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Kubota’s Quiet Excellence – Construction Machinery Focused Product Group Shaped by the Needs of the Times

Kubota made its first entry into the construction machinery business with the establishment of Kubota Kenki (construction machinery) K.K. in 1953, when it commenced the design and sale of power shovels and other construction equipment. In those days, as Japan was doing its utmost to recover from the ravages of World War II, the development of electrical power began in earnest. Inspired by the impressive performance of large construction machinery imported from Europe and North America to build a hydroelectric dam, calls for domestic production of construction machinery grew louder in the country. It was a time when “big projects” for improvement of industrial infrastructure were starting up in rapid succession, be it for the development of highways and traffic and communication networks, the enhancement of port and harbor facilities, in addition to development of electrical power. It was against this historical backdrop that Kubota kicked off its construction machinery business.
At large construction sites in urban settings, mobile cranes became the preferred machines for handling larger materials, as their movements are not restricted. In a bid to capitalize on the growing demand at the time, Kubota developed the 4-ton Mobile Crane KM40 to enter the market, which was followed by the 8-ton Mobile Crane KM80 to expand the mobile crane series. These efforts helped Kubota to attain the leading position in the cargo handling equipment market in Japan, and thus Kubota made its presence felt in the industry. One of the key factors that accelerated the development of the construction machinery industry in Japan
was fast-advancing hydraulic technology,which was first introduced from Europe in the 1960s. Compact and lightweight, yet powerful and easy to operate – hydraulic machinery was suited for a broad range of applications, which in turn enhanced performance and quality of construction machinery. Again, Kubota was quick to take advantage of this emerging technology. After signing a technical partnership with Hinrich Weyhausen KG of former West Germany in 1966, it was decided to market the first hydraulic shovel from Kubota, “Atlas,” as a core model, and production subsequently began. As the construction market boomed, in part because of the “Building a New Japan” plan proposed by the then Japanese Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka, the competition in the hydraulic shovel industry intensified. Kubota fought well, securing a stable flow of orders, but it was a time of immense struggle as competition raged.
In retrospect, large construction machinery such as mobile cranes and hydraulic shovels marked the “prehistory” of Kubota’s construction machinery business. While striving to survive tough competition in the area of large construction machinery, Kubota made the bold move to reengineer its construction machinery business by “focusing on compact machinery” in 1973. It was this decision that led to the inception of the current line of compact construction machinery, and from that point on, history was made.

Kubota’s about-face to compact machinery was a result of its savvy response to the needs of the times and the market. During the period of rapid economic growth, the focal point of social infrastructure development shifted to construction work in urban settings, most of which was to improve living environments, and the needs for small-scale construction work increased with continued urbanization. Manual earthwork and transportation on the field had reached their limits, giving rise to demand for compact construction machinery such as “hand dozers” (downsized bulldozers). Sensing this burgeoning market trend, Kubota developed the Mini Hydraulic Excavator KH1 with 360 Degree Turning Structure, which provided the base for the current compact excavator line that followed. The market responded eagerly and praised its characteristics that were so suited to small-scale urban construction work.
Leveraged by its highly reliable performance in quality, operability, and durability, compact excavator went on a winning streak. Designed for use at small construction sites, where environments and conditions vary, compact excavator operates with a small turning radius when it drives, turns, or swings its upper structure. Meanwhile, to cater to the diverse market needs, Kubota expanded its compact excavator line, including a compact zero tail swing model, which can be used for any type of operating field, a compact zero and tight tail swing model, which operates quickly and flexibly in tight spaces, and a conventional tail swing model, which supports a variety of tough jobs. Such was the popularity of Kubota’s compact excavator that the ripples it made eventually spread to the global market.
The first destinations included Europe and North America, exports to which began in 1978. Then, with the 1988 establishment of Kubota Baumaschinen GmbH (KBM), an compact excavator production center in Zweibrücken, Germany, full-fledged supply to the European market began. By the mid-1990s, however, late comers had caught up quickly, with the result that Kubota’s compact excavator became mired in a slump. Something had to be done to escape from this predicament. Enter Katsuhiko Yukawa, currently General Manager of the Construction Machinery Division, who, as a member of the product development team, was tasked with turning the tables back in Kubota’s favor.
“The market already trusted our compact excavator line for its superb operability and durability – something that our users really want to see in our offerings to this day, and this is the real worth of Kubota’s approach to manufacturing. But there was one clear reason why competitors outsold us – Our compact excavator had a bigger price tag. It was to combat this state of affairs that we kicked off a construction machinery business revival project in 1997,” recalls Yukawa. “We made radical cost reductions. Before, our design/development team technically custom-made each compact excavator model – a standard model, a zero tail swing model, and a zero and tight tail swing model – for each different market in Japan, Europe, and North America. Through the use of common parts, components, and materials across different models, we were able to reduce costs significantly while maintaining high quality and keeping performance intact. As we worked hard to overcome the crisis at the time, we were laying the groundwork for today’s construction machinery business.”
Equipped with premium quality and cost competitiveness, Kubota’s compact excavator saw explosive growth in sales in the European market. In 2002, it topped the global market for under-six-ton compact excavators in terms of unit sales, a position that has never been yielded to any other competitor to this day.

Let us take a moment to walk you through the lineup of Kubota’s construction machinery, which is comprised of four categories: wheel loaders (“WL”), compact track loaders (“CTL”), skid steer loaders (“SSL”), and compact excavators.
By definition, the term “compact excavator” refers to a class of construction machinery called hydraulic shovels, each of which weighs less than six tons. Its main applications are excavation and moving loose materials and, because of its small turning radius, it is frequently used for roadworks in Japan. WL is a special vehicle with a power shovel or bucket on its front. Kubota’s strength in this class of construction machinery is its compact size, and its WL has a solid presence in the European market. CTL and SSL, on the other hand, are popular in the North American market. Appearance-wise, they are very similar to each other. In terms of mechanisms, however, the former comes with a “crawler” belt with a wide foot area, whereas the latter is equipped with wheels. Running on soft terrain with ease, CTL offers high stability and excavating force. SSL can access hard-to-reach areas and turn in an area with a small radius, making it ideal for jobs in tight spaces. Both boast wide-ranging applications, such as the moving and loading of materials and dirt, as well as roadworks and landscaping in urban areas. In the past, SSL was the undisputed champion in the North American market; created and raised in America, it has been a favorite among many users there. More recently, however, CTL has slowly gained an edge over SSL, because of its greater stability and the ease with which it can be used for jobs on soft terrain, slopes, and rainy days, as CTL does not have wheels.
As detailed above, a very different set of models of compact construction machinery has been well received, depending on the history and environment in each region. It is thus crucial to release products that match regional characteristics if we are to conduct business successfully on a global scale.