Buying Advice M135X front suspension

[PHILIP8N]

It's like the construction industry saying you would never see a Kubota engine in a Caterpillar and now Kubota engines are going into a major portion of Cat's product line.

Please be more specific here.

What Kubota engines are in what Cat equipment?

What do you consider as 'major' portion of Cat's product line?

According to my last count, Cat or Perkins engines were going into the major portion of Cat's product line.

Philip

 

[Builder]

Here's another article. Kubota buys Kneverland. Looks like they want to get into the larger attachments market, too:
Kubota tractor,Kubota Looking for Partnership in US and Europe,news1-China Construction Machinery Business Online

Looks like Kubota has made it more than obvious they are looking to merge with, co-op or outright buy a company that builds larger ground engaging tractors AND attachments.

 

[MessickFarmEqu]

they are also looking at aquiring another company (besides Keverland) who currently does build an AG tractor with limited distribution. Thats far from done though. The odd part is that there have been grumblings of this product for years, seems odd to be that this would be the direction given how long its been talked about.

 

[MHarryE]

Please be more specific here.

What Kubota engines are in what Cat equipment?

What do you consider as 'major' portion of Cat's product line?

According to my last count, Cat or Perkins engines were going into the major portion of Cat's product line.

Philip

Kubota engines are going into skid steers and compact track loaders (272D, 299D for example). They use the 3.8 liter which in the Cat is now a C3.8 engine. They are used in the mini-excavators (303.5 CR, 304E CR, 305E CR, 305.5E CR, and 308E CR). They use 1.8 liter, 2.4 liter, and 3.3 liter engines now called the Cat C1.8, C2.4, and C3.3. Kubotas are also going in the compact wheel loaders 906H, 907H, and 908H. Most of what Cat has announced - the Cat engines start with the C4.4 and smaller than that they will be using Kubota. Its not a huge dollar volume by Cat standards but a very significant usage by unit volume. Not sure why the Kubotas in skid steers because they are higher horsepower than the C4.4 used in backhoe loaders 416F and 420F. And what Cat announced refers only to Tier 4 interm which leaves in question what they will use for Tier 4 final. The mini-excavators have gone from Mitsubishi to Perkepillar to Mitsubishi and now to Kubota so it is anybody's guess.

 

[Builder]

they are also looking at aquiring another company (besides Keverland) who currently does build an AG tractor with limited distribution. Thats far from done though. The odd part is that there have been grumblings of this product for years, seems odd to be that this would be the direction given how long its been talked about.

I bet they have a re-badged >150HP tractor for sale by 2015. If they don't, they will miss out on untapped markets.
I really don't agree with Kubota's methodology here, but it probably has more to do with labor markets than anything. Japan has similar problems to US corporations with taxation, wages, etc. in Japan.
Probably makes more sense to aquire than engineer larger tractors, but I buy Kubota because they build so much of their own assemblies in Japan, not outsource so much to China as American companies now do.
Some Kubota parts are now Chinese, but my CASE backhoe had more Chinese & Italian parts on it than I was comfortable with.

 

[MessickFarmEqu]

I bet they have a re-badged >150HP tractor for sale by 2015.

I'll be surprised if it takes that long.

Most of the news articles on this have been saying the focus is on Europe and emerging markets, not so much the USA. We may not see the fruits of all this.