Last year when I went tractor hunting, I visited Blue, Green And Red dealers. I gave kubota and deere the greatest consideration based on my research here at TBN before my purchase. For many reasons, I eventually purchased a JD3120 because I felt it met my needs and expectations better. I did try the kubota line but around here, they weren't priced any better than the deeres and felt much flimsier. I had a long conversation with the kubota dealer and took a credit app home. I even considered the BX tractor given the very attractive all-in-one price but decided the better of it. For me, it was too small, the tires too small, and the loader wasn't nearly as sturdy feeling as I expected. How do I know? Well, all I did was shake it and kicked it, and it rattled and shook side to side, much more so than I believed it should. I thought that if I could do that with my weak 155lb frame, well then my fears and imagination took over about it's durability and for what might happen during heavy use. I did the same to the deere models that I tried and they felt much more hefty. The deeres appeared more stylish to me although I did like the looks of the 3030 tractor, which I considered too pricey. The curved deere loader arms were more attractive and I felt provided better visibility. The hydraulics of the kubota seems to have greater output compared to deere but I'm not sure you would be comparing oranges to apples (green). The deeres hydraulics have a dual pump for seperate steering/implement while I believe the Kubota has a shared system. This could mean that the implement speed might slow when operated simultaneously with steering or the steering might be jerky. You'll want to check this for yourself. I also liked the fact that the deeres have real automotive style halogen headlamps which the kubota didn't have. Justified or not, they were the deciding factors for me. If you like the BX, you'll want to make sure you get one with the new style fenders. I believe there is or was an ongoing fender/floorboard cracking issue with this model. Obviously, there are a lot of loyal and happy kubota owners. But I am happy with my tractor and am not about to second guess my purchase. I believe I made the right decision and am very happy with it thus far. As far as price. Well, I got a much bigger and featured tractor in the JD3120 compared to the BX for about the same price but I lose the backhoe. Yes, the BH is an option but the $8k - $9k would break the bank. Rather, I felt that I would value and use other implements much more than the BH and I felt that renting a backhoe for the occassional use (for hundreds) but have a more significant tractor for the remaining 99% of it's more likely use was a more practical option. Of course every dealer I spoke to told me that from experience, one should always go with the bigger of the tractors they are leaning towards. I believe this is true as I am already thinking bigger.... Having used my tractor, I now am convinced that I would not have been satisfied with the size of the BX and would have been longing for a bigger one in short order. But maybe that's just me...
The bottom line is I bought the tractor that I liked better. Since both lines are considered excellent products, I think you should just buy the one you like better. It's your hard earned money, just make sure you get the one you are happy with.
