I Bobcat getting out of the CT business???

[SABULA FARMER]

Here we go again, bobcat dropped one tractor and now the worlds coming to an end. They didn't drop the Entire CT line....Heck Harley Davidson quit making the Dyna low rider also, I better sell my Street Glide and go buy a Vespa scooter!

 

[1969grandpa]

The concern, for me, is more of the Big Bobcat stores are dropping the CT line and the Joes on the corner are picking them up. If the Bobcat store has no faith in them, why should I have faith in them. Some people say that a V-Rod isn't a REAL Harley, but the Harley store still sells them. Maybe the should let the "Joes Honda Kawi Suzuki Polaris of the upstate" sell them.

 

[MESSMAKER]

I don't think that this is going to happen ,but I am concerned. I don't see any new Bobcat tractors being sold. You can't blame the dealers if the product does not sell. I think getting a new tractor line out is a 20+ year plan. I have to hope they stay in it for the long haul. They may need to bring out some sub-cuts to compete with Kubota Nd JD and get a bit more visibility. Bobcat has a reputation for quality. They just need to hang in there.

 

[gumshu]

I think the current state of the world economy has a lot to do with it. Otherwise, I think they'd be going like gangbusters.

 

[lilranch2001]

The dealer I bought mine from is a huge Bobcat dealer, and he told me last spring that he was one of the largest Bobcat Tractor Dealers.
He told me he had outsold the long time local Kubota dealer, he only had 3 tractors on the lot, when I had bought mine a few years before he had like 20 of them..

He had recently refurbished his sales office and things seemed like they were going very well for him

 

[SABULA FARMER]

The concern, for me, is more of the Big Bobcat stores are dropping the CT line and the Joes on the corner are picking them up. If the Bobcat store has no faith in them, why should I have faith in them. Some people say that a V-Rod isn't a REAL Harley, but the Harley store still sells them. Maybe the should let the "Joes Honda Kawi Suzuki Polaris of the upstate" sell them.

I think the v-rod isn't a true Harley, and it should be dropped from the line up...
Second, the CT line is a huge part of the compacts from what I have read and researched prior to my purchase. For every CT 335 they sold, they lost a sale on a CT440. The CT 335 and CT235 were so close in performance numbers they dropped the CT335. A very smart move to boost sales on the CT440. The CT235 is a hot tractor at way less than the 335 was. Kioti also dropped it from their line up. I remember when I was looking to buy and called a local Kioti dealer, they talked me out of the DK335 and were pushing me towards the Ck235. Thus I own a CT335.
The economy is bad, jobs are few and far between and I don't blame dealers for not carrying every tractor made in a specific line. They do pay flooring on them and if sales are low... Well you know the ending. I have seen more John deere shops go under in this area than anything else.

 

[MessickFarmEqu]

for whats its worth, I'd expect to see some Bobcat dealers drop the compact line once they've had a few years with it. The margins are not like they are used to on the construction side, and unless someone makes a good go of it they are going to quickly fine they are paying more in carrying costs than they are making in profit. That does not mean there is no commitment on the corporate level, just a reality check for some dealers who have never sold small tractors.

 

[94BULLITT]

I heard they told the dealers we now have tractors and your going to sell them.

 

[Misfire]

Another local Bobcat dealer tells me that he can't order parts for the tractors because he isn't an "authorized CT dealer", but they sell everything else Bobcat offers.

That just sounds wrong. That alone would put me off the Bobcat brand if I was in the market for a new tractor.

 

[lilranch2001]

I have my doubts that most of the info in this thread is either wrong or some may have their own agenda......

The local Bobcat dealers around here seem fine and dandy with carrying construction and CUTs
I was just into my dealer last week, and he has 5 CUTS on his lot, lots of impliments and a healthy supply of construction stuff.

I spoke to the owner and he was all about the CUT line, didnt seem to have a worry in the world about the tractors

But then, maybe he is just a good actor,..... who knows
I am sure all the nay sayers know more.........