Down to 2 choices.....

[Coastdog1]

I have, through much deliberation come to this point;
First choice;
Kubota L3400, R4's, HST with Ansung loader & Bushhog 72" finish mower from a dealer 60 miles away. (I really like the Kubota).
Second choice;
Deere 3203, R4's,HST, Deere 300 loader, 5' box blade and Frontier 72" finish mower from a dealer 2 miles from my house.(A lot of people berate the 3203and Deere 300 loader which has me a bit worried).
The Deere package is about $500 higher.

Any advice on which package repressents the most value would be appreciated.

[mojoinco]

How many trips will you make for $500 difference? Including quick trips to pick up a small part.

In Colorado a significant issue is sales tax -- you pay based on where you take physical possession. So buying out of state is not always as expensive as it seems (for example). or even just buying in another county, or having a machine delivered versus picking it up at the dealer. Unless you have an ag tax exemption.

[teg]

Your first post? Welcome to TBN... I don't know JD vs kubota but one thing did "pop" out... You plan to "finish mow" with a L3400? Is this to make a large field look better or are you planning to mow around the house with a ~3K lbs tractor when the grass needs cutting?

I bought my L2800 about 60 miles away... it's a butt pain to deal with the dealer and I don't mess with him anymore (mainly he doesn't have a clue or knows anything about Products Improvement bulletins). I buy what I need when I travel and have been dealing with 3 other dealers, buying supplies. Get all your supplies (extra filters) for the 50 and 100 hour service now.

[GaryS]

Originally Posted by teg

I bought my L2800 about 60 miles away... it's a butt pain to deal with the dealer and I don't mess with him anymore

I agree - I bought mine at a place about 40 minutes away and it's a pain. I've not had too many issues with the tractor but can tell that when I call, he's not all that interested because of the distance.

[Coastdog1]

Thanks for the opinions.

The travel issue is kind of secondary because I have a 45 acre "farm" 120 miles further down the road from my prospective Kubota dealer. I make the trip once or twice amonth.(I already have a trailer and some implements)

Primarily I was expecting some objection to the L3400 vs. the 3203, the Ansung loader vs. the Deere or perhaps the Bush Hog vs. Frontier mower.

Usually opposing consumers attack or defend opposing brands and some insight to strengths or weakness can be discovered.

Hopefully more comments are yet to come.......

P.S.The answer to how I would use the finish mower is that I have 2.5 acres I keep mowed around the house.

[teg]

They are so close in value... all the products listed are up there in quality... I would see which dealer gives you a warm fuzzy feeling or go by which tractor feels right to YOU (what's "better" to one may not be for another person). I've had my share of "kubota quality" (and a lot more than expected), I wish I had a dealer that would stand behind his product... but I got screwed in that deal.

To me, any color will have a tractor that will "fit" for your needs. Splitting hairs between brands, just makes the choice harder.

[coobie]

I would like to throw another tractor brand into the mix here.I was looking into buying a new tractor a few months ago,my choices boiled down to Kubota 3940,4240,mahindra 4110,and Kioti DK40se,these tractors are 39hp and above.I ended up buying the Kioti DK40se(41hp)IMHO do not overlook the Kioti brand tractor if you have a local dealer in your area,just my 2 cents.Good luck on your choice.coobie

[swampvol]

Originally Posted by Coastdog1

I have, through much deliberation come to this point;
First choice;
Kubota L3400, R4's, HST with Ansung loader & Bushhog 72" finish mower from a dealer 60 miles away. (I really like the Kubota).
Second choice;
Deere 3203, R4's,HST, Deere 300 loader, 5' box blade and Frontier 72" finish mower from a dealer 2 miles from my house.(A lot of people berate the 3203and Deere 300 loader which has me a bit worried).
The Deere package is about $500 higher.

Any advice on which package repressents the most value would be appreciated.

I guess the JD is $500.00 more because of the box blade?

As for which one you should get, you answered your own question..1st choice...60mi. is nothing.

[ScottK]

Does the Kubota have the brakes on the same side as the other pedals? I found it to be a pain when I used a Kubota. I have a Deere now. If you get the 300 loader, a lot of people say to get the 300cx as opposed to the 300c.

Scott

[Coastdog1]

Swampvo,
You may be right. The Deere package was tractor, loader and box blade. I added the finish mower. The Kubota package was tractor and loader only to which I also added a finish mower.

Scott,
Much of what I've read is that the 300 loader is vastly inferior to the 300cx.
The more pertinent question (in my case anyway) is whether the Ansung loader is better than the Deere 300 loader. One Kubota dealer I had provide a quote didn't advise Ansung loaders saying they were not up to the standards of the Kubota loader and that Kubota would not honor the warranty on the tractor if I specified one. (He did however say that if I insisted on it the Ansung loader it was $600 less than Kubota's).
I don't intend to do a lot of heavy FEL work but am willing to pay more for a "kick ***" loader. One thing I will do is to request a loader upgrade before the pen hits the paper.

Thank you both for responding.