Total cost over time--JD vs. Kubota

[KnuckleDragger]

Hi all,

After some shopping, driving, and TBN reading, I have narrowed my choice for a new HST tractor down to the JD 4720 and Kubota 4740. I can see that both are excellent, high quality tractors. I'd like to see comments on the following:

1) What is the cost of the normal maintenance cycle, per year or X hours, of each?

2) What is the cost of repair and typical downtime for one relative to the other? I realize that this is highly dealer dependent, but I am looking for a general win for one vs. the other here based on parts availability and cost of replacement parts.

3) Are the same spectrum of implements available to each model? In other words, if I am at a farm auction, and an implement, say--a 7' mower is on the block, do I have an increased likelihood that the implement would work with one MFG vs. the other? (And no--I wouldn't even bid without knowing

Thanks,
Chris

 

[rekees4300]

I've had a HST JD4300 for 10 years. My dealer has an annual winter maintenance special for $225 that includes pickup and delivery. That's all the maintenance I've ever had done on it and it has performed flawlessly for a decade. I don't know anything about Kubota so can't comment/compare.

 

[gwjd]

well three point attachments should be good to go

most mid mount mowers are specific to a manufacture but i sure there are after markets they will depend independently

i would look for dealer support

in my experience JD has better dealer support faster turn around fewer mistakes
that being said the kabota dealer i would not recommended as a whole. as for cost we just ran the mowers and tractors and fixed them we dint do the bills

i know that jd stuff is built with better metal

this is all personal opinion/ experience

i assume that there in farm/ cattle country you have a jd and proly a kabota dealer fairly close buy

 

[CurlyDave]

Get the one you want.

They are very close, and a slightly different set of assumptions on one vs. the other will skew the analysis to the company which is more optimistic in its analysis.

And, no amount of analysis will ever take into account the real world experiences of an operator error causing damage which must be repaired, or an early random failure in some usually reliable part.

 

[Cat_Driver]

Tough call.
You're asking about two of the the top group of tractors out there. Sorta like deciding between a Ford and a GMC.

JD people have equipment that goes and runs like a fine swiss watch as do the Kubota people.

I personally bout a 80's Kubota used and abused my a construction company who routinely pulled out cement trucks from the mud with the tractor. I then bought it and continued to abuse it for the next 10 years then it sat for the next 15 years or so and all I did was put in a new battery filled up the tires and continued abusing it without even changing a fluid in it.

Yes 15 year old diesel fired right up - don't ask me how or why, but my entire crew and me was laughing out tails off when she puffed white smoke then black and roared to life.

SO that's a 30 year old tractor that I only changed the fluids and filters once, so how's that for economical.

 

[Grandad4]

I've never seen any objective cost of operation/ownership for compact tractors, so what follows is speculation on my part... it's my 2 cents worth and worth every penny

Maintenance will be basically a wash. Each unit needs oil, hydraulic fluid, filters, lubrication, etc. Units of similar size are going to need about the same amount of material. Whatever difference there might be (i.e. 8 quarts of oil vs. 7 quarts, hypothetically), is immaterial to the total cost of ownership.

Figure you are going to spend 2-300 bucks on a major service... mostly for tranny filters and hydraulic juice. You would probably be doing them just as often on a green tractor as an orange one, because they both use the same basic technology to build the darn things, and you might expect to follow the same general maintenance practices with either one.

As for repairs, the technicians working at a green shop probably make about the same as the ones working at an orange one, so the labor is going to be comparable, right?

And the parts are likely to be comparable. Both of these companies are 100+ year old, multi-billion $ global companies with a reputation for making dependable, long-lasting products. While everyone has their moments, you don't get to a position of leadership unless you stand behind your customers pretty well.

Summing it up, I don't think there is going to be a clear cut advantage to green vs. orange regarding maintenance, reliability or cost of ownership, and nobody is going to buy one $20-30,000 tractor over another because it is $50 cheaper to do an oil change. You can buy either one with a very high likelihood it will be well-made, dependable and well-supported by its manufacturer.

As for implements, the basic attachments used on these tractors are standardized and interchangeable. You can put a Deere mower behind a Kubota tractor, and vice versa. In fact, a large proportion of the attachments sold come from third-party manufacturers who make generic implements. The exceptions: You would need a front-end loader, a backhoe and a mid-mount mower designed specifically for a particular tractor make and model. These items are often bought new with the tractor for that reason.

Also, Deere has its own, unique system for hooking up such implements, called i-Match, I think. Meant to make it easier to change implements. Neat system, but changing implements isn't all that hard for most operators.

Hope these comments help. Good luck with your shopping.

 

[TripleR]

Can't improve on Grandad4's post. I own Kubota, John Deere and three other brands. They are different, but I don't know of anyone who can prove one makes "better" tractors than the other. Comments that one uses better metal than the other is just silly.

Some model to comparable model may reveal a little "better" design than the other, but this will change from one to the other. Also there will be some debate as to which is "better". On some John Deere models you have left foot braking which I hate while others love it; some prefer the HST pedals on the John Deere and some the Kubota.

I would go spend some time on both and pick the one that feels best to you. I really don't think you can go wrong from a quality standpoint with either.

 

[Diamondpilot]

This is a Ford/Chevy fight. They are both about the same. Get the one you want, you feel is better, or can get the better deal on.

Chris

 

[ctlguy]

Also, Deere has its own, unique system for hooking up such implements, called i-Match, I think. Meant to make it easier to change implements. Neat system, but changing implements isn't all that hard for most operators.

Hope these comments help. Good luck with your shopping.

Nothing unique here, quick hitches have been around for many generations (in the ag world), it is just lately folks are starting to notice them in cat I configurations.

 

[KnuckleDragger]

Thanks again for the input.

1) The SWAG on $/yr on typical maintenance is what I was really after. Knowing that each is in the same zone is helpful.

2) I am still getting conflicting vibes on this one. I'll just have to throw out most of what I have heard & read as bias. I'll try to do some local research on who uses the dealers around here for some feedback.

3) The implement selection was a concern, until reading the replies. Those replies were welcome news. I was just trying to avoid boxing myself into a corner with one brand.

Time for one last spin around the lot on each...