John Deere subcompact shopping

[Robert_in_NY]

My girlfriend is in need of a machine to clear her driveway of snow and to mow her lawn. She originally planned to put a blade on her sport atv but I do not believe it will handle the weight very well and she is going to need a machine to mow her lawn anyway so I floated the idea of buying a sub-compact that would do both chores. We are going to look at some new and low houred used John Deeres as well. She has 35 acres but only about 1 acre of yard and a decent sized driveway. The majority of the property is open field that would be maintained by a neighboring farm. If going new she is leaning towards the loader just for the same reasons we all want loaders, more useful year round then a snow blower. Carrying brush and debris out to the woods and other tasks as needed.

The local Deere dealer has a couple used units (don't recall the model number) but with the new units what would be the best for her? She doesn't need or want anything fancy. Just reliable and able to accomplish her minimal tasks. Her biggest concern is clearing snow as she is in a heavy snow area. She doesn't need anything big and at most she will be using a 54" MMM. Again, she just wants something simple and reliable.

I want to look at the 1023E and 1026R but for her use the only advantage I see between the two is the 1026R has a better seat on paper. Can anyone possibly point out something I may be missing and should be paying attention to? I have never owned a sub-compact or even ran one. I have ran small compacts but only at customers places to move wagons around. I do like the drive over deck with auto connect. She is very handy with tools and I am not worried about her being able to remove and attach the MMM by herself but the auto connect with drive over feature would just be handy for her so she can easily remove it when she wants to go into the woods. If she had to muscle it off I know she would be less inclined to remove it as often. Are there any disadvantages to the Auto Connect deck compared to the standard style that you had to pin on manually? Any other items I should think about?

 

[s219]

The 1026 seat is quite a bit better; the 1023 seat is similar to what you'd get on a low-end Deere riding mower, and I can't imagine spending a lot of time on that tractor with the stock seat -- it's lousy. The 1026's extra work lighting might be a benefit for nighttime snow removal, but that's something that could be added later to a 1023. And then of course you have the HP differences. Aside from that, the rest of the differences between the 1023 and 1026 are minor. When I looked at them, I concluded the 1026 was a better value overall. I think the 1023 is a "price leader" model, out to attract buyers focused on the cost.

The weak point of these models, in my opinion, is the poor ground clearance, excessive use of plastic in the body, and el-cheapo fuel gauge on the fender.

For a similar price point of the 1026, you can also get into a Kubota B2320-2620-2920 model, and I do think they bear looking at. I know when I was shopping around, I was nearly set on a 1026, but when I discovered I could get a B2620 for the same price, or a B2920 for a little more, the decision was made. It is a comparison of sub-compact (Deeres) to compacts (Kubotas), but the features and pricing are so close it bears a look in my opinion. I'd only put more weight on the 1023/1026 if mowing was a priority and ground clearance wasn't important.

There have been some issues with the Deere auto-connect deck, but everything I have read suggests it comes down to dealer setup.

Good luck!

 

[kennyd]

Does the 1023E have position control on th 3PH? I know the 1025/6R does.

 

[jenkinsph]

It would seem that a good look around for new or used good deals on anything from a garden tractor to a sub compact would handle most of her needs. I would look at Kubota BX, Deere x 700 series (and the other larger Deere garden tractors prior to these), 2305, and the 1000 series as an example. I would buy based on the best deal I could find used. Buying new I would look at the 1026R and the new Kubota that should be out soon.

 

[TractrNoob]

Have you considered John Deere Super GTs? You can spec out an X728 (gas) or X748 (diesel) for around the same price as a 102x, giving you 4WD with the choice of gas or diesel. The X7xx would be a more nimble mower, since you say that is her primary need. It will take a front blade or blower just as as well. If she wants to save some money, you could look the model that's a generation back - the X585 (gas) or X595 Diesel. You can find plenty of low hour models around for about half the price of new.

 

[MarkChambers]

For a similar price point of the 1026, you can also get into a Kubota B2320-2620-2920 model

That depends on the area where you live. Here in SE Mich a similarly equipped BX2660 was $82.00 more than the 1026R. THAT made the decision an absolute no brainer. The BX would have had to have been considerably cheaper for me to give up the superior features of the 1026. Besides, since this is the John Deere area of TBN I'll tell a little story. I was sitting around listening to a group of farmers talk about farming and tractors and I mentioned that I was in the market for a sub compact and had been looking John Deere. They all smiled and nodded their heads. And then I mentioned that I had also looked at New Holland and Kubota. They looked at each other and frowned and shook their heads and acted like I'd insulted a member of their family. So I asked if I'd done something to offend them and this old timer looked at me and this is what he said. "There are lots of machines out there that will pull a tiller or push snow and turn a mower but if it ain't green it ain't a tractor. All tractors are green.

 

[TripleR]

Sign in a Case dealership: "Friends don't let friends drive green tractors.":laughing:

We own Case, Kubota, John Deere, Massey Ferguson and some old Fords. The 1026R is a nice tractor with a lot of good features, my wife and I looked at one and we didn't care for it; just the nature of humans, if it fits you/her go for it.

 

[s219]

That depends on the area where you live. Here in SE Mich a similarly equipped BX2660 was $82.00 more than the 1026R. THAT made the decision an absolute no brainer. The BX would have had to have been considerably cheaper for me to give up the superior features of the 1026.

Notice I said "B", not "BX". The larger Kubota "B" series prices about the same as the smaller 1023/1026 here in VA.

 

[s219]

Does the 1023E have position control on th 3PH? I know the 1025/6R does.

Good point, that is another difference -- the 1023 does not have position control, while the 1026 does.

 

[Gittyup]

Also consider a JD 400 series. My 425 AWS plows snow and mows like a dream. Used from $3K or so.