Buying Advice John Deere compared to Kubota

[Industrial Toys]

There were some interviews a few years back in a construction magazine talking to some BIG players in the earth moving business. I got that line "you don't need computers to move dirt" from one of those guys.

There apparently has become a HUGE market for older highway tractors, to avoid all the trouble, cost and downtime associated with computers. To me, that speaks volumes about the state of technology.

 

[troverman]

...I like my simple mechanical Kubota. My yard can certainly support a larger mowing tractor but I do not want emission systems and electronics in my personal life. So I stay at my 26 h.p. limit for that and just make more passes.

Paystar, I had the same tractor as you (mine was a 2013 B2920) from new until last year. It was 29HP, zero emissions controls, fully mechanical. The only electrics on it, as you know, are the glow plugs, instruments, and fuel shut off solenoid. It was a very good tractor and performed more work for its size than anyone could imagine.

If you ever want a newer, somewhat larger tractor, I'd recommend an L2501. It is heavier, wider, and can lift more on both ends. However, being rated at 25HP it is a non-emissions tractor and again only uses electrics for the lights, instruments, glow plugs, and fuel shut-off. However, I think it is a nice improvement over the B2920 I had. It has mechanical direct fuel injection and starts much better than the B2920. It has a 10 gallon fuel tank instead of 6. The engine feels much stronger than its rating - I think your B2620 has a 1.1L engine; my B2920 had a 1.3L engine...the L2501 has a 1.7L engine, so much larger. It runs at a lower RPM with good torque and it is quieter.

But that is neither here nor there in the argument of Kubota vs Deere.

 

[ovrszd]

There were some interviews a few years back in a construction magazine talking to some BIG players in the earth moving business. I got that line "you don't need computers to move dirt" from one of those guys.

There apparently has become a HUGE market for older highway tractors, to avoid all the trouble, cost and downtime associated with computers. To me, that speaks volumes about the state of technology.

My Township bought a new JD grader last August. For an additional $25K we could have gotten the "Grade Pro" option. GPS guidance on the blade. We didn't. For general road maintenance we do not need it.

On the other hand, if we were cutting blue top for road/street/cul de sac construction that option would quickly pay for itself. Productivity is increased dramatically.

If we could snap our fingers and remove computers from our lives, we would immediately snap our fingers again to bring them back. Not a single person I know would prefer life without computers, not one.

 

[4570Man]

There were some interviews a few years back in a construction magazine talking to some BIG players in the earth moving business. I got that line "you don't need computers to move dirt" from one of those guys.

There apparently has become a HUGE market for older highway tractors, to avoid all the trouble, cost and downtime associated with computers. To me, that speaks volumes about the state of technology.

That’s more to avoid government mandated emissions and ELD. Computers on vehicles have been around for 30 years maybe more and are proven reliable.

 

[Industrial Toys]

I'm not so sure. Computers used to do their thing, here and there on various machines. They didn't run the whole show. You had an EI module on cars, and if it failed, you could quickly determine that and replace it. Now a body computer talks to a heater module that talks to a fan module and the mechanic can make the bloody fan work. (Just in talking to my mechanic this week)

If a municipality can't run a machine, or a farmer can't run his combine in a field close to home, is different than an independant trucker with a HOT load, and a DEAD truck, a thousand miles from home.

 

[ovrszd]

or a farmer can't run his combine in a field close to home,

Maybe that's how your other farmer ended up with large areas in your fields that were unplanted?

 

[Industrial Toys]

Or that his equipment is "RED"

Repair costs he mentioned to me once on the Combine were not to be believed! I won't say because I don't remember, but suffice it to say, they were in the stratosphere!

 

[ruffdog]

I sure would like to try a Deere with the RTP option where you can program common loader positions. Do other makes offer this tech?

"To make repetitive loader tasks easier and more accurate, John Deere now offers return-to- position (RTP) option which automatically returns the front loader to a preset position."

 

[Industrial Toys]

I do admit electronic control over hydraulics can be slick. I do love my electronic max height pot, and up/down pushbuttons on the 3ph. (JD6200) But, that is just a module that can be easily diagnosed and replaced.

 

[ovrszd]

Or that his equipment is "RED"

Repair costs he mentioned to me once on the Combine were not to be believed! I won't say because I don't remember, but suffice it to say, they were in the stratosphere!

Your stratosphere and his are probably not close to each other.