Owner Dissatisfied With Deere Wants To Switch To Kubota

[Cahaba Valley Farm]

The reason you do not hear about Deere compacts having problems is because everybody driving a compact is driving a Kubota! LOL!

 

[MHarryE]

My cousin had a clutch failure on one of his JD tractors (around 120 HP) at 5,000 hours. Expensive repair. He heard through the grapevine that Deere had a problem with clutches on that model - he felt they should cover the entire repair. Of course JD refused so he traded on a New Holland. Later his next 2 replacements were Deere for Deere and now he has that single New Holland. So one unjustified (I think) incident resulted in him making a brand change, but it was not a long term snit and has one oddball in his fleet.

 

[Cahaba Valley Farm]

My cousin had a clutch failure on one of his JD tractors (around 120 HP) at 5,000 hours. Expensive repair. He heard through the grapevine that Deere had a problem with clutches on that model - he felt they should cover the entire repair. Of course JD refused so he traded on a New Holland. Later his next 2 replacements were Deere for Deere and now he has that single New Holland. So one unjustified (I think) incident resulted in him making a brand change, but it was not a long term snit and has one oddball in his fleet.

5000 hours is a long time for a clutch to last. My late 60's Ford 3000 has around that many hours and still the original clutch. That tractor is like the Keith Richards of tractors I think.

 

[Cranblue]

My cousin had a clutch failure on one of his JD tractors (around 120 HP) at 5,000 hours. Expensive repair. He heard through the grapevine that Deere had a problem with clutches on that model - he felt they should cover the entire repair. Of course JD refused so he traded on a New Holland. Later his next 2 replacements were Deere for Deere and now he has that single New Holland. So one unjustified (I think) incident resulted in him making a brand change, but it was not a long term snit and has one oddball in his fleet.

To expect warranty repair on 5k hours seems like a pipe dream to me that’s a lot of hours !!! Just my opinion.

 

[plastikosmd]

^
Definitely Deere’s fault

I had a tree fall on a kubota once, never buying one again, lol

This is why good, honest opinions are hard to come by/diluted by the chaff.

 

[PuffyC]

I saw this video in my news feed this evening and decided to give it a watch. After listening to the guy discuss his issue with the tractor he then ended by saying he should have bought a Kubota. My immediate reaction was What??? Why? Because you have an issue that needs to go back to the dealer to be fixed? I couldn't see his logic here and furthermore I was surprised to hear this coming from a Deere owner. My impression of Deere is they seem to have the highest bating average when it comes to reliability and engineering. It seems based on all the social media tractor groups that I belong to that you hardly ever hear of their compacts having any problems. Is this really true? Is my perception correct or off about this? I would like to hear all of your thoughts and opinions on this.

This is one of those where the consumer knows Deere’s only real competitor is Kubota so that becomes their weapon of choice to stir the pot. Want to make a dig at Chevy because you’re mad at them? Easy, just say you should have bought a Ford. It’s the best way they can think of to hurt a brand they feel has wronged them. In their mind they imagine the folks at Deere freaking out and going “OMG, we have to do something to make this right, this guy is killing us!!!” when really they’re either thinking “go ahead you ignorant schmuck” or they’re not thinking about the guy at all. I get these kinds of tantrums at my job occasionally and my only reaction is wishing they would go buy something else so they can whine to somebody else for a change and let me get back to work.

 

[Blue Mule]

Deere is king of the 100hp+ tractor market and Kubota is king of the market for tractors less than 100 hp.

Yep which is really sad when you consider that Kubotas are ugly, sparse with features for the money, expensive, and have that horrendous "treadle". The fact that Kubota sells so many tractors proves that:

- Name recognition is a powerful drug
- Orange is a powerful color

 

[Butchmyster]

I have a nice Deere 4600 with 5000 hours. It was time to get a backup tractor so I purchased a 2019 4052r so I could use the same FEL attachments, plus I was used to the hydro pedals of the Deere and didn't want to mess with the treadle pedal of the Kubota. Overall I'm very disappointed with the 4052r. The FEL started shedding paint within the month, and eventually I'm going to have to sandblast it and prime and repaint it. The joystick lock rubs on my knee and it's sharp. The parking brake lever rubs on the side of my calf and the cabin is very small. Just out of warranty and I started blowing off a hydraulic hose on the rockshaft. It happened three times. I complained to the dealer, and fortunately they found a service issue with a little valve and gave me the info. I submitted it to Deere and they ended up covering $1000 of the repair, the dealer covered $500 of it, and I covered the $500 worth of HyGard that I dumped all over my pastures plus the trip charge to and from the dealer. Deere wouldn't address the flaking paint shortly after I purchased it. I prefer using the 4600 most of the time. It has as much if not more power than the 4052, and is a more comfortable, heavier, solid compact tractor. Now that I can use the 4052 a bit more reliably, I'm going to overhaul the 4600. Oh, and Deere still hasn't solved the stupid synchronize bar on the FEL. Before, the 1/4" pin would shear. On the 4052 they increased the size of the pin to 5/16". Now the more expensive sync bar shears at the pin hole. When I have some time I'm going to make a mod for this stupid design, patent it, and get rich.

