Kubota vs Challenger

[Winston_Cup]

The two tractors I'm looking at are a Kubota B7800 and a Challenger MT 265. What is the difference between the Kubota series and Challenger series tractors, how do they compare quality wise, strength, use etc?
How much CAT is actually in the Challenger? Or are they just sold by CAT and made by someone else?

What are those two worth with about 500 hrs on each, good condition, both with loader and full hydraulic box scrapers.

Thanks

 

[gmol]

SAw some Challenger tractors on the way home last night . They look lokie the real deal. I went to the web site but it was slow down loading and I went to bed. I am thinking of trading my present rid for a comprable Chellenger. Any one know anything about them, they look rugged as heck and seem to be the real deal.

 

[IH3444]

AGGOs, Massey tractors. Click on link. web pageChallanger/Cat

 

[djg]

An Xbox 360 would be cheaper and more fun than a tractor.

 

[Winston_Cup]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( An Xbox 360 would be cheaper and more fun than a tractor. )</font>

Boy you need to get out more often, meet yourself a nice woman, a real one, get married, then you'll find out just how much fun a tractor can be. Of course you'll have to move outta your mom's house first, get a job and buy your own tractor.

 

[beagdog]

AGCO makes Challengers. There is no CAT in them, they are marketed by CAT dealers to give them smaller agricultural products.

If you check out Massey and AGCO you'll find the same tractors at somewhat lower prices. Good thing about Challenger is they can be serviced by any AGCO dealer, and there are many of them around. My Kubota dealer sells AGCO and Massey and also services the larger Challengers for several of his customers.

Few things in life are as much fun as a tractor.

 

[Winston_Cup]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( AGCO makes Challengers. There is no CAT in them, they are marketed by CAT dealers to give them smaller agricultural products.

If you check out Massey and AGCO you'll find the same tractors at somewhat lower prices. Good thing about Challenger is they can be serviced by any AGCO dealer, and there are many of them around. My Kubota dealer sells AGCO and Massey and also services the larger Challengers for several of his customers.

Few things in life are as much fun as a tractor.

)</font>

Thank you sir. As I've gathered so far from searching the web, if I understand correctly, Challenger was originally a CAT product but at some point AGCO, which I am not familiar with by the way, bought the Challenger brand from CAT and CAT continues to to sell them at all their dealerships?

History aside, how do the quality, durability and capabilities compare between the Kubota and the Challenger? If you can do an apples to apples comparision, model size or hp wise?

The choice I have in front of me is between a Kubota B7800 with loader and full hydraulic box scrapper, appr 500 hrs

or

A Challenger MT265 with loader and full hydraulic box scrapper appr 550 hrs.

Both are ex rentals, both hydrostatic and both are priced at $14,000.

I have some experience from renting a few Kubotas in the past, but have zero with the Challenger. I haven't even seen a Challenger in person yet, but when I mentioned I was picking a Kubota, my father in law, who uses heavy equipment daily, dug me up this Challenger MT265 at one of his connections and said I might want to consider it first.

Thanks for any input I can get here.

 

[Baucom]

You may be more familiar with AGCO products sold under the Massey Ferguson name. At any rate, AGCO is the parent company of Massey Ferguson, AGCO, Challenger, Fendt, Gleaner, New Idea, Spra-Coupe, and many others.

As for the AGCO-CAT/Challenger connection, CAT originally designed, built and sold a line of large Challenger tracked farm tractors. Under CAT, there were no Challenger wheel tractors. AGCO bought the Challenger name, and I believe also the tracked Challenger tractor design, from CAT, and gave CAT dealers distribution rights to the Challenger lineup.

The only CAT in these Challenger compacts is the yellow paint. Some of the larger Challenger wheel tractors use Cat/Perkins engines, but not the compacts--the compacts are all Iseki. The only Challengers that are truly CAT products are the large tracked Challengers.

With that said, the Challenger compacts, mt200 and mt200b series, are very good tractors, and personally are the sharpest looking of the AGCO compacts. However, from what I've gleaned on here, the Challengers usually come with a price premium over the MF and AGCO branded tractors (but not always--some dealers get the prices very competitive with comparable MF tractors). I hope this helps.

 

[djg]

It was just a joke. When I click on the challenger link, I go to microsoft site that was featuring Xbox at the time. Anyone else same thing?

 

[MessickFarmEqu]

Given that they are ex-rentals I would heavily consider which is going to be the easiest to get serviced.

 

[beagdog]

All other things being equal (is the Challenger an HST?), the Challenger should be a little more tractor.

I don't think you could go wrong with either, if they are both in equal shape. Personally I'd be a little leary of rental returns, just because I know some of the people that rent things, but thats just me.

Your opinion of the dealers involved and availablity of service should be your guide.

 

[Winston_Cup]

<font color="blueclass=small">( All other things being equal (is the Challenger an HST?), the Challenger should be a little more tractor.

I don't think you could go wrong with either, if they are both in equal shape. Personally I'd be a little leary of rental returns, just because I know some of the people that rent things, but thats just me.

Your opinion of the dealers involved and availablity of service should be your guide.

)

Yes the Challenger is hydrostatic. I actually went by a local cat dealer today and let me tell you, one look over and the Challenger wins hands down when you compare size for size, hp for hp, class for class. Looking wise, and comparing stats that Challenger is the better tractor for the money, new or used. The do seem to compare in price, but you get a bit more with the Challenger it seems. This Challenger I am interested in is about a 1.5 hr drive away and the question I have to ask tomorrow is whether it's the "B" series, which I understand is the newer model beginging I think 2005. With 550 hrs it's likely an '05 I would think, my father in law didn't know whether it's a "B" model or not. So if it is, I think it's a winner all else considered, depending on shape. I'll be going there thursday to see it first hand. They said I could take it and demo it before making my decision. From talking to the rental yards, the standard practice is to "flip" them every year, at about 800-1000 hrs, before they get too used and lose too much value and to keep a fresh new line to rent. It's not like the old days where they rented them till they're dead in the field.

Did the "B" series start in 04 or 05, do you know?

 

[havenlane]

I understand the qualms about rental equipment, however, since a new MT265B (or MF 1533 similarly equipped) would be in the $18K neighborhood, the savings, and any professional service done by the rental company, not to mention any "bugs" being worked out of either brand, then it comes down to which dealer treats you like they really want to take care of you. In my experience, and I have the MT265B, I thought that the CAT dealer was the most willing to do what ever it took to make us happy, not just make the sale, including being the only dealer to offer to let us take the tractor home over the weekend and put it to the test. Good luck, and happy tractoring, /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Havenlane

 

[rico304]

djg, I think they changed the link now. I can't bring it up at all.
Now that I know what you were talking about, that was a very funny reply /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif. haha

 

[CT_Tree_Guy]

<font color="blue">more fun than a tractor </font>

djg, don't sweat it, I've caught some heat around here as well. I think everyone realizes that the keyboard is a poor substitute for "real" communication, and that things get lost in translation very easily.

Now you know, never suggest that ANYTHING is more fun than a tractor! /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif (Although I can think of a few things that are - maybe someone ELSE needs to get out more). /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

Take care, John D.