Zetor 8841 vs Kubota 8540 to buy?

[agh]

Need 4 WD 85-90 Hp tractor to do foresty work on tree farm. Kubota dealer in town(8 miles away). good people to deal with, neighbors satisfied with service. they come off list prices to deal. But. Zetor heavier, has reversable pto (will use a logging pto winch and Zetor has more options with pto). want to add belly pan and Zetor with loader has easy to access places to attach belly pan and build a forestry cage. Kubota with loader can use longer bolts and attach to frame. Zetor dealer 38 miles from farm. Probably would save $1000
with Zetor 8841 which has 5 more HP than Kubota M8540. Anybody want to help me think this one out. Last tractor I bought I've had 19 years. Both dealerships been in business over 20 years. thanks agh

 

[BarryinMN]

Looks like an even match, how about parts & maintenance costs? Total costs of ownership.

I have a smaller Zetor and have used it to drag logs out. The machine does not have a fuel lift pump so there is one less thing to go wrong. Most of my woods work is Winter time with a Deere crawler - armored belly & sides, still had a branch spear thru the radiator armor & take out a headlight.

Ran across a Zetor like mine 6 years old with 7800 hours on it selling for $8500. This was probably $23K new so figure $14.5K/7800 = $1.85 per hour depreciation expense.

Large tractor talk might be more helpful - link below:

www.newagtalk.com http://u15205752.onlinehome-server.com/category-view.asp
(these web links stuff has changes since using it last)

 

[EquipmentUser]

I would go with the Kubota. I wouldn't trust a Zetor tractor. Their is a dealer close by but their not very popular. A good friend of mine bought a new one a couple years ago and has had a lot of clutch problems with it and he says its not built as heavy as a lot of tractors. I'm not sure what model his is but I know its around 70 hp and has a cab, 4-wd, and a zetor loader.

 

[agh]

zetor 8441 w/o cab listed as 7660lbs. kubota m8540 is 5400lbs. but i will be adding weight with forestry package anyway so ???? I do like the comments i am hearing from kubota owning folks about them not needing much repairs. opinino still out on zetor, but they sound good too. agh

 

[tydp]

Off brand example I've used before: 3 (approx) year old Zetor 75HP with cab and air 4WD looked new 700+ hrs, sold at auction for $7200 a couple months ago in NE Texas.......that would hurt......This was at a large monthly auction I have been to several times. Prices for anything other than the Big 3 or 4 are about half or less than the more "name" brands. FWIW......Also consider where each is made and the reputation of that country manufacturing and engineering. In this case it's Japan vs. Czechoslovakia I believe.

 

[depratt_equip]

agh - Where you located at? We just took on the Zetor line, heck of a great tractor. We have been working on them for a past year and really like the tractor inside and out.

 

[dgl24087]

A lot of powerline right of way contract mowers in the area of WV that I have land use Zetors, no complaints from them and they certainly get worked hard.

 

[Dargo]

Don't read anything into this question that is not there, but where is Zetor tractors made? Who makes them? As I said, don't read anything into the question. I honestly don't know.

 

[depratt_equip]

Czechoslovakia is where they are made. Zetor makes the tractor including engine. You will find some Zetor motors in older Long tractors. Zetor has been in the tractor business now for over 60 years.

 

[Bob_Skurka]

Don't read anything into this question that is not there, but where is Zetor tractors made? Who makes them? As I said, don't read anything into the question. I honestly don't know.

Czechoslovakia, as a country, ceased to exist several years ago (maybe a decade ago?). After the collapse of the Russian dominated U.S.S.R. many of the eastern European nations that were forced together into nations split apart and took their historic borders.

The tractors are made in the Czech Repbulic, which is the nations that occupies the land north and east of Vienna, Austria and its capital is Prague. It occupies only about 1/2 of the land mass of the former Czechoslovakia

I traveled extensively through the land formerly called Czechoslovakia and can tell you it is reasonably backwards as a nation but they do have some modern manufacturing facilities, especially those located in the Czech Republic as Slovakia is generally more rural and to a greater extent has a farming economy. You may be familiar with one of the Czech icons of modern manufactuering, the CZ line of pistols and rifles. Arguably modern, well made and modest in price. Zetor was known for making a simple reliable tractor and they were common when I traveled the area. I'm not sure how the tractors here in the US differ from the ones I saw.