John Deere similar to 'Bota L2800HST?

[RollTideRam]

3203 JC

 

[Sweats62]

My 3203 has no cruise and that's a detractor in my book. My wife's book, however reads that my three dreamy daughters, all of whom use the tractor, need cruise control like a hole in the barn. Hmmm

 

[Ob1kubota]

The 3005 is their comparison, however it lacks some major features that the Kubota's have and will certianly be more expensive.

Agreed but Neil if Deere ever decides to go after Kubota's market nitch and back it up with KCC type financing we are done.

 

[Carl Bill]

How much more market share could Deere have if they tried to compete with Kubota? I am also thinking more seriously about Kioti. The CK35 and DK35 might be in the ball park for cost, HP and features.

I already sent one dealer an email for a quote. No reply so far.

I really wish I could take a few days off and go visit all of these dealers in person. Buying a tractor is so much more difficult than buying a car. I can browse dealers inventory on-line for a car. Find the one I want and then go to the dealer and get what I want at what I know is the best price. Tractors is not so easy from my experience.

A Chevy Cobalt, Ford Focus, Toyota Corrolla, Honda Civic, Nissan Sentra, etc.... are all so close on performance and features... you just need to find the best price... And if you like one brand over the other, no big deal, just find the best price. And Consumer Reports will help you find the one with the best reliabiliy.

But with tractors, there is a lot of need to understand the details of the model, they vary so much. I had thought at one time that all makes had similar models, and they may have to some degree, but I am finding that it is hard to find an "apples to apples" comparision between brands. Apples to Oranges all day long!

I just want to get a good deal on a reasonable, reliable, afordable and preferably American branded tractor if at all possible. But I will go for a Kubota, Kioti or any other brand that offers all the other requirments.

:|

 

[MessickFarmEqu]

Agreed but Neil if Deere ever decides to go after Kubota's market nitch and back it up with KCC type financing we are done.

I know some people would say that, but I don't agree. I've venture to say that Kubota has got at least as big a following as Deere has with compacts... except that ours is based on quality and performance and theirs is based on hats and plastic toys. We'd all have a very good business even if we did not have the pricing advantage that we usually do. Frankly, I don't think they could do it even if they really wanted to. They are an old top heavy company with lots of middle men, nothing like Kubota. Its like Ford finally really going head to head with Toyota... the company cultures are so different its nearly impossible.

How much more market share could Deere have if they tried to compete with Kubota?

Oh they compete... the 3005 is a direct result of whats Kubota's done with the L2800/L3400 (in the HST variant). The number of people I see shopping Deere is shockingly few.

 

[BleedGreen]

Oh they compete... the 3005 is a direct result of whats Kubota's done with the L2800/L3400 (in the HST variant).

OK, I am not even going to touch the "hats and plastic toys" comment...

As far as the 3005 is concerned: 1) The 3005 is a Gear tractor - not an HST. 2) The 3005 is just a rebaged 790 with an IT4 engine, which is itself a rebaged 770 with a few more horsepower. 3) The 770 was introduced in 1989 - when was the L2800 first produced? If it was introduced after 1989, (TractorData does not show when it was first produced, nor can I find it on the Kubota website) it can hardly be a "direct result" of what Kubota has done. 4) I believe that the tractor you are referring to is the 3203 - not the 3005.

 

[BleedGreen]

Not unless its got a cab!
Seriously tho...what is that, a Chinese Knock Off? Pedals arent JD...Neither is the loader frame....

Sorry Dave, no cab...

I don't believe I am at liberty to say exactly what that green tractor is, but I am sure the information will be released by someone, at some company, sometime soon.

In regards to Deere competing with Kubota in a certain market niche, I give you a quote from our friend at Messick Farm Equipment: Frankly, I don't think they could do it even if they really wanted to. They are an old top heavy company with lots of middle men, nothing like Kubota. I wonder how much truth is in that statement - I guess time will tell.

 

[Cidertom]

I decided to chime in (against my better judgement),

After reading the different boards here I think that one of the most important features one should look for is post sale dealer support. Talk to other customers of the dealer and see how well the shop is respected, how easy it is to get the correct parts. You can read just about any of the brand boards here and find horror stories of poor support, poor shop practices, and generaly bad attitudes. On the other hand, you can find stories of dealers bending over backwards to ensure the customer is happy after the sale. Any of the brands have loyal users who say their tractor will out do anyone elses.

Assume your tractor will have a problem and find the dealer who has a community history of treating customers right. It may cost you some more $$ in the short term but...

/ chime in

 

[Spudland_Dave]

I thought that the Kubota L's and similar were built, assembled & Crated up in Japan and the dealer was responsible for installing the tires and other little non critical doo-dads....
Not trying to "start something" but this is a serious question...Whats American made on the Kubota other then the loader?

Messick....Just wondering if my post/question fell thru the cracks?

 

[MessickFarmEqu]

I thought that the Kubota L's and similar were built, assembled & Crated up in Japan and the dealer was responsible for installing the tires and other little non critical doo-dads....

It varies by the product. With L's, your right. They come crated and we put tires and stuff on. T,GR,G,ZD,ZG,BX,RTV,Mowers, Loaders, and Backhoes are all done at KMA (Georgia) for the USA and Europe. We're not just talking putting two screws in. Its pretty much everything but engines and transmissions. KIE does work on some of the industrial equipment. Another plant does final fab on the M-series and TLB's. Another facility of opening shortly, I forget what they are doing there. The L and B tractors are about the only thing that does not have some element of domestic production.

