Buying Advice John Deere 6M115 vs Kubota M110 GX60

   / John Deere 6M115 vs Kubota M110 GX60 #1  

MHarryE

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Northeastern Minnesota
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Kubota M7-171, M5-111, SVL75-2, RTV900XT & GR2120; CaseIH 1680 combine
Have the quote from JD dealer, and the discounted price I'd about even with the Kubota build your own list price. I am looking for a tractor 110 - 120 engine HP, with power shift as a must. The tractor will be used for haying and tillage - pulling a 4 bottom semi-mounted plow most likely, but only plowing 75 acres or so. Then disking and cultivating, something we need to do in our soil up here, beat it into submission and let our very cold winters finish it off. Assuming the Kubota dealer gives me the same discount I got on my last tractor, the difference could be as much as $15,000. The John Deere is no doubt a beefier tractor with more durable power train than the Kubota, but will the Kubota stand up to my job knowing it will only get 300 or so hours yearly with a disk mower, baler, plow, disk, and cultivator? Anybody done any really hard pulling with a Kubota? It is a concern that Kubota won't test at Nebraska, like they have something to hide, but my L5740 experience, and my previous L3710 too, have been exemplary, but neither have plowed over 8 acres yearly, and neither looked at a large round baler.
 
   / John Deere 6M115 vs Kubota M110 GX60 #2  
Have the quote from JD dealer, and the discounted price I'd about even with the Kubota build your own list price. I am looking for a tractor 110 - 120 engine HP, with power shift as a must. The tractor will be used for haying and tillage - pulling a 4 bottom semi-mounted plow most likely, but only plowing 75 acres or so. Then disking and cultivating, something we need to do in our soil up here, beat it into submission and let our very cold winters finish it off. Assuming the Kubota dealer gives me the same discount I got on my last tractor, the difference could be as much as $15,000. The John Deere is no doubt a beefier tractor with more durable power train than the Kubota, but will the Kubota stand up to my job knowing it will only get 300 or so hours yearly with a disk mower, baler, plow, disk, and cultivator? Anybody done any really hard pulling with a Kubota? It is a concern that Kubota won't test at Nebraska, like they have something to hide, but my L5740 experience, and my previous L3710 too, have been exemplary, but neither have plowed over 8 acres yearly, and neither looked at a large round baler.

Your previous Kubota's (current L5740) aren't serious Ag machines, though. They're utility tractors. Occasional grunt work in the dirt - with implements sized accordingly. To be fair, you should be comparing the 6D machine to the M110 Kubota - IMO.

I think that you'll find the tractor weight's to be similar as well as the hyd performance, and price, etc. The M series is a heavier duty machine all-around and will make the 6D look bad in a head to head competition, too.

AKfish
 
   / John Deere 6M115 vs Kubota M110 GX60
  • Thread Starter
#3  
Problem with the 6D is that it does not have a power shift transmission. I agree that other than that, they are more of a match. I farm some on my own and together with my cousin, my cousin being the primary partner. In that partnership we have a JD 7730, NH TS115, JD 6230 and an older Ford. Yes, I know the L5740 is a CUT, and it is ideal for what it gets used for except that I use it a little on the high end for some small plots. But all summer the large round baler stays on the 7730, the discbine stays on the TS115, and the 6230 switches tedder, rake, bale hauler. But we are spread over 6 miles and have picked up another hundred acres or so. Keeping another tractor at my place with some of our backup equipment - haybine, rakes, square baler, etc., makes sense. Also we have some nasty little fields in which it is almost impossible to turn the 7730 with 30 feet of cultivator behind. My cousin and I are too old and set in our ways to give up on power shift having it on everything we generally use (I count the hydro on the L5740 in there). The question is will I rip the guts out of the Kubota power shift within a couple thousand hours? Our JD's generally go 7500 before trading but my cousin is thinking of trading the 7720 on something else, but its trade in value might be more than the cash value of a new Kubota. Trying to figure out the financial thing here. Straight financial the Kubota wins but if it spits its guts in a couple thousand hours, it could cost more in repairs. Like someone talked about the JD CVT - it is a $25k repair. Just looking to know opinions on if the Kubota power shift can take a reasonable beating.
 
   / John Deere 6M115 vs Kubota M110 GX60 #4  
I've put mowed/baled hay, bush hogged some very nasty places and sprayed with a Kubota M125x. I know none of that is any comparison to tillage work, but I thought the power shift did very good.
 
   / John Deere 6M115 vs Kubota M110 GX60 #5  
The price difference is a hurdle to get over... And, if it's too much - could you work any smaller equipment behind it (Kubota)? Drop down 4 feet on the disk below what you would use with the 6M ('course you'd have to have something like that sittin' along the edge of the shelter belt!)

A little more time in the field... work the tractor in 1-2 lower gears?

I'm probably not a giver of good advice when it comes to buying a new tractor, though. I subscribe to the "buy the best you can afford and then add 10% to get the one you want"! :laughing:

AKfish
 
   / John Deere 6M115 vs Kubota M110 GX60 #6  
I don't see a problem here with the Kubota! Yes you could have everything out of adjustment and still pull a four bottom plow! It would be easier to know what you have been pulling that equipment with to say for sure but we have people that are doing the same as what you are curious about and more! Just because something weighs more has nothing to do with what it can do! You should not have any issues!
 
   / John Deere 6M115 vs Kubota M110 GX60
  • Thread Starter
#7  
I don't see a problem here with the Kubota! Yes you could have everything out of adjustment and still pull a four bottom plow! It would be easier to know what you have been pulling that equipment with to say for sure but we have people that are doing the same as what you are curious about and more! Just because something weighs more has nothing to do with what it can do! You should not have any issues!

Thanks for the responses. We pull a 5 bottom Kverneland plow behind the 7730 averaging 7.5 mph. It could pull more but have found it better to go fewer bottoms and faster than have traction problem. The 4 bottom semi-mounted is one we had with our 806 back in 1964 - I just have to pull it out of the hedge row. We also have another Kverneland 5 bottom that we could trip a bottom on to reduce load. I won't pull the same things we pull behind the 7730 - we have that tractor to use them. Instead my cousin has never thrown anything away so all I have to do is find it in the trees, grass, etc., and put older stuff back in use. Hay equipment - cattle, our cash cow (pun there) so we have spares in good operating condition there - discbine, baler, rakes, etc. I think I have my answer, use the lighter equipment and should have no problem. Nobody has jumped up and said the Kubota is a stupid idea. On to my dealer to haggle. Thanks again.
 
   / John Deere 6M115 vs Kubota M110 GX60 #8  
Do you know what the price difference is between the M110 and M126? It might still be cheaper than the Deere, if it were I'd seriously think about going for it.
 
   / John Deere 6M115 vs Kubota M110 GX60
  • Thread Starter
#9  
Going to ask dealer to quote on both. Like the larger engine displacement of the M126 and also the lower rated engine speed at max power. I don't remember running the M126GX through "Build My Kubota". It's a good idea though. Thanks for reminding me.
 
   / John Deere 6M115 vs Kubota M110 GX60 #10  
I don't remember running the M126GX through "Build My Kubota". It's a good idea though. Thanks for reminding me.

Don't worry I've done it for you, $87k and some change the way I would want one. LOL
 
 
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