Are they still making loader's? Becuase i saw one for sale on craigs list and it just dawned on me that I don't really see any around any more.
http://www.machinerytrader.com/list...KOBELCO&GUID=184A921FD32745CCBC6790B655FA883F there probably ain't many still around
I believe Fiat bought part of kobelco, renamed Fiat Kobelco and the early 2000 loaders were then orange , then became part of New Holland. But Kobelco still manufactures excavators under its own name. http://www.fiatkobelco.com/
Fiatkobelco are in Europe only and replaced the Fiat-Hitachi units once that relationship was dissolved. CNH owns ~65% of Kobelco Construction Machinery America (KCMA) and has a 35% stake in Kobelco Asia. The last loaders that Kobelco made in NA were rebadged Kawasaki's and haven't been sold since the early 90's. The orange units you are thinking about were the last of the Fiat-Hitachi's sold in Europe although a few grey market machines found their way over the pond to NA. Check this thread out for more detail on the Fiat/Case/New Holland equipment
What was the deal with Kobelco and Kawasaki? Looking at a Kawi 80ZV now, were the old kawi's better than old Kobelco?
Kobelco/Kawasaki Like most other machinery lines, everyone is in bed with others and this is similar. Kobelco and Kawasaki have long time had business relations. In Japan...within the last 10 years Kobelco built excavators branded Kawasaki..Not sure if still do or not. Kobelco itself built wheel loaders until the late 1980's, but in Japan, the excavator is king. Kobelco US did a good business with them, so Kobelco Japan did an OEM arrangement with Kawasaki due to other dealings, to brand three models of wheel loaders as Kobelco and sell them in North America and else where. Naturally, Kawasaki North American we less than pleased about this arrangement. North American Kobelco/Kawasaki's had,,,I think Hino or Toyota engines, while the North American Kawasaki's had Cummins. Separate dealer organizations and support. That arrangement went away around 1994??? and Kobelco teamed up with O&K out of Germany for their wheel loaders as the WLK...Until Fiat bought O&K construction in approx early 2001....Only the construction side and Terex got the larger 60 ton and up machines. (You keeping track of this?). I am not getting into the latest arrangements with CNH, Fiat, New Holland, O&K, Case and rumors floating around on title subject. THis is just one example of who is doing what with whom world wide?