I was set on getting Branson, now thinking Kubota

GeneD14 · Mar 8, 2005

In the long run $2500 is a smalll price to pay for dealer/service support. Nothing against Branson but the NH, Deere, and Kubota dealer net works are hard to beat.

Bob_Skurka · Mar 8, 2005

Just my two bits here, and I'll even throw out the disclaimer that I have a Kubota and a New Holland, but I'm considering taking back some farmland that is leased out to a "real farmer" so that I can hobby farm it. Because of that I've started looking for a larger tractor, something in the 45hp range.

So I looked a Mahindra, the local dealer is actually a garden center. They sell potted plants, cement bird baths, and oh yeah, Mahnindra. The tractors looked nice, but I'm not buying from that type of dealership. I want real mechanics to back me up.

I've seen a couple Kiotis and we got a dealership in the next county so on my way to the Tack store for some riding boots for my daughter, I thought I'd visit the Kioti dealer. Guess what, he has no Kioti's. That is the 2nd time I've tried to test drive one (in all fairness the first time was right after his name appeared on the dealer search on the Kioti website many months ago). He did have a bunch of little off brand lawn tractors and some GTs too.

Branson is now available from my local New Holland dealership. I'm taking my TC24 in this week to have them plumb the TNT setup for me so I'll be looking at the Branson. Based my other experiences with minor brand dealers, if I take over the farm field and if I buy a larger tractor, it will likely be one of these brands: Branson/New Holland (both from a high quality dealership) or Kubota/Case/Cub Cadet (all 3 from another high quality dealer).

My point is, you have to feel confidence in your dealership. Some guys will say that $$$ is gospel, and you need to buy the cheapest thing. I'm not one of those. I believe you need to buy what you can use, and you need to get the best deal you can for what you buy. Based on your Branson dealer, I'd suggest you bargain hard with the Kubota guy, see if you can get free pick & delivery during the warrenty period for any work needed. Or free oil changes. Or maybe just free filters and oil for the first one. I don't know the pricing for the model you are looking at but one thing I know is that if you choose the right dealership, they can make any tractor work for you because they will be there to stand behind it. Every brand has good and bad dealers, I would never buy a Kubota from a dinky shop that didn't have parts.

sneaky_pete · Mar 8, 2005

( I would never buy a Kubota from a dinky shop that didn't have parts.)

Me neither, but then again I've never seen a Kubota dealer that was dinky or didn't have parts. I suspect that Kubota (and the other big name brands) must have standards they enforce on franchisees for minimum parts inventory and the like. Or maybe it just seems like it in Texas, but every Kubota dealer I've ever seen has been large and well stocked.

Will_C · Mar 8, 2005

I think sneaky pete is correct. I have seen three JD dealerships, and 3-4 Kubota dealerships close down because they were "too small." The Kubotas were sold by guys working out of their garages 25 years ago. I bought my Kubota from a 65 year old dealership that also is a large seller of Case construction equipment. The other local dealer carries the full line of JD agriculture equipment.
Will

Soundguy · Mar 8, 2005

( Then maybe someone can explain to me why my dad was complaining to me just the other day about waiting 2 months for a backordered turnbuckle ( broke the turnbuckle on the 3 point sway chains) on a L-3000 Kubota )

Hardware like that is available at hardware stores and tractor / mechanic stores. TSC has large turnbuckle hardware on the shelf.. same with chain...

I never said the big 3 will have the fastest part service.. What I implied is you will probably have the best overall 'support' by a big 3 company.. in that they aren't going to close in 'x' year probably.. and any dealer can get you waranty support if push comes to shove.. or you move.. etc. Parts availability down the road a few years or decades may well be better with the larger companies... etc.

For instance. I'm not 'real' worried about parts availability for any NH unit I buy say.. a decade down the road. However.. I might think about it if I were buying a branson.. etc..

Soundguy

Soundguy · Mar 8, 2005

( So I looked a Mahindra, the local dealer is actually a garden center. They sell potted plants, cement bird baths, and oh yeah, Mahnindra. The tractors looked nice, but I'm not buying from that type of dealership. I want real mechanics to back me up. )

I 100% agree. That is the single issue that has kept me from buying a chinese tractor so far. No 'real' dealer support.