I have the same issue with the timing bar on my 4052R, i have broke two now and the tractor only has 700 hrs. Same issue with paint flaking off of the loader. Other than that I like the tractor.

 

[WinterDeere]

^
Definitely Deere’s fault

I had a tree fall on a kubota once, never buying one again, lol

This is why good, honest opinions are hard to come by/diluted by the chaff.

A smart moderator would have closed this thread on that beauty of a post!

Half of all product and service reviews are written by those unqualified to provide a useful opinion... and the other half are written by someone in a pissed-off emotional state, after something has gone wrong.

 

[5030]

have that horrendous "treadle"

Neither of mine have a treadle so I wouldn't know.

 

[Paystar]

Most on line reviews of equipment are as stupid as brand loyalty to equipment.

You know what they say Hay Dude.....opinions are like a-holes. Everyone has one. LOL

 

[Cahaba Valley Farm]

Yep which is really sad when you consider that Kubotas are ugly, sparse with features for the money, expensive, and have that horrendous "treadle". The fact that Kubota sells so many tractors proves that:

- Name recognition is a powerful drug
- Orange is a powerful color

Name recognition and color is not why people are buying them. I will tell you what I told the guys over on the LS forum:

"As someone that spent 3 long years researching the tractor and implement market with total objectivity let me share my findings with you. Kubota was not my first, second or third choice. I searched high and low to find a better alternative then Kubota. I talked to every dealer close and far away of every brand and I went and visited every one of them that I could. I even joined some tractor mechanic groups on FB to get a better inside look. After three years of doing this I finally came to the conclusion that Kubota is the market leader. When the opportunity was given to the other brands and dealers to show me that they were superior none of them did and none of them outperformed Kubota. In fact none of them were even as good as Kubota. Kubota was more responsive, more customer friendly, more convenient, more experienced and got the most industry insider endorsements of every brand that I looked at. This was not what I expected nor what I wanted my findings to be but it is the truth. Kubota does not build a perfect tractor but they have the best all around offering for the mass majority of compact tractor buyers."

Kubota does not have strong competitors. All the competitors have very substantial weaknesses that make them less desirable to the majority of buyers. Some markets have been able to overcome those weaknesses with outstanding dealers, locations and pricing but I find it to be the exception not the norm.

I personally wish I had a New Holland dealer in my market as I really liked the Boomer series of tractors and would have given them serious consideration if I did but unfortunately I didn't.

 

[Monster5601]

I personally wish I had a XXXX in my market

That in itself is the issue, not only with tractors and implements but with other low-volume equipment. For example, when I was looking for a new dump trailer, the forum provide many quality and recommended brands, but none of them had a dealer within 300 miles of me. I ended up with a Big Tex and it has been problem free.

Same with tractors, around me I have Kubota, Kioti, and JD. You are lucky to get the time of day from the two JD dealers, one Kioti dealer that seems to be swinging more to ZT mowers, and then the one mom-and-pop shop with the Kubotas. If I want any of the Kubota construction equipment like a skid steer or excavator, I have to travel 71 miles to my north to find a dealer that sells at that level. I'm not in the middle of nowhere, I'm about 40 miles north of Detroit, in bedroom/rural communities.

Sometimes the brands that end up on our properties our chosen for us by availability. Sure, you can travel to pick up a piece of equipment, but then it is the warranty, parts, and service that come into play.

Just an FYI, I own three pieces of Kubota equipment, and all have had zero issues. All I do is perform scheduled maintenance.

 

[dodge man]

I would have to disagree that Kubota is better than the rest. My experience is limited to John Deere and Kubota. My current tractor is John Deere. I feel lucky I bought it a little over 3 years ago and they shocked me with the deal they offered me. I just assumed JD was priced out of my league. Of course times have changed and discounts are gone.

There are so many tractors manufacturers that give their owners great service it’s just impossible to say one is the best.

 

[5030]

IMO, there is no best. The 'best' unit is the unit that performs your intended tasks the best at the best price with good after the sale service. With me, the dealer is the deciding factor as a bad dealer equals a bad purchase.

 

[Cahaba Valley Farm]

There are so many tractors manufacturers that give their owners great service it’s just impossible to say one is the best.

I never said Kubota is the "best". I said, "Kubota has the best all around offering for the mass majority of compact tractor buyers."

 

[Cahaba Valley Farm]

IMO, there is no best. The 'best' unit is the unit that performs your intended tasks the best at the best price with good after the sale service. With me, the dealer is the deciding factor as a bad dealer equals a bad purchase.

I agree with that. I realized recently that the thinking has to shift from who is the "best" to who owns and controls the market. Best is subjective, market domination is objective.

 

[5030]

Actually, the BEST tractor is one you can use whenever you want to and not have to pay for and not maintain either. Brand is not important at all.

 

[Cahaba Valley Farm]

Actually, the BEST tractor is one you can use whenever you want to and not have to pay for and not maintain either. Brand is not important at all.

If you ever find such a tractor let me know. I don't know of any that you don't have to maintain.

 

[5030]

Actually there are some. renting one from an outfit like Black Swamp or Herc Rentals, no upkeep involved and they come full of fuel too. I always rent excavators when I have to dig something. Get mine from Black Swamp Rentals. They deliver it and pick it up too.

Great way to 'test drive' a tractor you might be interested in purchasing too.