Help! First tractor - Deere vs Kubota vs New Holland
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Farmwithjunk
Super Member
Whew! You've got some GOOD info, and you've got some not-so-good info. Let me throw in my $.02 worth, and you be the judge of where it falls in the grand scheme of things.
I farmed about 200 acres until 2 years ago. Now I have 45 acres. With the exception of a few years when I went POWER CRAZY, I never needed a tractor any bigger than 67hp. The last 10 years, no bigger than 60. And add to that, probably 75% of the chores I did were with one of a pair of tractors, 40 and 47 hp. ALL except the POWER CRAZY phase were 2wd. (It was a 110hp, MFWD Deere)
Now don't get me wrong, 4wd is nice to have if it fits in the budget. In the last year, I've started a mowing business. I bought a MFWD 95hp tractor to pull a 15' batwing AND for my son to use on his small farm. MFWD is handy but NOT indespensable. Big power is nice to have, but you'll need EXPENSIVE implements to compliment that power.
I currently own 2 Deere's, a Ford (New Holland), and a Massey Ferguson. As far as the state of affairs regarding pricing of parts, Deere has a great parts network. They're NOT cheap. New Holland is ALMOST as good about getting parts, and, from my experiences, a tick more expensive in general. Hard to compare, as I've never had to order "Deere apples" and "New Holland apples" at the same time. In the end, they're both pricey, but both deliver as promised. AGCO (Massey Ferguson) is just as reliable on parts availability, and from all I've seen personally, a fair amount LESS expensive on parts.
Service is SOMEWHAT brand oriented, but more often than not, it's the DEALER who makes or breaks good service.
A couple good friends have Kubotas. I've borrowed one on occasion. (For its backhoe) You won't go WRONG with one. Initial purchase price seems competitive (or better) than some other brands. I HEAR parts are spendy, but don't know that as gospel. Never bought any.
Keep ANY tractor long enough, or use it hard enough, and parts become an issue. Don't let anyone try to fool you. They ALL break from time to time.
Don't get me started on grey market tractors. A war would ensue. Don't like 'em. Wouldn't own one if someone gave me one.
Don't fall into the trap of condemning ANY brand or model for being "import". Across the board, ALL brands bring 'em across the ocean. Quality needs to be judged tractor model to model. Point of origin doesn't dictate quality.
My PERSONAL recomendation? I'd go with something in the 50 to 60 hp range, mid-sized chassis, MFWD if that's affordable, and from one of the "majors". I detest the term "BIG 3". (Deere, Kubota, NH) That leaves out the one manufacturer who sells the largest number of tractors to a worldwide market...Massey Ferguson. They have a lot to offer, and do so at VERY competitive pricing. It appears that there's more rumors than facts floating around the 'net about them. Don't sell 'em short.
And there's a few less famous, but still fairly decent imports available. I'm not a big fan of any, but you'll hear all about them before this thread dies I'm sure.
Avoid like the plague any advice that starts off with "I bought the best tractor made" sort of claims. This person has not the first clue what YOU need in a tractor. His may well be perfect....for him.... and it MAY be a consideration for you, but no one can judge what's best for you other than yourself.
Buying a new tractor is a lot like finding a wife. (Oh my....I actually said that!) The fewer pre-conceived notions you take in to the search, the better you can judge the candidates. Keep an open mind, listen to what everyone has to say, but keep in mind, YOU are the one that has to live with it. Get what suits YOU.
I farmed about 200 acres until 2 years ago. Now I have 45 acres. With the exception of a few years when I went POWER CRAZY, I never needed a tractor any bigger than 67hp. The last 10 years, no bigger than 60. And add to that, probably 75% of the chores I did were with one of a pair of tractors, 40 and 47 hp. ALL except the POWER CRAZY phase were 2wd. (It was a 110hp, MFWD Deere)
Now don't get me wrong, 4wd is nice to have if it fits in the budget. In the last year, I've started a mowing business. I bought a MFWD 95hp tractor to pull a 15' batwing AND for my son to use on his small farm. MFWD is handy but NOT indespensable. Big power is nice to have, but you'll need EXPENSIVE implements to compliment that power.
I currently own 2 Deere's, a Ford (New Holland), and a Massey Ferguson. As far as the state of affairs regarding pricing of parts, Deere has a great parts network. They're NOT cheap. New Holland is ALMOST as good about getting parts, and, from my experiences, a tick more expensive in general. Hard to compare, as I've never had to order "Deere apples" and "New Holland apples" at the same time. In the end, they're both pricey, but both deliver as promised. AGCO (Massey Ferguson) is just as reliable on parts availability, and from all I've seen personally, a fair amount LESS expensive on parts.
