Often the "awards" are given based on money that changes hands. Like the Car&Driver car and truck of the year awards. Based on dollars changing hands more than anything else. I'd take all those awards with a shaker of salt.
Now, if the companies would open the books and show us exactly how many warranty claims were made for each model with sortable details on what broke, time to repair, time for parts, and total cost..... Also, it would be good to know what spare parts are being ordered, so we can figure out what is breaking. But, companies don't share that pertinent information!
Still, even with all the customer loyalty exhibited here, I would still buy Kubota first and Deere second when basing the decision on factors like 1) quality & reliability, 2) features, 3) long term support, 4) long term value. Other view points and opinions are still valid, but that's what I would do....
jb
On edit: The 9540 is a great machine. It is larger than the 7040, but "too big"? That's subjective. Some would say it's only too big if you can't turn it around on your property. I would think that it would be a good choice for what you want to do. The bigger machine will have a larger more comfortable cab and be more productive, but will use more fuel doing it. All a balancing act.... From the Kubota web page, the 9540 is only a foot longer than the 7040. Quit diddling around and order it already!
jb