JD/Kubota better quality than LS/ TYM, etc?

[airbiscuit]

"the number one selling tractor in the world"

That is advertising hype, pure and simple.
They apparently sell tens of thousands of two wheel "tractors" in India, and India is their primary market.
I do not know how many REAL tractors they sell annually in the USA.

Some seem to have that Made In India quality.

 

[edgarrian]

Everyone here as basically given you the best advice. As already stated there just isn't many people that have a JD and then jump into a LS. Best thing I can tell you is that watch videos from youtube about the brands and size of tractor you are wanting. Tons of videos and info. There are a few reasons as to why an LS is cheaper such as how hydraulic lines are ran. Id say for the most part the brands are good but there are certainly those few people that purchase a tractor and get a lemon. That is when you need to make sure you researched your dealer. You may or may not need dealer support. In the unlikely event that you do. You will want a GOOD Dealer. So try to make that priority even if they are a bit ways to travel.

 

[aczlan]

We switched from LS to a John Deere at work in the 90-110 horsepower range.
The LS had significant issues with the front axle not holding up to the use that we put it through (mostly pushing snow with a push box that was lighter than the loader lift rating), shifting in the transmission, dashboard that went bad, wiring harness that went bad and general fit-and-finish issues. It was traded in at about four and a half years old on a slightly larger John Deere.
The John Deere so far has had a problem with a wiring harness on the loader that was misspinned at the factory (one of the wires ended up on the wrong pin where the loader wiring harness plugged into the tractor harness), but otherwise (from what I've been told) no significant issues with it.

Some of the issues with the LS (or at least the length of time that it was down when it broke) may have been attributable to the dealership being sold and their good mechanics leaving, but most of them seemed to be attributable to build quality.

From what I understand, a lot of the local farms run the smaller utility, compact and subcompact LS machines (say 60HP and less) with no problem.
The local Kioti dealer is supposed to be really good, rumor has it that they ended up with many of the good mechanics who left the LS dealer.
We have several Kubotas and have had no complaints about them.

Aaron Z

 

[Industrial Toys]

Only time can ever tell what's really what.

 

[npalen]

Some seem to have that Made In India quality.

Some of the John Deere compacts are made in India. Jusayin.

 

[Steppenwolfe]

They tend to elicit non用roductive, condescending replies.

Hey !!! I resemble that remark... :laughing: I'll let my list of equipment speak for itself.

 

[jeff9366]

The main difference is the extra you pay in the big two brands. Most of that you're paying the brand and the rest you are paying a lot for extras that are standard in the Korean brands. Korean brands also have a margin to have lower prices since they don't spend as much in advertisements as the others.

The main difference is Korean labor is paid 20% less than equivalent Japanese labor in $/US terms.

If one assumes the net profit for tractor manufacturers is under 5% of revenue, which would be a high number for machinery manufacturers in the USA, it puts the 20% labor differential in perspective.

 

[jaydee325]

People have different perspectives of what the term "quality" means to them. So there is no right answer.

Here is something to ponder; my wife's father owned a very successful local auto repair shop with a large clientele base. Many times when customers were in the market for a new or different car they would ask him which brand car was "the best". His pat answer? "They are all junk"!!!:laughing: Of course the more diplomatic answer would have been, buy what you like. I'll fix it when it breaks.

 

[Thejoj]

My decision to go with Kioti over Deere, Kubota and LS broke down this way:
10% features and ratings
15% price and financing
75% dealer

The dealer was staffed by owners and only sold Kioti. They were good ole boys without all the sleeze ball sales and markups. I had confidence that they would be there if/when I needed them. Within the first week of ownership, I had a hydraulic line leak. Text them on their cell number, yes they gave it to me. They came the next morning, picked it up and returned it same day, cleaned as good as new. That’s priceless to not have to deal with service appts and larger clients/farmers getting priority over your little compact tractor.

 

[Paystar]

Don't forget Mahindra, the number one selling tractor in the world.

What world is that? The Third World? LOL