Am I being too exclusive only looking at JD and Kubota?

[Robert6401]

Hey Y'all,

Well, I am still doing my research and I have begun to worry that I am ruling out some good possibilities considering I have only really looked at JD and Kubota. Here's what I am leaning towards, and anyone with some other ideas of what I should look at please feel free to chime in:

I have 12 hilly acres with a 4 acre pasture and a pond. Will be doing mostly bush-hogging with a little FEL work. Occasionally I will borrow or rent a box-blade or tiller of some sort.

I am leaning towards the Kubota L3400 DT (4x4 with gears) with the QA Loader.

I am limited on what I can spend, trying to stay as close to $15000 as possible. One thing I am trying to find is the most "capable" FEL within these constraints.

I guess thats about it. Thanks for all the help.

Bob

[pwl]

Hey, I'll jump in. Yes you are being too exclusive imo. I bought a Branson last year. I have used it in the woods for fire wood. I used it this winter for snow removal. It has been bullet proof. I grew up on a farm and have used alot of different brands. For the money, my 4220i it has all the bells and whistles I need, including a 4 year warranty. Look around, with the economy the way it is there may be a bargain out there. Good luck.

[oldgoat2]

If you just consider capability with no fluff, it is tough to find more tractor for the money than the L series Kubota regardless of brand.

[johnk]

Try all the tractors of different brands in your area. Find a dealer you feel confident, and hopefully he is selling a dependable brand. Resale value is a good factor to look at also. Some of the lesser brands really don't have good resale even though they are capable tractors. Some are more dependable than others and it usually reflects the dependability in the price. If you don't mind turning wrenches go Chinese. They are sturdy hard working tractors. They just need more attention and have a lot of minor problems that can be a pain.

[Gittyup]

There is nothing wrong with being "exclusive". Part of what you are doing is limiting your risk. The best known names (JD, NH, Kubota) will give you that.

But, there are a lot of very good tractors out there: Kioti, Mahindra, MF, TYM, Branson, etc. If you really want the best value (excluding resale considerations), then you are doing yourself a disservice by not testing as many makes and models as you can.

[Robert6401]

Thanks for the quick input Guys. What about Mahindra....maybe the 3510? Any opinions.

[Nuru]

Hey Y'all,

Well, I am still doing my research and I have begun to worry that I am ruling out some good possibilities considering I have only really looked at JD and Kubota. Here's what I am leaning towards, and anyone with some other ideas of what I should look at please feel free to chime in:

I have 12 hilly acres with a 4 acre pasture and a pond. Will be doing mostly bush-hogging with a little FEL work. Occasionally I will borrow or rent a box-blade or tiller of some sort.

I am leaning towards the Kubota L3400 DT (4x4 with gears) with the QA Loader.

I am limited on what I can spend, trying to stay as close to $15000 as possible. One thing I am trying to find is the most "capable" FEL within these constraints.

I guess thats about it. Thanks for all the help.

Bob

Nope you are not. I just cannot figure why anyone would push one brand over another unless they are geting paid to do so or are just poking harmless fun at those who are a bit more passionate/religious about their selection.

From the consumer level it is a matter of choice plain and simple. I originally looked at Kubota and then i got a chance to look at a few deere models, drove both of the units that I was focused upon, made the decision to go with Deere. I recommend that you narrow down your selection to one or two tractor models of each brand you are interested in and drive them, and then make your choice (cost, utility to your tasks, fit and feel by your standards). Normally you cannot go wrong - Unless the high Priests of Kubota, curse you and something goes wrong with your unit! LOL! I am sorry I could not help myself.

[CurlyDave]

I have 12 hilly acres with a 4 acre pasture and a pond. Will be doing mostly bush-hogging with a little FEL work. Occasionally I will borrow or rent a box-blade or tiller of some sort.


I think you are being too exclusive by not looking at HST...

[john_bud]

To me, the determining factors are swirling around the user. Some will get a so called second tier machine and it will be the best thing since sliced cheese while watching the Packers win a 5th Superbowl. A different person will get that exact machine and it will stink like a pig sty. Expectations differ as do perceptions of quality.

The K and JD tractors are about the best you can get. You will pay a bit more for some models. But the economy lines of each are very competitively priced. Ergonomics on the K and JD will be very good too. Often light years ahead -> but again it depends on how your butt fits in the seat! So, you probably do owe it to yourself to sit in the other brands and see how well they fit your body and if the controls are where you expect them to be. Those things will make a tractor just feel right.

If you are new to tractors and are planning on doing small area work, you should save up a bit more and get an HST. If the $$ are too high, a power shift (glide shift etc) would be a second choice. Gear jammers are actually the least cost effective long term as you will wear out 2-4 more clutches over the life of the tractor than the HST. The clutch parts are usually fairly cheap ($3-400 but labor will be $1200-2000 to split the machine each time). The HST is also MORE reliable than the gear trans with less stuff to break. That's counter intuitive to most that have never investigated the innards of each, but still true.

The caution to the "other" tractors is that the dealer support is variable. As in the dealer may not be there next year! The cheap china tractors are often in that category as it's easy to jump in and jump out of being a dealer. As long as you speak Mandarin you will have pretty good luck getting parts support....

Sorry for the long answer to your short question!

jb

[BBull]

Been there, done that. I researched many hours on Tractorbyte before making my decision. Very thankful for all the excellent input of those much wiser than I in the tractor arena.

I knew I wanted 4WD but thought for sure I didn't want to pay for a HST. But then I drove one! Being new to tractors and on a significant hill the HST has made my seat time much more enjoyable and productive--especially with the FEL.

I went with the Kubota L line 5240. More power than I need 95% of the time, but on the hill, yarding trees up the hill, digging, usign the FEL, I really appreciate it. I drove the manual shift and glide transmissions first and thought they were great--until I drove the HST. No regrets.

Oh, anohter big factor was proximity of dealership (i.e., parts). K was closer than JD.

Good luck.