First Tractor...JD vs NH vs Kubota vs Mahindra

[AchingBack]

Wait until someone hires Tiger Woods to endorse their sub compact tractors. Just like Deere pays Arnold Palmer to endorse their brand. Those ads go a long way in influencing public perceptibility of a product; to the point people believe in their own fantasies about how good green is.

If I were an ad agency, hired my a tractor manufacturer, Tiger would have one of my machines sitting in his driveway, immediately. Within months of signing the contract, and getting the ads on TV, sales would sky rocket.

 

[dieselgeek]

Neil...how do you figure that most of the JD equipment of late is built by someone else and just has their name on it?!?! You may use that in your daily sales pitch but it is just not true.

I love these boards but some of you guys just spill things out there without even knowing the truth...all it takes is a little research...and how did things get so off topic...

Only a small fraction of what Deere sells is built by Deere anymore these days. I have worked for them more than one contract, they only build what they cannot "farm out" anymore as they are a financially healthy company, and that's what it takes in this country if you want to stay afloat. not sure where you are getting your info from, but unless it's the largest tractor or combine, it's not made by Deere no matter what the paint color is. Fact. Their real bread and butter is in the midsize diesel engines they produce, which can be found in all kinds of non-farm applications: generators, mining equipment, marine applications, etc. Truly a great company ! from right here in Iowa.

I also disagree about some of the quality statements here. My neighbor is a mechanic at the local tractor store, and some of the problems I see with New Holland CUTs is freakish. Broken frames, motor mounts, all kinds of nagging little problems - there are even posts on this forum that, if researched, would convince people that NH has or had some serious issues in their smaller tractors. instead of reading the "opinions" threads, a new buyer should read the "broke my tractor today" posts. Some interesting stuff in there!

-scott

 

[MessickFarmEqu]

Neil...how do you figure that most of the JD equipment of late is built by someone else and just has their name on it?!?! You may use that in your daily sales pitch but it is just not true.

Yanmar builds a majority of the compacts still, Woods builds many of the frontier implements, chainsaws & stuff are some Italian company, Bombadier built the Buck ATV, they're now branding some Antino Carrerra tractors. Most is an overstatement, but there certianly is alot of equipment comming from other companies. The last two factories that Deere started up themselves where in Mexico and India right? I'm not knocking the product, just pointing out that Deere today is certianly not the tractor company from Illinios that it was years (or decades) ago.

Frankly, they are not really any different than most big corporations. I'm not knocking them for it. Case / New Holland does alot of the same stuff. It does lead to the kind of quality issues that the prior poster mentioned. You can bet that we as dealers get all over them when we see an abnormal tend. Deere has got the same kind of issues. They've struggled with hydrostatic problems more than any other company I know, and the newer machines do not seem to wear well over the years.

 

[gamble77]

What does Deere not build?

They build their 3000/4000/5000/6000/7000/8000/9000 tractors, combines, forage harvester, cotton pickers, lawn mowers, Z-Traks, motors, transmissions, frames, castings, loaders, round balers, windrowers, planting/seeding equipment, rotary cutters, Gators, golf equipment, hay rakes, hay mowers, etc., etc., etc...

I am really confused as to where some of you get away saying they don't build most of their equipment. Who do you think builds it for them? Is there some tractor company out there building tractors for Deere other than the smallest Yanmar built machines? Is there some lawnmower company out there producing mowers for them? Is there some company building Gators we don't know about? I could go on and on...but guys you all really need to check your facts on this stuff. I am sorry this thread got off topic but I don't think false information should be spread openly without correction.

Of all the facilities Deere has they have the LEAST amount of warranty claims on the 5X03 series...yeah, the Indian built machines. I go to more auctions then I care to count and I can promise you that it is not the Green machines that show early wear...check re-sale and market availability...

 

[tjkadar]

The only tractor I really wish JD would build is my 5325.

I think people are beginning to argue over semantics. John Deere has their name on a lot stuff. I doubt the famous John Deere baseball caps are built side by side with tractors on the Georgia assembly line. John Deere's core ag machines are still built by John Deere.

