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Columbia City, Indiana | Comparing these two trackloaders and interested in opinions on either.
Both dealers local, Kubota 5 miles away, Bobcat about 18. Bobcat salesman much more aggressive and willing to negotiate. Kubota owner says their margin is set by corporate, so they can’t move as much. He said they list at 12% margin on new and usually sell for 10%, they are at 8 on my deal for several reasons. I believe he is being honest.
Bobcat advantages: a little cheaper, better warranty, higher travel speed by 3 mph
Kubota advantages: roll up door is amazing, roomier cab, foot throttle is very nice. Higher ground clearance, so tracks easier to clean out. Dealer is adding radio at no cost since they don’t come from factory that way.
Other factors: Kubota is family owned in our small town for generations, my great grandpa and his did a lot of business. ( They were Allis/Gleaner dealers in those days.) Our daughters are very good friends and classmates. I’m concerned about the Korean engines in the bobcats. I currently own an S570, and when it got so cold in January it wouldn’t start even after being plugged in all night. Had to jump it with truck. And that was with 700 hours on it. What would it be like in 5 years? Once it started it ran fine though.
Lots of cattle type work, moving hay, scraping (on concrete) loading silage and manure spreader. I need a good reliable machine because it’s the one thing on my farm that I run 365 days a year. That’s why I spend more money on it, my tractors sit 300+ days a year. I want to go to a tracked machine because when it’s sloppy in the winter I need a way to get hay back to my cows in the woods where they winter, and clear brush along tree lines and fence rows on field edges, which I can only do when it’s frozen solid with a wheeled machine or I get stuck and make a mess. My bobcat has been a decent machine, but the only things it will do more than the mustang it replaced is lift more weight and not overheat in hot weather. I should’ve bought the track machine last time. Tires are shot, don’t want to put steel tracks on because I’ve been told they’re a job for two guys and I’m a 1 man show.
Edited by NEIndiana 5/26/2019 06:49
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Kubota SVL75-2 or Bobcat T595 T4, machine opinions wanted
