Buying Advice Kubota vs John Deere (sub)Compact tractor comparisons

[CobyRupert]

Jesus drives a John Deere. In fact, it is a well apportioned 6125R.

That's great!

If you can make that into a t-shirt or bumper sticker for the red states, I think you could make a fortune. I'd buy the t-shirt with a picture. (of course you would have an I-H, Kubota, & Massey versions too)

Only found these so far

 

[GManBart]

I guess the best advice I could offer is to not rule out any brand. Take your time and try out as many as you can. The 0% financing for 5 years is hard to beat with the Kubota and JD. I'm sure GManBart will be along here soon to tell me I don't have enough experience to comment on the subject, but oh well, that's my 2 cents anyway. Good Luck

Nope. Anybody who's just purchased their first tractor is qualified to make that comment :thumbsup:

 

[TSO]

Just a suggestion, but don't get too hung up on 0 % financing. Free money is never free ... that's why their "cash price" will be less than the financed price.

If you like the idea of Orange or Green 0% for 60... you might like the Red (Mahindra) 0% for 84. However, if you take that option, they also hide the money in the deal, and you'll pay for it regardless.

I'm just saying, if 0% is what's keeping you stuck only between big Orange & big Green, you might be able to expand your view once you come to terms with what "free" money really is.

 

[kcflhrc]

Cash price and financed price was exactly the same at the JD dealer. Mahindra doesn't hide it, their dealers are straight up with you. Add $2k to the price for 0% for 84.

 

[TSO]

Cash price and financed price was exactly the same at the JD dealer. Mahindra doesn't hide it, their dealers are straight up with you. Add $2k to the price for 0% for 84.

Exactly ... built in, hidden or not, it's there.

And, I'm not saying you're not telling the truth, but I doubt the dealer was being completely honest with you if he was giving you the same price for cash and financing. He's in it to make money. I could be wrong of course, and JD might be one of the only companies in the world that does it ... but in all of my experiences, cash is king, and will always fetch a better price than financing.

 

[murphy1244]

JD prices are the same, that's why you pay more regardless.

 

[polarred21]

When I compared a BX ($700 off for cash) to a 1026 ($0 off for cash). Yes the money is hidden so it matters on the "out the door" price. There are more fees for financing than cash.

When going to the dealers such as JD, put the saleman on the spot and ask him why you should buy that tractor instead of the Kubota and visa versa.

 

[94BULLITT]

Exactly ... built in, hidden or not, it's there.

And, I'm not saying you're not telling the truth, but I doubt the dealer was being completely honest with you if he was giving you the same price for cash and financing. He's in it to make money. I could be wrong of course, and JD might be one of the only companies in the world that does it ... but in all of my experiences, cash is king, and will always fetch a better price than financing.

Where could you have fiance the tractor especially a bigger one for the what the cash rebate is? The financing may not be free but it is a good deal if you can't pay cash for it.

 

[TSO]

Where could you have fiance the tractor especially a bigger one for the what the cash rebate is? The financing may not be free but it is a good deal if you can't pay cash for it.

I don't think you can. Most of us, myself included, can't just drop down cash to buy these tractors, and we have to use financing instead. My point is, people get so enamored with 0% financing, and they forget to realize that it's not free money. In many cases, it's actually more beneficial to take the higher interest, longer payment terms, using the rebates to get a lower price, then try to pay off the loan a little earlier than the term limit. That way, you get the lowest possible finance price, and you have a lower monthly payment, and if you do it right you save in the end.

Bottom line, you will pay for 0% one way or another. 0% is not free money.

 

[jimpen]

I'm a first time tractor buyer so take some of this with a grain of salt. But I did do research before buying and killed several MTD pieces of crap before getting mine.

I am looking to buy a TLB. I will also need a post hole digger, reverse tiller, pto generator, and, eventually, a finish mower of some sort.

You requirements:
-- post hole digger: Assuming you aren't putting fences in all the time these can be rented for about $30-$50 a day. If you are industrious you can probably get them all dug in a day or two, even if you put the posts in slightly later.

-- reverse tiller: Again a rentable item. But the uses depends on size and intent. If you need to plant the garden in the spring do you really need to own one year round.

A lot of 3PH attachments can be found second-hand cheap, rented or bought outright for under $1K. You need to figure the trade offs in use.

-- pto generator: I was looking at this over the winter. I found that the cost to buy a high KW pto generator was almost the same cost as buying a smaller gas generator that allowed me to still use my tractor for things like plowing out the driveway.

-- a finish mower of some sort: It sounds like you'll need a bush hog for the initial pass. Another rental item. My dealer loaned me a bush hog for a weekend for free to get the grass/brush down. Now my MMM does the job fairly well.

So buying a CUT/SCUT with just a MMM or rear finish mower -- go get a ZTR. The utility is easily added to by at least getting the FEL. I would suggest considering a backhoe as an option as well. That is an expensive add on that can be financed in the original purchase. Where getting it later can be harder to do.

Looking at the map, Buckingham, Pa appears to be relatively close to Allentown (50 miles). There is a Mahindra dealer there. They should have a 0% for 60/72 financing deal as well. I went with a Max25 FEL/MMM/BH. I'm mowing 4 rough acres, it's done well in the snow, dug a nice burn pit and pulls out the rail road tie fence posts the prior owner left. It's even pulled my car to the end of the driveway in the snow a few times.

So before you spend money and get locked in -- take a look at all the options, and requirements and decide. You can probably hit the local dealers for their attachment rental prices.