Going to buy a tractor....Between Kubota and JD....which one is more american made

[art]

Maybe I'm missing the correlation to the actual problem of outsourcing parts. There's good quality (Eddie Bauer) and worse quality (Sears) in every company. An L3800 is not nearly as high quality of a machine as an L3940. Both may be solid tractors, but there is no denying that the L3940 is more meticulously designed, refined and more money spent in building, correct? Which makes it a higher quality machine.

None of this has anything to do with your original problem of outsourcing though, you still have not addressed how outsourcing (whether it be a tractor or an engine) means worse quality. You don't deny that Kubota outsources, so I don't see what the problem is.

In the end the distributing company has their name on the product, whether they built it or not. So they still stand behind it as a quality product.

I again will ask the question again as you have avoided it, how is outsourcing an engine different than outsourcing the parts to the engine? If I can get a high quality product, at a cheaper price by outsourcing the WHOLE thing instead of just 90% of it, why in the heck would you not do it?? Believe it or not even when a company outsources, they still have control over the product as they are the customer! If the company builds a bad engine, they can switch providers to someone who wants to provide quality material. There is more incentive to keep building high quality products as the distributing company can quickly and easily pull the supplier and switch to a different one MUCH easier (and WAAAAY cheaper) than the distributing company can shut down one of it's own plants, rebuild or retrain the people at their own plant to build a higher quality product.

The quality does not change between the two model Kubotas that you mentioned, they are two different prices and two differently equipped tractors, quality is equal. Out sourcing componets engines, axle's, wiring or whole tractors are all by design and the consistancy of the products and level of quality is up to the buyer at the wholesale level. Not all machines are created equal just because it is a tractor or a car!

 

[art]

Maybe I'm missing the correlation to the actual problem of outsourcing parts. There's good quality (Eddie Bauer) and worse quality (Sears) in every company. An L3800 is not nearly as high quality of a machine as an L3940. Both may be solid tractors, but there is no denying that the L3940 is more meticulously designed, refined and more money spent in building, correct? Which makes it a higher quality machine.

None of this has anything to do with your original problem of outsourcing though, you still have not addressed how outsourcing (whether it be a tractor or an engine) means worse quality. You don't deny that Kubota outsources, so I don't see what the problem is.

In the end the distributing company has their name on the product, whether they built it or not. So they still stand behind it as a quality product.

I again will ask the question again as you have avoided it, how is outsourcing an engine different than outsourcing the parts to the engine? If I can get a high quality product, at a cheaper price by outsourcing the WHOLE thing instead of just 90% of it, why in the heck would you not do it?? Believe it or not even when a company outsources, they still have control over the product as they are the customer! If the company builds a bad engine, they can switch providers to someone who wants to provide quality material. There is more incentive to keep building high quality products as the distributing company can quickly and easily pull the supplier and switch to a different one MUCH easier (and WAAAAY cheaper) than the distributing company can shut down one of it's own plants, rebuild or retrain the people at their own plant to build a higher quality product.

The quality does not change between the two model Kubotas that you mentioned, they are two different prices and two differently equipped tractors, quality is equal. Out sourcing componets engines, axle's, wiring or whole tractors are all by design and the consistancy of the products and level of quality is up to the buyer at the wholesale level. Not all machines are created equal just because it is a tractor or a car!

 

[Martian]

The quality does not change between the two model Kubotas that you mentioned, they are two different prices and two differently equipped tractors, quality is equal. Out sourcing componets engines, axle's, wiring or whole tractors are all by design and the consistancy of the products and level of quality is up to the buyer at the wholesale level. Not all machines are created equal just because it is a tractor or a car!

There's more to quality than just strength, durability and longevity. Two sets of wrenches that are the same quality, but one has nice big handles that are comfortable to use are higher quality. Same with the L3800 vs L3940, both may be equal in strength, durability and longevity, but the L3940 is the higher quality because of the more features. If your saying it isn't a more quality machine, how could you honestly sell one for more money than a L3800? But still all of this has NOTHING to do with your original complaint that outsourcing parts doesn't lead to as quality of a product than does. I understand that your now trying to avoid the topic because you can have no proof to back it up.

"quality is up to the buyer at the wholesale level"
Exactly, don't you think if they could be more efficient, produce a better product for less, they would do it themselves? They outsource (Kubota included!) to save money and not bankrupt us, the consumer trying to buy one of their products.

"Not all machines are created equal just because it is a tractor or a car!"
Exactly, but outsourcing has NOTHING to do with it. What the retailer wants to sell does. ANYONE (parent company or outsourced company) can make a high quality product, or a low quality product, they just serve to different market. As you L3800 is served to a different market than an L3940.

 

[art]

There's more to quality than just strength, durability and longevity. Two sets of wrenches that are the same quality, but one has nice big handles that are comfortable to use are higher quality. Same with the L3800 vs L3940, both may be equal in strength, durability and longevity, but the L3940 is the higher quality because of the more features. If your saying it isn't a more quality machine, how could you honestly sell one for more money than a L3800?

You are confusing quality with features. The features change the price not the quality. Features do raise the price unless quality is sacrificed. Out sourcing is common, it is harder to watch for quality, we often listen to the manufacturer complain of the quality and consistancy of products from the different out sourced products. It doesn't seem to be as much of an issue when work is done in house with the brands that we sell. We have seen big differences with different issues from one brand to another depending on the area of the machines. We also have some that have no issues!

 

[Bluegill2]

You are confusing quality with features. The features change the price not the quality. Features do raise the price unless quality is sacrificed. Out sourcing is common, it is harder to watch for quality, we often listen to the manufacturer complain of the quality and consistancy of products from the different out sourced products. It doesn't seem to be as much of an issue when work is done in house with the brands that we sell. We have seen big differences with different issues from one brand to another depending on the area of the machines. We also have some that have no issues!

Very well said and spot on!

 

[whitedogone]

"Between Kubota and JD....which one is more american made"

That would be John Deere

 

[murphy1244]

Who cares.

 

[whitedogone]

Who cares.

Believe it or not; there are still folks that would rather buy something that has more of it built by people that live in this country vs. somewhere else. Shocking, isn't it?

 

[WilliamBos]

Who cares.

Exactly! Buy the tractor that fits your needs, and support your local dealer.

 

[Martian]

You are confusing quality with features. The features change the price not the quality. Features do raise the price unless quality is sacrificed. Out sourcing is common, it is harder to watch for quality, we often listen to the manufacturer complain of the quality and consistancy of products from the different out sourced products. It doesn't seem to be as much of an issue when work is done in house with the brands that we sell. We have seen big differences with different issues from one brand to another depending on the area of the machines. We also have some that have no issues!

qualｷiｷty/ˈkw舁ətē/
Noun:
The standard of something as measured against other things of a similar kind; the degree of excellence of something: "quality of life".
General excellence of standard or level: "quality beers".

I don't believe I am. Features are just a part of quality!

How is outsourcing harder to watch for quality? My experience is the opposite. The quality control over outsourced things is easier to control as if you get poor parts, you can easily switch providers (as mentioned), and the parent company is not liable for the parts and can get some if not all of the money back they lost in the poor parts.

I highly doubt that you have salesmen coming into your dealership saying carry our line of product because they are junk, so you will have them back in here for repairs and buy a new product! If so, they are pretty poor salesmen and I hope you won't fall for that pitch.

How is it wrong for Deere to outsource an engine, but Kubota is fine to outsource the parts to the engine? You have two standards for the same thing and believe that the Kubota engine is inherently better for it.