Kubota launches tracked loaders in North America

Kubota has launched two Japanese-built tracked loaders in North America and plans to introduce them also in Europe at a later date.

Kubota Tractor Corp in the US announced the introduction of the compact loaders at the end of June. The two models are the 75 hp SVL75 and the 90 hp SVL90. Both are powered by Kubota engines and are Kubota designed, engineered and manufactured in Japan.

"The addition of the compact track loaders to the Kubota product line, at selected Kubota dealers, offers customers an efficient, rugged, highly manoeuvrable track loader that only Kubota could make," said Greg Embury, Kubota vice president, sales and marketing.

"The Kubota track loaders are different from our competitors because they are created exclusively from Kubota engineered and manufactured components in a specific track loader design."

Richard Harrison, sales and marketing manager at Kubota (UK), told IRN that no European launch date had been set because Kubota will first have to supply models to the Kubota dealers in the US (Kubota has more than 1100 dealers in the US); "The production facilities in Japan will steadily increase production to meet this demand and only when this point is reached will we look to release in other markets."

Mr Harrison said Kubota's European dealers were keen to sell the new models; "particularly in southern Europe - Italy and Spain - where the skid steer concept is popular."

The SVL75 has a 6204 lb (2790 kg) bucket breakout force and a 4881 lb (2195 kg) lifting capacity. The larger SVL90 has a bucket breakout force of 7961 lb (3580 kg) and a lifting capacity of 5869 lb (2640 kg).

Both models are powered by a four-cylinder, direct injection, turbo-charged Kubota diesel engine. The loaders are equipped with a rigid-mount undercarriage and a vertical lift design.