Korean tractor dilemma

[paulsharvey]

S. Korea is the 2nd largest producer of ocean going ships, many of the advanced electronics, the K2 Black Panther, many many cars, heavy equipment, ag equipment, mining equipment, k-pop, spicy saurkraut and many many other things. Trying to lump it in as a 2nd world country is a joke. It is far more advanced than most of Europe, and from strictly a manufacturing basis, ahead of the US in many aspects.

Now, with that said, it's your money, and there can reasons beyond just plain math/logic, which is fine, and that's voting with your money.

Just understand that the world today isn't the world of 20-30 years ago, when US/Europe/Japan were somehow a step above the rest of the world. Those days are long gone.

Now, there can be (and is) an issue with parts support (I mean speed) from pretty much all the non power 4 makers. If you want the best parts support; it's JD, and 2nd would probably be a tie between Agco (Massey/Fendt) and Kubota. 3rd tier would be Case/New Holland/that family, but it's also good. Kioti/LS/Mahindra/MTZ-Belarus/TYM simply dont have the parts network for when you need a part tomorrow.

 

[Sid Post]

Well, three of those - Kubota, John Deere, and Yanmar - are mostly built in Japan and to Japanese manufacturing standards. I don't know about Massey anymore.

Whatever it is that the Japanese do differently, it does make them last longer and cost more. The same goes for a lot of their products, so their quality is no accident. I've had all three makes, and think that quality is worth the extra cost. Others see it differently.

rScotty - wishing I could say they were all built here.

New Holland, CASE/IH, and Massey are "global" tractors.

Most Massey's for example are mainly built in Brazil for the North American market but, mine was built in France due to its transmission. I went with Massey for reason similar to the OP, better value and features.

In the past I was a hard core John Deere fan and then moved on to Kubota when I left the Oklahoma wheat fields. These days, I think Kubota has really priced themselves out of the market. And they miss something things in their designs like having enough weight in the rear of the L-series to really pull like they should in the field or handle the their loader capacity safely.

 

[jyoutz]

New Holland, CASE/IH, and Massey are "global" tractors.

Most Massey's for example are mainly built in Brazil for the North American market but, mine was built in France due to its transmission. I went with Massey for reason similar to the OP, better value and features.

In the past I was a hard core John Deere fan and then moved on to Kubota when I left the Oklahoma wheat fields. These days, I think Kubota has really priced themselves out of the market. And they miss something things in their designs like having enough weight in the rear of the L-series to really pull like they should in the field or handle the their loader capacity safely.

Are the L series really intended for ground engagement in the field or heavy lifting? They are more intended for large estate maintenance and the M series are intended for the tasks you mention.

 

[caleb90]

There was never a question. There is a racial bias against Koreans similar to that against Japanese in the 70s. Lots of unsubstantiated claims and inuendo.

TYM and Daedong (Kioti) are not new to the business. They are also not related to the auto mfgs. Assuming the tractors are anything like Daewoo is ignorant of the manufacturers in question. Modern KIAs have better reliability data than US nameplates. Hyundai has also been better than average lately.

Its not racial, it no different than saying or believing russian built cars/trucks are equipment are subpar. Also i wouldnt be to firm on saying kias and hyundais are better than american autos. If you get one of thoe to last more than 100k miles your doing good. They use such cheap metal for the motors they eat them selves alive. Well known fact.

 

[caleb90]

S. Korea is the 2nd largest producer of ocean going ships, many of the advanced electronics, the K2 Black Panther, many many cars, heavy equipment, ag equipment, mining equipment, k-pop, spicy saurkraut and many many other things. Trying to lump it in as a 2nd world country is a joke. It is far more advanced than most of Europe, and from strictly a manufacturing basis, ahead of the US in many aspects.

Now, with that said, it's your money, and there can reasons beyond just plain math/logic, which is fine, and that's voting with your money.

Just understand that the world today isn't the world of 20-30 years ago, when US/Europe/Japan were somehow a step above the rest of the world. Those days are long gone.

Now, there can be (and is) an issue with parts support (I mean speed) from pretty much all the non power 4 makers. If you want the best parts support; it's JD, and 2nd would probably be a tie between Agco (Massey/Fendt) and Kubota. 3rd tier would be Case/New Holland/that family, but it's also good. Kioti/LS/Mahindra/MTZ-Belarus/TYM simply dont have the parts network for when you need a part tomorrow.

