Buying Advice

[frank_f15]

I was just about to ask that and also what area of the county (he lives in) might have an impact on the price.

 

[SOS]

I did the same thing 4 years ago, went with a Chinese tractor, to work on my land before my house was built. However, once my house got built, I needed more reliability and quicker service so I bought a NH after narrowing down my choices to NH, Kubota, JD. The Chinese tractor decision was made based on available funds at the time and was good at the time but now I don't have the time to work on it and deal with delays in getting it fixed.

Want to buy my old one

 

[EddieWalker]

I guess the main info I need is, is there any big difference between the makes and are parts easier to find on some?

Yanmar
Mitsubishi
Iseki
Lenar
Hinomoto
Mahindra

Take a little test. Write down these brands and any others you can think of. The write down a list of common maintenance parts and repairs. Things like oil filter, fuel filter, Air Filter and Hydraulic filters. Starter, Fuel Pump, Alternator and a Fuel Injector. These are all things you can reasonably expect to need at some point.

Now try to find those parts for each machine your interested in. Can you ge them at Napa or is there a dealer near you? Can you find them online and do you want to wait weeks for them to get to you?

I chose my brand because I can get parts for it when I need them. Your tractor will break down. It doesn't matter if it's brand new and cost $30,000 or used and was for free, it will happen. The question is wether you can fix it or will it become yard art?

Eddie

 

[N80]

I got my Kubota L4400 because it was the cheapest tractor in its HP range that I could find at local dealers. Granted, there were not many dealers around with Chinese machines. However, I think the L4400 is still among the cheapest. It cost a little less than the comparable JD 990. I think the L3400 (most basic version) is also very affordable for what you get. I think the JD 790 is significantly less tractor than the L3400. So don't write Kubota and JD off just because you assume they cost a lot more. And compare apples to apples. Some of the off-brand machines cost as much as the L4400 but they did come with more frills. With my budget I was after hp, not frills.

 

[roxynoodle]

I have a grey market Yanmar. Most models have very good parts availability. Bear in mind Hinomoto is no longer in business though some parts can be found at AGCO dealers. Before buying any grey market tractor, either buy from a reputable dealer such as one who frequents this forum or at least make sure it is a model for which parts can be found and for reasonable prices. There are more grey market Yanmars in the US now than Yanmars that were originally made for this market. The right grey market tractor can be a great purchase as far as price, reliability and dealer support.

 

[Keith_B]

I can't speak for every part of the country, but here in LA, the Mahindra's weren't much cheaper than the Deere and Kubota for a unit in the hp/feature range you mentioned. I bought my tractor in the last month and I shopped around thoroughly at all the "bigger name" tractors.

I was on the Mahindra "lot" and when I heard the Mahindra's price, I almost fell out of the seat! My thoughts exactly were "I can add just a little to that and get a Kubota". I'm not knocking Mahindra, people around here that have them, swear by them. If I didn't care for the brand, I wouldn't have been on the "lot". My issue is there aren't many Mahindra dealerships around here and what happens if they were to go out of business? How far would I have to drag the tractor for regular maintenance or a breakage, seeing as how my mechanical inclinations make tightening a bicycle chain an all day affair?

To summarize and get off my proverbial soap box, strike Mahindra off your list if $ is an issue. They aren't cheap!

I shopped around plenty and save thousands by going with my Mahindra over a comparable model JD, Kubota, NH, or Massey. Prices at one dealership, or even prices given by one salesman do not make universal facts.

The Mahindras are good tractors, and making a bigger name for themselves here in the US every day. The Kiotis are doing the same thing. In general with these tractors you get a lot for your money. My Mahindra has standard features that the barebones models of the big three do not have.