JD or Kubota?

halfmoon2 · Jan 6, 2005

I've never been on a message board, so please bear with me...

I've had an older MF135 for 20 years, with bush hog loader, rear blade and mower. It's been a great workhorse, but at age 67 I now need power steering & 4WD.

I'm looking at the Kubota L3400 (quoted $15,900 w/FEL) & the JD 4210 (15,400 w/ FEL). I want the most power and utility in this price range, manual trans, no frills necessary. The loader lift on both models will be a disappoint after my current setup, but I can't spend much more. I live east of Seattle on 20 acres (1/2 forest), and mainly drag trees, build rock walls, grade & clear brush.

Any thoughts? Are JD parts more expensive than Kubota? Do these prices look right? The reviews on this site show much lower prices for the L3400. Thanks.

frank_f15 · Jan 6, 2005

( but at age 67 I now need power steering & 4WD.

)
WELCOME TO THE FORUM! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif I can understand where u are comming from, i am 63 but i too needed to move up to something easier to operate. Which tractor seems a better fit for u? That is the only thing that is really important. Green, Blue, Orange, purple. Red and any color in between. Look at them all, and try them all out. what works for me does not necessarily works for you.

frank_f15 · Jan 6, 2005

Forgot to mention /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif do your self a real favor and definetly check out HST , i found it saves a whole bunch on my legs and arms, no clutching, no shifting.

texbaylea · Jan 6, 2005

I am in my early 70's and found that I too needed more help from my tractor. Traded in my old IH444 brute for an L3130HST. It is more money than your budget but what I wanted to emphasise is the HST. Particularly for loader work it can not be beat and sure saves your legs. I understand that the HST is now available on some of the L??00 tractors and I suggest that you check it out.

Vernon

tim250f · Jan 6, 2005

Vernon is right, the L3400 will be offered in HST for 2005. I have the L2800 myself and although I've only accumulated about 4 hours on mine I am more than pleased with it. Be sure to sit on each of them and ask if you can test them before you make your decision. You may also want to look at offerings from New Holland, Kioti, etc...

btolle · Jan 6, 2005

I am 59, have a bad back and a lot of neck problems. Power steering became mandatory for me.

I bought a Kubota B7510HST, smaller than you are looking at but a fine tractor.

I will second what others said, take a serious look at the hydrostatic transmission. Unless all your work is in a forward gear you will really benefit from the HST. Besides the convenience of not having to use a clutch and shifting gears the HST also will provide braking for the tractor. The only time I ever use the brakes on my tractor are when I park it.

HST will give you much better control of your speed. Instead of shifting gears you can just push the pedal a little harder and away you go. It also gives you much more control going downhill.

At least give an HST a try at the dealers and see what you think. The pedals for the HST are one area where the different brands seem to differ. Kubota uses a rocker type pedal, use your toes to go forward, heel to back up. From what I understand JD may have a side by side pedal design but I am not familiar with those.

There are many great tractors out there. Find the brand and model that feels best to you and you will be happy.

If you are clearing brush get a Markham Welding toothbar , best money I spent on my new tractor. It will save you many hours and many trips on and off the tractor. I can use mine to pick up brush and logs that I used to have to load by hand after getting off the tractor. Huge time (and back) saver.

Bill Tolle

CurtC · Jan 7, 2005

I'm having impure thoughts about tractors in this same category. JD 4310 ehydro + 300cx loader vs. Kubota 3130 hst + 723 loader vs. Kioti CK30 w/ 130 loader.

JD and Kubota are priced within a few bucks of each other so far.
Kioti is about 4 grand less.
Capabilities seem to be Kubota > JD > Kioti
JD - electronic everything, some of the load matching stuff sounds pretty nifty, but, electronics fail. I feel the Kubota and Kioti will be more reliable long term.
JD & Kioti are smaller designs, curved loaders, kubota is more standard.
JD - 2 pedal hydro, other rocker.
JD/Kubota both have a quick attach loader bucket system, not available on the Kioti.
Financing deals seem to be JD > Kioti > Kubota

Having run and gone over the kioti extensively, I'd buy it lickety split aside from a couple of things: the loader specs out considerably lighter weight than either the JD or kubota, and also operates noticably slower. Resale is a factor for me, as there's a possibility I may want to sell in 3 years or so, and the kubota / JD both will have considerably higher resale value IMO. And the quick attach loader implements I think is a highly desirable option.

shoppintractors · Jan 7, 2005

JD/Kubota both have a quick attach loader bucket system, not available on the Kioti.

There are two aftermarket companies, that I am aware of, that build a quik-detach bucket for the Kioti CK25/30 KL130 loader. ATI, an advertiser on TBN, is one of companies marketing a quik-detach for the KL130. The other company is Horst welding.

 Resale is a factor for me, as there's a possibility I may want to sell in 3 years or so, and the kubota / JD both will have considerably higher resale value IMO. .

IMO, With Kioti's increasing popularity, from your numbers....being priced $4000 less and figuring prices will continue to creep up over the coming years....you have an excellent opportunity for a positive experience when it comes time to sell. Your looking at a full featured, deluxe model Kioti which should look quite attractive to a potential buyer.

Don

JDGREEN4ME · Jan 7, 2005

The famous "higher resale value" can bite you, especially if you are already looking to sell it in three years. I don't know how big a difference in the loading capacity is so this might be off base but for 4 grand less the Kioti sure sounds like the best deal. I just know from personal experience that "higher resale value" did nothing for me when I went to get rid of my prior tractor that was 2 years old with low hours and in pristine condition. It is tuff to compete with the full warranty and better finance rates when your used tractor value is close to what a new tractor costs.

Dargo · Jan 7, 2005

I've bought more than a couple of each. I've had positive experiences with each make. I currently own a Kubota, but I don't think that I would say that the Kubota is "better" than the JD. I wanted to stay with a somewhat smaller frame (compared to a full sized ag tractor), but I wanted a factory cab with heat and A/C. That took JD out of the picture.

Unfortunately for me, my market area has successfully squashed any attempt so far of anything other than the "big 3" from getting any toe hold in my market. Several have tried over the last decade, but they have all gone under. It sounds like quality is coming up for some of those new comers to the market.

For me, I've enjoyed incredible resale with both JD and Kubota. That even includes when I've traded or sold a tractor after only 2 or 3 years. At least in my neck of the woods, I would have been hung with one of the non-big 3 on resale. With no dealers that will service a tractor, resale takes a huge hit. However, as someone else pointed out, this may be changing.

On the orginal question of JD or Kubota, since I've owned several of each, I think it simply comes down to your personal preference. I've flipped between them several times and likely will continue to do that in the future. I don't think you can miss with either. Good luck!