It doesn't matter how you slice it, John Deere is recognized as the leader in many types of agricultural equipment. They've done a good job building a brand name that is the envy of many. The latest developments in farming via GIS is cutting edge and pretty darned exciting.

I can pick any manufacturer out there today and find problems with some of their equipment. That is what happens when you build machines (don't get me started on VWs 1.8T motors). Some problems are a direct result of poor engineering. Others are issues with quality control during manufacturing. And sometimes you just have idiot operators... you simply cannot fix stupid.

For me, the country of origin is not near as important as the initial quality of the machine and support/service after the sale. If my tractor has an issue, I expect it to be rectified quickly, properly, and with as little impact to my work as possible. Of course, best case scenario is no issues to begin with.

The best tractor is the tractor that suits your needs at the price you are willing to pay. Someone looking at a Jinma is not a person that would benefit from a 9000 series JD.

 

[RWolf]

IMO it boils down to this; If your company has a world presense then you are going to use the world as your source for material, engineering, manufacturing or whatever. For a purest they are going to be hard pressed to find anything that is built from conception to sales that will be pure USA or where ever. Sales depend on the dealers. If they are out there and pushing their product and stand behind it people will return and word of mouth will spread. Even equipment that has many problems with manufacture or design if the dealer will stand behind and keep the customer happy they will return. That's a successful company be it JD, Kubota or whatever. If you buy your tractor and it matches your needs then you were successful and will most likey return for your next purchase. If not then you will most likely look somewhere else. Just my 2 cents.

 

[Raptor53]

All this talk about "whats built where?" makes little difference. What's important is the end quality of the product.

 

[Soundguy]

It's not just about name recognition. Obviously, the most popular doesn't mean the best. But it is about heavydutyness, reliability, ergonomics, dealer network, parts availability, and resale value. And IMO, Deere tractors win in all those categories.

I still don't buy that JD is so far ahead of the rest in reliability. Our local municipality uses mostly NH and MF machines, but has used kubota ( for roadside maintenance ). JD has NEVER been used in the last 20ys due to price. If it were truly so reliable as to make it a clear choice vs other units.. I'd think they would have been used to milk that reliable lonegevity out of them, and thus not repalce the fleet more often.

Since there are plenty of bean counters to figure the money.. I can only assume that JD machines fare about as good as others.. .. and with that.. the price premium they charge, doesn't equal any more reliability.. unless you count the reliability of their ceo's to bet a big thick paycheck...


soundguy

 

[wolc123]

I agree with Soundguy that JD does not automatically mean you are getting the highest quality tractor out there for all models. However, it is also a big mistake to assume they are always the most expensive. For the size I needed (43 hp) , it was a slam dunk for JD, since not only were they tied with NH for cheapest of three comparable models (NH t?40-equipped with optional quick attach bucket standerd on the JD, Kubota GL4330, JD4120). Aside from low price, the JD outspeced the NH by a big margin, and narrowly outspeced the Kubota in most categories. Certainly it would not have been very smart for myself to go orange or blue given these facts, not to mention all the slack I would have to have taken from my surviving, grudge holding WWII veteran relatives for buying the stuff produced by our former adversaries. Do what you want but definitely dont believe everything you read or hear. Go to the various dealers yourself, test drive a bunch, and compare specs and prices.

 

[jcaledon]

I'm a newbie, so perhaps I bring a slightly different perspective. This discussion about which brand is better in terms of quality is a bit like splitting hairs. From my research, just about all of the brands produce a very reliable product for hobby/small/midsize farm use. Before deciding to buy new, I though about buying a used tractor. All I could find (cheap that is) was 40 year old Fords, some old Deere's, any of the older Kubota's that I found were priced close enough to the new models that I couldn't justify going new. And everything I found was in good working order.

If our cars worked and lasted as well as these tractors do, we'd all be driving '57 ........ (I don't want to start another war on which car brand is best!). I don't know about the newer (to North America) imports, but from everything I've read, they are just as good. I haven't heard of any one make or model being a lemon. The problems you usually read about are minor in nature - and are usually fixed.

Getting back to Jackster's question - I can't see you going wrong with whatever brand you chose. Just get the tractor that fits you best, at the best price, with a dealer that you feel comfortable with.