Kubota

Kubota SVL65-2

$65,297before options, dealer-quotedVertical LiftRubber tracks
Kubota SVL65-2
Rated capacity of tipping load35%
2,100 lb rated6,000 lb tipping

The bright segment is what Kubota SVL65-2 is rated to carry; the grey run past it is the rest of its tipping load. Bar length is tipping load drawn to the same scale on every machine on the site, so a short bar is a smaller machine and not a conservative rating.

Smallest of Kubota's SVL compact track loaders, the SVL65-2 pairs a 68 hp Kubota diesel with a vertical-lift path and standard self-leveling. It's the value-priced entry point to the best-selling SVL family for landscapers and property owners working in tight spaces.

Suits: SVL reliability in a smaller, cheaper package for landscapers and property owners Its vertical lift path reaches highest at full extension, for loading high-sided trucks and stacking.

Lifting and reach

Rated operating capacityTrack loader rating convention
2,100 lbs
Tipping load
6,000 lbs
Lift height to hinge pin
118 in
Lift path
Vertical Lift
Operating weight
8,565 lbs

Power and hydraulics

Engine power
68 hp
Engine
Kubota V2607-CR-TE4
Auxiliary flowStandard circuit
17.4 GPM
Flow type
Standard
Warranty
2 yr / 2,000 hr

Fitted or available

What this machine can be ordered with. Some of these are standard and some cost extra, and which is which moves between trim levels, so check them against the quote rather than against this list.

Vertical LiftHigh-FlowEnclosed CabTwo-SpeedSelf-LevelingA/C & HeatTracksA/CHigh-Flow Available

What owners report

Summarised from the sources listed below. Nothing here was tested by us.

Kubota's lightest track loader exists for one reason and owners buy it for that reason: it fits the trailer. At around 8,565 lb it moves behind a three-quarter-ton truck without a dedicated tractor and lowboy, and the accepted split is that this is the landscaper's and hobby farmer's SVL while the SVL75-3 is the general contractor's. What makes it more than a small machine is the geometry - vertical lift to a 118.5-inch hinge pin is rare at this weight, so it loads trailers that radial-lift rivals its size have to drive up a ramp to fill.

The operator station is better than the footprint suggests, using the same width of cab as the much larger SVL75-2 and SVL95-2s, with the slide-up overhead door that Kubota owners consistently rate as a genuine daily convenience. Self-levelling and the multifunction valve are standard rather than options. What owners fight with is the emissions system: reports of regens every one to two hours on a high-hour machine, filters loaded by idling and short cycles, and dealers unable to claim warranty when no codes are stored. Fuel-system trouble also shows up early on a minority of units, including a documented injector-seal failure that put diesel into the crankcase two hours into a new machine. Beyond that the nuisance list is ordinary - hard starting in cold, overheating traced to packed radiator fins, hydraulic faults traced to a clogged filter or a seat sensor - but diagnosis needs dealer software rather than an operator's scan tool, which raises the cost of every small fault.

Landscapers, small contractors and acreage owners whose trailer and truck cap out around 10,000 lb are the audience, and most of them run a bucket, forks, a grapple and maybe a power rake. Price it against a Bobcat T66 or a Cat 259D3 and it usually comes in lower. Before signing, settle high flow, because 17.4 GPM standard is the permanent ceiling otherwise; be clear-eyed about how much of your day is idling, because that is what determines whether the filter becomes a bill; and check whether the dealer is quoting the SVL65-2 or the newer SVL65-2s, because they are different machines at different prices.

What owners like

  • At roughly 8,565 lb it is the machine you buy when the trailer is the constraint - it moves behind a three-quarter-ton truck on an ordinary tandem, and it is Kubota's lightest track loader, which also means less compaction on turf.
  • Vertical lift to a 118.5-inch hinge pin with 34.9 inches of reach is unusual in this weight class, so it loads a dump trailer and stacks pallets that radial-lift rivals of the same size cannot reach.
  • Self-levelling is standard with an on/off switch rather than an upcharge, and the advanced multifunction valve lets the auxiliary circuit, boom and bucket all work at once without one starving the others.
  • The cab is as wide as the one in the much bigger SVL75-2 and SVL95-2s despite the smaller footprint, and the slide-up overhead front door opens regardless of where the bucket sits.
  • The 27 GPM high-flow option is generous for a sub-70 hp machine and brings power rakes, cold planers and stump grinders into range on a loader most people expect to be bucket-and-forks only.

