Some of my family members are in a construction business and own a Kubota TLB (don't remember the exact model #, L42 mabye?). It has proven a reliable machine. If these guys can't break it, it's tough. Any issues they have had have been easily fixed, and this is a money-making machine. Enough said on quality/reliability. I have used this machine and was impressed.
Don't worry Goose about all the stories you hear about sad tales from Kubota owners that had their poor broken Kubota sitting broken in a shop waiting for repair, the same stories are told repeatedly in every forum of every color and have been since the inception of TBN and I am sure long before that. I have had superb performance from my various Kubotas. I have never waited long for any part which frankly has been minor stuff other than a lower link brake/axle assembly I broke as a result of doing something dumb. TractorSmart had it to me in 3 days. I really like the new stuff coming out of Deere and glad to see them very competitive. On the flip side, Kubota does too. Go post your story in the Kubota section and you will receive plenty of kudos for making a smart decision. RaT...
If Goose REALLY thought that Kubota was that much better than a Deere he would have bought it by now. There isn't that much difference between them. What I think is funny is how many who buy something other then a Deere somehow seems to feel the need to justify why they didn't get a Deere in the first place. Get what you like and what you can afford and from the best dealer you can find.
Well, fact of the matter is, I will be buying this machine in a matter of days. I needed to demo the machine. I will probably demo the machine again before next week before I buy. You said it yourself, there isn't much difference between these machines, except ~$4,000. Deere 3520 around 23-24K, Kubota similarly equipped 18.5K. If they are basically the same machine, why would I want to spend an extra $4K?
Honestly, aside from getting a reaction from the Deere owners, I do not know why it was not posted in the Kubota forum. To each their own. If you are not worried about the best parts network, something that is comfortable and will have a higher resale value then go orange. I will tell you if you are just looking at the purchase price, do not waste your time with the Deere. As the local dealer who sells Deere, Mahindra and Kubota says... The Deere is for the person who is going to be using it everyday... The Mahindra is for the budget minded person who can go without a tractor for a week.... The Kubota is for the person who does not want to spend the money on the Deere but does not want to have a Mahindra in their yard...
I checked out all the brands, including New Holland. I just didn't like the Mahindra. Their prices were not cheaper. Funny thing is that we have a dealer here in town (very small town), so Mahindra would have been my closest bet. But I just didn't like the tractor, so that's that. It just felt too "small" physically, not to mention that they did not have a 3316 HST when I went to look, and no idea when one would be in. No demo=no sale.
I was going to stay out of this thread...but wanted to comment on this one thing:
The split brakes...Have you noticed where the brake pedals are on the Kubota?
That is a good point. The truth is that the split brakes is not a very big deal to me. As mentioned, I can use the cruise. Or maybe you can hit the split brakes with your foot while it's on the HST. Either way, I just thought that a tractor should come with split brakes, and the e series not having it is just another way Deere has cheapened the e series.
Goose - for what it's woth - I have purchased a bunch of tractors over the years. My most recent one - a new JD 4120 - about two weeks ago. I currently own four tractors - all JD. Every time I purchased, I considered Kubota. Really, I did. If the Kubota was better (for me), I would have bought it. But I can tell you that truly apples for apples the deere is on par or better priced than the orange one. There are certain features I can't live without - like the dual hydro pedals versus the one rocker pedal on the Kubota. 'Round here, Kubota is considered a distant second to deere in reliability. Having actually tried them both, the Deere always wins in my book. It really comes down to which machine you're most comfy with across the board. My hard earned cash in on the Deere, but it's up to you. Also - having owned both types of tranny shuttle vs Hydro - the eHydro wins for me by a BIG margin - no comparison. Hope this helps.
Doesnt sound like you have been on the L3400. Id do that before I would start to even think about layin down the coin. Then hop back on a 3320. Back to back will give you a better idea of what you like/dislike about each tractor.
Oh, and if you get the L3400, dont rub it in our face here in the JD section by posting pretty pics of your new tractor : ) Just kiddin you know we love pics.
I demoed one yesterday, supposed to go on another demo in a few days. I really liked the tractor. When I priced them, they didn't have the exact one I wanted so I checked out a cousin machine. I really liked the L3400. Drove good and smooth, seemed strong, The cruise is awesome. Engine is quiet, as is the hydro drive.
That's another thing I did not like about the e series. The hydro drive is loud, enough to a point to where it is a little annoying. It makes a loud whine, especially when first getting going. It sounds exactly like my cheapo craftsman mower. Also, the engine on that tractor is loud. In fact, I think it's almost the exact same engine used on either the 3320 or 3520, but the 3x20 machine is much, much quieter. Also, the e series does not have cruise. It is not a big deal to me, but it is also a $1K add-on (according to the local dealer). The L3400 is standard with cruise and drawbar.
No, the L3400 does not directly compare with the 3x20 series. It does not have as strong hydraulics. It is somewhere between the e series and the 3x20 series. I just cannot justify spending an extra $4K for that tractor when I really like the L3400 and it will perfectly suit my needs. I only posted on this board to get opinions on why the Deere was so much more expensive and if there were any better prices to be had. I would like to buy the best machine, of which I admit the JD is slightly better.
I guess the main reason I came on here was to get insight into the differences into the tractors, or why I should spend $4K more. The only answers I have got have been vague. No one has yet to offer up anything better than "drive them both", or I had a cousin who's Kubota was in the shop for two weeks. Etc.
Also, one thing I want to mention is the Deere dealers I have been dealing with. Very arrogant and mostly downright rude. When I went to look at tractors a lot of them didn't carry the model I was looking for. And they made no effort to locate I machine, even though they had multiple dealers in the area. The typical response I got is "oh yeah, that tractor. Here is the brochure. The price is $xx, and by the way, we don't have one in stock. You can try out it's cousin.". They acted like I was lucky to be doing business with them. I will tell you this, I am very put off by their attitude. When I told one dealer that he was $2K more than another quote I got, he basically got very belligerent and came just short of calling me a liar. So no, I do not like the Deere dealers at all. If this is the service I get when buying, I can only imagine what it will be like having it serviced.
RaT
