I have found the perfect tractor

[TheGoose]

I have been casually looking at tractors for awhile now. I needed as close to 30 PTO horsepower as possible. I need 4wd, and definitely HST. I need a strong FEL and I am looking for a name brand tractor. I have looked at the new e series, the 3320, and the 3520.

After months of searching, I have found the perfect tractor.

It is a Kubota L3400. Sorry guys. I really wanted to go with the green, but I have found that the old adage that you pay for the paint. JD wants ~$23K for a 3320. $25K for the 3520. The dealer wants to charge $100 for prep and freight, and then $100 to deliver. For $18.5K, I can get a L3400 with more horsepower, std cruise control on the HST, and 0% for 60 months with 0 down. If green wants my business, they need to work for it.

Also, the new E series, while a nice tractor, is not really what I am looking for. It does not come with a drawbar or cruise, no gauges other than RPM's, and is really too light for serious work. They are excellent for their intended purpose, but I just can't consider one at this time.

I really wanted to buy the 3320. It has better hydraulics and slightly more lift capacity (according to specs), but not worth ~4K more.

 

[TheGoose]

BTW, not trying to start any wars. I just want opinions on why the Deere is so much more for basically the same tractor? Or is there more than meets the eye?

 

[Spudland_Dave]

BTW, not trying to start any wars. I just want opinions on why the Deere is so much more for basically the same tractor? Or is there more than meets the eye?

Dealer...Seriously speaking, when comparing apples to apples, most of the time Green & Orange end up at the same pricing when you get down to details and actually buying.

When I shopped last spring, I got the Deere 3520 Cab and Kubota L3240HTSC to within the cost of a nice dinner out with SWMBO...
The better cab and WAYYYYYYY Better dealer on the green side made the choice a no brainer.

IMO its not a fair comparison between the 3x20 and a L3400....the 3400 is a "Base machine" in the Kubota lineup...Mechanical Hydro vs eHydro (the Grand L 40's have the electronic hydro)... I'm sure theres a bunch of other things, but I'm not overly familiar witht the "Base" model Kubotas...

 

[WH401]

Dealer definitely makes a difference, have you shopped around at multiple dealers at all? Drive out of your way if you have to. Myself, I go about 60 miles south into VA and can get a noticeable difference in price compared to the local dealer. That, and they're much friendlier to deal with, and actually deal quite a bit with my area. Also, if the Deere dealer wants 23k for the 3320 and 25k for the 3520, than it doesn't sound like your getting a discount at all, that's pretty much list price. Most times, as far as comparing similar JD and Kubota models, they usually end up right in the same ball park.

As said above, the L3400 is your basic, no frills tractor. The 3320 is more along the lines of a "Grand L" series Kubota, with lots of fancy, better features (I mean that in the sense of the series, not in a "JD is better than Kubota" kind of way.)

 

[jenkinsph]

Years ago when shopping for a pickup trying to decide between a Ford and a GMC and questioning prices for the two the salesman at the GMC dealer pulled a $20 dollar bill out of his wallet. He held it up and said it would cover the difference either way between the two trucks, he said I needed to decide which one I liked the best.




Steve

 

[TheGoose]

Ok, so educate me. What is the difference between e-hydro and mechanical hydro. Say what you want, but I believe in the KISS method. Yes, the JD has better hydraulics according to the spec sheets, but there is not a $4K price difference. If I cannot get a 3x20 in my price range (~20K) it will be a no brainer to go with the Kubota. I don't care about all the fancy stuff, I just need a tractor.

 

[Reg]

Ok, so educate me. What is the difference between e-hydro and mechanical hydro. Say what you want, but I believe in the KISS method. Yes, the JD has better hydraulics according to the spec sheets, but there is not a $4K price difference. If I cannot get a 3x20 in my price range (~20K) it will be a no brainer to go with the Kubota. I don't care about all the fancy stuff, I just need a tractor.

If you "just need a tractor" why are you even INTO green vs. orange ?
Go generic; products from Korea that ADMIT to being Korean.
Heck, go gray market or Chinese if you are absolutely brand name and driveway ornament status conscious free (-:

 

[aczlan]

Ok, so educate me. What is the difference between e-hydro and mechanical hydro. Say what you want, but I believe in the KISS method. Yes, the JD has better hydraulics according to the spec sheets, but there is not a $4K price difference. If I cannot get a 3x20 in my price range (~20K) it will be a no brainer to go with the Kubota. I don't care about all the fancy stuff, I just need a tractor.

As I understand it, the Deere e-hydro is to keep the RPMs the same, say you are mowing and hit a heavy patch of grass, it will slow the transmission to keep the RPMs in the most efficient PTO speed.

Aaron Z

 

[DanD78]

I would shop other Deere dealers. You should be able to get the 3320 less than 20K for just a base tractor and the big R4 tires. I bought mine a year ago for less than 20 with out the loader. If you can I would run both tractors you are considering and see what you think.

When you add a loader, front hydraulics, weights, up grade seat, cruse and extra lights then the price goes up pretty quick. Don't be afraid to tell them their price is too high.

Dan

 

[Spudland_Dave]

As I understand it, the Deere e-hydro is to keep the RPMs the same, say you are mowing and hit a heavy patch of grass, it will slow the transmission to keep the RPMs in the most efficient PTO speed.

Aaron Z

Thats false...but another story for another day (plenty of other posts deal with that issue)...... eHydro = no "mechanical" link between the direction pedals and the hydro unit....which IMO is FAR superior.

if you "just need a tractor" then the 3x20 is not what you're looking for..look into the 3038e, I've seen ads for the 3038 with loader and iMatch for less then 20k....Heck I dunno if Kubota or Deere fit into the "I just need a tractor" category...Alot of "2nd tier" brands which you can get into for alot less which will have 4 tires, hydro tranny and a 30hp diesel engine... Heck 2 months ago you coulda gotten a CT230 delivered to your door for 13k

DanD78 is correct though, 90% sure you can get a 3320, 300x, R1's (you can proably get the Normal R4's with some dickering) out the door for 20k without breaking too much of a sweat....