What owners complain about

  • The particulate filter is the standing complaint. One owner with about 3,060 hours reported regens arriving every one to two hours over a 50-to-60-hour stretch, and with no fault codes stored his dealer could not open an emissions warranty claim while suspecting clogged injectors.
  • Short cycles and extended idling are what load the filter, so a machine that spends its day idling between small landscape tasks is being used in exactly the way this engine punishes - the fix is running it at working rpm, not a service part.
  • Early-life fuel-system failures do happen: one owner had rpm surge, white smoke and diesel in the crankcase two hours into a brand-new machine, traced to injector seals. The dealer collected it and supplied a loaner, but it is a reason to negotiate longer-than-standard warranty rather than assume a new unit is proven.
  • 17.4 GPM standard flow is modest, and high flow is an order-time build rather than something a dealer adds later, so a base machine's attachment list is fixed at purchase.
  • The 2,100 lb rated capacity is a real ceiling with heavy attachments or wet material, and the usual advice is that landscapers fit this machine while general contractors should be looking at the SVL75-3 instead.
  • Kubota now sells the SVL65-2s alongside it for about $4,218 more with no gain in capacity, flow, lift height or power, which makes the model-number decision harder than it should be at a dealer lot.

Drawn from orangetractortalks.com, speceps.com, aglist.ca, constructionequipmentguide.com, pdqequipment.com.

What buyers ask

Will an SVL65-2 fit my trailer?
That is the main reason to choose it. At roughly 8,565 lb bare it goes on an ordinary tandem trailer behind a three-quarter-ton truck, where an SVL75-3 or SVL97-3 starts demanding a heavier rig. Add a bucket and a second attachment before you check your trailer's rating, not after.
How bad is the DPF and regen situation?
It is the most-reported problem on the machine. One high-hour owner saw regens every one to two hours over a 50-hour stretch, and the general pattern is that idling and short work cycles load the filter far faster than sustained work at rated rpm. If your day is mostly idling between small tasks, plan on running it up under load regularly.
Do I need the high-flow hydraulics?
If you want a power rake, cold planer, stump grinder or hydraulic breaker, yes. Standard flow is 17.4 GPM and the option takes it to 27.0 GPM, which is generous for a sub-70 hp machine. It is specified when the machine is built, so a standard-flow unit stays that way.
Is 2,100 lb of rated capacity enough?
For pallets of sod, mulch, small grapple work and general landscape material, yes. For wet clay, heavy pallets of block or a big mulching head it runs out, and the standard advice is that general contractors should be shopping the SVL75-3 with its 2,490 lb capacity instead. Note the 2,100 lb figure is at the honest 35% basis, which is 3,000 lb at 50%.
What is the difference between the SVL65-2 and SVL65-2s?
They are two different machines Kubota sells side by side. The -2s is the next generation and carries a new operator station with an LCD touch panel, keyless start, standard rear camera and optional Shockless Ride and auto-shift, but the engine, capacity, lift height and flow are identical. It costs about $4,218 more, so the premium buys comfort and ride, not capability.
What should I check on a used one?
Pull the fault history and ask specifically about regen frequency and any injector or fuel-system work, because that is where this machine's money goes. Look at the undercarriage - rollers, idlers and packed debris behind the tracks - since that is the largest running cost on any track loader. Check the slide-up door for stiff or misaligned operation, and confirm whether it is a high-flow build.

Put the Kubota SVL65-2 against

Case TR270BKubota SSV75Kubota SVL65-2s

Machines in the same range

The rest of the Kubota line
Kubota SVL65-2s

Kubota

Kubota SVL65-2s

$69,515

Vertical Lift · rubber tracks
2,100 lb rated35% of 6,000 lb
Engine
68.4 hp
Aux flow
17.4 GPM
Weight
8,631 lbs

Successor to the SVL65-2, keeping the same 68.4 hp engine, 2,100 lb rated capacity and vertical lift path while taking operator-comfort and performance features from Kubota's larger next-generation loaders. Aimed at landscapers who want the small SVL's trailerable weight with an updated operator station.

Full sheet & owner reports
Kubota SVL75-3

Kubota

Kubota SVL75-3

$75,366

Vertical Lift · rubber tracks
2,490 lb rated35% of 7,114 lb
Engine
74 hp
Aux flow
19.2 GPM
Weight
9,420 lbs

No new CTL sells better in the US than the Kubota SVL75-3, a medium-frame vertical-lift compact track loader. Powered by Kubota's own diesel, it's praised for its roomy cab, easy service access, and strong value.

Full sheet & owner reports
Kubota SVL97-2

Kubota

Kubota SVL97-2

$82,000

Vertical Lift · rubber tracks
3,200 lb rated35% of 9,140 lb
Engine
96 hp
Aux flow
23.1 GPM
Weight
11,299 lbs

Nothing in Kubota's lineup is bigger than the SVL97-2, which runs a 96 hp version of the company's own V3800 diesel. It delivers flagship-class capacity and an available 40 GPM high-flow package at a price that undercuts the Cat 299D3 and Bobcat T86 by a wide margin.

Full sheet & owner reports