Warrant & service comparison between brands - First time tractor buyers

[oxonian]

Hello mddorange,

Thank you for your reply. Yes, I chose that username, because I am a graduate of Oxford, and because it is hard to think of usernames

Have you lived or visited Oxford?

:welcome:
To the TBN forum Oxonian. Does your moniker mean that you are a graduate of Oxford?

All of the major brands have similar warranties and most dealers are fairly good. The biggest thing would to be to try out each model you might be thinking of to ensure it is the right fit for you. Then check out all the dealers in your area for that brand.

 

[Poopdeck Pappy]

. . . Does anyone recommend a good dealer in the Houston area, or even within a drive? I don't mind driving if needed. As we are buying new, this is a big ticket purchase for us, so we want to get it from a good dealer. . . .

Houston is a very big place. What part of the area are you in? That will help the Houston area folks give you some recommendations.

My 2 cents: Most tractor manufacturers make good, reliable tractors these days. So, while you do need to pay attention to the warranty, it would not be my #1 priority. I'd find a dealer or two I liked and trusted (based on recommendations here), and then I'd start getting some seat time on some tractors on their lots. Then you can focus on figuring out which models you like best and how the prices compare.

One more tip. Don't buy a tractor that's too small for your needs. People here on TBN almost all agree that tractors shrink when you get them home. Err on the side of buying a size larger/more powerful than you think you will need.

 

[oxonian]

Hello,

Thank you for your replies again. I am in the Cypress area (77429) of Houston, and work in the Huntsville (TX) area, so pretty much I cover the Woodlands, Conroe and Huntsville, TX.

I also can get to Hempstead and Brenham if needed.

Thank you for your help.

 

[STx]

None of the dealers around Houston are all that great, they're pretty much all large dealers with multiple stores and hire not the best labor for parts and service. I do have a very good salesman at Lansdowne-Moody in Cypress that I would recommend dealing with. He'll shoot you straight on what will best fit your needs and will give you his best price at the beginning instead of playing the negotiating game. I would not use the LM service department though, especially at that store. I don't know what side of town you're on but on the Katy/Cypress/Conroe side, I'd go to Sealy Tractor for service. They also sell Kubota and NH machines.

If you'd like my sales guy's contact info, shoot me an email at bernie @ texashogtraps.com and I'll pass it along.

 

[ultrarunner]

Can honestly say I have not needed warranty work on the 3 new Kubota's purchased... my CAT and Deeres were purchased well used and outside of warranty and they have been good too...

 

[murphy1244]

You need to list the chores you intend to do so we have an idea on size machine.

 

[DK35vince]

Kioti is worth a look IMO.
I've owned a Kioti DK 35 for 15 years now (2020 hours)
Its been a great tractor.
Never been back to the dealer.

 

[paulfun9]

Most tractors today are of good quality and worth a look. I have owned many different brands over the years and this time went with Kioti. Based on the experience relayed to me from other Kioti owners that I know and the majority that post here along with my first 2 years of ownership and not having to see the dealer once I would recommend you take a look at them as well.

The statement "Most tractors need to go in a couple times under warranty for something" is something I don't agree with and would avoid any brand that has people saying that is normal. Yes all brands will have some tractors that need work but if you are buying a brand that is thought that MOST will need to be worked on before warranty is up then I would say your looking at an inferior brand no matter the name or color of the tractor.

Repairs under warranty should be considered something rare not common!

 

[oxonian]

Thank you for your replies, I will look into Kioti as well.

How about Mahindra, I noticed that they just extended their warranty to 7 years.

The tasks we would like to do with the tractor are:

1) Cut grass - we have about 9 acres of land which we need to maintain

2) Move logs, dirt, piles of debris around - I presume the loader is sufficient for this

3) Probably some digging at some point to grade the land

4) We have a used box blade, from a friend who left it for us

I am sure there will be other tasks as well which we still need to learn about, any suggestions are welcome.

I was told that I need about a 30-35HP tractor, but as some of you have said, we would like to go bigger, rather than smaller.

Any suggestions or comments on what we should look for?

Thanks!
Oxonian

 

[oxonian]

Hi,

I have a couple of very basic, and most likely 'stupid' questions, sorry about that.

1) If we buy the tractor at dealership A, for example Landsdowne Moody in Cypress, can we take it to any other dealer, dealer B, for servicing?

I understand that the dealer B may not prioritize our servicing, but would they still honor the warranty and do the job?

2) How do I get the tractor to the dealership for servicing? I presume I need to take it on a trailer?

I presume the dealer will not transport or....

3) Are the attachments compatible between different brands, for example, if I buy a Kubota tractor, can I buy and use attachments that are non Kubota?

I really appreciate your help.

Thank you,
Oxonian