Any one heard of the new M62 coming out?

[rScotty]

I agree with this. I'm beginning to wonder if they are trying not to market this machine as a commercial machine. If commercial buyers went this route it would take some sales from their excavator and fledgling skid steer lines. We have seen this in the past when Bobcat bought the earthforce tlb line. I don't think for a minute that Bobcat planned on keeping them in production any longer than they had to. When one machine can do the job of 2 to some degree it will take sales of the 2 machines. I would guess it is more profitable to sell 2 machines than it is to sell one plus parts and repairs as well. The factory cab would go a long way toward making these machines more of an option for someone that spends a lot of time in the seat year round in other areas than just the northeast.

Well, sure....it could be. That's interesting, and reminds me that I don't know anything at all about sales. That whole world that revolves around the strategy and tactics of big time sales has always been a mystery to me. Perhaps that's not so unusual in engineers; some of us do tend to be blind that way.

At least I do understand the engineering/cost/production viewpoint. And I from that viewpoint I couldn't agree with the explanation Dealers were being offered for not producing a TLB cab - and particularly when it's an optional cab.

BTW, I do remember when the Bobcat & EarthForce merger shut down EarthForce in favor of the more popular but less capable BobCat. And I didn't understand that reasoning either. Like I said, no way will I ever understand sales!

But at least I was able to solve my problem of not having a cab on our own Kubota M59.....and did so in a way which I bet would intrigue Kubota's sales department.
Enjoy!
rScotty


So maybe this really is all somehow sales related. Like you say, it could even be some kind of strategy having to do with total sales in their industrial division. I'll never understand that world. Your speculation about the reasons behind their decison is fascinating. Of course your speculation might or might not be right - but that hardly matters because at least it does fit some of the facts. The production/cost explanation didn't.

 

[MessickFarmEqu]

Conspiracy theory's abound!

For what its wroth, none of your thoughts jive with my experience.

 

[Hersheyfarm]

I think kubota is still feeling the 2008 debut into a crashed residential construction market. I only know of two other m59 machines that are in use in my area of about 8 counties. Take the rich hobby farm tinkerers out of the equation and I think the m59 was a bust in the construction industry, at least for what it is capable of. I like mine for doing sewers and waters, and getting in slabs and ditch digging. But for the most part mini x's dominate anything a full size TLB doesn't get. So not putting full ac cabs in production makes sense, but atleast they updated in some form. I would like to know the small refinements they might have made that nobody would really notice. The clutch being gone is a good one.

 

[rScotty]

Conspiracy theory's abound!

For what its wroth, none of your thoughts jive with my experience.

Yes, I think that's fair....in fact, more than fair. As near as I can see, most of us do tend to base our thoughts on our own unique experiences. The plus side is this does make us pretty good at evaluating things within our own area of expertise.

But I'll be the first to admit that when I speculate about sales, retail prices, or the popularity of one model line against another I'm a long way from things that I know anything about. So any speculation I make about why Kubota doesn't put cabs on their TLBs ends up being based largely on my own ignorance. That's why it's speculation. I have no idea if anyone's speculation is right or wrong. Mine included.

But after thinking about this cab thing for awhile what stood out and really fascinated me was realizing just how easily I'm influenced by an arguement based outside my own field of expertise.
enjoy!
rScotty

 

[Paystar]

Well, JCB thinks a compact size backhoe with a factory cab is a good idea.

 

[TSO]

Well, JCB thinks a compact size backhoe with a factory cab is a good idea.

I like those! I may add one someday. Don't have a local JCB dealer tho. I do have Volvo, but I don't think they made a Volvo cross like they do with the skid steers.

 

[Hersheyfarm]

Well, JCB thinks a compact size backhoe with a factory cab is a good idea.

Wile that thing has some really great features it weighs 13500b.

 

[mike69440]

Wile that thing has some really great features it weighs 13500b.

M62 needs to bulk up a bit, but that is 2,500-3000 lbs too much. JCB is a municipal road crew type machine.

 

[mike69440]

Well, JCB thinks a compact size backhoe with a factory cab is a good idea.

I seen these advertized for $79,000 with an extra remote. 3CX are a lot more of an industrial machine than the M62

 

[Paystar]

I seen these advertized for $79,000 with an extra remote. 3CX are a lot more of an industrial machine than the M62

Yes, different machine. But I think it would show a small sized machine with a factory full featured cab would be desirable.