Japan is back at it again!

Just read that Kubota has purchased Great Plains!
Dad always said "we didn't win WWII over the Japs" just changed how they battled us.
Here's the link. 
http://www.ksal.com/great-plains-manufacturing-sold-to-japanese-company/ 

The Japanese companies have good technology and utilize innovative business models, quite unlike China. "Made in Japan" usually means quality while "made in China" likely means you are getting junk.

we get in lots of genuine honda parts in genuine honda parts packageing with made in china stickers on them,  very seldom made in japan or assemalbed in japan.    most of the honda generators that we sell are assembaled in usa but will still have little stickers on the parts that say made in china you would think they would take the stickers off at the factory

Someone was saying last week that Kubota was looking at John Deere

So I wonder if Gleaner is next for them? As they want a combine also. They want to be a full line company and a few years said it would happen! I have no good words for them today! With what they did to some of us dealers. We aren't a dealer for them anymore because of their actions
Quality today isn't good! When they first came over They had to have quality to sell themselves. Now they are just like everyone else's. And you Couldn't give me a new one!

HudCo wrote: we get in lots of genuine honda parts in genuine honda parts packageing with made in china stickers on them,  very seldom made in japan or assemalbed in japan.    most of the honda generators that we sell are assembaled in usa but will still have little stickers on the parts that say made in china you would think they would take the stickers off at the factory

My brother owns a few go kart tracks. The karts come in with Honda motors on them. When they're done (which happens a lot faster than you'd think) he goes to Harbor Freight and buys their $99.00 engine, swaps in the Honda crank and off they go. He's found 99% of the parts are interchangeable, with the Harbor Freight heads and valvetrain holding up better than Hondas, and the Honda cranks being better than Harbor Freight.

Kubota makes a great tractor.  I have one with a Landpride tiller and have used it pretty hard.  Not a single problem yet.

I highly doubt Kubota could take over JD,, in 2014 they had 61.3 billion in assets,,,,, that's a lot of mooolah!

I have run two different Kubota tractors over the last 15 or so years. One is an L4310, the other an M6800. From the service I've seen from those two it would definitely take some convincing for me to change colors

Don(MO) wrote:   All I hear out of them green boys is your AGCO is not really owned by the USA like John Deere is.

I've got 2 older little kuboters, the old ones was built good, cheap to run, and easy to service.  I don't think I would buy anything new enough to have that tier 4 BS emissions on.  Lots of horror stories of tractors back at the dealer, can't figger out computer and emission problems, massive downtime and huge amounts of $$$ to fix...

Pick me a new Kubota- Which new 2wd Kubota tractor would be about the same as a 175 Allis? If you go by HP, the tractors weigh 2000 pounds less than a 175.
I too wonder if their tractors can do heavy tillage full time. It looks to me the 3pt hitches are not solidly attached to the tractor. Maybe ok for nominal conditions, snag a rock and see what happens.  Some of the Massey Fergusons look really beefy, and the engines rev lower.

Kubota just moved the US HQ to Texas, so there goes hundreds of jobs in turmoil.
However, I don't get the impression the Torrance CA people there were tractor experts, surfing, fer sure. Just importers managing the business. ANY questions talk to your local dealer. How much does a M5660 weigh, talk to the dealer. The local dealer may be an idiot, maybe not.
Landpride- I hope they don't radically change the culture, just slowly improve the   products and methods.
Emissions- Well they botched it, just like US car makers did in the '70's. They keep having software upgrades. At least I don't see any re-purposed tomato juice cans in there. I don't know how extensive their electronics and sensors really are. Is there a combustion temp and pressure sensor for each cylinder? How about a fuel flow monitor to each injector? How robust is the diagnostic software. If they do it right it would be a good thing, do it wrong, the headaches multiply.

i hope they do buy deere and paint them orange just think how pissed them juys will be driving a orange deere

Edited by bradley6874 - 15 May 2016 at 9:31am

would massey be a good choice vs Kubota? do new massey have anything similar to old ones from the 70,s and 80,s , where are they made? Thanks

jaybmiller wrote: speaking of 'buyouts', The feds here have allowed Lowes to buy  RONA up here, sighing it won't deprive the Canadians of 'choice' of where to buy lumber and stuff. What it DOES do is force us to send our money 'south of the 49th'. Rona was a Canadian based company out of Quebec, LOWES is USA of course, same as the 'orange' big box HD. as for the Honda clones that HF and others sell, I buy a lot of them to repower stuff,they ARE well made ! A 9HP (270cc) unit will join to a real Honda reducer with precision !! as for foot pedals, try before you buy !! I have a Craftsman rider and the 2 pedal fwd-rev is a PITA ,especially when wearing big shoes or winter boots !! Jay BTW 38*F up here...