Buying Advice Overall best tractor?

[beppington]

I am brand new here, but would like to know what you all would recommend for price and reliability and parts? I am looking for a 40 HP 4X4.

Mine is the best :thumbsup: :laughing:

OK, some may say they don't like the hydrostatic transmission that I have, but the Kubota Grand L3940 (40.5HP engine/ 31.5 PTO HP) is available in a choice of 3 different transmssions*. As long as you get the transmission you prefer, I don't think there's anything more anybody could want :thumbsup: (except maybe a cab, which is also available ... or a lower price tag as Kubotas aren't the cheapest)

* GST (Glide Shift Transmission), HST (Hydrostatic Transmission), & FST (Fully Synchronized Main & Shuttle Transmission)

The L3940's PTO HP is 33.0 with the GST & FST transmissions

 

[tillboy2001]

I'm biased but I'm absolutely thrilled with our John Deere 4120 (43 HP, 2.4 liter turbo diesel, 4x4). It's been a perfect machine and EXTREMELY reliable in the 450 hours of use so far.

 

[troutsqueezer]

Pish posh guys....come on... It's an easy answer. The best tractor, period, is a 2002 Kubota B21 with around 1300 hours on it, just broken in, with a small scratch on the left side of the bonnet.

 

[RobertN]

I've only had about 50 hours on my TC40D. Between the HST, and Supersteer, it has to be the most manueverqable tractor I have seen. And it doesn't have the funny pedal layout like the Kubota

I was looking at Kubota's originally, because I already had one. I just wanted to move up in size and HP(jumped from 19hp to 40hp!). I got my TC40D with 475 hours on it. Two factors... I liked it just as much as comparable Kubotas and Deeres. And, it was what was availble locally on the used market. The second I sold my old Kubota, the local used market practically dried up! I was originally looking at Kubota L3410's.

 

[gbw]

I'm biased but I'm absolutely thrilled with our John Deere 4120 (43 HP, 2.4 liter turbo diesel, 4x4). It's been a perfect machine and EXTREMELY reliable in the 450 hours of use so far.

Me too. I don't know from best. I bought a JD 4320 (48hp) used, low hours.

It's an e-Hydro model and I've been thrilled as well. Incredibly easy to use, powerful, reliable for 300 hrs. now, FEL easy to detach and attach.

And, well maintained, JD is likely very easy to re-sell at a decent price if I should ever need to, so I don't consider the whole cost as sunk money.

I'm sure lots of the Kubota, NH, Case, etc. folks feel the same about their tractors.

One thing I'd never be without now is hydrostatic drive.

 

[jake98]

Mine is the best :thumbsup: :laughing:

You gotta be kidding, that thing is way too orange!

 

[tillboy2001]

Me too. I don't know from best. I bought a JD 4320 (48hp) used, low hours.

It's an e-Hydro model and I've been thrilled as well. Incredibly easy to use, powerful, reliable for 300 hrs. now, FEL easy to detach and attach.

And, well maintained, JD is likely very easy to re-sell at a decent price if I should ever need to, so I don't consider the whole cost as sunk money.

I'm sure lots of the Kubota, NH, Case, etc. folks feel the same about their tractors.

One thing I'd never be without now is hydrostatic drive.

If I had it to do over again, I would have loved to have the 4720 with the hydro. The clutch is easy to use and the power reverser means many times you don't even need the clutch, but in some situations having a hydro would make things a little easier for me.

 

[CompactTractorFan]

I am brand new here, but would like to know what you all would recommend for price and reliability and parts? I am looking for a 40 HP 4X4.

What about a John Deere 3520? 38hp and they look very nice. Also you could upgrade to a 3720 with 44hp.

 

[HiTechTed]

I will save you a lot of time. Get one that's orange and says Kubota on it.

 

[RobertN]

Haha, I thought so too till I got my New Holland

Besides, Kubota coulda used something more original than Allis Chalmers Orange And small-block Chevy orange

I will save you a lot of time. Get one that's orange and says Kubota on it.

 

[Gittyup]

As has been said, a lot of good choices. But, your best choice is the one that best fits your uses. For example, a Kubota is lighter, and therefore a better choice for finish mowing. But, if you want to dig, a heavier tractor like a Kioti or Mahindra might be the best choice. List your uses and the percentage of your tractor hours dedicated to them. Then research what features most affect your uses. This will help you narrow down model numbers and mfrs. From there, they are all best.

 

[blueriver]

All of them ... as long as its a tractor I LIKE M' ...

