Kubota 4330 vs. JD 4120

[CWP37]

Okay, back to the subject at hand. I have gotten qoutes for similarly equipped machines:

JD 4120, 400cx, power-reverser tranny - $26k
Kubota 4330DT, LA853 Loader, SSQA - $21k

Is the Deere a $5000 better tractor? What am I missing?

[therebarely]

I am facing the same struggle. I am looking at 2 options:

Kubota M6040, cab, loader, GST transmission
John Deere 4320, cab, loader, hydro
Prices within $200.00 of each other, and the way it looks, the Kubota wins by a mile.

[CWP37]

I'd have to agree with you about that. The M-series Kubota is a lot more tractor than the 4320. The only drawback would be that the Deere may get into a few tighter spaces.

[mike311]

Originally Posted by CWP37

Okay, back to the subject at hand. I have gotten qoutes for similarly equipped machines:

JD 4120, 400cx, power-reverser tranny - $26k
Kubota 4330DT, LA853 Loader, SSQA - $21k

Is the Deere a $5000 better tractor? What am I missing?

YES!!

[CWP37]

Please expand on why the Deere is better. Thanks.

[mike311]

Originally Posted by CWP37

Please expand on why the Deere is better. Thanks.

This is why I think the Deere is better (this is only my opinion) 1. HP ratings are about the same but the kubotas rated speed is 200 RPM higher which means that the deere will have more torque and HP - do the math and you will see this is true. 2. The deere has more hyraulic flow. IMO, these first two items are some of the most important specifications when buying a tractor. Now, I believe that the 4330DT is a "no bells or whistles transmission) whereas the deere has the powerreverser. If you were comparing the deere to a glideshift trans., I would say the kubota transmission has the edge. Other items that make the deere better are: wet clutch, larger fuel tank, larger alternater. There are other things that I like better on the deere(operators station, seat, color, controls) but I feel that is a personal preference, not a specific advantage.
The loader is a "no-brainer". The 400cx loader is self leveling and the kubota loader is not. The deere loader will lift more than the kubota loader.
Now your prices. You stated that your quote was 26,000.00 for the deere. On deere website, a 4120 costs 22,109 and a 400cx costs 4790. Thats a total MSRP of 26,899. On carverequipment, a 4330DT costs 19,854 and the 853 loader with loader valve costs 5700. Thats a total MSRP of 25,554. If you wanted to compare somewhat like tractors, you should compare the 4120 to the 4330GST which lists out at 21,004. That with the loader comes to $26,704.00. I believe the markup on these to tractors is about the same. If you go to a deere dealer and get a better deal, you will see that a deere should cost about the same as the kubota. In my area, a comparable deere has been cheaper than kubotas.
Anyways, the better tractor is always going to be the one you like best. I prefer deeres and have had good luck with them. Shop around, and remember, the best negotiator usually gets the best price.

P.S. I know there are some minor(IMO) areas where the kubota specs were better. I just got sick of typing!

[CWP37]

That's a great post, the kind of info I've been looking for. Thanks.

Anybody with a Kubota rebuddle?

[jmc]

Originally Posted by mike311

This is why I think the Deere is better (this is only my opinion) 1. HP ratings are about the same but the kubotas rated speed is 200 RPM higher which means that the deere will have more torque and HP - do the math and you will see this is true.

While the above statement is a contradiction on HP, I think he's right about the torque.

I've not used the deere loader but the Kubota 853 is a great one. Have the dealer demonstrate how easy it is to take on and off. This is a nice feature if you mow a lot around obstacles like trees and need maneuverability. BTW, I have the self leveling bucket on my backhoe and there are times it works against you- like when its level and you want to curl a full load to shift some of it toward the back of the bucket but the leveler won't let you.

I bought the GST option and was also under the impression that the DT is a basic transmission. A lot depends on the gear ratio spacing if it has a small number of gears. My last tractor (Ford 1920) had the basic tranny and it had to be stopped before changing gears. And shuttling from forward to reverse required the engine to come almost back to idle with the tractor stopped. Hopefully the Kubota DT is not that basic.

John

[mike311]

Originally Posted by jmc

While the above statement is a contradiction on HP, I think he's right about the torque.


John

I guess should have expanded on the difference in HP. If the torque curve remains constant and the engine speed differs, the horsepower will be different. What I was trying to point out was that the JD was rated at 43 HP at 2400 rpm-the same as the required engine speed for 540 rpm at the pto. The top engine rpm for the JD is 2600 rpm. I'm not sure of engine rpm to get a 540 PTO speed on the kubota but either way, 43 HP at 2400rpm is better than 43 HP at 2600rpm because at the lower RPM, your closer to the maximum torque output of the engine(peak torque). I could only find specs on a m5700 and it's engine is rated at 2800rpm but, to get a true 540PTO speed, you have to run the engine at 2307. If anybody knows the engine speed that is needed to get 540 PTO speed on a 4330, please chime in.
Kubota's 4630 is another questionable rating. I believe the 4330 and the 4630 share the same engine but the 4630 has 3 more horsepower. If you look at it's rated speed, for some strange reason it is rated at 2700 RPM instead of 2600 RPM. Again, i don't know the 4630's rated PTO speed but I bet it's the same as the 4330.
I'm not trying to bash kubota and I know Deere does the same thing with other tractors they make. I'm just trying to show the differences of the two tractors that the original poster was comparing.

[mike311]

Originally Posted by CWP37

That's a great post, the kind of info I've been looking for. Thanks.

Anybody with a Kubota rebuddle?

Your welcome!

Mike