LS or Kubota

[Torvy]

I’m surprised that the cash discount was $1400. I was only offered $500 for cash discount, so I took the 0%.

Cash discount varies by model from what I can tell.

Those soft values do have a cost...as in extra fees they can charge you for extended warranties and insurance. For most people that is not worth the money. I would only do that if i made a living with the tractor.

This article is about extended warranties on cars, but the advice works for almost anything.

Extended Car Warranties: When and How to Say No - NerdWallet

Many people who buy an extended car warranty either don’t need it or will never use it. Ask yourself these questions before you pop for one.

www.nerdwallet.com

In-house financing is usually only a good deal for people with excellent credit. Always have to do the math to see if it is worth it.

 

[LS Tractor Owner]

I will take you guys at your word. In my neck of the woods I didn't see any bargains like that but then again everything is jacked up right now. Correct me if I'm wrong but you guys purchased your tractors pre pandemic?

I got mine about 30 days before the pandemic officially hit.....

 

[TimberFarm]

Well as far as financing, even when I paid 3.99% financing, I still saved over $6K buying the LS over the same 'package' from Kubota. The starting difference was almost $12 K.

Location and dealer has a big part to play in the equation. When I decided on an LS, I called dealers in 5 different states (knowing that I would be buying from a good distance, it didn't matter what direction I went to get it). I could not believe the difference in pricing from dealer to dealer.

A dealer in Utah, was at least 25% higher than the dealer in Colorado.... and there was a dealer in Oklahoma that was 10% less than the dealer in Colorado. Then the Texas dealer was another 8% lower than the one in Oklahoma! All said, the Texas dealer was almost $9000 less than the one in Utah!

I have heard of people finding the LS dealers in their particular area were just "a little less" than the competing K or JD dealers..... I think that was solely the LS dealer making more profit ....

I found that there were two prices quoted on my MT573CPS.
The dealers were either all $52,000 or else $48-49,000.
dealers from MS,TX, TN, MO, NC, VA.
I had one tell me the tractor MSRP was $63,000+ but he would give $11,000 off. So, $52,000 like the rest of the bunch.
Actually turned out the closest dealer had almost the lowest price. Two big "discount" dealers were only about $500-750 cheaper and they were very indifferent about selling it. They ran ads all over but none had it and when asked when they would get it, they both said they had no idea. I was not too impressed by them.

 

[TimberFarm]

Sicily Island, Louisiana​

View attachment 749419

This is where most LS tractors are final assembled. Tires and wheels are domestic. They are mounted and installed as part of assembly process. Also some LS tractors are shipped without loaders attached. The loaders are installed in Sicily Island as well. At least this was the case in 2013 for the larger tractors. They wouldn't fit in containers with the tires/wheels/loader installed from South Korea.

Another fun fact. LS ships tractor from distribution center (Sicily Island, LA and North Carolina) in van trailers. Not open flatbeds.

CT

I don't know how to post a photo of Google maps, but Battleboro is probably a little smaller yard wise.
This is the back of their yard and then it wraps around the left corner. More tractors were on the left than the back. Back was mostly Tires, and other parts.

 

[Cahaba Valley Farm]

Those soft values do have a cost...as in extra fees they can charge you for extended warranties and insurance. For most people that is not worth the money. I would only do that if i made a living with the tractor.

This article is about extended warranties on cars, but the advice works for almost anything.

I would caution you about your perspective on this. Tractors a very different animal then cars. One common issue that can occur with tractors is the input shaft seal and engine rear main seal can fail and start leaking. When this happens you are looking at having to split the tractor to get inside to replace a $5 part. If you have an extended warranty that one repair alone could more then make it worth purchasing one.

 

[rScotty]

I would caution you about your perspective on this. Tractors a very different animal then cars. One common issue that can occur with tractors is the input shaft seal and engine rear main seal can fail and start leaking. When this happens you are looking at having to split the tractor to get inside to replace a $5 part. If you have an extended warranty that one repair alone could more then make it worth purchasing one.

Since cars - and tractors - have largely moved away from manual clutches interposed between engine and transmission that repair is far less common. Rear main and transmission input seals used to be the norm. Leaks to both almost defined high mileage used equipment. Now both leaks are a rarity.

But the point Cahaba is making makes sense. So check your warrenty to see if it can be extended. Also, before buying any extended warranty, check to make sure that you are comfortable with the exclusions and exemptions , and excluded items such as normal "wear and tear" on covered items - and then ask farther.....

For example, the "Consequential Damage" rider is an"optional extra" on many mechanical policies. It is usually available as a third party rider - but you have to ask for it and pay more. Consequential damage happens when a part that would normally be covered is NOT covered because it was damaged by the failure or inaction of a part that was NOT covered... A lot of cooling system damage falls under that category.

I've seen one Warranty plan that came as: powertrain, powertrain plus, premium, elite, and all the above with "optional extras" - such as Consequential Damage". each of them covering more and more things. For example, nothing in the cooling system was covered until you got to the premium level, and a lot of any repair can be denied by an appeal to the "consequential damage" argument.

rScotty

 

[Cahaba Valley Farm]

Since cars - and tractors - have largely moved away from manual clutches interposed between engine and transmission that repair is far less common. Rear main and transmission input seals used to be the norm. Leaks to both almost defined high mileage used equipment. Now both leaks are a rarity.

There was a post by a member in another group that I belong to that was talking about this. I have uploaded a picture of the spring pin plug under an L3560le. One of the posters has an L5740 which came with HST Plus and his started leaking around 1000 hours. He said Kubota charged him around $4300 to fix that and add a 3rd function valve.

 

[Cahaba Valley Farm]

But the point Cahaba is making makes sense. So check your warrenty to see if it can be extended. Also, before buying any extended warranty, check to make sure that you are comfortable with the exclusions and exemptions , and excluded items such as normal "wear and tear" on covered items - and then ask farther.....

To me it is a no brainer. It's very cheap insurance. Anything can happen and you are mostly covered if it does.

 

[Cahaba Valley Farm]

I've seen one Warranty plan that came as: powertrain, powertrain plus, premium, elite, and all the above with "optional extras" - such as Consequential Damage". each of them covering more and more things. For example, nothing in the cooling system was covered until you got to the premium level, and a lot of any repair can be denied by an appeal to the "consequential damage" argument.

That sounds like Agco.

 

[Torvy]

I prefer data to anecdotes. The math is on your side to skip extended warranties. In the aggregate, the house always wins. You MiGHT have a covered failure, but you Will pay even if you don't. Put the insurance money in an investment account and the odds are better that you will have enough for a new tractor long before you can use the extended warranty.