Service is SOMEWHAT brand oriented, but more often than not, it's the DEALER who makes or breaks good service.
A couple good friends have Kubotas. I've borrowed one on occasion. (For its backhoe) You won't go WRONG with one. Initial purchase price seems competitive (or better) than some other brands. I HEAR parts are spendy, but don't know that as gospel. Never bought any.
Keep ANY tractor long enough, or use it hard enough, and parts become an issue. Don't let anyone try to fool you. They ALL break from time to time.
Don't get me started on grey market tractors. A war would ensue. Don't like 'em. Wouldn't own one if someone gave me one.
Don't fall into the trap of condemning ANY brand or model for being "import". Across the board, ALL brands bring 'em across the ocean. Quality needs to be judged tractor model to model. Point of origin doesn't dictate quality.
My PERSONAL recomendation? I'd go with something in the 50 to 60 hp range, mid-sized chassis, MFWD if that's affordable, and from one of the "majors". I detest the term "BIG 3". (Deere, Kubota, NH) That leaves out the one manufacturer who sells the largest number of tractors to a worldwide market...Massey Ferguson. They have a lot to offer, and do so at VERY competitive pricing. It appears that there's more rumors than facts floating around the 'net about them. Don't sell 'em short.
And there's a few less famous, but still fairly decent imports available. I'm not a big fan of any, but you'll hear all about them before this thread dies I'm sure.
Avoid like the plague any advice that starts off with "I bought the best tractor made" sort of claims. This person has not the first clue what YOU need in a tractor. His may well be perfect....for him.... and it MAY be a consideration for you, but no one can judge what's best for you other than yourself.
Buying a new tractor is a lot like finding a wife. (Oh my....I actually said that!) The fewer pre-conceived notions you take in to the search, the better you can judge the candidates. Keep an open mind, listen to what everyone has to say, but keep in mind, YOU are the one that has to live with it. Get what suits YOU.
Last edited:
RoyJackson
Rest in Peace
- Joined
- Nov 17, 2001
- Messages
- 23,144
- Location
- Bethel, Vermont
- Tractor
- John Deere 4052R Cab,, Deere 855D UTV, Z920A Zero Turn Mower and assorted implements
ArtVandelay said:
Not really...suggest you reread those specs.
Offy
Silver Member
Two wheel drive Massey Ferguson or Mahindra for overall cost, dependability and long term parts availibility would be my recommendation for your situation if good dealers are in your area.
jbrumberg
Elite Member
- Joined
- Jan 22, 2006
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- 4,903
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- Cummington, MA
- Tractor
- New Holland TC29DA, John Deere D130
ArtVandelay said:
ArtVandelay:
I really think you need to relook at whatever "data" you are perusing to come up with your opinions. I chose my NH TC29DA for my Ford trade in (to some extent), due to its ergonomics, its "footprint"- it was heavier and more manuverable than many of the other tractors with which I was looking with ground engaging tasks in mind, but also it met and/or beat the competition in the following areas (and I compared criteria to criteria not number to number- there is a big difference!). As your "lean" is towards Kubotas. I will focus on some of the "data" that led to my ultimate NH TC29DA purchase:
It beat the B7XXX series hands down excepting ground clearance where it tied.
In the B2630/B3030 it was a lot closer in comparison, but the NH "ergos" fit my aging body better. The Kubotas had a slightly higher lift capacity at LP and 24" behind LP by about 20 pounds and 1" higher ground clearance. The NH had more HP than the 2630 and the 3030 had 1 HP more. As I was comparing HST models the NH slammed the 2630 as to PTO power and beat the 3030 slightly. The NH had much higher hydraulic capacities. The NH was much heavier.
With the L2800 which I looked at the closest once again the ergos favored NH. Gross engine power was equal, but with HST the NH had higher PTO HP- 23.6 vs 22.5 HP. Hydraulic capacities favored the NH's 12.7 GPM vs Kubotas' 10.5 GPM. Kubota's LP capacity @ 24" behind LP was 1435 pounds vs NH's 1635 pounds. The Kubota had a slightly higher ground clearance by 0.40". The Kubota was 126 pounds heavier.
