Kubotas in the low/mid 40hp range

[kleetus]

You may be overselling the HST+ here. It is shocking that Kubota made its reputation and that customers were perfectly happy with plain olde HST before the new Lxx40 series came out. I don't recall a single complaint from Lxx30 owners about how inefficient their HST was. I rather doubt the HST+ is a significant time saver for anyone though it certainly does avoid the three second interval when shifting range from L to M or H. Me thinks Kubota has pushed this feature as a marketing tool to justify the many thousands of bucks extra they charge for it. How many experienced Lxx30 or Plain Jane L owners are dumping their same size tractors and ponying up big bucks just to get the HST+?

HST+ is certainly an engineering advance just like position control is an advance over quarter inching valve and shuttle shift is an advance over plain manual transmission but one needs to drink orange Kool Aid to think it is more than a pricey convenience at this point. And functionally it is not nearly as important as the shuttle shift or position control advances. Show me one task that a Lxx40 can do that cannot be done by a Lxx30 or a plain L. If it is worth $5000 extra to not need to ever switch ranges on your HST then perhaps you've got too much discretionary income in play. Anyone who is actually looking for bang for their buck can put it elsewhere more profitably. A non HST+ tractor with $5000 of extra or better implements will clearly outwork the HST+ version.

dont be such a hater..

[IslandTractor]

dont be such a hater..

Not a hater I just made some arguments to point out that HST+, though clearly an advance, is being marketed as a convenience more than to do work and to justify a very big price jump from the L and MX. That's not hating. Why don't you dispute my points instead of being a fanboy? I'd get a MX and take the extra thousands to put into a grapple, extra hydraulics, topping lift/tilt and a few other implements and would out work the fancy Lxx40 every day of the week. The MX is like a super duty pickup. The Lxx40 is an Escalade. Which would you choose to get real work done?

[Piston]

Maybe to someone with experience, but not me. I've read the glossy literature, studied Kubota's web site, visited the dealer and put-puted around the parking lot but I still don't know what a L4240 can do that a MX4700 can't, or vica/versa.
Serious shopping (deposit in hand) starts Thursday, hopefully I can pin down the fine points then.

Carl

Carl, have you also considered other brands or are you stuck on Kubota?

[Gary Fowler]

Well, I am not familiar with any of the Kubota fan fare, but I did drive my B-I-L's NH and it has the rabbit and turtle switch although I didnt find it shifting automatically. It does cut the speed and increase the HP when you need it and not that "time consuming or difficult" to reach up on the control panel or shifter, I forget exactly where it was located, and push the button. I dont think he paid $5000 extra for it to have the powershift button on the HST. I am not hooked on paint color like others here which I guess is why we have Jd Green, NH blue, LS blue,Yanmar Red and hopefully in a few weeks Kubota Orange. All of them have their good and bad point when comparing to other brands but they all do the job that we bought them for. Some of them we have outgrown and will be leaving the stable soon but I wouldnt bad mouth any brand or say that any brand is better than another. I just wish someone would make one brand with ALL the goodies the All the brands have in one package.

[KYDan]

I have the Kubota 5100 MXL, 4WD, HST, with the R4 (industrial) tires, LA 844 loader, and it is a wonderful tractor and also my second Kubota. I have had a Kubota tractor since 1997 and love them. They are dependable, and solid machines. Basically, both of them to-date have been problem free. And, my dealer is a gem and only 10 miles from my farm. The 5100 is the same frame as the 4700 it has the turbocharged engine and the category 1-2 3 point hitch system. For me it was worth the extra money to get the 5100 for the hitch system which is a major improvement if you change 3 point hitch attachments very often. I do a lot of loader work and the HST is a huge improvement over geared transmissions, also I mow some rough terrain in wooded areas and the HST is handy there as well. The downside to the 5100 v the 4700 is that it is thirstier and it is noisy with the turbo and HST whines. The MX series are on the Grand L frame but do not have the amenities of the Grand L series. They are more of a bare bones tractor, but still nicely equipped. I do not use the tractor in bad weather (cold, rain, snow, etc.) regularly and I have a lot of low hanging branches that would be problematic for the cab as well. The Grand L's are nice (My first K was a Grand L), but I don't think for my uses they are worth the price difference. Whatever you get be sure to get fluid for ballast in the rear tires as Kubotas tend to be light. What you get should be dependent upon how you anticipate using the tractor. Make a list of how you expect to use your tractor and make your judgement based upon that. Talk with your dealer about what you think you need and sit on and drive if possible several different models. Good luck with your hunt for the perfect tractor for you and enjoy the process.

