Buying Advice Buying a Bobcat as they exit the business

[MessickFarmEqu]

Lets all hope that things end up as rosy as you all seem to think they will be. I can tell you from our experience with other vendors, its not a cake walk for sure. We've been though this with Cub Cadet (who had rebranded Kioti\Daedong, Mahindra, Mitsu) and that was total mess and is to this day (its the reason we stopped selling them). Its really hard to get parts and they are extremely expensive.. (some hydro filters are $80) even though the products exist out there under other labels. We're now having trouble with ISM stuff that New Holland used to sell. Already you can't get mower decks and accessory kits for compact tractors, and parts prices have shot though the roof as well.

Bottom line, don't buy anything that does not have the OEM's name on it.

[CJONE]

Lets all hope that things end up as rosy as you all seem to think they will be. I can tell you from our experience with other vendors, its not a cake walk for sure. We've been though this with Cub Cadet (who had rebranded Kioti\Daedong, Mahindra, Mitsu) and that was total mess and is to this day (its the reason we stopped selling them). Its really hard to get parts and they are extremely expensive.. (some hydro filters are $80) even though the products exist out there under other labels. We're now having trouble with ISM stuff that New Holland used to sell. Already you can't get mower decks and accessory kits for compact tractors, and parts prices have shot though the roof as well.

Bottom line, don't buy anything that does not have the OEM's name on it.

SO you are saying that If I buy parts for a 90 350 chevy and a 90 350 GMC 1500 pickup they will be different. Yea the grill and the badges thats about it. That is about the best comparision I can think of. Yes the loader is different but do you think Bobcat will go out of business anytime soon? IF / when you can't buy parts from Bobcat I am sure Kioti will gladly sell you some. I was buying crank position sensors for my 7.3 diesel from IH and my 7.3 in my Ford did not know the difference and it did not say Ford on the bag either. If I was in the market right now I would pick up a white Kioti with no problem or worries. CJ

[CurlyDave]

My experience with discontinued items in general tells me that if I already own a Bobcat Tractor, I am not going to worry too much,
but I am going to start getting my ducks in a row for parts.

If I don't own a Bobcat Tractor, I am not going to buy one now. Repair parts could turn into a time-sucking adventure.

I bought my tractor to use it, not to have parts become an all-consuming pastime. Sure, I might save a few thousand right this minute, but I will pay thru the nose in the future.

[kiotiken]

My experience with discontinued items in general tells me that if I already own a Bobcat Tractor, I am not going to worry too much,
but I am going to start getting my ducks in a row for parts.

If I don't own a Bobcat Tractor, I am not going to buy one now. Repair parts could turn into a time-sucking adventure.

I bought my tractor to use it, not to have parts become an all-consuming pastime. Sure, I might save a few thousand right this minute, but I will pay thru the nose in the future.

Really, you either didn't read all the posts, or you don't understand that parts are identical to 3 other current tractors that are sold today and will be sold tomorrow. IF parts become more expensive, just buy the cheaper ones from one of the other brands. THEY ARE THE SAME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[94BULLITT]

In my area we have a Bobcat dealer. We had a Mahindra/ McCormick dealer but they stopped selling McCormick this year. They on sold the larger McCormicks. The nearest Kioti dealer is probably 1.5 or 2hrs away. If Bobcat did drop the parts or they got real expensive it would be pain if I still had my Bobcat. If the nearest Kioti dealer went out of business hard to tell how far I would have to go.

[DK35vince]

In my area we have a Bobcat dealer. We had a Mahindra/ McCormick dealer but they stopped selling McCormick this year. They on sold the larger McCormicks. The nearest Kioti dealer is probably 1.5 or 2hrs away. If Bobcat did drop the parts or they got real expensive it would be pain if I still had my Bobcat. If the nearest Kioti dealer went out of business hard to tell how far I would have to go.

Why do you need to go anywhere?
Order parts over the phone or internet and never leave the house.

[westcliffe01]

Ding Ding Ding,,, We have a winner

[94BULLITT]

Why do you need to go anywhere?
Order parts over the phone or internet and never leave the house.

Then you will be paying for shipping and get ripped off. Can you imagine ordering 8 gallons of hyrdualic oil and paying the shipping.

[westcliffe01]

If I recall, the documentation is in 3 sections for Bobcat. 1) Operators manual 2)service manual, 3) diagrams containing all of the component part numbers

Thus was for a commercial piece of equipment, don't know if it is the same for their re-badged tractors. If you didn't have the 3rd manual, you only had a vague idea of what you were replacing and clarification required going in to the dealer and looking at the screen with the dales guy. The nearest Bobcat dealer is about an hours drive away open Mon-fri. So I have to take time off work to go and see them. I ended up photocopying pages out of the manual and marking the parts I wanted and sending it by mail.

For my equipment there was nothing I could look up on line.

[murphy1244]

Then you will be paying for shipping and get ripped off. Can you imagine ordering 8 gallons of hyrdualic oil and paying the shipping.

Why the heck would you even order hydraulic fluid???? Kubata special????