To be very frank with you, I believe certain companies are enforcing the "low-cost" method of producing machines. This certainly isn't to say that making machines as expensively as possible is a good idea; it's saying that some companies turned to a maximize-profit business model, not the "let's make the best product possible" model.
I believe Deere has done a tremendous job of restructuring its entire product line. Just about every major line has underwent a complete turnaround within six years (excavators, dozers, wheel loaders, SSL, ADTs, backhow/loaders), and the the innovation that went into each overhaul is pretty astonishing. While other competitors haven't quite been turning out the same new iron that Deere has, I can guarantee you they will have a whole new slew of products out within the next few years as Tier III comes on. If my impressions are correct, Cat will be throwing quite a few new products at us soon, and my previous sense of lack of innovation on their behalf should be eridicated somewhat. Which, for me, is a relief. I could only hope that another company would do it, too.
Why people don't buy Cat around you -- several reasons. One of the general reasons I think is that Deere entered the markets at a very opportune time. Around 1997-2000, when the market was doing really well, contractors were looking to replace older equipment -- mainly equipment from the late 80s or early 90s. (Cat 225 excavators, 950/966E or F wheel loaders, Deere 544G wheel loaders, etc -- older machines.) Deere just so happened to release a new series of excavators, dozers (under 100hp), and wheel loaders at the time, all three categories of which had been somewhat stagnant. Cat had been marketing its D3C for a long time -- it was at Series III standing when the Deeres came out -- and its G-series wheel loaders were only beginning to come out (with the 914 and 992G, then with the 980G, but not yet targeting the 150-260 hp class, whcih was were a tremendous amount of growth seemed to be occuring). For this, Deere came out as a "better" product than Cat -- which may or may not be true. If a contractor was comparing a prototype 972G or an ancient 950F to a "real" 744H (either better because it's a finalized design or because it's so much more powerful than the 950F), well, yeah, the 744H comes out on top. I presume a few contractors were looking for more in a loader and saw Deere there, and being there, just claimed that its loader was more powerful than their old Cat. Well it darn well better be if it's replacing an old loader -- and especially so if it's of a smaller size class!
That's just my opinion. I think Cat got burned and it doesn't want to go through that again. Do I believe it has a long way to go? Yes, it does. Other companies are experimenting with hydrostatics a bit more (Komatsu in its wheel loaders; Liebherr already uses hydrostat in its entire line of WL); other companies have refined controls (Case backhoes, I have heard, are smooth as slik) that Cat still can't quite match. But I still believe Cat is about to do something exciting -- even as much as I try to stay on top of the industry's releases, there are products I have no idea exist -- and they're going to do it well.
Least, I hope so, because I want to work for them. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
