New to tractors, could use some help!

[Filedreport]

I am not belittling anything. So Ill say it again, if you can find fault with any of the information that I gathered from the internet, then feel free to correct it. Those are the facts as far as available information goes.

And other then price, which I can't compare in the Sub Compact category because LS does not make one, Is there anything else that would make LS more relevant then other more established brands?

Do you disagree with the fact that LS has less support across the nation then nearly any other brand?

In an hour drive from me, there are 5 dealers each for the top name brands. There is only one dealer for LS. Do you disagree that if that dealer, who has at most only been around for 4 years as an LS dealer in it's current form, folds, that owners would be pretty much pooched for "Local Service"?

It's not about how good or Bad LS is. It's that they are for all intents and purposes, an unknown and a gamble in terms of service.

Come on your last post was twice as long. I am sure you can make each new reply at least twice as long as the last on.
Edit: The Walking Dead is on. Have a good night.

 

[xring100]

Singalo,
I agree with what your saying about the LS line. I felt the same way about kioti after the local dealer decided it was not worth it and switched to another S. Korean tractor brand. Nearest dealer is now 45 minutes or so away. All major brands except MF are closer. I wanted a dealer that would be close and also have backup dealers in the area. John deere, kubota, NH all have many dealers in my area. Branson,LS,Kioti,Mahindra not so much and with only one of most within an hour i decided no way. while cost and quality are important. If parts and service are not readily available they were of the list. I was looking for redundancy in the dealer network. I think your research and statements are sound.

I've learned that you usually get what you pay for. Price was not my biggest concern in a tractor purchase, nor does it sound like yours.

Dave

 

[Singalo]

Come on your last post was twice as long. I am sure you can make each new reply at least twice as long as the last on.
Edit: The Walking Dead is on. Have a good night.

And I am certain you can contribute even less with each additional comment. If it makes you feel any better, you win. Everyone should go buy one each, Mahindra and LS Tractor. Thank you for "Educating" us.

 

[drifter2518]

I bought my MF GC2400 from Paul Mabie 2 years ago and was/still impressed with him. He spent alot of time answering my questions and showing me the options on the tractor. To Blurry.. if you haven't bought a tractor yet check out the Farm Show Feb 21-23 at the Fairgrounds. All the makes will be there. Ask questions, sit in the seats. It's like a candy store. LOL PS Be sure to check out Paul Mabie. Mabie Bros. Massey Ferguson.

 

[blurry]

Wow, thanks for the great replies!

I'm going to venture over to the MF, LS and Kioti's. Looked at some MFs on line and the look nice.

What is making this hard is that they all seem like solid machines. local dealer support is important to me, I do my own maintenance and repairs for the most part, however sometimes you need parts - this winter it was nice to have a Ariens dealer nearby after a belt broke on the snow blower.

dave1949 - thanks for the feedback, picking HP has been a great challenge
kneedeep - so far the dealers haven't been bashing, The Mahindra dealer seemed nicer than the Kubota, and i liked they had more in stock.
GManBart - Hmmm...good call on PTO HP, I would like to get above a 48" cut, will take that into consideration.
GManBart / Mike1369 - thanks for the tip on Kioti and LS being nearby, I didn't realize that. I'll check out the LS, I do have some reservations about dealer availability.
TripleR - thanks for the cat 1/limited 1 link. Agree there is a compromise that needs to be had, i have a feeling it is going to be a limited cat 1.
Singalo - Hi neighbor The masseys look nice, I'll be checking out Paul Mabie. The GC1720 looks like the perfect size. Interesting on the steering geometry, not sure I wo
case245 - I like bigger, not sure I can justify it. for heavy jobs I'll rent for the weekend.
chim - I'm thinking something between the B7500 and L3200 - the 3200 is hard to justify!
traveling fisher - the JD2305 is surely on the list of considerations. When you say you could use more power, when are you finding you need the extra umph?
Otto Syracuse - I've been trying to get out to Caz equipment, the used stock looks great. seems like something comes up every time I start to head that way. I'll be checking them out soon enough!
drifter2518 - Thanks for the reminder on the farm show, I'll be there!

