Buying Decision

   / Buying Decision #1  

PMH

New member
Joined
May 25, 2001
Messages
3
I'm a first-time tractor buyer. Am looking at the John Deere 4310 versus the Kubota L3010. Am concerned about reliability problems with the Deere. Would like to hear the opinions of others. Pete
 
   / Buying Decision #2  
T have owned my JD 4400 HST, 430 loader & 48 backhoe for 1 1/2 years. 138 hours on tractor. The only problems I have had was with the old design front axle & a bent cylinder on the backhoe. My dealer took care of both problems without any problem. If I had to do it all over again, I would not change a thing.
 
   / Buying Decision #3  
PMH--having had two Kubotas and three Deeres, I can give you some comparison just based upon my experiences. I wonder about the JD Model 4310--according to a nearby dealer, the "10" series in the 4xxx line was not to appear for a couple of years yet. IF it did, I would be leary of it until the bugs have been removed. Both of my Kubotas were trouble free and NEVER went back to the dealer for anything. One of them I kept for 10 years and had less than a ten dollar total repair bill. My 955 Deere was fine, but it had been made for many years by Yanmar. When the 4xxx series first came out, I was hot to trot to have a 4400HST with FEL and belly mower. It came off the assembly line in Georgia about 6 months after they began making them and it had several engineering issues including bad front end, bad hydro tranny, bad PTO, bad brakes, linkages that needed upgrading and several smaller issues--all because JD did not fully test this line of tractors and their quality control failed too (allowing metal millings to get into the transmission housing and contaminate the hydraulic fluid). However, JD saw to it that all necessary repairs and upgrades were made even though it was inconvenient, frustrating and I felt like an unpaid field tester for JD, not to mention being robbed of pride of ownership. With that said, I liked the overall design and workings of the 4400HST well enough that I recently bought another after about 300 design changes had been made. I REALLY liked the Boomer TC40D, but it was just too big for my needs and there were some things about the TC33D that eliminated it for my needs. Boomers, Kubotas and Deeres are all great machines--you need to try out the 4300 that is equipped as you want and then give the Kubota an equal workout, factor in those experiences along with their prices AND also consider the quality of the dealer. When I did this, my vote went to the 4400HST even after a frustrating two years with my first one. IF JD is bringing out their 4310 soon, based upon my experiences with a new JD model, I would run from it like it was poison--for at least a year until I could read on this forum and the Compact Tractor Bulletin Board about any problems with the new line of Deeres and try to avoid the problems should they plague this new line as the did its predecessor. There was a previous thread on one of these two tractor forums about the pros and cons of tractors like Kubotas that have all of their parts manufactured "in house" by the same company vs. Deeres that subcontract out many of their tractor's components. ARE YOU SURE THAT THE "10" VERSIONS OF THE 4XXX SERIES ARE COMING SOON???? Good luck to you.
 
   / Buying Decision #4  
Mike my dealer told me about new 10 series earlier this year and said they would be out this year. He also said it was not a completely new model just a renumbering with some minor changes. JD has done the same thing with there utility line. They started as the 5000 series, went to 5010 series, now the 5020 series. I believe JD has learned there lesson about rushing models to market. They were to bring out a new garden tractor line to compete with Kubota BX model in 2000. After the problems with the early 4000 series they delayed it until this fall or next spring, maybe.
 
   / Buying Decision #5  
Pete -- The 4300 and the 3010 are both fine machines. I could have gone either way, but in the end chose the Kubota based more on the service dept's reputation at my local dealers. If, after thoroughly checking both tractors, you are still undecided...factor in your feelings about the dealer.

Pete

www.GatewayToVermont.com
 
 
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