 

[Carl Bill]

Ok, here is where I am on the tractor shopping. I took the day off to go visit a few local (if you can call it that) dealers.

I got the written quotes on Kubota:
L2800HST w/FEL: $15,900
L2800 gear w/FEL: $14,900
Both are current "Xtra Power" with 30 HP Engines

Written quote for MF:
1529 gear w/FEL: $15,900
1532 gear w/FEL: $16,900
(they didn't have an HST model on the lot, so he encouraged me to drive the "shuttle shift" with loader to show me that I really don't need HST) prices seemed high for gear tractor.

Written quote for JD:
3203 HST w/FEL: $16,600
3320 HST w/FEL: $19,750
(3203 has a fixed ROPS)

Being that I had already gotten a "verbal" on teh Kubotas last week, I didn't go there first, so the JD dealer wants me to bring the written quote so he can give me his "best" price. He says he wants to be competitive, so I am going back tomorrow morning.

But, I really do not expect the JD prices to match the Kubota's. For one thing, it is still not an exact "Apples to Apples" comparission. The Kubota has features the 3203 does not have: fold down ROPS and cruise control. The Deere has a little bit more HP. And I believe I will be expected to pay more for the green paint.

I think MF is out of the game now at those prices for a gear tractor.

So, tomorrow I will see what happens. Kioti Dealer is a little bit too far to drive with the time I have, although I keep hearing that they have a free loader deal going on. Not sure if they are in the ball park even with that deal.

Thanks for any comments or input.

Carl

 

[Carl Bill]

John Deere salesman took the day off today.

Stopped in at New Holland, the only had one salesman working and he was too busy to talk. I looked at what they had... including the new Cub Cadet/Yanmar's... but no salesman available to tell me what I was looking at.

I said it before, but buying a tractor is no easy thing as compared to a car.

I am wanting to buy a product. I have ability to pay or finance. Why do they make it so hard to take my money? I wasted a vacation day yesterday and drove a lot of miles to get several written quotes so I would have somthing to use to negotiate. I am really starting to think I should just go back to the best price so far at my first stop last week - the Kubota dealer - and buy the L2800. But now, after driving a MF 1532 with shuttle shift, I am wondering if I could actually get by with a L2800 gear with shuttle shift and save another $1k????!!!!! $14,900 is doable over the $15,900 HST.

I was also thinking that the JD guy wouldn't be able to get near the Kubota price anyway..... I believe he would drop a couple of hundred and then tell me that I would have to pay for the "John Deere" quality, green paint, etc.... But I can live without green paint and the "plastic hats".

Oh well.... At least I can say I tried. Can't afford another day off work to piddle with a tractor purchase.

 

[Sweats62]

Not so much trying to defend the 3203 here, just giving a little insight from the eyes of an owner. I haven't yet, in over 250hrs, experienced a problem with a rigid roll bar. In fact, that bar has saved my head from many a swinging, spike laden honey locust branch. I guess if I had a foldable I'd find some reasons why it was better. Also, I'm not sure what JD's stance is on 3203s with more than the 300 loaders but my tractor came with the 300X and I've had zero problems with it. I've used it extensively with everything from dirt to 2" rock and neither it nor the tractor has hesitated at all. Like I say, just a little insight. Hope you're happy with your decision regardless.

 

[Carl Bill]

Not so much trying to defend the 3203 here, just giving a little insight from the eyes of an owner. I haven't yet, in over 250hrs, experienced a problem with a rigid roll bar. In fact, that bar has saved my head from many a swinging, spike laden honey locust branch. I guess if I had a foldable I'd find some reasons why it was better. Also, I'm not sure what JD's stance is on 3203s with more than the 300 loaders but my tractor came with the 300X and I've had zero problems with it. I've used it extensively with everything from dirt to 2" rock and neither it nor the tractor has hesitated at all. Like I say, just a little insight. Hope you're happy with your decision regardless.

I appreciate the info.... I am not at all knocking the 3203, I am just getting tired of the method of trying to get the best tractor deal. My little Kubota has a rigid ROPS and I have no issues with that, but on a much taller tractor, I see a potential use for getting it into the barn without taking out a door/header.

I just would like to see an easier way to get "apples-to-apples" tractor info and get the best price without having to get "written quotes" from each dealer, and then taking that as a negotiating tool to the next dealer to get them to quote a better price. Then making another round of working the deal on the one you really want.... if you have an ideal choice.

I already have 2 orange machines, so I am starting to think it is fate that the best price I have gotten so far (and the first one at that) is orange. (My first orange machine is actually a Scotts 23 HP Kohler "made by John Deere" lawn tarctor). So out of the 2 I already own, one is "green" under the skin. I buy all my parts... (starting solinoid, steering linkage, blades, filters, etc) at the local John Deere dealer (the one that sells mowers and small implemets). So I feel like I am half way green now, but the big tractor may end up orange like the other two from where I am sitting right now...

 

[Carl Bill]

Went with the Kubota L2800HST w/FEL. $15,900.00 was the price.

John Deere dealer never called me back. I tried to stop in and see if he could deal, but he took the day off. That is ok, but I didn't have the time to work his schedule.

MF was also too high and did not appear to be willing to negotiate. Kioti said he would match the Kubota price with a CX or CK 35 hst. But he was too far to drive for the time I had available.

So Kubota got my $$$. That is ok with me, I feel familiar with the Kubota stuff. But I would have liked to have an American brand... JD or MF... to keep my cousin from giving me a hard time...

I can deal with all that though. Orange will fit in well next to the other 2 tractors in the barn.