Kubota SVL97-3 vs. Komatsu CK35-1: A Real Fight in the Mid-Size Track Loader Class

Kubota and Komatsu don't come up against each other on this blog as often as Bobcat or CAT do, but in the mid-size compact track loader class, they genuinely should. Kubota's SVL97-3 is the large-frame anchor of a lineup that's been earning loyalty in this size class for years. Komatsu's CK35-1 (Komatsu's current US-market flagship compact track loader in this class — this generation was originally cited here under the EU/UK-market model designator CK50-8, which Komatsu America does not sell) is the newer name in the conversation -- part of a fully redesigned compact loader platform Komatsu previewed at Bauma 2025. Put them side by side and it's a closer fight than the brand-recognition gap between them would suggest.

Kubota's Established Player: The SVL97-3

The SVL97-3 runs 96.4 gross horsepower (94.9 net) out of a turbocharged Kubota V3800 diesel, in an operating weight of 11,676-11,929 lb. Rated operating capacity comes in at 3,459 lb at 35% of tipping load and 4,942 lb at 50%, with a total tipping load of 9,884 lb. The hydraulic system is genuinely strong for the class: 23.8 gpm standard flow, stepping up to 41.2 gpm on the high-flow option, at up to 3,553 psi, running through Kubota's Advanced Multi-function Valve for coordinated multi-circuit operation. It's a vertical-lift machine, which matters for anyone doing high-dump work -- truck loading, stockpiling -- since a vertical-lift arc keeps the bucket's reach more consistent through the full lift than a radial-lift design does.

Komatsu's New Challenger: The CK35-1

Komatsu's CK35-1 is part of a genuinely new-generation redesign, not a facelift -- a full platform replacement for Komatsu's compact loader line, previewed alongside the SK40-8 skid steer. It runs 72 hp (53.7 kW) and a 1,630 kg (about 3,593 lb) rated operating capacity -- one of the highest operating capacities in its category, per Komatsu -- in a 5.21-metric-ton (about 11,487 lb) operating weight, with a 0.5 m³ standard bucket. Like the SVL97-3, it uses a vertical-lift boom design rather than a radial-lift arm.

Here's the honest gap in this comparison: Komatsu hasn't published a detailed hydraulic flow figure for the CK35-1 the way Kubota has for the SVL97-3, so we're not going to invent one. What is clear from the numbers Komatsu has released is that the CK35-1 gives up real horsepower to the SVL97-3 -- 72 hp against 96.4 -- while actually beating it slightly on rated operating capacity in a lighter overall package. That's an unusual trade-off, and worth digging into with a dealer before assuming either number tells the whole story.

Where the Real Difference Shows Up

The SVL97-3's advantage is horsepower and documented hydraulic muscle -- a 41.2 gpm high-flow option is a real number that matters if you're running hydraulically demanding attachments like a mulching head, cold planer, or trencher, and it's backed by years of Kubota's AMV valve refinement across the SVL lineup. The CK35-1's advantage is that it delivers a genuinely high rated operating capacity in a lighter machine, which can translate to better maneuverability and less ground pressure on soft or sensitive sites, without giving up much on lift capability. Neither trade-off is wrong -- it depends on whether your work is more about raw hydraulic power for attachments or maximizing capacity-to-weight for ground conditions and mobility.

Telematics on Both Sides

Both machines report home. Kubota runs its SVL lineup, including the SVL97-3, on Kubota WorkSmart Telematics, giving owners machine location, hour meters, and diagnostic alerts through the same connected system across the brand's construction lineup. Komatsu's compact loaders tie into Komtrax, the same telematics backbone used across Komatsu's excavators and dozers -- which matters if you already run other Komatsu iron and want fleet data in one place rather than juggling two separate portals for two different brands. Neither system is a differentiator on its own at this point in the industry, but which one you're already using elsewhere in your fleet is a real, practical reason to lean one direction.

Dealer Network and Parts Availability

This is the honest trade-off in Kubota's favor on convenience. Kubota's compact equipment dealer network is deep and well-established in the construction and landscaping space, with strong attachment availability and parts turnaround built up over a generation of SVL sales. Komatsu's dealer network is real and well-established for its excavators and larger iron, but the CK/SK compact loader line is new enough that not every Komatsu dealer stocks a full attachment inventory yet -- something worth confirming with your local dealer before committing, especially if you're financing on a tight project timeline.

Who Should Actually Buy Which One

Contractors running hydraulically demanding attachments -- mulching heads, cold planers, augers in tough ground -- or who already run other Kubota equipment and want a deeper high-flow option, are well served by the SVL97-3's proven horsepower and flow numbers. Contractors prioritizing a lighter, highly capable machine for soft-ground or space-constrained sites, or who already run Komatsu iron and want to consolidate parts and service relationships, have a real reason to look hard at the CK35-1's capacity-to-weight advantage. This is a legitimate two-way decision, not an obvious win for either brand.

The Rent-vs-Own Case for a Compact Track Loader

A CTL in this size class is one of the highest-utilization machines on almost any construction site -- landscaping, demolition cleanup, material handling, grading, and dozens of attachment-driven tasks all run through the same machine. That utilization is exactly why renting one regularly is the worst financial move available: every rental dollar disappears the moment the truck picks the machine back up, while a financed CTL builds toward outright ownership with every payment, stays sized to your actual work instead of whatever's on the rental yard's lot that week, and is available the morning you need it instead of whenever the rental counter has one free.

BFC's approach is built around exactly this kind of growth. Rather than making a contractor wait years for one machine to be fully paid off before financing the next, BFC can help fund your next CTL, skid steer, or attachment purchase while your current equipment is still being paid down -- so a growing operation isn't stuck choosing between paying down debt and bidding the next job that needs more iron.

What a Down Payment Actually Looks Like

Down payment on a compact track loader depends on your credit profile and deal structure, not a fixed percentage. Contractors with strong, well-established credit can sometimes structure a deal with little to nothing down -- sometimes just a first payment to get started. Others fall in a 20-30% range, and in some higher-risk profiles as high as 40%. There's no single number that applies to every buyer, which is exactly why the right move is to apply and let BFC work up real terms for your specific business.

The Bottom Line

The SVL97-3 wins on documented horsepower and hydraulic flow, backed by a mature dealer network. The CK35-1 answers with a genuinely competitive rated operating capacity in a lighter package from a manufacturer that's serious about building out this category. Both brands are on BFC's approved manufacturer list, so the financing decision doesn't have to be the reason you pick one over the other -- the jobsite should decide that.

Explore More Compact Track Loader Financing Guides

Read our full breakdown of the Komatsu SK and CK lineup, see how the CK35-1 stacks up against the Bobcat T76-2, or check the 2026 skid steer and track loader buyer's guide for everything else that's changed across the category this year.

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