Not trying to lump them in as a second world country. But they are behind. While yes they can produce good product, dont be supprised if the company is influenced by western countires and practices. China can build some good stuff aswell. Most of the time when that happens its because its a western country that owns the company, sends its enginers there, its managment there, its practices there, and holds them to there manufacturing standards.

 

[Sid Post]

Are the L series really intended for ground engagement in the field or heavy lifting? They are more intended for large estate maintenance and the M series are intended for the tasks you mention.

I run a tiller on mine. Many people use them to move hay bales or to till smaller plots.

The 6' tiller on mine works like a charm but soft ground can be problematic. Not what I would use on a ~160 acre wheat field in Oklahoma but, great on smaller plots, especially for people growing stuff for local farmers markets. Land Pride and your local farm supply store sell small disks, harrows, and similar stuff for this type of use.

An L4600 would be enormous on a Japanese farm where B-series sized tractors seem to be very popular. That being said, an L-4600 sized tractor is certainly capable of doing ground engagement work IF YOU CAN HOOK UP IN THE GROUND YOU ARE WORKING!

Yes, I like bigger tractors with higher horsepower and larger implements but, a big tractor is often clumsy and inefficient in a small field.

 

[D&D]

Not trying to lump them in as a second world country. But they are behind. While yes they can produce good product, dont be supprised if the company is influenced by western countires and practices. China can build some good stuff aswell. Most of the time when that happens its because its a western country that owns the company, sends its enginers there, its managment there, its practices there, and holds them to there manufacturing standards.

From what you’ve said, you should consider buying a JD 855/955.

 

[Sid Post]

Not trying to lump them in as a second world country. But they are behind. While yes they can produce good product, dont be supprised if the company is influenced by western countires and practices. China can build some good stuff aswell. Most of the time when that happens its because its a western country that owns the company, sends its enginers there, its managment there, its practices there, and holds them to there manufacturing standards.

China can build to whatever quality you pay for. You could to the same in most nations of the world that are somewhat modern in terms of education and infrastructure but, WALLSTREET and CONSUMERS drive everything to the cheapest possible solution and price in most cases.

Do you really want to wear a 50 year old sweater or do you want a 'fast fashion' version that is in a landfill 2 months later when the current fashion fad fades into obscurity?

 

[Sid Post]

Its not racial, it no different than saying or believing russian built cars/trucks are equipment are subpar. Also i wouldnt be to firm on saying kias and hyundais are better than american autos. If you get one of thoe to last more than 100k miles your doing good. They use such cheap metal for the motors they eat them selves alive. Well known fact.

That's a really loaded thought there generally.

While I don't want a Russian truck or URAL motorcycle in the USA, if I lived in Africa, most of Asia and the Pacific Rim, or basically anywhere in the old SOVIET states, the durability and easy maintenance would make them an easy purchase for me. ABS brakes, fuel injection, power windows, etc. are all nice but, mean nothing I can't fix them when they break or when an ECU quits and my vehicle won't run.

This is true for my tractor as well. If it won't run and work, does it matter where it is made or what the specific problem is? If the transmission clutch (New Holland) burns out and it takes over 6 months just to get the part, do I really care what color the paint is or where it was 'assembled' or "made" is a different topic with global supply chains. Hydrostats are the same issue whether our old Massey combine during wheat harvest or a tractor.

Cars are a related but, really different topic. Sorry, when a burned-out backup light puts a ~$70K Toyota Tundra in LIMP mode, we have lost sight of anything remotely reasonable. In terms of general durability and lifespan, you used to get what you paid for with automobiles. These days, manufacturing is so skewed by government regulations and WALLSTREET demands that Ford, GM, Stellantis, Honda, Toyota, Nissan, Subaru, Hyundai, Kia, ... all have had lemons and options that are VERY GOOD. I dare say, a lot of the problems are related to things we don't really need or models from the early days of the company. Japan in particular has had a string of basic manufacturing failures recently that have taken various vehicles out of action for parts debris and poor heat treatment of critical engine parts.

 

[Sid Post]

The OP is buying Korean tractors due to the cheaper initial purchase price but, doesn't get the perceived advantages of the majority of 'classic' tractor brands.

Dealer support is largely overlooked as well.

I don't know about anyone else but, I don't go to a FAST FOOD DRIVE-THRU and then complain I'm not getting a nice dinner like I would at a good restaurant or diner for a bit more. For me, is a $10.99 Chilli's burger and fries or ~$13 drive-thru burger in a bag the 'buyer experience' I want?