Comparison Kubota BX2660 vs John Deere 1026R

[art]

Hey! The "limited" Cat 1 is due to the height of the tractor. Power-wise it's a "true" Cat 1, but because you can't lift some implements high enough to make them as useful, JD chose to call it a "limited" Cat 1.

Not quite the way that the world turns! Kubota redesigned it's hitch a few years back to make it a full cat 1 where others haven't changed their earlier designs.

The width the arms open on all makes I'm aware of was fine although not a lot of vertical clearance. The height of the three pins was a problem and caused the main issue of the cat O/1 hitch system originally used on all sub-compacts.

 

[XSKIER]

FWIW:

When I was shopping the SCUT VS CUT, I backed a 1026R *** to *** (edit: butt to butt) with a 2320. The verdict was identical lift height of the lower 3PH arms. Since the 2320 looked a little to large to mow my 1/2 acre I settled for the 1026R. Not every SCUT buyer is looking for maximum capabilities, I just wanted a nice mower and the ability to do other light chores on a mostly wooded 3 acre lot. If SCUT limitations are a concern, buyers should be shopping in the CUT category.

FWIW:

This is what I would consider limited category one. (cat. 1 implement)

 

[jlworble]

A word of caution for jd 1026r shoppers. I bought one last fall, 2011. Be certain you try it out under stress, the engine torque and hydro power is very weak. I bought this unit to replace a five year old jd 2305, because I liked the many new features and upgrades it offered. I now believe I had a better tractor in the the 2305, much more power. You have to run the 1026r at full throttle (3200-3500 rpms) to get the same pto output as the 2305 at 2500rpms, and once under load the 1026r will struggle to hold. (This does by necessity mean way more fuel consumption). In fact I can stall out the 1026r in 6 inches of medium weight snow that would not slow the 2305 one bit, and it will barely turn my 4 foot roto. Nothing about the 1026r is of the same quality and power as the older 2305, you find the hydraulics slow, weak, and unresponsive. This tractor will probably not hold up to the long term work load most of us buy it to handle. I am now unhappy enough to be researching alternatives with only 45 hours on my new 1026r. Conversations with my jd dealer have been less than satisfactory. I love the new features of the 1026r, but it is not the tractor I expected.

 

[ejb69]

A word of caution for jd 1026r shoppers. I bought one last fall, 2011. Be certain you try it out under stress, the engine torque and hydro power is very weak. I bought this unit to replace a five year old jd 2305, because I liked the many new features and upgrades it offered. I now believe I had a better tractor in the the 2305, much more power. You have to run the 1026r at full throttle (3200-3500 rpms) to get the same pto output as the 2305 at 2500rpms, and once under load the 1026r will struggle to hold. (This does by necessity mean way more fuel consumption). In fact I can stall out the 1026r in 6 inches of medium weight snow that would not slow the 2305 one bit, and it will barely turn my 4 foot roto. Nothing about the 1026r is of the same quality and power as the older 2305, you find the hydraulics slow, weak, and unresponsive. This tractor will probably not hold up to the long term work load most of us buy it to handle. I am now unhappy enough to be researching alternatives with only 45 hours on my new 1026r. Conversations with my jd dealer have been less than satisfactory. I love the new features of the 1026r, but it is not the tractor I expected.

I find this odd, as I have blown 17" of very wet heavy snow with know problems. The engine did drop in rpms but never stalled out, no matter how fast I fed the blower. I also have a mowed hood high grass/weeds with a 4' brush hog. So far my 1026r is more tractor than I expected.

 

[jenkinsph]

A word of caution for jd 1026r shoppers. I bought one last fall, 2011. Be certain you try it out under stress, the engine torque and hydro power is very weak. I bought this unit to replace a five year old jd 2305, because I liked the many new features and upgrades it offered. I now believe I had a better tractor in the the 2305, much more power. You have to run the 1026r at full throttle (3200-3500 rpms) to get the same pto output as the 2305 at 2500rpms, and once under load the 1026r will struggle to hold. (This does by necessity mean way more fuel consumption). In fact I can stall out the 1026r in 6 inches of medium weight snow that would not slow the 2305 one bit, and it will barely turn my 4 foot roto. Nothing about the 1026r is of the same quality and power as the older 2305, you find the hydraulics slow, weak, and unresponsive. This tractor will probably not hold up to the long term work load most of us buy it to handle. I am now unhappy enough to be researching alternatives with only 45 hours on my new 1026r. Conversations with my jd dealer have been less than satisfactory. I love the new features of the 1026r, but it is not the tractor I expected.

Sounds like you are having issues that the dealer should help you correct. I don't have a 1026R but do have a new x749 and haven't been able to bog it down yet. Haven't heard anyone complain about a lack of power on these machines either. Normally your power should go up after some break in time but it sounds like you are having more than normal problems.

 

[XSKIER]

@jworble,
Yeah ok. First post here is to say what a piece of crap your tractor, it's manufacturer, and your dealer are. It doesn't make sense. We usually read of owner's having a particular issue and the rest of try to help by sharing our experience. I'm not trying to be defensive, or dismiss your opinion, but it just doesn't add up to me.

Now your power issue. I have read in another forum that a member had his fuel lift pump go out at 6 and 60 hrs. He complained of low power as the symptom. I only have 26 hrs on my unit at this time and no issues yet.

