ANYBODY OWN A M4900?

TBone · Feb 1, 2002

I bought a Massey Ferguson 231S in July of 2000. It is a mid 40's HP very basic utility tractor. It has been dependable and does everything I need it to do. I DO NOT LIKE THIS TRACTOR! IT IS LOUD! IT IS UNCOMFORTABLE! IT IS NOT USER FRIENDLY! I wanted a Kubota when I bought it but didn't want to dish out the extra $4000. Now I wish I had because I am going to lose my *^&*# when I trade the Massey in on the Kubota.

I have my heart set on a M4900 Super Utility. It has the full shuttle shift, fully syncronized tranny, remote hydraulics, nice roomy platform for the operator and a LOT of things the MF doesn't have. For comfort and ease of operation the two can't be compared.

I haven't seen much in this forum about the M series Kubotas (As can be expected - This is a compact tractor site) but I was wondering if any of you fine folks out there have one of the M series tractors and if so what has your experience been with them?? I have never owned a Kubota but I sure do have the fever after spending a little while on one.

rbargeron · Feb 1, 2002

In my humble opinion, the M4900/M5700 are the best value in the Kubota line. They weigh much more than the grand L's but don't cost much more - in fact can cost less in some cases. There's more heft, strength, power, mass - all around more tractor for the money. They are not offered with HST or GST, or wet clutch - which helps keep the price down. Farmers like 'em - lotsa bang for the buck.

kub5700 · Feb 2, 2002

I bought a 5700 which is slightly wider, heavier and has
higher clearance but is basically the same machine. It is
very powerful, has great traction, is very well made and so far, with a couple hundred hours on it, has operated flawlessly. I chose the 5700 because at the time, I couldn't get the shuttle shift on the 4900. I totally agree with the other
comments about the 4900/5700 being the best price/value Kubota has to offer. I drove Green and Blue several times before deciding the feel and quality weren't even close to the Kubota, but that's just my opinion.

rbargeron · Feb 2, 2002

I need to add a couple of points to my comment above that farmers like these models. In New England, anybody making a living at farming is well-above average in everything - courage, intelligence, resourcefulness, motivation, wisdom, morality - you name it. They have to be because the economics of farming in the northeast have become brutal - they get accustomed to having to make the best choice every time. (Read Three Farms by Mark Kramer) According to a dealer I know who sold 114 tractors last year, these people are among those buying 4900/5700 machines.

rbargeron · Feb 2, 2002

hey mike - zatchu?

kub5700 · Feb 2, 2002

Yup. How's your tractor? You got an L4750 or something,
right?
I used the M5700 today to scrape the 4 inches of frozen ice
off of 4 parking lots and it worked out great. I'm getting
a Curtis 7-1/2' plow and an ATI Quick Attach for it soon. And
a pair of forks for logs, a brush hog and...and...it's endless, eh?
Here's a pic my son when I'd only had it a couple of hours.

m

rbargeron · Feb 2, 2002

Nice rig ! I really like your R1's - I have R4's and they could use a bit more bite. My tractor has the same 167 cu in 5-cylinder. There are some pics partway down in <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.tractorbynet.com/cgi-bin/compact/showflat.pl?Cat=&Board=owning&Number=102451&page=0&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=&fpart=all>this thread</A> showing a pto project.

I had some custom forks and pockets made for the bucket that work really well - similar to those on the 4150 but stronger - I'll post a pic sometime. Take care.

Thomas · Feb 3, 2002

She is a beauty. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif
I hope your getting more seat time than your son...remember those days when one heard...dad can I borrow the keys. /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

Anonymous Poster · Feb 3, 2002

Now THATS a tractor. You lend it out to anybody but your son? /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

Anonymous Poster · Feb 8, 2002

After reading a lot of postings and getting some good advice from folks on this site, I bought a M4900 4WD last year and have been really pleased with my purchase. I started out looking at the Massey 231S too, mostly because I knew it to be a good, basic tractor that was fairly inexpensive, but soon realized that if I was going to buy something new I wanted it to have shuttle shift and a fully syncronized transmission. That got me to looking at Kubota's which had immediate appeal due to not only how they are constructed, but to the fact they're not some branded tractor (manufactured by someone else with just a sticker put on) produced God knows where (like Turkey for the 231S). Once I decided on a Kubota I spent a lot of time deciding whether to get a L series with HST or the M series with manual transmission. I think the deciding factor for me was that I have a fairly big place with lots of mowing to do, and the manual transmission is no problem for that usage. And although I bought my M4900 with a Kubota loader, and have used it quite a bit, I was suprised to find out how easy with the shuttle shift it is to use. The bottom line is that I do not miss the HST at all, although I can see how if one were doing lots of loader work or working in a small area it would be ideal. Buying a loader was also a big question due to the expense, but now after using one for all sorts of tasks, I think they should be standard equipment. One last thought: I've learned the hard way, like Tbone, that if you're going to buy something new to get exactly what you want even if you have to wait a while longer. It's cheaper in the long run, and a lot more satisfying.