New Holland TC 35A vs. Kubota L3400 vs. John Deere 990

[CWP37]

Hey, I'm not trying to trash NH. I'm just offering up an observation of something I experienced. I asked around and some people suggested that the NH may have had too much air in the tires. Over the same terrain, the L3400 was a smoother ride.

I agree that NH has better thought out ergonomics.

 

[benji]

i visited the kubota dealer today. very helpful salesman. i drove the L3400 around the lot. It would turn on a dime, I was impressed. It is a lot smaller than the NH TC35A I looked at, so I might not be comparing apples to apples. I priced the L3400 with a loader and 5' bushhog. It was $17,100 plus tax. I like the fact that it is smaller but has the same power. I think it would be stable on the hills, at least from the looks of it. I would miss the deluxe hitch of the NH, I think. I'm going to the JD dealer tomorrow at lunch and see what they have to offer. My dad is still pushing me toward the JD. I'm liking the kubota now, especially with all I hear about their reputation on this board and elsewhere. I don't know that I'd need the superior ergonomics of the NH. I'm not a full-time farmer or anything. Just mowing and bushhogging when it needs it, and seeing what else I can find to play with on the tractor.
I can't get my dad to appreciate my Honda, so I know it will be hard to get him to look at something other than a JD.

 

[kossetx]

Benji, If your going to do loader work, I think you will miss shuttle shift and shift on the fly also. I never though I'd need either one, but they do come in handy, as do the extendable links. I may be wrong, but I don't think the 990 or 3400 have that available unless you get a better grade tractor or hydro.

Randy, I do feel like my NH does have way to rough of a ride compared to other tractors I tried. It is the only thing I don't like about it. I think a better suspention system for the seat would help.

 

[benji]

what about the JD 3320? I'm just looking at it online. I'm liking what I see so far. I'll try to look at one on the dealer.
After looking at the literature, the things I like more on the NH:
- larger wheelbase, frame, weight (seems more stable to me)
- more comfortable seat/ operator area
- larger PTO lift capacity (I don't really know if I'd need it, but it seems nice)
- shuttle shift (i've never used before)
- deluxe PTO hookup

Kubota Pros:
- reliability (from everyone I've talked to)
- smaller size with same power (sometimes I like the larger NH, sometimes I'm leaning toward the smaller Kubota)
- better price
- seems more maneuverable

I'm checking out the JD soon. Even with the Kubota not having all the bells and whistles, I liked it a lot. This is a lot harder than I thought it would be. I'm looking forward to a trip to the Deere lot.

 

[CWP37]

It's funny, I was making this same comparison a year ago and I still haven't bought. You really can't go wrong with any of the major colors and probably even with some of the lesser known brands.

One thing I'd be sure of is how much tractor you will need. I was really close to buying a 35-40hp tractor. A $5k broken a/c stole my down payment and I'm glad b/c I would have chosen poorly. I'm up to looking for a 50 hp utility tractor. A years worth of rentals has taught me what I need to get.

 

[MessickFarmEqu]

Benji, If your going to do loader work, I think you will miss shuttle shift and shift on the fly also. I never though I'd need either one, but they do come in handy, as do the extendable links. I may be wrong, but I don't think the 990 or 3400 have that available unless you get a better grade tractor or hydro.

The L3400 does have a shuttle, but its not a traditional one. Instead of being up on the dash its over on the side since it also does the high-low. It is a shuttle and can be driven as such.

 

[Turbys_1700]

what about the JD 3320? I'm just looking at it online. I'm liking what I see so far. I'll try to look at one on the dealer.
After looking at the literature, the things I like more on the NH:
- larger wheelbase, frame, weight (seems more stable to me)
- more comfortable seat/ operator area
- larger PTO lift capacity (I don't really know if I'd need it, but it seems nice)
- shuttle shift (i've never used before)
- deluxe PTO hookup

Kubota Pros:
- reliability (from everyone I've talked to)
- smaller size with same power (sometimes I like the larger NH, sometimes I'm leaning toward the smaller Kubota)
- better price
- seems more maneuverable

I'm checking out the JD soon. Even with the Kubota not having all the bells and whistles, I liked it a lot. This is a lot harder than I thought it would be. I'm looking forward to a trip to the Deere lot.

I personally would look at the Grand L series from Kubota and the 31 series from JD to compare to the TC 35/40/45 NH. More capacity than the L2800/3400 series. Nothing wrong with the JD but no option for the shuttle. You won't like the collar shift if you are going to use the FEL a lot.

If you like the size of the L3400 Kubota then you need to look at the smaller class 2 NH's in the TC 31/34.

 

[benji]

The TC35 with a 250TL loader and 6' bush hog is 21,350. I still haven't been to the JD dealer, maybe tomorrow. I'm liking the Kubota for the money. He told me I could get the hydro for about $1000 more.

 

[Mike120]

When I was looking to replace my blue tractor, I naturally looked at the blue tractors first. I really liked NH but in talking to friends that had recently bought them, all of them said that they had problems with some of the new electro/hydralic features. Nothing major, just things like discing and suddenly the 3pt raises. Those were the only complaints I heard but they were enough to make me look at the orange and green tractors. In the end, I ended up buying a JD.

 

[lawn_king]

I can't speak for the New Holland or the John Deere but if you get the Kubota all you need the dealer for is to pick up your new tractor and shoot the bull.

Well said, that has been my experience over the past six years, working kubotas to make my living!