Canadian press have been tweeting about the launch of the new Kubota M8, which as announced in March is being built in partnership with Versatile in Winnipeg.
As we guessed the range will be called the M8, sitting above the current French built 130-170hp M7 line-up. There will be two models, the M8-191 and M8-211 both of which use a six-cylinder Cummins B6.7 motor producing 190hp and 210hp respectively.
Transmission wise there is a choice of a ZF semi-powershift with six steps and five ranges (30 forward, 15 reverse)or a stepless box. Four pto speeds are available for the North American market with both standard and economy versions of 540 and 1,000rpm with the latter having a 20 or 21 spline shaft. In the hydraulics department there are 120l/min or 160l/min pump options with up to five valves. Rear lift capacity is 5,560kg or this can be upgraded to 7,050kg. A front linkage and pto is also being touted as is a M77 loader package.
In the cab there appears to be an updated version of the multi-function armrest from the M7 with the 7 inch K-Monitor which is derived from the Kverneland Tellus screen as standard. If you want a bigger terminal then the 12in is optional. Also on the options list is a semi-active leather seat along with cab suspension and 12 LED lighting package.
Will we see the M8 in Europe? If Kubota is going to take the market seriously then it certainly needs a more powerful offering to the M7 not just to attract customers but also dealers as it could be argued that 200hp is now the go to tractor size for contractors and many medium to large farms. You wouldn’t need to be a rocket scientist to guess that if Kubota is going to do something then it will be at Agritechnica. We are waiting to hear back from Kubota UK and Ireland.
As for the North American market it is reported the M8 will be making an appearance at several shows including Farm Progress and Husker Harvest with availability from Spring 2020.
