LS MT357 Cab vs John Deere 4052M Heavy Duty

[WVH1977]

Probably not the most apples to apples comparison but I have been looking at new tractors for a couple of years now and getting closer to pulling that trigger. I have looked at and drove most fo the current brands out there. LS was far from my list of tractors when this started. However, there is an LS dealer 40 minutes from me that I know. He has been in business now for 4 or 5 years and growing. He is not going anywhere and in this for the long haul. I know his background and he has worked on and rebuilt tractors all his life. I trust his opinion. Anyway, I looked at and drove the MT357 yesterday and it is a nice tractor and the price is way lower than the Deere's, Kubota's, New Holland's and Massey's. Also, the Boomer is basically same tractor with different loader. It has all the bells and whistles on it, like 2 rear remotes standard and the fit and finish looked pretty top notch to me. It really suprised me. The only potential downfall would be the loader reach height. I dont think that would be a big issue for what I will be doing with it.

I also like the Deere 4 series tractors and have good dealer access all around me. They have good ergonomics and sit up nice and high and have good visibility. I am pretty sure they are not going nowhere anytime soon. I dont have to have a cab and would not pay the money Deere wants for their cab on a 4 series tractor.

However, that 4052 Heavy Duty is still around 52K. I can get the LS w/cab for 42K and it has way more features and the cab for 10K less than a Deere without cab. I really do like the Deere tractor but I am struggling with the price and still not getting all the options the LS offers standard. I am not brand loyal and every tractor company I looked at had nice machines but I think this is where I am at currently unless I decide to move up to utility class. I guess my two biggest questions are;

1. Is the Deere worth the money?
2. I am nervous about future parts availability with the LS. Should I be? Is it just as good as a Deere except for the lower price?
3. I am getting older and the cab is starting to appeal to me but I also like the open air. Is the cab worth it in the long run?

Thanks for any future comments and opinions on this. I am all over the place with this. LOL

 

[George2615]

The cab is nice in winter (at least it is why I bought mine) to have heat while plowing snow. Not sure how much snow you get in your location. Also nice to have AC on those hot summer days. My current 2014 LS XR3037HC is the first cabbed tractor I've had over 40 plus years of owning tractors. Maybe it's because I'm getting older but I like the comfort of a cab. The MT357 looks like a very nice tractor. It wasn't available when I bought mine but my 36HP is plenty for me. If I needed a different tractor I'd stay with a cabbed one. Each brand will have eventual problems so I shopped mainly by price and features and LS beat all the other brands and I believe they still do. Good luck with your decision.

 

[Torvy]

Short version:

JD types will tell you it is totally worth it, resale value, dealer network...etc.

Most everyone else will tell you that while there is some value in those things, the JD is way over priced and the resale is only higher because the starting price is higher.

My take, unless you really like green paint (I do, but not that shade and not for that price), buy the LS and don't look back.

 

[Eagle1]

I bought my LS used at a JD dealer.....Happy so far.

 

[1 Old Man]

1. Is the Deere worth the money?
2. I am nervous about future parts availability with the LS. Should I be? Is it just as good as a Deere except for the lower price?
3. I am getting older and the cab is starting to appeal to me but I also like the open air. Is the cab worth it in the long run?

1. No.
2. I've had no problems with parts not being available. (I wish LS was cross-referenced on ALL filters).
Had 3 different LS dealer interactions, 1 went out of business, 2 was a clown dealership, 3 was
absolutely very professional. Look at the dealer not just the price. LS corporate was of no help.
That said, I do love my LS. Once the bugs were worked out it has been a 100% pleasure.
The 357 is as good as a Deere in this equipment size range..... and has a lot more standard features.
3. Your intro shows you own a NH TC-40. They are open station and good tractors. Keep it, buy
the 357 and you get the best of both worlds.

Good luck!

 

[aesanders]

I’d probably buy the LS unless you could find a good low hour used Deere. Local Deere dealer just had a 4052m in with 150 hours for around 30k. Didn't last long.

I do think the big named brands are refined a little more than the Korean brands. Stuff like loaders lift, 3 pt hitch raising and other all seem to be a little smoother. You never hear of a Deere having the shakes like many Korean tractors when lifting the 3pt. And Deere and Kubota definitely have better parts supply which is part of the reason they cost more. Costs money to sit on that supply chain. One other thing, I find most Korean tractors setup for short people. Deere‘s seem to have way more legroom.