 

[Singalo]

Wow, thanks for the great replies!

I'm going to venture over to the MF, LS and Kioti's. Looked at some MFs on line and the look nice.

What is making this hard is that they all seem like solid machines. local dealer support is important to me, I do my own maintenance and repairs for the most part, however sometimes you need parts - this winter it was nice to have a Ariens dealer nearby after a belt broke on the snow blower.

dave1949 - thanks for the feedback, picking HP has been a great challenge
kneedeep - so far the dealers haven't been bashing, The Mahindra dealer seemed nicer than the Kubota, and i liked they had more in stock.
GManBart - Hmmm...good call on PTO HP, I would like to get above a 48" cut, will take that into consideration.
GManBart / Mike1369 - thanks for the tip on Kioti and LS being nearby, I didn't realize that. I'll check out the LS, I do have some reservations about dealer availability.
TripleR - thanks for the cat 1/limited 1 link. Agree there is a compromise that needs to be had, i have a feeling it is going to be a limited cat 1.
Singalo - Hi neighbor The masseys look nice, I'll be checking out Paul Mabie. The GC1720 looks like the perfect size. Interesting on the steering geometry, not sure I wo
case245 - I like bigger, not sure I can justify it. for heavy jobs I'll rent for the weekend.
chim - I'm thinking something between the B7500 and L3200 - the 3200 is hard to justify!
traveling fisher - the JD2305 is surely on the list of considerations. When you say you could use more power, when are you finding you need the extra umph?
Otto Syracuse - I've been trying to get out to Caz equipment, the used stock looks great. seems like something comes up every time I start to head that way. I'll be checking them out soon enough!
drifter2518 - Thanks for the reminder on the farm show, I'll be there!

Keep us in the Loop, let us know how things are going as you check tractors out. =)

 

[TripleR]

Just did a bit more digging now that a connection was made With New Holland.

New Holland is a division of CNH Global. LS Tractors is a division of LS Cable of South Korea. LS tractors had a contract for a time with FIAT motors, who bought New Holland. And for a time, LS imported some New Holland tractors to sell as LS and LS New Holland. LS never built tractors for New Holland. LS tractors however builds it's own tractors, for sale in North America as Montana Tractors, and as of 2009 as it's own name brand, LS Tractors. At one time, they built tractors for Farm Track, and TAFE Tractors, both Indian companies and also for sale in North America.

LS tractors started out as a division of HYUNDAI in 1975 and had affiliation with Yanmar. Through several mergers and aquisitions, LS tractors have been sold as GoldStar, Fiat-GoldStar, LG, LG-Fiat, LG-New Holland, LS and LS-New Holland names in South Korea. In North America, they have been sold as LG Montana, Montana, Farmtrac LandTrac, LongAgri LandTrac, McCormick Tractors and Landini.

Long story short, LS tractor had a short contract with New Holland, and sold a few New Hollands as LS Tractors. That is no longer the case as of current. They build their own tractors since 2009. And although the company has been around since 1975, and has built many tractors, the LS Line up in it's current form is only 4 years old. It has not yet established it's reputation for building it's current line up. The current line up of LS branded tractors is not supported by any other tractor manufacturer. So owners are limited to the small network of dealers and the services they provide. LS tractors is now associated with Mitsubishi power plants.

Thanks for the information and research, LS built New Holland tractors have been referred to often here with this being one example: http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/new-holland-buying-pricing/177644-new-holland-ls-tractors.html

Another link: 2012 New Holland Boomer 40 Review

It is all pretty confusing to me. I had a list of who makes what and where on my old computer, but it is probably out of date now.

 

[Grandad4]

I am not aware of any in that size range with quick detach bucket.

Blurry, you have a lot of good opinions and advice here, and I'm not going to improve on very much of what has been said. I know you're looking for used equipment, but I just wanted to mention something TripleR may not have known about the new Kubota BX models... that they have a quick-attach option and a factory pallet fork attachment that look to me to be pretty handy.

