Kubota

Kubota manufactures a wide range of hydraulic equipment, including tractors, compact excavators, wheel loaders, tractor loader backhoes, compact track loaders, and skid steer loaders. And while we may associate the Kubota name with compact equipment, the company got its start back in 1890 as a foundry that specialized in iron casting.

The founder of Kubota was Gonshiro Ohde, who was 19 when he started the company. Despite his young age, Ohde’s skill and determination made it successful. One of Kubota’s early specialties was iron pipes. The demand for his product grew when cholera outbreaks began, and officials saw the need for better water supplies. Gonshiro Ohde was able to develop extremely effective methods for the mass production of cast-iron pipes.

It wasn’t until the early 1900s that the Kubota company shifted its focus toward equipment by manufacturing horizontal liquid-cooled kerosene engines for agro-industrial applications. Kubota continued to diversify its product offerings and survived unbelievable setbacks, including economic depression after WWI and the horrific aftermath of WWII. In the mid-1900s, Kubota developed rider-drive tractors and cultivators for the Japanese market -- while continuing the successful manufacture of metal and plastic pipes.

In 1974, Kubota began manufacturing the compact equipment that many of us know them so well for, starting with a mini backhoe excavator. Now Kubota is a global manufacturer of high-quality compact equipment.