All that said, from your choice of new tractor, most likely get the cab LS.

 

[Texasmark]

My nearest LS dealer is about 30 miles distant. He sold a box of filters, all of them to fit my M2 25s for $50. It was a service function of LS and they made up the box and offered it for sale. Haven't seen or heard of any other manufacturer doing that for their existing customers.

I bought my 25s in January 2 years ago from a dealer 250 miles away. I had a problem with the multifunction module light on the rear fender. I ordered a replacement under warranty and sent the old one back in the box. Piece of cake.

 

[Cycledude]

Well I shopped pretty much all the brands when looking to buy. A very similar sized John Deere was about $17,000 more, had the same Yanmar engine, it only came with one set of remotes but they would be happy to add another set for $2500 . I like John Deere cabs but reality is they ain’t that much better than LS.
I’m surprised to hear the LS MT 357 only comes with 2 sets of rear remotes, my LS XR 4155 came with 3 rear remotes that was of the things that convinced me to buy it.
Kubota got ruled out because of crazy high price and I simply didn’t like there HST foot pedal.
Massey Ferguson the dealer simply didn’t seem very interested in selling me one so that made me nervous about any possible after the sale service I might need someday.
Mahindra I simply didn’t care for anything I saw there and they also didn’t seem interested in selling me anything.
The dealer I bought my LS from has been excellent, I haven’t had any trouble with it, anytime I have any questions he is very happy to to answer them.
I would be very happy to own a LS MT357 they have made some very nice minor improvements.

 

[dodge man]

When I bought my JD they had pretty good discounts but that was 5 years ago. I honestly didn’t think I’d buy a JD because of the price but at that time they were pretty competitive with Kubota.

I looked up the specs of both tractors, pretty equal with a slight edge going to the LS. Is LS as good as the JD, maybe not. Is it worth $10k more and no cab? I’d say no.

 

[Texasmark]

Probably not the most apples to apples comparison but I have been looking at new tractors for a couple of years now and getting closer to pulling that trigger. I have looked at and drove most fo the current brands out there. LS was far from my list of tractors when this started. However, there is an LS dealer 40 minutes from me that I know. He has been in business now for 4 or 5 years and growing. He is not going anywhere and in this for the long haul. I know his background and he has worked on and rebuilt tractors all his life. I trust his opinion. Anyway, I looked at and drove the MT357 yesterday and it is a nice tractor and the price is way lower than the Deere's, Kubota's, New Holland's and Massey's. Also, the Boomer is basically same tractor with different loader. It has all the bells and whistles on it, like 2 rear remotes standard and the fit and finish looked pretty top notch to me. It really suprised me. The only potential downfall would be the loader reach height. I dont think that would be a big issue for what I will be doing with it.

I also like the Deere 4 series tractors and have good dealer access all around me. They have good ergonomics and sit up nice and high and have good visibility. I am pretty sure they are not going nowhere anytime soon. I dont have to have a cab and would not pay the money Deere wants for their cab on a 4 series tractor.

However, that 4052 Heavy Duty is still around 52K. I can get the LS w/cab for 42K and it has way more features and the cab for 10K less than a Deere without cab. I really do like the Deere tractor but I am struggling with the price and still not getting all the options the LS offers standard. I am not brand loyal and every tractor company I looked at had nice machines but I think this is where I am at currently unless I decide to move up to utility class. I guess my two biggest questions are;

1. Is the Deere worth the money?
2. I am nervous about future parts availability with the LS. Should I be? Is it just as good as a Deere except for the lower price?
3. I am getting older and the cab is starting to appeal to me but I also like the open air. Is the cab worth it in the long run?

Thanks for any future comments and opinions on this. I am all over the place with this. LOL

A new neighbor from the city bought a farm across from me. They mentioned JD because they have field service which this new owner would need. I suggested a new 2016 JD 4052 with the JD 6' mower. Other than the damage they did unknowingly, the purchase has been problem free.

A couple of years ago I decided that my little 25 HP tractor, all manual, didn't do what an old man needed. Accidentally I wound up in touch with an LS dealer and wound up buying the LS M2-25s with FEL. As a result I have paid attention to LS associated conversations and looked at their equipment.

If I were to buy a new tractor today I would certainly have LS, Branson, and TYM at the top of the list. My feelings are that there are concrete reasons I didn't I add JD or Kubota to my list......ok so I'm cheap and not color dependent.....my money, my choice.....grin.