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Cats are soooo expensive compared to kubota. What’s the reason?

Oxbow

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 22, 2012
Messages
1,201
Location
Idaho
I noticed the same when I bought my Takeuchi TB260 and priced out every brand who would get back to me. Cat and JCB were iirc about 21-22k more for the same size machine (Cat 306, don't remember what the JCB model was). I talked with the Cat salesman, told him the rough price difference and asked if a better price was available to keep Cat in consideration. He told me that the price on the estimate was as good as he could do and if I wanted a 306 there was a 17 week wait at the time. I ended up buying the Tak which was on the lot 3/4 of mile down the road from the Cat dealer.
860hrs on it so far and it's been a good machine. I've run a 306 a little bit and it's a nice machine but I don't think I would have found the extra cost or the 4+ month wait time to be worth it.
From Cat's perspective, if they are sold out and awaiting new arrivals, they aren't in a position to need to drop prices.
 

CM1995

Administrator
Joined
Jan 21, 2007
Messages
13,248
Location
Alabama
Occupation
Running what I brung and taking what I win
I wouldn’t surprise me if Cat leaves the compact market, soon. Compact equipment is built like a consumer commodity. Like a disposable appliance. Like a Nissan Sentra

Well I hope not. Our Cat 279D's have been more dependable than the many, many Bobcats I have owned over the years. We just don't have any major issues with them.

279D 01 is a 2016 with over 3K hours and all its had replaced is the hydro bucket latch cylinder and an alternator. This 279 has the electric over hydraulic cylinder that is prone to failure.

279D 02 is a 2019 with over 1500 hours on it and all its had replaced is an alternator.

2018 305E bought used has been a great machine other than replacing a hydro line, all we've had to do is service, fuel and grease it.

Back to the OP's question -

In my market Kubota is priced similarly with Cat if not more but I've been a Cat customer for 20 years albeit a small one so that has something do to with it. Our Kubota dealer is not very big and more geared to the "Gentlemen Farmers" that want a compact tractor with a front loader and RTV to ride around their 20 acres.
 
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Mark13

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 28, 2013
Messages
272
Location
IL
From Cat's perspective, if they are sold out and awaiting new arrivals, they aren't in a position to need to drop prices.
I did my purchase back before everything was hard to get and the 306 was fairly new to the market. Now I'm amazed when any dealer has something but at that time every dealer had equipment lined up on the lot.
 

Mark13

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 28, 2013
Messages
272
Location
IL
FWIW I asked my salesman today the lead time on a 325 Next Gen and he said they had 2 in stock a week ago.
I know our local Cat dealers have since been bought out and hopefully things have improved. The previous owners I think ran under the principal of it's their territory so even if you don't like them you still are in their territory so to bad. I haven't been in the market for anything new lately but their parts/service side was greatly helpful for my 953, quite surprising compared to what I was expecting my experience to be like.
 

Plebeian

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 2, 2009
Messages
433
Location
NZ
From what I saw in the Cummins engines, they were all in from the start. They were the first US manufacturer to comply with Tier 1, 2 and 3. That's part of the reason so many manufacturers overseas converted to Cummins. They also stay within their skill set. They build engines and nothing else that I'm aware of.

Cummins could see the writing on the wall for diesel engines for decades. They did their own hydrogen research for years. In 2019 Cummins purchased Hydrogenics (a hydrogen fuel cell maker) This year Cummins purchased Meritor (axles etc). Cummins and associates are doing the complete electric power train. The Freightliner/ Cummins hydrogen truck is a reflection of what is happening. (Cummins are also working on hydrogen combustion engines amongst the other various fuels they are putting through their engines.)
 
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