Brand longevity is a big one for me. Bought my first kubota back in 05. Local options were really only Deere, NH, and kubota.
The deere and NH dealers back then really didnt cater to someone wanting such a small tractor. ANd some of the modern names like Kioti, LS, Branson and mahindra were pretty much unheard of in this area.
Then the tractors that have all came and went in the last few decades. Like Montana, or bobcat offered tractors, then didnt, now they are again. Doesnt give a customer a real warm and fuzzy feeling.
I stuck with kubota for my next purchase and wasnt even really tractor shopping. I had been kicking around the idea of getting a bigger tractor with HST as my mowing/bushhogging business was growing and mowing ~400-500 acres a year with a
L3400 and 6' mower wasnt a long term solution. I wanted something big enough to pull an 8' mower but still small enough to be nimble and easily to trailer and had HST. A phone call to my dealer and they just taken a MX5100 on trade. IT checked all the boxes. R1 tires, 4wd, HST, loader, only 350hrs, pre-emissions, and under $20k.
No doubt every other MFG makes a 50-60HP HST that would serve me equally as well. But this was available at the time I needed it. And I do like the fact that a kubota is a kubota. Its not rebadged, or has an engine from a different MFG, or someone else designing and making the loaders, etc.
I will say my next tractor is likely gonna be which ever MFG decides to put HST in the slightly larger utility size tractors. Something ~1000pounds heavier and 24" fronts. Which ever brand that may be, as I am not tied to one brand because they all make fine equipment and there are more important aspects of a tractor purchase than paint color
