Decided to go with Kubota.

[marcus402]

I'm glad you asked that because I own a company that is in a similar situation. If I build a home for someone, and there's a problem with a plumbing faucet, yes, I am responsible for seeing that it is fixed, but I can't be responsible for things that were built off my jobsite.

But do I fix it? No! My plumber fixes it And he makes the plumbing equipment supplier give him a new one. Do you think Ford can disect every A/C unit that it's Swedish Volvo division imports from Japan and puts into its cars? If you think the answer is yes, you live in a fantasy world.

When a 6L diesel goes bad under warranty in Ford Superduty, Ford fixes it, but guess who repays Ford for the repairs? International Truck & Engine Corp!

My Kubota L-35 had problems since the day I brought it home. The service was bad and the waiting for parts was worse.
I'm telling you, you pay more for Deere because you have a better service & parts network.

Wolfandt,

Who invented the full-size pickup?

Why did it take your beloved Honda, Nissan & Toyota 30 years to catch on to that market?

No fantasy world stuff here. I like U.S. products and stuff from overseas. Just thought I would point out your hypocricy a little. To say one manufacturer is flawed versus another when they are the same company.

Its great that you take care of your customers for mistakes your subs made. From their point of view though I doubt they care that it was a sub mistake or your mistake, in the end it is still a house you built and therefore a reflection on your overall quality.

 

[aesanders]

4. Union bashing. What can I say I am a union official for our union I hold an office in my local union, my state union, and the national union. Most of the benefits that you see in a company was brought about by union action. before unions got a good start no one paid health care, retirement, guaranteed work hours etc. So go ahead and bash the people that brought improved working conditions to this country. Most hotels and restraunts are not union and look to see how well they treat their people.

Unions had their place, but I don't think hey work in a global manufacturing community. You don' see any of the Toyota or Handa plants being unionized.

 

[Taiser]

I think your "dealer friend" is deeply misinformed. Apparently no tariff exists since Toyota & Nissan are not only building full size trucks, but they're building them here. Toyota is investing billions to build a new full size truck plant in San Antonio, TX.

Obviously the tariff's were on their LUXURY vehicles which are, for the most part, still made in Japan and there would not be any tariff's on vehicles made in the states, how could any government justify putting an import tax on something made in North America?

 

[Builder]

Obviously the tariff's were on their LUXURY vehicles which are, for the most part, still made in Japan and there would not be any tariff's on vehicles made in the states, how could any government justify putting an import tax on something made in North America?

Yet the Japanese tariff the bejesus out of American made vehicles imported into Japan, along with American agricultural products, yet noone seems to mention their unbalanced trade practices. We just get the warm fuzzy Toyota commercials designed to fool simpletons into believing they're an "Made in USA"

Reality:

*They're plants are mostly assembly plants most major parts made largely overseas.
*Their plants are not unionized, their employees do not get the same pay or benefits as GM/Ford workers
*They do not pay the same corporate income tax structure as Ford & GM due to being headquartered overseas
*8 out of 10 foreign auto maker jobs in the US are in sales, not manufacturing or research

 

[BlacknTan]

I know this.

In my Chevrolet, when the snow flies and I hit 4 HI, the light blinks at me rapidly until the T'case locks itself out. After awhile, I can move again in 2WD. This will stay unworkable until I get home, IF I get home, and disconnect the battery for 1/2 hour.

The Nissan and Toyota guys are already warming their toes by the fire.....

Chevrolet has had problems with this crummy "shift on the fly" system since the late eighties. Think they would have fixed it in that time?? Naww, the Americans will keep buyin' out of habit!!

Google the Kelsey-Hayes ABS system. You'll get a shock! I know I did after I sailed through a crowded intersection with about 20% braking effectiveness and NO ABS warning light..

They don't call it "The Heartburn of America" for nuthin'!!

 

[botics]

I had a Kubota Grand L4630 with a 72854 Bearcat Chipper and backhoe, had a kid coming and the wife said sell it as we were done with doing what we needed to get done on a small piece of land.

I ended up buying a BX 24 for the same small piece of land. I looked at Deere vs. Kubota and I felt as though the Kubota was a better fit.

I think needs outweighs desire and the Deere (larger models) caught my attention but in the end I went with Kubota based on prior ownership, reliability, and size.

It all comes down to what you like and how it fits into your life.

 

[wolc123]

I am with builder on this one. I bought a JD 4120 about 1-3/4 years ago. The closest comparable orange was the GL 4330. The deere held a slight edge in most specs and the best price I could find on the orange was actually $500 more. For me to even give serious consideration to a foreign tractor over a US one in this size it would have to be $2000 cheaper. I am much more interested in supporting my neighbors than our "friends" overseas. I have owned many tractors of many colors thru the years but the one thing they all had in common was US manufacture. Same thing goes for my trucks and cars. I can see why people would pay less for an ofshore model but can not understand why they would pay more unless there was a huge difference in quality/performance. By the way, there has not been any breakdowns of any kind with this tractor and I have used it pretty hard. I do not really expect any since I still use a 1950 JD M purchased new in 1950 and that one has not required anything more than a couple valve jobs. I will say however that due to a total absence of domestic competition, I am glad we have the orange and other foreign makes to keep JD on thier toes. They fill the role of Ford, IH, Allis Chalmers, and others that are sadly no longer with us. I still run one of each of these along with my (3) JD's and will until I can't get parts. Where is Art V anyway?

 

[Taiser]

The CAW has tried for years to get into the Japanese plants here and have been turned down flat each time by the workers who can vote them in/out. There wages are similar and the Unions are trying HARD to get the employees to sign up. They accuse the plants of not being as safe as the GM and Ford ones (a load of bull, you can eat off the floor in those plants and they take safety REALLY seriously there) and then they say benefits are not the same. That I can believe, if every plant offered the same benefits as GM or Ford they would soon be in the same hole!!! But the Japanese plants still have pretty impressive benefits...nobody is starving working at these places!!!!

CAW pushing to organize Japanese-owned auto plants

 

[gemini5362]

I know this.

In my Chevrolet, when the snow flies and I hit 4 HI, the light blinks at me rapidly until the T'case locks itself out. After awhile, I can move again in 2WD. This will stay unworkable until I get home, IF I get home, and disconnect the battery for 1/2 hour.

The Nissan and Toyota guys are already warming their toes by the fire.....

Chevrolet has had problems with this crummy "shift on the fly" system since the late eighties. Think they would have fixed it in that time?? Naww, the Americans will keep buyin' out of habit!!

Google the Kelsey-Hayes ABS system. You'll get a shock! I know I did after I sailed through a crowded intersection with about 20% braking effectiveness and NO ABS warning light..



I am on my third chevrolet vehicle with shift on the fly 4 wheel drive all of them have worked perfectly. I had a 1 i989 S10 Blazer( been a while I think that was the right year) it had 170,000 miles on it when I gave it to my step son who put another 20,000 miles on it then had a car wreck which totaled it. The The shift on the fly worked perfect every time I used it in the 5 or 6 years I drove it. My 2005 silverado worked perfectly and my 2006 works perfectly also. Maybe you just have had some bad luck with them.

 

[coasterez]

Ever heard of a Honda Ridgeline?

Of course, I know there is a Ridgeline. I just don't consider it a pickup.