Should I trade it in before it hits 48 hrs and loses all of its power?

 

[rockshaft]

I sure as heck hope you're having some sort of issue (that can be remedied) with your machine jlworble. What bizzarro world would it be if a company like JD rolled out a new product that fell performance short on the line it replaced? Please keep us informed if you find out what is ailing your 1026R.

 

[HunterWare]

I moved from a 2305 directly to a 1026R and have found that I have slightly more grunt in all things (as the specs would suggest). I pull a blade slightly easier, the FEL operates with a fair bit more authority and speed, and the backhoe too. Getting directly to the PTO, both my MMM and brush cutter run with slightly more power. They bog down less in thick grass and also the tractor is able to haul itself up my steeper grades while cutting at full speed more easily in high gear. (Plus no tranny fan and position control are godsends)

While I get your complaint that the 1026R components often look a bit daintier, they haven't proved to be even under heavy use. All in all the 1026R has been a clean upgrade in everything. I would really suggest sitting on your dealer until yours is too.

I arguably should have gone bigger than either unit. With 14 acres to maintain, 2 acres to mow, an 1800ft gravel drive, wood stoves to feed, and a 20'x20' pad to dig out of a hillside, everyone (probably rightly) suggested I needed at least a 2520. I had my reasons to want to stay small and so far it's worked out well. I'm just pointing all this out to say that I haven't babied either unit and routinely wind up operating right at the edge of the speed, power, and weight limits of the tractor... The 1026R wins and I'm sure yours should too.

Good luck with bringing your baby up to full power,
Hunter

 

[jlworble]

Some of you wanted a response or follow up information regarding my 1026r power issues, and some of you were just critical of my observations regarding the 1026r, in fact I was accused of bashing the dealer and the manufacturer. Not true and not my intent. I have been buying equipment from this dealer for years, this 1026r is my 5th JD tractor, and my relationship with this dealer is exceptional. I tell JD this every time I fill out a survey, rating the dealer with very high grades. Now on with my power issues. One minor thing I did not mention in my first post was that the temp gauge was erratic and in fact rarely moved. When I mentioned this to the technicians they told me this engine ran very cool due to better cooling system for the 1026r than on previous models. My problem with poor performance continued until approximately 150 hours of operation. At that point, while mowing one evening, the engine overheated, without the temp gauge ever moving. The little guy blew its coolant and seized. I called the dealer, was advised to to refill with coolant and move on. Amazingly the tractor started, I drove it to the garage and it began to overheat again. Called the dealer and they immediately came for the tractor. They told me the temp gauge did not work properly because the sensor was damaged during assembly. The engine head gasket had a minor flaw from the factory and over time and use completely failed...bang bang bang. My dealer contacted JD and was informed that there were some of these issues in some early models. JD immediately shipped and entire new engine, temp sensor, and dash gauge panel that was installed and fully warranted. Problem solved. I now have nearly 200 hours on my 1026r and it is performing very well, although I stand by some of my previous observations, this is not the quality I have experienced with JD tractors in the past, and I will be replacing it with another JD Tractor as soon as my finances allow. There is the possibility my expectations are a tad high for this model. I work it hard with a variety implements and it would seem I may just need more machine than I bought this time. I will also say this is my first serious issue in 15 years and 5 tractors. I still hold both JD and my local dealer in highest regard. Sorry for length.

 

[jlworble]

XSKIER, you do sound a bit defensive, or perhaps you are just not interested in opinions that do not agree with your own. Sorry to offend any.
Some of you wanted a response or follow up information regarding my 1026r power issues, and some of you were just critical of my observations regarding the 1026r, in fact I was accused of bashing the dealer and the manufacturer. Not true and not my intent. I have been buying equipment from this dealer for years, this 1026r is my 5th JD tractor, and my relationship with this dealer is exceptional. I tell JD this every time I fill out a survey, rating the dealer with very high grades. Now on with my power issues. One minor thing I did not mention in my first post was that the temp gauge was erratic and in fact rarely moved. When I mentioned this to the technicians they told me this engine ran very cool due to better cooling system for the 1026r than on previous models. My problem with poor performance continued until approximately 150 hours of operation. At that point, while mowing one evening, the engine overheated, without the temp gauge ever moving. The little guy blew its coolant and seized. I called the dealer, was advised to to refill with coolant and move on. Amazingly the tractor started, I drove it to the garage and it began to overheat again. Called the dealer and they immediately came for the tractor. They told me the temp gauge did not work properly because the sensor was damaged during assembly. The engine head gasket had a minor flaw from the factory and over time and use completely failed...bang bang bang. My dealer contacted JD and was informed that there were some of these issues in some early models. JD immediately shipped and entire new engine, temp sensor, and dash gauge panel that was installed and fully warranted. Problem solved. I now have nearly 200 hours on my 1026r and it is performing very well, although I stand by some of my previous observations, this is not the quality I have experienced with JD tractors in the past, and I will be replacing it with another JD Tractor as soon as my finances allow. There is the possibility my expectations are a tad high for this model. I work it hard with a variety implements and it would seem I may just need more machine than I bought this time. I will also say this is my first serious issue in 15 years and 5 tractors. I still hold both JD and my local dealer in highest regard. Sorry for length.