Buying Advice Grand L versus M

[Martian]

Well we are welcome to our opinions. Mine is that the Kubota L5740 would be as good a choice as the JD. I have had and still have many JD tractors and like them all but to say they are better than anything else is well......:laughing:
You do pay a premium and you will receive a portion of it back at trade in but is it worth the extra output at purchase? I say no. Kubotas bring the same premium around here but cost less to start with. It all come down to the features and dealer support. Make your choice on the machine not the color.
As for a L or M. The L has more features the M has more size. All depends on what you need.

I tried to make it sound as least biased as possible. I can't deny that Kubota makes a great tractor and no doubt in my mind that it will do everything a Deere will do. I've just had a great relationship with my Deere dealer for close to 20 years now. I pick up the phone and they are there. And that's just my local dealer. They only have one shop compared to most Deere dealers being chains. I'll be at my place up north or for that place at a friends or job elsewhere and they are always friendly and go out of their way for whatever I needed. When comparing once with a Kubota I called the dealer, never heard back and haven't looked back since.

Both are excellent tractors and you definitely pay more for a Deere. I have found that the little things that Deere does extra though, just simple things like the better AC as I mentioned earlier, are worth it for me. You disagree with me and I respect you for that. Don't get me wrong if someones offering me a Kubota or nothing I'm not going to say no!

 

[dougrout]

Can't argue with that. With him being from a Deere I was expecting him to be used to the twin touch pedals though. All my HST transmissions are the twin touch with Deere though, from my lawn mower to my compact. I also have a shuttle sync 5410. My muscle memory is wired to the twin touch. I'm sure I could use the rocker. Just in the little time I had on a friends Kubota I looked like a child. I would expect the OP to experience the same learning curve. He could definitely get used to it but I like the twin touch personally.

I like both pedal setups. I have a Kubota lawn tractor with the rocker pedal and of course the 3320 has the twin pedals. Both work fine for me. I'll look into the JD 4520.

 

[kuboman]

I tried to make it sound as least biased as possible. I can't deny that Kubota makes a great tractor and no doubt in my mind that it will do everything a Deere will do. I've just had a great relationship with my Deere dealer for close to 20 years now. I pick up the phone and they are there. And that's just my local dealer. They only have one shop compared to most Deere dealers being chains. I'll be at my place up north or for that place at a friends or job elsewhere and they are always friendly and go out of their way for whatever I needed. When comparing once with a Kubota I called the dealer, never heard back and haven't looked back since.

Both are excellent tractors and you definitely pay more for a Deere. I have found that the little things that Deere does extra though, just simple things like the better AC as I mentioned earlier, are worth it for me. You disagree with me and I respect you for that. Don't get me wrong if someones offering me a Kubota or nothing I'm not going to say no!

No problem, no hurt feelings here. I have a latent bad taste from years of arrogant JD dealers in my area. If you had any other color than green they would treat you like a traitor. Not as bad now but still lingers in the background. I have always found that attitude some what annoying.

 

[Martian]

I like both pedal setups. I have a Kubota lawn tractor with the rocker pedal and of course the 3320 has the twin pedals. Both work fine for me. I'll look into the JD 4520.

Is there any reason for needing the more HP or is more just another toy? Would you be trading in the 3320 as well?

 

[Martian]

No problem, no hurt feelings here. I have a latent bad taste from years of arrogant JD dealers in my area. If you had any other color than green they would treat you like a traitor. Not as bad now but still lingers in the background. I have always found that attitude some what annoying.

I have first hand experience with that - I'm from Michigan, the automobile capital of the world. Everyone in my family has either worked for GM, Ford or Chrysler in some way shape or form, or their spouse does. So for me we really don't like for cars. Not to say that their junk. They're not. They are really nice, just giving back to the community.

 

[TripleR]

I don't understand why a question on which Series Kubota to get turns into a John Deere v Kubota and "John Deere is better", but here we are. Hey, lets get into brake location etc.

We have used John Deere for a lot of years and also Kubota since 2003. I don't have a strong preference for twin pedal v rocker, but my wife prefers rocker. No one has ever hit reverse accidentally on the Kubota, but they have on the John Deere; father in law put his in ten foot of water. Again a personal thing.

The two tractors I use the most are a GL5030 and M8540; both are really nice tractors, but the GL is the "easiest". The GL40 Series has the HST+ which increases engine RPM with the HST pedal, stall guard etc.

For the use specified, my choice would be a GL5740, but you really need to read the thread by canoetpr who got the M because of the cost; seems pretty happy with it.

As to the John Deere v Kubota in the 70-95 HP with Hydraulic Shuttle Shift, I could be as happy with one as the other; just go drive both and you will know which is better for you. I would not let the higher cost of the John Deere be the deciding factor if I was convinced it was a better tractor.

Good luck.

 

[Golf Tech]

In the last ten years ive had quite a bit or experience with the following tractors and this is my experience in short

1992 Kubota L4850 Sync Shuttle - good solid tractor with Lauren Cab used for plowing snow with Heavy duty 10' Plow Blade mounted on loader arms and no major problems, traded in in 2002 for the Following

2003 Kubota M4900 with factory cab with our old HD 10' plow mounted on loader arms - On purchasing I was told the M series was built with a more heavy duty frame and drive train but the options were not as available as the L series

"Aprox. 10 Hrs Front rims had excessive wear around studs, seemed as though the lug nuts came loose and wore holes, after contacting the Dealer/Service Manager ,I was instructed to rotate the rims to the other set of holes and torque the lugs (flat side in). After about 6 hrs the rims where worn again and the lug nuts loose, I contacted Dealer/Service Manager again and e-mailed pictures to him.

