Kubota vs Massey advice

[Hay Dude]

Well I've been sidelined with a bad cold for the last week but it gave me time to collate all the quotes and do some thinking.



After weighing up the figures, I signed up for the Massey MF5709.

Since it has to come across country, now the wait begins!

Thanks to everyone for their advice in this thread, I really appreciate it, and good luck to BleepinSheep for the deal on his Massey.

Smart.
When comparing tractors, always look at weight.

Kubota makes great tractors, but IMO AGCO makes a more “farmer oriented” tractor, while Kubota is more “utility” oriented.

 

[BleepinSheep]

Tractor’s home. I think this tractor is going to serve us well, it has some of the smoothest controls & trans I’ve experienced in a piece of equipment.

The only issue I’ve found with it so far is that the loader lowering control on the hand control only goes partway forward, like it’s being blocked internally in the spool valve. It goes down just fine but can only be pressed maybe 1/3 the way the rest of the controls go, and won’t go into float. I’ve fiddled with it and given it some force and it hasn’t had effect. I think it needs disassembly.

Otherwise the ride quality is good, loader is very strong, it’s quiet enough to not need hearing protection. Put about six hours on it today.

 

[Wobblin-Goblin]

I have no first hand experience with larger Kubotas, but the ones I've seen on dealer lots left me thinking I did better by going with the Massey 4707, which has been a pretty good tractor on our farm.

No DEF and no DPF, by the way.

 

[asjadkhan]

Here’s the quick breakdown for you:

• Kubota M9540 → lighter, designed that way to reduce soil compaction. Great for haying, spraying, and general PTO work where weight isn’t critical. If you’re mainly running a sprayer, slasher, or auger, the Kubota will handle it fine and be easier on the ground.
• Massey MF4709 → heavier rear end, beefier axles, more cast iron. That extra 1,000 kg gives stability, traction, and loader advantage. If you’re grading roads, lifting with the FEL, or ever pulling ground-engaging gear, you’ll notice the Massey feels more planted.

Think of it like this: Kubota saves weight by using lighter castings, less iron in the chassis/rear end, and a more compact design. Massey carries more iron in the rear housing, axles, and frame. Neither is “weaker” in reliability, but the Massey is built to be more of a workhorse.

 

[Wobblin-Goblin]

After weighing up the figures, I signed up for the Massey MF5709.

Since it has to come across country, now the wait begins!

Thanks to everyone for their advice in this thread, I really appreciate it, and good luck to BleepinSheep for the deal on his Massey.

That's a lot of tractor. Congrats. Did you get the FL series loader? They are better than the standard loader. I got the FL loader on my 4707 and I also wanted mechanical self-leveling, which comes in handy.

 

[Wobblin-Goblin]

One more thing about the Massey 4700 and 5700 series: comfort.

They were designed from the ground up to be comfortable, and it shows. Large fluid-free radial tires that flex, rubber mounted cab, rubber floor mat, and air ride seat.

I've operated dozens of pieces of equipment/tractors over my lifetime and my 4707 is easily the most comfortable one of them all.

 

[Hay Dude]

Kubota almost seems to have become the “default” tractor.
Seems like 90% of buyers automatically buy them without doing much comparison shopping. I bet a lot of first time buyers do this because they are so excited to finally own a tractor, and Kubota has a good reputation and they have a dealer every 10 miles along the road.
I even hear people say “I’ll (dig, cut, lift, etc.) that with the Kubota”.

Its almost become a brand name like “Band Aid” or “Kleen-Ex”.

 

[EddieWalker]

I sort of fall into that category. I've always felt that Kubota makes the best compact tractor, so that's where I started every time I wanted to buy something. Same with lawn mower and side by side. But every time I go to the dealer to buy something, I have such a bad experience talking to the sales guy, I always go somewhere else and end up buying another brand. I still like Kubota, but I've never owned one.

 

[Hay Dude]

One more thing about the Massey 4700 and 5700 series: comfort.

They were designed from the ground up to be comfortable, and it shows. Large fluid-free radial tires that flex, rubber mounted cab, rubber floor mat, and air ride seat.

I've operated dozens of pieces of equipment/tractors over my lifetime and my 4707 is easily the most comfortable one of them all.

That’s because they were designed by Ag tractor engineers and designers. They know what being stuck in a cab for long hours does to the human body.
The smaller Masseys have some of the larger Massey’s features in them.

You guys would be blown away by the number of features large AG tractors for comfort.

Not to knock Kubota, but they were designed more for utility and economy. Kubota has some comfort features for sure, but they are sort of nullified by the lighter weight.

Heavier tractors with bigger tires ride better.

 

[HJ75]

That's a lot of tractor. Congrats. Did you get the FL series loader? They are better than the standard loader.

Thank you! Yes, it is probably more tractor than I need right now but the price was competitive and the value for money was greater than the other options. I would have liked to go for the MF5710 (dealer had one in the yard) but I just couldn't justify an extra $10k (AUD) for ten more HP on the same size machine.
I did spring for the FL loader with 3rd function and soft-ride.