealer was more expensive and had the "this is the price, take it if you want" attitude and JD Dealer really wanted the sale and worked with me. And I'm just talking pure financials. The overall attitude at the orange dealer in question was POOR.