On March 18, 2003 The mechanic from Dealer came down and chased the stud holes, installed new studs, Wheel & Tire assembly with new lug nuts, torque the wheels to 144 ft/lbs Test drove the tractor and re-torque the wheels.
I was instructed to re-torque the wheels after 1 hr and check every hour after that, re-torque them at 5 hrs then 20 hrs.
I re-torque the lugs at 17 Hrs March 21, 2003. 1 Hour after installation of new rims and found they were still tight.
I re-torque the lugs at 21 Hrs April 1, 2003. 4 Hour after installation of new rims and found they were still tight. Tractor had plow on for 2 Hrs."

07-Jan-04 Break Down 409 hours
Front Right Axle Leaking
Engine Oil & filter change, Tighten front rims, replace front right axle bearings & seal, fill front hubs & axle, complaints of stiff shifting from forward to reverse, lubed shifter linkages under floor corrected problem.

04-Mar-04 Break Down 498 hours
"Front Right Axle Leaking
Sent to Dealer for warranty where they changed All bearings, Seals, O-rings on both sides & Left Housing etc. Dealer recommended we down size or plow to a regular duty 9' (so we did)

Total cost of job if not warrantied $1856.85"

02-Dec-04 Break Down 695 hours
Grinds going into reverse, sent to Dealer to find that the reverse snycro was worn, Replaced reverse syncro assembly.
Total cost of job if not warrantied $1542.82"

04-Jan-05 Breakdown 737 hours
Front Left Axle Leaking, sent to Dealer to be repaired under warranty, Dealer modified the turning radius so it wouldnt turn as sharp by installing bigger stop blocks on the front axle

14-Dec-05 Breakdown 1120 hours
Sent to Dealer for oil leaking into bell housing


10-Jan-06 Breakdown 1145 hours
Oil leak in clutch Housing Sent to Dealer for repair, see papers in M4900 binder

13-Mar-06 Breakdown 1152 hours
Starter still not engaging properly, sent starter for rebuild, appears to be working good Starter rebuild 354.20 228000-9880

29-Aug-06 Breakdown 1268 hours
Neutral safety switch not working properly, seemed to work fine when tested although bullet connections seems loose

30-Oct-06 Breakdown 1423 hours
Change engine oil and filter, topped up antifreeze, Throw out bearing squeling sent to Dealer for repair, Replaced clutch cover assembly, Replaced release bearing, Replaced pilot bearing, NOTE clutch and flywheel are in good shape no replacement required
For further notes see papers in M4900 Binder"

05-Nov-08 Break Down 2065 hours
Right Fuel Tank Leaking, replaced both fuel tanks with new tanks and sending unit (undercoated tanks prior to install) total cost both tanks and sending unit $1200.00

29-Apr-09 Break Down 2255 hours
Left front Axle seal leaking, after closer inspection found outer axle bearing cage busted and metal fragments through out hub assembly, replaced bad bearing and seal and cleaned and reinstalled bearings in both front hub assemblies, refilled with new 80W90, replaced drive shaft seal on front hub as well,

20-Sep-10 Breakdown
New Battery, 75 amp fuse Battery

17-Jan-11 Breakdown 2730 hours
"Front Left Axle Leaking
Engine Oil & filter change, replace front Left axle bearings & seal, fill front hubs & axle, Forward to reverse shifter stuck in Reverse, replaced worn bushing and pin, and lube all linkages, greased, fixxed joystick cables, cleaned and coated battery terminals

So you can see that we didnt have the best of luck with the M series Kubota
But we were extremely pleased with the L series

Now we currently have a JD 5075M
So far so good wish me luck

 

[KYDan]

hst is not available on the m series, it is more of a small ag tractor. The hydro shuttle allows clutchless forward to reverse. The synchronized means you to have to push the clutch to change direction, but not be at a complete stop. Mine is hydro and I like it, but the way I use it (mostly row cropping) I could live with out it.

You are mistaken about the HST not being available on the M series. I have the MX5100 HST 4WD. I does not have some of the featues of the L series (I had an L2900 GST prior to the M). The M is more of an ag tractor, but still a wonderful machine. I actually like the M better than I did my L, but in all honesty that is because of the increased power and better traction. It really depends upon what you want to do with your tractor. The HST is available on most of the M series tractors.

 

[kuboman]

You are mistaken about the HST not being available on the M series. I have the MX5100 HST 4WD. I does not have some of the featues of the L series (I had an L2900 GST prior to the M). The M is more of an ag tractor, but still a wonderful machine. I actually like the M better than I did my L, but in all honesty that is because of the increased power and better traction. It really depends upon what you want to do with your tractor. The HST is available on most of the M series tractors.

Isn't the HST only available on the MX series? The small MX's are comparable to the larger L's in size an hp but the GL's have more features on the HST which makes them a pleasure to operate. One must decide what is needed. The MX and M's are larger framed machines so if size is an issue then you might want the GL.

 

[KYDan]

Isn't the HST only available on the MX series? The small MX's are comparable to the larger L's in size an hp but the GL's have more features on the HST which makes them a pleasure to operate. One must decide what is needed. The MX and M's are larger framed machines so if size is an issue then you might want the GL.

No, it's available on most of the M series, including the M4700. My son has the L5040 and it is a nice tractor, but won't do what my MX will as far as effective transmission of power to the ground, but we have two different purposes for our tractors. His is mostly mowing and haying, whereas, I use mine for mostly loader work although I do mow, and use it for general farm maintenance. If you go to the Kubota.com site and build an M series you will see that most of the models are available with HST. I had the GST on my L and it was a great little tractor and I used it for 14 years without any issues then sold it for more than half what I paid for it. I am an orange fan for small farm use.