 

[Gittyup]

Things to consider:

hydraulic pump capacity
hydralic remotes
mid pto
split brakes
loader performance, lift, cycle, self leveling, level indicator
3ph lift
live/electric pto
rear lift control
draft control
3ph height contorl vs. qtr inching
ergonmics
loader control valve design
roll bar height & foldin design

 

[beppington]

As has been said, a lot of good choices. But, your best choice is the one that best fits your uses. For example, a Kubota is lighter, and therefore a better choice for finish mowing. But, if you want to dig, a heavier tractor like a Kioti or Mahindra might be the best choice. List your uses and the percentage of your tractor hours dedicated to them. Then research what features most affect your uses. This will help you narrow down model numbers and mfrs. From there, they are all best.

My L3940 weighs about 7,000 lbs with the FEL, liquid filled tires & an implement out back. Light?

 

[Qapla]

Besides, Kubota coulda used something more original than Allis Chalmers Orange And small-block Chevy orange

Now - Now, let's not criticize a company that had the good sense to make their tractor GATOR ORANGE

 

[Ford tractor]

Not Belarus !

Just about everything else is ok. Even many of the China tractors would be considered decent to good in comparison!


About every Kubota tractor is going to be very reliable. My OPINION is that they are top of the heap in the 20-50 hp game right now. Maybe top in the 20 to 120 game, can't say as I don't play with the big equipment. The difference between them and JD or NH and others is pretty slight, probably to the point of not mattering much at all.

The 3rd most important thing (when buying a top brand tractor) is going to be ergonomics of how well you fit on it and operate it. Second most important is what you LIKE the best. The #1 most important thing when buying ANY tractor is .... will your wife let you get it.:laughing:

 

[RobertN]

So Kubota's are Allis Chalmers small-block Chevy Gator orange?

FWIW, my old Kubota was a great tractor....

Now - Now, let's not criticize a company that had the good sense to make their tractor GATOR ORANGE

 

[Cat_Driver]

One question you need to think about is do you need a TRACTOR in the traditional sense.

I purchased a tractor because it seemed like the thing to do with a few acres. I had it for 10 years and it sorta did the job, then one day on this site I started reading about track loaders and alight bulb went off. I use my "tractor" differently than others and it seemed like the track loader was a better fit.

So I thought outside the box.

I went with a Cat Track loader and have never looked back. I don't plow, and I don't trailer things with my tractor but what I needed was something that had endless attachments, lifting capacity, no tires ( because I'm around thorns all day long and got a flat a day ).

In any typical day I can switch between several attachments and never leave the seat, I just pull up push a button unhook, go to the next attachment push a button lock it in and off I go.

From a trencher, forks, various buckets, lifting arms graders etc.

Sure you can put an attachment on any tractor that will accept attachments, I did that and it wasn't close to the real thing.

So don't leave out a skid steer style tractor in your search.

 

[ITHINKICAN]

Kubota won 1st place in the 40 hp shootout in the December edition of Tractor and Mower magazine

 

[Zork]

I will give this advice first- I will always try to have 4WD on every tractor I purchase from now on- Can I get an agreement here from everyone?
Anyway, my Branson 3520 was the best deal for my finances and what I thought was a quality machine. I went to a not so local dealer and test drove several brands and decided the controls weren't right for me; or it was too much money, etc. Since I was a wrench turner many years ago, I looked at the access to items that would/ may need repair and how I would access it. I also looked at the trans-axle and bull gear assemblies of ALL of them. Some of those tractors had some cheesy looking trans-axle assemblies as compared to others- maybe newer, lighter technology; either way I passed on those smaller trans-axle assemblies. One brand new loader unit I test drove had so much side-to-side play in the loader that when I was test driving it with an empty bucket over rough terrain, driving slowly, I thought I was going to loose control; passed on that model. Another brand used plastic bushings on the wear pivot points of the loader; past on that brand. Consider the weight of the tractor, will you have to immediately by additional weight?; and the lifting capacities, if considering a loader. What type of tires do you need? Either way, the previous posts here give you allot of good information. A dealer (now my dealer) called a customer that allowed me to use his tractor, a Branson 3510, at his house and I was very impressed, but it was smaller than I thought I needed. I was so impressed I did more research on the larger 3520 series and bought it. I had the turbo choice but I thought the HP increase of approximately 5hp wasn't worth the extra money and I really didn't feel comfortable with the 1st year turbo technology with this brand. I'll be posting a review of my tractor soon. Good luck in your search and remember, the best food is the kind you like to eat, and the best tractor, to a degree, is the kind you are comfortable with, and especially one you can afford.