Foriegn brand tractors

[gwende]

I know that most "domestic" tractors are made overseas. I only use domestic vs. foriegn as a practical means of segregation. After all, just because Yanmar builds JD, and Mahindra supplies (or supplied?) some Ford/ New Holland doesn't mean I can go the the local JD or NH dealership and get parts for their "foriegn" counterparts.
I'm here to learn everything I can about all of these brands. I'm not partial to "domestic" brands because of brand loyalty (although I did grow up on a Ford 9N), I'm partial to domestic brands because the support structure is well established. I'm all for free trade, but this is a major investment. If the choice is between a $5000 Korean yard ornament, or $15000 for a tractor I can use for the next 30 years, that extra money is a small investment. Hopefully I can find some middle ground.

 

[gwende]

The Branson dealer is the same guy that sells Kioti in AZ, we're considering both brands, but he's a long ways from where I live. See Re: GerardC
Thanks for your input.

 

[HOGAN]

The best ground is solid ground, so go with proven quality and dealer support. Also you may want to think about re- sale value 10 years away. JOHN DEERE --- KUBOTA

GOOD LUCK

HOGAN

 

[MFMan]

Don't forget Massey Ferguson - 157 years in the business and counting. ( www.masseyferguson.com ) Still more Massey Ferguson's on the job than any other tractor in the world. To be quite honest though, the dealer is the most important part of the equation. Get a good dealer and they will support you with most any brand.

Good luck in your search!

 

[To20Chris]

"$5000 Korean yard ornament" Great, another clever cheap shot. I understand and respect your logic, but there are other ways to make your point. Gentlemen, try to remember that others here, who are not necessarily stupid, have looked at these same issues and made other decisions, and are happy with them. As to your original question, why are the domestics more expensive? Overhead. They serve as marketing/sales/distribution organizations (at least in the CUT segment). They have to buy the tractors from someone else and pay their profit. They have to support a big marketing and advertising effort. Who do you think pays for that? As far as parts, yes, I can still get parts for my Ferguson TO-20, but does that mean I’ll be able to get parts for a MF badged Iseki in 50yrs? I don’t think there is a correlation.

Good luck with your search, and I'm sure you can find something that YOU are happy with and have confidence in.

 

[rambler]

I personally am very, very, very suspicious of any tractor coming out of China these days. They are about 20 years behind on machining & fit & finish & casting & hydraulic abilities... I would find it difficult to try to depend upon something so poorly formed. After seeing several different brands of the same basic China tractor, I just could not own one. I believe in another 10-20 years, China will be making some quality stuff, but at the moment they are in the learning phase. At least carefully look over a China machine _before_ buying one, there is a magnitude of difference under anything else. I would much rather buy an overused Kubota or other & have to rebuild it, than a new China machine.

The other companies from other countries seem to be priced about to their level of quality, and if you understand that, have a level of fit & finish that one can live with.

A 'cheap' alternative are Japaneese 'grey market' tractors, which are lightly used & imported into the USA. Parts are much harder to find in you _must_ depend upon the tractor, but are generally a quality made machine.

--->Paul

 

[shoppintractors]

gwende posts....
<font color="blue"> If the choice is between a $5000 Korean yard ornament, or $15000 for a tractor.......... </font>

In the very next post gwende posts......
<font color="blue"> The Branson dealer is the same guy that sells Kioti in AZ, we're considering both brands, </font>

Is that a contradictory statement or what? /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif
Of course I'm really not aware of any South Korean $5000 tractors. Maybe it's North Korean tractors the poster is talking about. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

gwende, the Branson's and the Kioti's both come out of South Korea.

Don

 

[To20Chris]

Frankly, I agree with you on the Chinese tractors, and from what I've read on TBN the factories don't seem to have any responsability for them once they leave the port. I disagree with you on some of the other countries products, however. S. Korea has some very advanced design and manufacturing. I have yet to see personally, or any posts about, any specific quality issues concerning Kiotis, although there are plenty of vague inferences from people who own other brands. Aparently, Cub thought enough of them to rebadge them.

Personally, I prefer the brands that sell what they make, which are Kioti and Kubota (others?). I would be worried that one of these days the "US brands" will cancel the contract with their present captive import, and sign with someone else, leaving me with an orphan.

There are always risks, and on one can predict the future. Who would have thought that Kubota would ever have a better brand name in any segment of the tractor market than MF? Who would have thought Ford would sell out to NH, who would then be owned by FIAT? The one thing you can be sure of is that the future will not look like the present. Maybe the North Koreans will invade the South, and the Daedong plant will be wiped out. Maybe the Chinese will buy JD /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif - don't think it couldn't happen! Then again, maybe JD will start building CUTs in the US.

 

[slowrev]

Rambler,
Are you aware that John Deere is in a tractor manufacturing venture in China ? Ford and GM are also involved in manufacturing ventures over there, Jeep as well. I wonder how many Chinese parts are going into the green tractors and the "US built" auto's. Something to think about.

The Korean made tractors seem to be about as good as any other foreign built. or the assembled in USA with mostly foreign parts.

I would buy a Korean tractor before I would buy a rebranded Fiat tractor as sold by NH.

 

[rockyridgefarm]

JD has the smallest CUTs built for them by Yanmar in Japan. They are not re-badged machines.

The 4210 - 4710 are built in Georgia USA, the DO have (excellent) Yanmar engines. They are not re-badged machines.

The new JD 4x20s have JD PowerTech Turbo Diesels.

Deere doesn't own Yanmar. Yanmar doesn't own Deere.

Kioti doesn't build Kubota.

Deere partnered chinese tractors are for asia, not US.

NH is an Italian company. ( i am not implying that they are Bad)

The larger Boomer's are made in Georgia USA with (excellent) Shibaura engines.

MF is an Agco brand, not the same company over all its life...

Much of the reason why some of the brands are more $$ is better customer support structures, safety, advanced features, higher quality components. Marketing often lowers the costs, as market share increases.

The original poster won't consider JD (he met one salesman that was a creep)

Not NH (he was quoted list price)

But if you shop around you can find a good dealer with good pricing.

I have posted before that after I bought my Deere, I saw that I could have bought a Jinma with lightly lower Hp for only a little more than the Deere (or the NH that I was looking at, but it WAS cheaper than the Kubota!)

Each of the brands has strengths and weakneses. Some seem to be more competitve in certain classes or geographic areas.