[TripleR]

You may be overselling the HST+ here. It is shocking that Kubota made its reputation and that customers were perfectly happy with plain olde HST before the new Lxx40 series came out. I don't recall a single complaint from Lxx30 owners about how inefficient their HST was. I rather doubt the HST+ is a significant time saver for anyone though it certainly does avoid the three second interval when shifting range from L to M or H. Me thinks Kubota has pushed this feature as a marketing tool to justify the many thousands of bucks extra they charge for it. How many experienced Lxx30 or Plain Jane L owners are dumping their same size tractors and ponying up big bucks just to get the HST+?

HST+ is certainly an engineering advance just like position control is an advance over quarter inching valve and shuttle shift is an advance over plain manual transmission but one needs to drink orange Kool Aid to think it is more than a pricey convenience at this point. And functionally it is not nearly as important as the shuttle shift or position control advances. Show me one task that a Lxx40 can do that cannot be done by a Lxx30 or a plain L. If it is worth $5000 extra to not need to ever switch ranges on your HST then perhaps you've got too much discretionary income in play. Anyone who is actually looking for bang for their buck can put it elsewhere more profitably. A non HST+ tractor with $5000 of extra or better implements will clearly outwork the HST+ version.

Some may be over selling it, but you may be under selling it. I run a L5030 and won't be trading it in on a L40, but recognize the utility of some of the features of the HST+. I really like the auto throttle and when moving a lot of dirt can see how the auto shift might be handy as well as stall guard.

I won't trade mine off, but if I was buying new, it would have HST+. There will always be those who want bare bones or a little nicer and then one with all the added features.

My dad drove an old Ford 600 until he died and viewed power steering as a frill. Growing up "real farmers" laughed at cabs, now you can't find a field tractor without one and usually shift on the go etc.

[MessickFarmEqu]

Not a hater?

I don't know about that

the price increase from the 30 to 40 series was a few hundred dollars, it was not a "thousands" increase. Things have gone up since then, largly due to emmissions compliance changes.

I LOVE AutoThrottle. For the tooling around we do with the tractors here at work its great, and the auto shift on the High/Low makes it so slick when you hit a hill.

[IslandTractor]

I don't know about that

the price increase from the 30 to 40 series was a few hundred dollars, it was not a "thousands" increase. Things have gone up since then, largly due to emmissions compliance changes.

I LOVE AutoThrottle. For the tooling around we do with the tractors here at work its great, and the auto shift on the High/Low makes it so slick when you hit a hill.

I don't hate Kubota any more than I hate Toyota. Both excellent top tier brands that can command premium pricing. My comments should be seen more in the light of pointing out 1) there are features and characteristics of other brands - say Mazda with zoom zoom or Hyundai with bang for the buck, that should be considered before just handing your checkbook to the Toyota dealer. 2) Toyota makes Lexus and plain Toyota. Reliability and performance are often very close while prices are not. My point with the Lxx40 is that the MX gives the same level of performance with significant cost savings and for a given budget you can get work done more efficiently with an equal HP MX plus extra implements for the same price or less than the deluxe Lxx40.

I'm not sure what the price difference is for similar engine size L vs MX but I assumed the MX must be cost competitive with the equivalent Kioti DK so guessed at about $5000.

[MessickFarmEqu]

true, but by your logic there is no place for deluxe features..? So no company should strive to build the best and we should all look at nothing but the bottom dollar? This industry is headed to a place where companies build for a spec sheet and throw out overall quality, parts support, and business infrastructure.

.. I guess thats why you bought a Kioti!!! (had to throw that in :-))

[IslandTractor]

true, but by your logic there is no place for deluxe features..? So no company should strive to build the best and we should all look at nothing but the bottom dollar? This industry is headed to a place where companies build for a spec sheet and throw out overall quality, parts support, and business infrastructure.

.. I guess thats why you bought a Kioti!!! (had to throw that in :-))

1) Please list the features, other than HST+, on your deluxe Lxx40 that are missing from my DK.

2) I appreciate your point about the evolution of tractors but I know you do not require reminding that relatively few of the deluxe features really influence how much work you can do. Modern CUTs are becoming less "tractor" like and more "utility" vehicles friendly to the suburbanite non professional farmer especially with cabs etc. Don't get me wrong, I like every one of the "deluxe" enhancements on my DK but cannot honestly say that I could out work Kioti's MX equivalent DS series.

3) I bought the Kioti because of its 2700+ lift capacity loader. Remind me which Kubota model offers that for about $19000?