jd4100 or kb7500 or nh21d

[ScottieM]

I just bought 30 acres, I will need to mow 5acres, I will have a 100ft drive, I live in MI.I will also be doing some landscaping. I think I would probably want a fel, backblade, and a 4ft to 6ft bushog.Which one of these tractors would be the best choice? As far as price is concerned I can get anyone within a 1,000 dollars of the others.I want this tractor to be able to stand up through time, I have no plans of upgrading to a larger tractor.

 

[cowboydoc]

If you're just talking about those three tractors JD is running a great buy on them right now. I like the deere so that would be my suggestion. I know you said you had no plans for a bigger tractor but for a little extra money for the 4300 you are getting a heck of alot of tractor. Most importantly being the independent pto and improved hydraulics.

 

[70boss]

These are the three tractors I have been considering to be near equals as far as size and abilities. The 4100, and TC21D are essentially equal as far as abilities and features. The Kubota only lacks position control on the 3 point hitch, otherwise it is also similar to the other two. In my price dealings, I have found the B7500 to be in the 10,000 range, the TC21D in the 11,000 range and the JD4100, in the 12,000 range. I don't think the 4100 is $2000 more tractor than the Kubota for sure and I have all but eliminated the 4100 from consideration. My dilemma has been, and still is, is whether the position control is worth the 800 or so extra it will cost to get the New Holland TC21D. After driving both the TC21D, and the B7500, I think the B7500 is smoother to operate, the engine is quieter, the hydro pedal is smoother, and the loader is a "no tools required" quick attachment. With position control i think the choice is a no brainer, the Kubota will win hands down, but since it lacks that feature, I am leaning towards a TC21D. Now, if I could get the JD4100, with hydro, for a base tractor cost of 10,500-11,000, that would also be a consideration since they seem to carry the highest resale. Whew. I got the green light from the boss to just buy something, i just can't make up my mind.

 

[ScottieM]

Thanks for the input, I am new to all this stuff. What about reliablity? I had a friend that worked at a Kubota dealership, he just repaired the Simplicity and said they were junk, he couldnot say whether the Kubotas were junk or not. I have yet to actually drive one of my three choices, just have went to websites and have the JD and KB brochures, have yet to pick up the NH. I was also kinding checking out the YANMAR, I live in MI, there is a dealer of them right across the state line, is it worth my time to drive down there?

 

[70boss]

The JD 4100 is 100% Yanmar, except for the GREEN paint!! All of the compacts you are looking at are from Japanese origin.

 

[HR_Mutt]

ScottieM
Depending where you are at in Mich., have you talked to Jim Tong at Seyberts? They're in Coldwater and very helpful/knowledgable + reasonably priced! I don't have a lot of seat time with the other colors, I bought orange years ago because of cost and was so happy I stuck with it when getting a larger tractor. Can recommend getting the largest you can afford, it took a while to convince the wife/w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif we needed a second tractor.
regards
Mutt

 

[GlueGuy]

Scott,

I can't help you a lot with the JD, but my dealer sells both Kubota and New Holland, and he recommended I get the Kubota. He felt they were more reliable, and were just a better deal. That said a lot (to me) as he was asking a little more for the NH than the one I bought (before I got him to reduce the price even more /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif).

The GlueGuy

 

[ScottieM]

Thanks for clearing up the difference between Yanmar and JD, do you own a Yanmar? if you do do you have any problems finding people to perform maintence on it and to get hold of parts?

 

[frank_f15]

scott; looked at all models u mentioned, all fine machines. fo various reasons, i went orange. just thought it was the best tractor for the price. although, i did go up one size to the b2400, and got position control as a feature.if u are thinking of going bigger soon, do it now! will cost u less in the long run. better to have too much tractor than not enough /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif get what u feel is BEST FOR U.

 

[banjobj]

The difference of opinions and personal preferences is very interesting. When I was trying to make up my mind whether to go Blue, Green or Orange I settled on a dealer who sold both Blue and Orange. The dealer convinced me that the TC 21 D was a better machine than the B 7500. I guess it just depends on who you ask and what you really want. Maybe it's just a Color Thing!!!!!!

 

[GlueGuy]

That is interesting. They are probably all fine tractors. I know I sure like my orange beasty, and I'm sure that I would have liked a blue one had I gone that way. Maybe it is a color thing.... /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif

The GlueGuy

 

[70boss]

I am going to finish up a deal this week, it looks like it will be a TC21D. The dealer opinions are interesting aren't they? I was recently in San Diego, and of course I took the wife to the tractor dealer in Escondido. They sold both NH, and Kubota, in fact they had every kubota model in stock!! Since I am in the car business, and I knew I wasn't going to buy a tractor in Ca., I told the salesman up front to avoid any confusion. He said they sell more Kubotas, but they felt the NH was a better built tractor, he then proceeded to show me the differences between the TC18/21, and the Kubota B7500. He said in the area most contractors who work their machines 8 hours a day, 6 days a week, bought the NH, while homeowners bought the Kubota. My self, it is a real toss up, with the only advantage of the TC21 of any real significance to me is position control.

 

[Ingo]

<font color=blue>He said in the area most contractors who work their machines 8 hours a day, 6 days a week, bought the NH, while homeowners bought the Kubota.</font color=blue>

Funny how it's different in different areas--2 dealers in my area who sell both blue and orange told me just the opposite. Most contractors buy orange, homeowners blue. Neither would recommend one over the other, though.

 

[70boss]

I should qualify the statement that it was in reference to the small 20HP units. The lack of position control limits the fine grading ability of the BX series, and the B7500. This person wasn't trying to sell me on either, since he knew I wasn't buying it from him. Since I am also in a similar business, I know he wasn't just feeding me a line either. I like everything about the B7500, except the lack of position control, and the fact that my preferred dealer does not have any!!