All of these size tractors are pretty small to be lifting a 2,000 lb pallet of rocks or whatever, if that's what you had in mind, but even the subcut sized machines would do all of the other work you mentioned on your 3 acres. Since you are after a used machine, I'd consider all the brands in your size range. Getting a good, well-cared for machine is just as important as choosing your favorite brand. Probably wise to avoid an orphan or rare brand. Good luck with your search.

 

[Gary Fowler]

This does not make any sense.

I will try to explain the LS LINK to you. Since you are new to TBN it looks like you haven't explored the whole site. If you start with the forum page and scroll down, waaaay down, you will come to "the other brand" forums of the not so well known and near the bottom of the tractor lists you will find the LS forum where happy owners post their comments and buying experiences.
I am one of the premier owners of an LS having bought mine over 2 years ago. I explored all the brands just like every one else and had never heard of LS when I came upon a dealer selling them. I was actually looking for a Kioti dealer and found that he had quit selling Kioti's and started selling LS tractors. I looked them over and found many things that I liked and the price was pretty good. But this was the first place I had looked so I took a couple brochures with prices and left. I then went to every dealer started with MF which I had priced via internet emails on a 1648 but when I looked at it and sat on it, it wasn't very ergonomic for me so I next went to Kubota and liked the way they were laid out, but I was looking for a cab model and they would have to order it and couldn't give me a price, so I looked at JD and same thing there and salesman wasn't too interested in selling a 50 HP tractor anyway. The NH dealer had folded up and no other dealers were close (100 mile radius) at the time and I was next off to Mahindra dealer about 90 miles away. Come to find out he sold Mahindra and LS and comparing them side by side was no comparison at all. The LS was much better as far as fit and finish and standard issue things like rear remote hydraulic on the LS had to be added by the dealer on all the other brands or paid extra for when ordering. I didn't buy from that dealer either although he had a P7010 70HP) cab with AC/Heat /stereo, triple rear remotes and several other things that were options on the other and it was the same price as the MF 1648. I continued to look and call the Kubota dealer for pricing on a cab model in 50 HP +- range and they never even returned my calls which didn't set to well with me as I was ready to buy and if they didn't have time to even give me a price then to **** with them. I then found another LS dealer closer by and made a deal with him on the same tractor I had looked at. He picked it up from the other dealer and delivered it the following day. I have broke a few things on it like the drawbar bracket when I attempted to pull out a 14 yd loaded dump truck and the seat bracket broke which they helped me fix in their shop while a new one was on order. Not a thing has happened to my tractor that cant be traced back to some abuse by me but LS made it good with newly designed pieces to replace the old stuff.
I also have a Kubota and I am fairly happy with it also. I encourage everyone to look at the LS brand when buying simply because of the quality and the pricing. They are built by a parent company not rebadged like NH, McCormick, JD etc and even though there are less dealers around than some other brands, they do compete better than Kioti here in my area, they are up and coming and should be looked at. I have compared them to Kubota in the 70's. NO ONE at that time had heard of Kubota and now look at them 40 years later. I don't think it is going to take LS that long to get a good reputation and eventually their prices will come up along with their available dealers and reputation, but for now they are the best deal on the market with a high quality tractor for a fair price.
They may not be for everyone, especially for those who would rather pay double for a lesser tractor because it is green or blue or red or because it represents some sort of status symbol. If you want a dealer in your back yard before you buy, then LS may not fit, but then again the LS dealer may be close by. I don't see any LS dealer folding but do see many established dealers starting to carry them also so that is encouraging for me. I took a chance and won when I bought mine because they were unheard of and I based my purchase on future growth potential and cost of buying at the time. I don't regret my decision at all which is why I encourage others to partake of the value of this tractor. In final decision, it's your money, spend it how you want to.