I could go on, but I was directly comparing data I retrieved off the Kubota brochures and website against NH data in my Owners' Manual and/or website "information". Much of the information that I am and you are quoting is mostly driven by Sales & Marketing personnel so I would suggest that you number and/or opinion drop with care.
All tractors within the same frame size and price range regardless of brand are very, very competitive.
Many of the TBN members have actually bought their tractors on perceived need based on actual tractor ownership and experience.
Jay
Z-Michigan
Veteran Member
GaryCrowell said:
I disagree with this. In my area I see a lot of 10-20 year old CUTs, both JD and Kubota, that appear to be running just fine and look in good condition.
One thing to keep in mind is that in many countries "real farmers" are only using tractors in the 20 to 50hp range. Among these countries are Japan, Korea, China, and India, all of which produce some of these CUTs.
I would agree that the CUTs are less likely to hold up to 30,000 hours like an ag tractor hopefully will. But that's more usage than almost anyone but a row-crop farmer will put on a tractor. I personally did buy an ag utility partly for longevity, but I will tell you (1) I paid more for it than I would have for most CUTs, (2) the size is an issue for some of my smaller and precision tasks, and (3) HST is not available on utilities made today and I find it would have been nice to have.
I would get the size you need and not worry about longevity. If you buy new, chances are you will be interested in a different tractor long before this one wears out.
CDsdad
Platinum Member
ArtVandelay said:
Art, just head on down to the Massey, Kioti, Farmtrac, Chinese, and every other brand tractor forum on here you can find and bash them, too. You seem to be making the rounds and stirring it up everywhere. May as well hit the lawnmowers, ATVs, 2 wheeled tractors and maybe critique Jinman's garden while your down that way.
Did you ever even BUY a tractor, or are you just waiting on the tractor fairy to bring one. Go get one and then come back and impress us with your technical knowledge and expertise in operation.
I wish TBN had a push mower section or maybe one for garden rakes and shovels. That's probably more your speed.
I grew up around tractors and then got grown and wished I'd paid attention when I was younger. I BOUGHT a tractor after a lot of reading here and taking the best advice I've found on here to date, BUY WHAT SUITS YOUR NEEDS and BUY WHAT FITS YOU BEST. The good people here that helped me, and I can't name them all but JerryG and Farmwithjunk are two that come off the top of my head, NEVER bashed a brand they didn't own or badmouthed another brand. That's all you seem to be after is to start a brand war. I don't want somebody new to get the wrong impression of TBN with what you seem to do everywhere you go.
To everyone else, if I'm out of line please let me know. I'm sure I'm not the most polite person on here, but starting a color war just to see the bullets fly doesn't sit well with me. Sorry for the rant. Like I said, I welcome criticism if I'm out of line.
RoyJackson
Rest in Peace
- Joined
- Nov 17, 2001
- Messages
- 23,144
- Location
- Bethel, Vermont
- Tractor
- John Deere 4052R Cab,, Deere 855D UTV, Z920A Zero Turn Mower and assorted implements
jbrumberg said:
You have an "aging" body, Jay?
RoyJackson
Rest in Peace
- Joined
- Nov 17, 2001
- Messages
- 23,144
- Location
- Bethel, Vermont
- Tractor
- John Deere 4052R Cab,, Deere 855D UTV, Z920A Zero Turn Mower and assorted implements
Anyway...I reckon Art get's the point and it is now time to steer to starboard two points and get back on course...
Watch that iceberg!!!!!
Watch that iceberg!!!!!
jbrumberg
Elite Member
- Joined
- Jan 22, 2006
- Messages
- 4,903
- Location
- Cummington, MA
- Tractor
- New Holland TC29DA, John Deere D130
RoyJackson:
I am starting to live the quote I got consistently during my 15 years of geriatric work: "You do not age gracefully nor well."
. One reason I have been so prolific on TBN this week is that I am on employer-ordered medical leave as my "walking pneumonia" evolved to a good case of "double pneumonia with complications" and I am bored. I am showing sufficient symptoms to make tractor work unsafe, so I am stuck indoors and go out and play . Jay
I am starting to live the quote I got consistently during my 15 years of geriatric work: "You do not age gracefully nor well."
. One reason I have been so prolific on TBN this week is that I am on employer-ordered medical leave as my "walking pneumonia" evolved to a good case of "double pneumonia with complications" and I am bored. I am showing sufficient symptoms to make tractor work unsafe, so I am stuck indoors and go out and play . Jay