Yes.. I know the large dealers like Northern tool / nortrac and Homier / Farm pro would do mail order support. But they don't have a 'set' dealer I can drive to. And all the other chinse dealers are like you said. One is a gas station with a few tractors out front.. the others are ..lets see.. a landscape business ( these come in and go out of business in florida more often than the seasons change.. ).

Soundguy

leaddog · Mar 8, 2005

I've been following this and I guess I have a different take on this. Kukje, The manufacturer of the Century and Branson tractors has been making tractors for over 25 years. They are now making cummins engines now and this is what they are putting in there tractors. the Century 3045 that I now have has the yammer engine 9same as the jd. When I looked at the big three I couldn't justify spending several thousand more for less tractor. 9make sure you compare apples to apples- like duel remotes, quickattachment loader, work lites, brushguard, etc that you pay extra for on the OTHER ones.
Even with the worst case, like the dealers in your area ALL go out of business for 2500 bucks you could BUY an alot of paid service form ony of those other dealers. They all would be very happy to work on it if you paid them. How many of you have a FORD truck and you take it to an indipendent dealer or shop? Same differents. Kukje is not going out of business.
Oh, one more thing. If you are worried about quality remember, Kukje made the GREEN jd 5000 seriesover there.
I own the Century 3045 and I will put it up against any of the majors and at 17,000 I could not have bought ANY of them. This tractor has 48 gross hp, 40pto hp, 12-12 suttleshift, c-50 loader with quick attach and 6ft hd bucket, duel remotes, and wt is over 6100lbs with loaded r-4's. I have had one service call and they had the parts over nite.
even if I lost all my dealers I could get this tractor serviced any of the local tractor dealers here as that is what all the farmers do.
I say show me the money if the quality is the same and go with the best value.
Leaddog

Soundguy · Mar 8, 2005

( The manufacturer of the Century and Branson tractors has been making tractors for over 25 years )

Not to down that.. as 25 years is a good bit of time to boast about.. but many of us that view the 'stability' of the big 3.. are looking at things like JD and ford/nh that have roots from the turn of the century.. as in 1900 etc. That follows with MF as well, as ferguson was right there with ford in the early part of 1900.. and later as other companies.. etc. ( I don't know enough about kubota's history to comment on it ).

When you look at a company like Deer and co. and think.. wow.. in business since 18xx and it's now 2005.. that 25 years making tractors by century and branson drops into perspective just a tad.

Stil.. Not a knock to them. They seem to be easilly becomming a great 2nd brand like kioto.. and growing, and getting better dealer support by the day. etc.

Soundguy

Soundguy

Bob_Skurka · Mar 8, 2005

leaddog . . . if I had a high comfort level in diesel engine repair, I would consider the risk of buying a good tractor from a bad dealership but I am not that guy. I like to tinker and restore things, but when it comes time to get the work done, I want a tractor that I can depend on and a dealer to stand behind it when I break it by doing dumb stuff. I see nothing wrong with the Bransons, and I trust the dealer who is close to me because it is the same dealer I bought my NH from. But, at least for now, I would not consider a Kioti or a Mahindra in my area strictly because of the dealer issues I pointed out. And I'll add that I don't like my local JD dealership either, but that is because they feel that I need them and they don't need me. I want a dealer who has a well stocked parts department, a well trained service department, and who also treats the customer well. My local JD dealership only offers me 2 of those 3. The local Mahindra dealer offers 1 of those three. As the local Kioti dealer hasn't even had a tractor on his lot the 2 times I've swung over there, I'm not sure I'd give him a 3rd chance but it seems obvious he doesn't currently qualify as a quality dealer. And that is my whole point. Any of the above tractors is likely to do the job that needs to be done, regardless of paint color, but will there be someone there to hold my hand when I am crying like a little girl because my axle is laying on the ground broken in two pieces and I can't get humpty dumpty back together again? I need the parts and service support that a quality dealer can provide.

bdog · Mar 8, 2005

Well guys, I made a decision. I went with the Branson. I even decided to go bigger with a 4720 with 47 engine hp and 42 pto hp. I got it for $1500 less than the kubota with 45 engine and 37.5 pto. It was $4000 less than a 50 hp engine 44pto hp kubota. I talked not only to the local branson dealer but also called up the chain and talked to the regional manager and he made me feel more comfortable about the brand and the availability of support. The dealer even told me that during my 3 yr warranty period he will come to wherever I am at to fix the tractor and if need be haul it in and bring it back at no expense to me. I got the paperwork rolling and am supposed to take delivery tomorrow.