HARD DECISION

[DavesTractor]

Exactly, Kubota is still trying to get their foot in the door on the ag side of things. They gained a lot of respect in the compact market but in the ag world people laugh at them still. They have only been trying for what, 30 years or so?

I sure hate to defend Kubota , but in our area, they are well respected in the ag (orchard) market. I think a lot of opinions are based on your own reality....and a lot of that stems from where you live.

 

[Dougster]

So, 27 HP IS more than 34 HP? I never knew that. Must be INDIAN math. Read on, and "quote" the part where he's found a simular deal on a 231 for $8000. Or since using all the facts doesn't do you case any justice are we not including them?

And also the part where the $8K "Off-Brand" tractor suddenly jumped to $11K?

You are too funny Junk. You and "Lucky" need to get off the farm and get out a little more often!

By the way... Anyone know where I can find a good "tent sale"???

Dougster

 

[Farmwithjunk]

I agree about the Kubota trying to break into the Ag market and getting laughed at.....still. they need to offer combines, highboy sprayers, pickers, etc. along with ag equipment before they will ever really break into that market. i don't think i will see this anytime soon either.

The AG market is divided into a couple segments. Small to mid-sized/cattle and hay, and large grain operations. The large grain market is becoming smaller and smaller in terms of "units sold" as the size of those units steadily increase. A very limited line-up will do battle for that market. With mergers and aquisitions, that line-up is growing smaller too.

Where Kubota, and any prospective "newcomers" have their best legitimate shot is with the smaller or mid-sized cattle and hay guys. Kubota has every chance in the world of gaining MORE market share there. But they do need to break into the implement end of the market at some point, possibly offering haying equipment. Best chance there would be to buy an already established manufacturer. Not many left that HAVEN'T been absorbed into the fold somewhere else.

And I had forgot about that "orchard and vineyard" market. Kubota has their feet firmly through that door.

 

[Farmwithjunk]

And also the part where the $8K "Off-Brand" tractor suddenly jumped to $11K?

You are too funny Junk. You and "Lucky" need to get off the farm and get out a little more often!

By the way... Anyone know where I can find a good "tent sale"???

Dougster

Try a good 12 step program Doug. They can do wonders.

Meanwhile, you MIGHT want to think about not mixing part of what 10 different people say into one "quote". Not sure what your thinking is, if you're thinking at all.

So you need a tent to live in? Business must be lean for you

 

[Robert_in_NY]

I sure hate to defend Kubota , but in our area, they are well respected in the ag (orchard) market. I think a lot of opinions are based on your own reality....and a lot of that stems from where you live.

Dave, up here in Western New York I have access to 30 head dairy farms, 3000 head dairy farms. Small grain farms, 9000 acre grain farms. Small and large hay operations. Vegetable farms, Orchards, Vineyards and large horse farms. We don't have very many cattle farms up here though. But we have a large variety of farm operations and tons of equipment up here ranging from the little compacts on up to largest tractors, Cat/Agco, Deere and CNH make as well as a lot of old Steigers, and Versatiles.

From all of my travels and visits to these farms I can honestly say Kubota is not represented very well. The large farms run CNH, Deere and Agco equipment, The Orchards and vineyards run CNH and Deere equipment with some Same tossed in. There are some Kubotas in use but maybe only 10%. The horse farms I visit and deal with run New Holland and John Deere and I visit a lot of them hauling hay. The hay operations tend to run mostly CNH and Deere with some Agco because of the fact they can buy the hay equipment from the same dealer.

I have nothing against Kubota but their main market in WNY is homeowner use, property maintance and light logging. I do know of one small beef farm that has two M series Kubotas but he is surrounded by farms that run all green tractors.

Kubota has to keep working at it to really be accepted in the ag world. Adding hay equipment would really boost their standing as then they can market their tractor/equipment better. Instead, you buy a tractor from a Kubota dealer then you have to go to another dealer to buy your hay equipment. It is easier to deal with just one dealer which is what hurts the pure Kubota dealers.

One of my favorite farms to visit runs all old Oliver tractors to take care of their vegetables. They keep restoring them (much like FWJ) and putting them in the field to earn their keep.

I can't speak for all of the US but from visiting farms in Western and Central NY, Western and Central PA as well as Eastern Ohio I have a good idea of what the farms in this area run as well as the reputations the tractor brands and models have earned.