 

[Singalo]

Thanks for the information and research, LS built New Holland tractors have been referred to often here with this being one example: http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/new-holland-buying-pricing/177644-new-holland-ls-tractors.html

Another link: 2012 New Holland Boomer 40 Review

It is all pretty confusing to me. I had a list of who makes what and where on my old computer, but it is probably out of date now.

Thanks for those links. That second one in particular is very interesting. Here is a direct cut and past from the WIKI Page I lifted some of the information I provided. Please see the last sentence.


"LS Tractors is an engineering company. It is a division of LS Cable in South Korea. The group was originally part of the LG conglomeration, and was known as LG Tractors and LG Cable, respectively.
LS is associated with Mitsubishi tractors of Japan for technology, and many tractors are based on Mitsubishi designs, as well as use Mitsubishi engines. LS also imports New Holland Ag tractors to resell as LS-New Holland. (They originally had agreements with Fiat, which purchased New Holland. New Holland is a division of CNH Global)."

Now Wiki is by no means the final authority on anything. But by in large, the data contained there is generally accurate. The link you posted and the Wiki page seem to contradict each other. Who honestly knows which one is right. And then, maybe one or both are being viewed out of context. I do believe from other sources that the LS brand name did sell some New Holland tractors as LS. Rather or not LS actually built those New Holland tractors I guess is somewhat fuzzy. This conversation is purely academic by the way. I am not putting this out there to prove or disprove any point. Just conversing.

Time for a bit of Opinion.

I must admit that I have never been a fan of New Holland Tractors. A few childhood friends have owned different models over the years, and they are,,, what they are. Don't get me wrong, it's not that they are a bad tractor. I have already said that nobody really makes a terrible tractor anymore. Heck, even Jinma tractors are pretty good for what they are. But I am not surprised to learn some of the line up are Korean in make.

IMHO, There are a lot of Asian companies making tractors designed specifically for the Asian Market. There is a lot of small agriculture going on in some of these smaller economies, and the average owner can not afford super expensive tractors. What they are built to be is rugged. That's all they need to be. They do not require refinements and extra gadgets. All they need to do is run when they are called upon, and pull plows, wagons and so on. These same manufactures polish these tractors made for the Asian market up a bit, and sell them in the US. And they all share some similarities. Namely, they are just not as refined. And secondly, they often have a litany of tractor names connected to the same manufacturer. This sets these companies apart from those others whom produce only one brand of tractor, specifically for the US market. They are not trying to be all things to all people. They are building "Their Brand", and constantly refining them to the Market they were designed for.

This does not make a Kubota necessarily any "Better Then a New Holland, LS Tractor, or Mahindra, you get the point. But the tractors specifically designed for the US market reflect just that. Further, and most importantly to me, these tractors developed for the US market are also backed by a support and sales network to match. Something that these Asian companies struggle to compete with. In a way, the cards are stacked heavily against them in that sense, only because there are just SO MANY of them. There will always be a market for Economy Tractors. But the economy can never FULLY SUPPORT 57 different brands, enough to establish the kinds of networks that are available for JD, Kubota and so on.

One might ask then, why is New Holland one of the big players if they are selling tractors made by companies such as LS. Well, I would argue two points. Fist New Holland has been around for a considerably long time in the US. And they are still well known for their large agricultural tractors. But through mergers and acquisitions, New Holland is a diversified company. They contract out to companies in order to get into some markets. CUT's being a relevant example. So are New Holland Cut's really New Holland? Well, apparently not, they are actually LS Tractors, which is a Korean Company, building Korean Tractors, designed primarily for the Asian market. So what does the name New Holland mean anymore? New Holland to a degree is running on their Name and reputation from a long time ago. The name has recognition. And I assume their larger agri tractors are actually still generally "New Holland", if you take my meaning, even though FIAT owns the production line now.

Anyhow, all this to basically say, I am not surprised to find that some New Holland Equipment is made by a Korean Company. It would go a long way in explaining why I never really fell in love with them.

P.S.
Before someone speaks up and mentions that JAPAN is also an Asian country, I don't think I need to point out the distinction between the business models of companies like Kubota, VS these other Economy Tractor companies, do I?