Compact tractor brands that have bit the dust.

[MinnesotaEric]

Challenger is still around, a brand from AGCO. They no longer distribute compact or smaller utility tractors, the smallest being 75 HP.

Straight from Zeigler CAT, one of CATs biggest dealers, AGCO dropped the smaller tractors from their line because it did not make sense to have them competing with their Massey Ferguson utility and CUT lines.

But AGCO is now making high horsepower Challenger and Massey tractors Terragators and Rotogators in Jackson, MN. What is cool about the Jackson facility is that everybody there is connected to farming and so AGCO also has R&D at the same campus. Manufacturing began in 2012.

 

[tommaple]

Not having a crystal ball, I can't say for certain, but they seem to be fairly solidly "here to stay"
As I understand it, the loader, paint and a couple of other parts (trim and dash possibly?) are different, but otherwise they are the same tractor. As such, filters and such should be interchangeable.

Aaron Z

Major parts are the same between Kioti and Bobcat. However, the air filter on my CK35 does not have the inner filter that the same sized Bobcat uses. The housing seemed to be slightly different as well.

 

[arlen4720]

I know you guy's or most of you say, to stick to a none brand, now I am new at this tractor thing, but 3 years ago shopping for my very firts tractor, I taught this is what I was doing, I was looking at a john Deer, a Kubota, and a Bob Cat, ya, guess wich one I bought, Bob Cat has been in buisiness, for a long time so I taught,

I was debating between the john deer wnd the Bob Cat, unfortunately the kubota sales rep did not give me the time of day, both time I visited his shop, the only reason the Bob Cat won, they had a 60 months zero % financing

Any way's my question now is, does any one know if kioty will be in buisiness for a while, and do the Kioty part fit a Bob Cat 230, I am talking, oil filters, air filter, and any thing else, can I use the same hydro oil"s in either model's.....

By the way, now I would buy the JD.

Thnx

I don't think Kioti will "make it" in the US market for the long haul. The partnership with Bobcat's dealer network was the only chance they had.

 

[TSO]

I don't think Kioti will "make it" in the US market for the long haul. The partnership with Bobcat's dealer network was the only chance they had.

Lol ... I'm assuming you're just kidding, right? Kioti seems to be doing just fine, have been for many years, long before the deal with Bobcat

 

[GManBart]

I don't think Kioti will "make it" in the US market for the long haul. The partnership with Bobcat's dealer network was the only chance they had.

Oh man, you've gotta take bets on that one!

They've already been here or 20 years (1993), how many more to qualify for "long haul" status?

 

[arlen4720]

Oh man, you've gotta take bets on that one!

They've already been here or 20 years (1993), how many more to qualify for "long haul" status?

They haven't exactly set the world on fire in those 20 years... Just looking at their present dealer network. On the other hand, Bobcat has dealers everywhere. Does anyone know what happened to that partnership?

 

[murphy1244]

I don't think Kioti will "make it" in the US market for the long haul. The partnership with Bobcat's dealer network was the only chance they had.

Yep, Your always right.:laughing::confused2:Whats the time frame and how much is the bet Arlen?

 

[arnoldziffel]

@arien4720

Bobcat decided not to stay in the compact tractor business. I think the relatively new owners of Bobcat decided to stick to their knitting and focus on what they do best -- specialized commercial equipment. That has always been the money maker for Bobcat. The compact tractor line was conceived and established during a somewhat stronger economic environment. That has all changed for the worse over the past 5 years. Bobcat opted not to renew the tractor contract with their supplier.

 

[sd455dan]

I don't think Kioti will "make it" in the US market for the long haul. The partnership with Bobcat's dealer network was the only chance they had.

:laughing:

 

[grsthegreat]

I don't think Kioti will "make it" in the US market for the long haul. The partnership with Bobcat's dealer network was the only chance they had.

oh brother. Just having large network of dealerships doesnt mean anything. lets see, Saturn, Oldsmobile, heck GM nearly went under. GM actually found that having too many dealers was a bad thing.