Does anyone think Fiat would have been accepted so easily here if they didn't buy Ford and Case-IH? That is a point FWJ was trying to make. Kubota is working their way in the old way by building their line. Fiat tried bring tractors here before but it didn't work. Now they have a brand name and strong dealer network as well as a full lineup of equipment and are automatically the top tractor company in the world. Kubota needs to decide if they want to compete in the small ag world and if they do then they need to jump in. The best way I see them being able to do that would be to partner with Kuhn or Krone. Kuhn equipment would match up well to Kubota tractors already and is one of the top hay equipment companies in the world. Krone has been rumored to be for sale from time to time but every time Agco tries to buy them they turn them down

 

[Bob_Young]

Here in 'not quite so far west' NY, there's some new colors showing up in the apple & cherry orchards: Orange and a purplish shade of blue.

Starting to see some Kubota M-series and some Farmtrac amongst the trees. Before it was mostly JD green and Ford (not NH) blue.

I attribute the Farmtrac mini-explosion to an aggressive local dealer, good value, and the fact that the orchards were mostly content with their old 1000-series Fords. Farmtrac sells a close clone to those old Fords and one of their Indian plants once made the 1000-series for Ford in Asia.

The Kubotas I've seen were cab models. Probably make pulling a sprayer a lot more bearable.

The fruit growers have their ups and downs here. Consequently they know how to stretch a buck.
Bob

 

[Robert_in_NY]

The Farmtracs are a good tractor and one the vineyard owners would love to see around here. They have some that use the same castings that the old Fords used and that allows them to upgrade their old Fords and use the same post pounders and weed sprayers on the new tractor without having to fab up new mounting plates and buy more hardware. My Valtra/Agco/Kioti dealer use to push the Farmtracs until he took on Kioti and now he has Agco also so he doesn't push the Farmtracs much anymore.

I was just up to Canadaigua the other day for the 2 cylinder Expo. You guys have a great area and one of these days I will head up and visit the vineyard farmers again.

The biggest thing with any tractor is the dealer. If you have a good dealer that can market their product then they will sell. There are 3 Kubota dealers here and one is only Kubota and doesn't sell any implements. Needless to say he doesn't sell very many tractors to farms. The MF and Case-IH dealer also sell Kubotas but only for their compacts. The MF dealer also sells Landini tractors which are basically the same as SAME but with blue paint. I do not see too many of them around though as this dealer is not very easy to work with which is why there are not very many MF's around either. When his dad ran the place there were Masseys all over this county. Now no one wants to deal with them so they have a very small selection of Landini and Massey tractors but have about 15 Kubota compacts right next to the store. All the other tractors are across the road. The vineyard market is very well suitable for another tractor make to push their way in. New Holland and John Deere have been beating each other up pushing their tractors but both are priced over $40k for a 75- 85 horse FWA, cabbed orchard/vineyard tractor. If someone was to come in and bring this same package for a few thousand less they would sell a lot of them as a lot of the vineyard owners look at the bottom line more so then what dealer is selling the tractor. They just need to keep the tractor under 66" wide.

 

[Travis_R]

HOW DOES THIS SOUND?

1998 Massey Ferguson 231, very good condition, w/ canopy, 485 hrs., fresh oil change, new 2 month old battery w/ receipt, one remote hydraulic, vertical exhaust, black spring suspension seat (not the old grey "pan" style), $8000.00

Man said that if he cleaned it up, it would look as good as a new one on the lot.

I am going to look at it Friday or Saturday. It is about 5 hrs. away. I am bringing my trailer, so you know what that means!

ALSO, i could buy a used 7' Woods bush hog from him for $800.00. He said it was in good condition and comes with an extra set of blades.

WHAT DO YA'LL THINK?

Travis R

 

[Farmwithjunk]

HOW DOES THIS SOUND?

1998 Massey Ferguson 231, very good condition, w/ canopy, 485 hrs., fresh oil change, new 2 month old battery w/ receipt, one remote hydraulic, vertical exhaust, black spring suspension seat (not the old grey "pan" style), $8000.00

Man said that if he cleaned it up, it would look as good as a new one on the lot.

I am going to look at it Friday or Saturday. It is about 5 hrs. away. I am bringing my trailer, so you know what that means!

ALSO, i could buy a used 7' Woods bush hog from him for $800.00. He said it was in good condition and comes with an extra set of blades.

WHAT DO YA'LL THINK?

Travis R

Tractor sound like a good'n by that description. Fair price based on what they sell for here. 7' Wood mower sounds like too much for that tractor. 7'ers are H.E.A.V.Y. compared to a 6'er. A 6' medium or heavy duty Woods would be all you want.

 

[shvl73]

Travis,
Do I remember you saying your truck was a half-ton and your trailer didn't have brakes? Be careful.