John Deere 4052M vs Kioti DK6010SE

[MickeyDBC]

Starting to narrow it down to two tractors. Need an open station hydro model with 40 plus pto horsepower that is easy to drive. It will primarily be used to pull a water wagon, nut harvester in a couple of years, and general farm work. I presently have a Kioti 7320 cab model that does a lot of mowing and loader work, so adding a second tractor will make my life easier. I have been happy with Kioti and the local dealer, but our Deere dealer is also good to work with. Looks like I have it narrowed down to the 4052M and DK6010SE. The Kioti DK series has more options like rear remotes and the linked pedal and is priced about 2K under the Deere with the current incentives. The Deere also has a bolt on loader instead of a quick attach no skid steer QA plate but I don't see why I would ever take it off. The JD sales guy said that they are having a big spring sale in a couple of weeks and thought that Deere could sweeten the deal more. I am going to go drive both this weekend and see which one I like best. Anyone have any input or alternatives? I like the Kubota MX6000 but they are priced about 6K over the Deere but not sure of any incentives.

 

[rademamj1]

It's really nice to have your tractor choice down to just two models, it sure makes the decision process more focused. I just don't think you can go wrong buying either tractors. I do have a comment regarding the SSQA on the loader. It truly increases your opportunities to do work on the farm, when you can switch between a bucket and pallet forks on your loader. The pallet forks maybe the cheapest tool ever purchased for my tractor, and has been used hundreds of times for moving equipment, produce from orchards, cut logs, concrete bags. If you choose Deere, have them convert from pins to standard SSQA.

 

[MickeyDBC]

Looked at the Deere 4044M (no 4052s and they have no idea when any will be in) again and as much as I wanted to like it I just could not. The Deere was loud, it was over 2500 to add a single front and a pair of rear remotes, and whoever thought putting the fuel tank that high on the back was nuts. It was also pretty sluggish. I really like the dealer but I think they are going to have to step up their game on their economy line. The new 4052 Heavy Duty looks like it would fit the bill, but the bill of almost 45K is a bit much for a compact.

I was about ready to buy the Kioti DK6010SE when I found a nice year old NX4510HST for a good price. Still under factory warranty, very quiet, and easy to use. My wife spent yesterday afternoon on it spreading mulch around trees and really likes it. Between the linked pedal, anti-stall feature, and overall size really makes it easy for a beginner to use. I drug my 7320 uphill with it to see how it pulled and it did fine, so I don't think it will have any problems with watering, but we may have to upgrade or add another tractor (nothing wrong with having more tractors) in five or seven years, but for now the problem is solved.

 

[m1garand762]

Maybe I was just the victim of no good dealer within a 4 hour drive but whenever I needed parts for my kioti it was guaranteed 2 to 3 weeks downtime I got tired and sold it and bought a kubota so I could get parts when I needed them

 

[MickeyDBC]

I have an ancient Kubota excavator and like the local dealer and I looked at tractors there but there is not much over 25HP with the hydrostat in stock right now. I used the Kubota online builder to see where a L4760 would start for ordering one and got scared pretty quick (add a loader, a couple of remotes and you are over 40K). The Kioti dealer is 30 minutes away and has a great reputation for service (never needed any though on my 7320) and seems to stock a lot of parts.

 

[mo1]

Looked at the Deere 4044M (no 4052s and they have no idea when any will be in) again and as much as I wanted to like it I just could not. The Deere was loud, it was over 2500 to add a single front and a pair of rear remotes, and whoever thought putting the fuel tank that high on the back was nuts. It was also pretty sluggish. I really like the dealer but I think they are going to have to step up their game on their economy line. The new 4052 Heavy Duty looks like it would fit the bill, but the bill of almost 45K is a bit much for a compact.

I was about ready to buy the Kioti DK6010SE when I found a nice year old NX4510HST for a good price. Still under factory warranty, very quiet, and easy to use. My wife spent yesterday afternoon on it spreading mulch around trees and really likes it. Between the linked pedal, anti-stall feature, and overall size really makes it easy for a beginner to use. I drug my 7320 uphill with it to see how it pulled and it did fine, so I don't think it will have any problems with watering, but we may have to upgrade or add another tractor (nothing wrong with having more tractors) in five or seven years, but for now the problem is solved.

The Deere 4M Heavy Duty line was supposedly set up to compete with the Kubota MX and Grand L60 series as a "it's getting close to the size of a standard utility tractor but still has a hydrostatic transmission" tractor. I would think that unless you can't operate a clutch at all (and a tractor with a bunch of low-end torque and lots of gear reduction is about the easiest thing to drive with a clutch), a standard utility tractor makes a whole lot more sense. A local dealer had a 4044M parked next to a two wheel drive 5045E and they were surprisingly close in size. The 5045E's hood was quite a bit taller (I am guessing about 8" or so) but the overall length and width were very similar. Turning radii are pretty similar and the 5045E only weighs about 500 pounds more than the 4052M Heavy Duty does. The 4052M with a loader does cost twice as much as the 5045E with a loader, though.

 

[Lakeport]

I've had a 4052R for just a bit under 2 years now. I hate it! Anytime I need to get real work done with my compact tractor, I'll jump in my 20 year old 4600 (10 less HP).
The paint started flaking off the FEL within a month of purchasing the tractor new. Underneath was a light coating of rust. They must have simply powder coated over the rust. No pre-treat, no e-coat, no primer. Mine is a cab, but the joystick lock constantly rubs on my leg just below my knee. On the other side, the parking brake lever rubs on my lower leg. And the synchronization bar of the FEL sheared at the bolt. My 4600 had somewhat of the same problem with a 1/4" shear pin that would always break, but the 4052 bumped up the size of the shear pin to 5/16" so it is the expensive bar that snaps, not the 20 cent shear pin. At times the hydro has almost no power in reverse. About the time I'm ready to take it to the dealer, it is normal again.

The main reason I purchased the Deere was familiarity with my 4600, compatibility with my FEL attachments that I already had, and I like the two pedal system of the hydrostatic. Given the chance to do it again, I'd purchase another brand tractor and buy new skid steer compatible FEL attachments for that one and I'd probably be happier.

 

[MickeyDBC]

I've had a 4052R for just a bit under 2 years now. I hate it! Anytime I need to get real work done with my compact tractor, I'll jump in my 20 year old 4600 (10 less HP).
The paint started flaking off the FEL within a month of purchasing the tractor new. Underneath was a light coating of rust. They must have simply powder coated over the rust. No pre-treat, no e-coat, no primer. Mine is a cab, but the joystick lock constantly rubs on my leg just below my knee. On the other side, the parking brake lever rubs on my lower leg. And the synchronization bar of the FEL sheared at the bolt. My 4600 had somewhat of the same problem with a 1/4" shear pin that would always break, but the 4052 bumped up the size of the shear pin to 5/16" so it is the expensive bar that snaps, not the 20 cent shear pin. At times the hydro has almost no power in reverse. About the time I'm ready to take it to the dealer, it is normal again.

The main reason I purchased the Deere was familiarity with my 4600, compatibility with my FEL attachments that I already had, and I like the two pedal system of the hydrostatic. Given the chance to do it again, I'd purchase another brand tractor and buy new skid steer compatible FEL attachments for that one and I'd probably be happier.

I talked to another guy that had a 4044 open station and he thought is was underpowered and not a "real" Deere. My wife is very happy with the NX Kioti and I have been using it in the shop as a forklift and I really like it too. Deere make some nice stuff but the need to take the 4000 series a little more seriously, especially considering what they cost. They would probably be better off putting a hydro in the 5075E series and ditching the 4000.