Pics: New 200hp+ Kubota tractors break cover

Kubota has unveiled its new M8 Series tractor line-up, which extends beyond 200hp, in North America.

The launch is reportedly part of the company’s “strategy to penetrate the North American large utility tractor market”.

The tractors are, in fact, the result of a collaboration with Canadian-based Buhler Industries (a manufacturer that trades under the Versatile and Farm King brands). More specifically, the M8 Series appears to be a Kubota-liveried version of the Versatile Nemesis tractor range, details of which were revealed back in March.

This picture (below) shows a Versatile Nemesis. It and its Kubota-badged M8 Series counterpart are essentially the same tractor – beneath the skin.

Earlier this year, Kubota Corporation stated that it had entered into an agreement with Buhler Industries to “produce a new tractor platform”. Under the terms of this “OEM [original equipment manufacturer] long-term agreement”, Buhler Industries will manufacture these tractors at its factory in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

This now means that the M8 Series tractors will become the biggest offered by Kubota. At present, Kubota’s most powerful tractor is its (175hp) French-built M7172 (pictured below).

Commenting on the new M8 Series, Haruyuki Yoshida, president and CEO of Kubota Tractor Corporation and Kubota North America Corporation, said: “We continue to accelerate our market presence in North America by diversifying our product lines to meet the growing demands of dealers and customers.

“We are making bold moves with the debut of the M8 Series [pictured below] to establish our presence in the segment and position ourselves to steadily grow our share.”

Todd Stucke, Kubota’s senior vice-president of marketing, product support and strategic projects, said: “The M8 Series [pictured below] is Kubota’s most powerful and advanced tractor line to date.”

We previously reported that Versatile-badged versions are fitted with 6.7L Cummins engines – offering (approximately) 175hp, 190hp or 210hp. For now, it appears that Kubota will add just the two more powerful versions to its portfolio.

As ever, stay tuned to AgriLand for further details – as they emerge.