What are the most reliable tractors to own?

[Reddogs]

Any piece of equipment is prone to breakdowns, repairs, etc. my personal experience with tractors (just 20 to 40 hp "homeowner" tractors) over the past 20 years is that I did not have any "brand" related issues. Just normal repairs (hoses, alternators, etc - wear items, I guess you could say).

Very true, but just to make a example, I owned every kind of car in my youth, but when I bought certain brands, I quickly found out that not all are the same. Some cannot get a part shipped to the mechanic for months (Fiat took 3 months), others try to make more money when you bring it in for regular service (Nissan dealer, however they didnt know I had just replaced it and the part was new) or it just turns off and the dealer cant diagnose it (Ford coil for some reason would quit when you ran it), and so on...But when I got Toyota pickups and Hondas, they rarely broke down or even worse, left me stranded, and the dealers were upfront and honest as a norm. So I checked and CR had them at the top year after year, and I changed my buying habits and recommended them to all my friends and family, and rarely where they disappointed. So reliability is measurable and seen in its consistency, so tractors should be on the same playing field standard which can measured on some level which people can discern, to say the least.

 

[jigs_n_fixtures]

Generally nearly all of th‘em are pretty reliable if you do the maintenance and lube all the grease points at least once when you run them. Most diesel tractors should be warmed up before you start runnning them around, and cycling the hydraulics. I was taught to keep a grease gun on the tractor, and grease things while you let it warm up a bit. Most of the older tractors had factory tool boxes sized for the grease gun, a few wrenches and screwdrivers, and a couple of rags.

Where the brand starts to matter most is ten years down the road when you start needing repair parts, and have to work with the dealer.

Or, early on when you are accessorizing it. The Green and Orange guys have a lot more choices of things which bolt on. From auxiliary hydraulics, beverage holders, aftermarket cabs, turbo charger kits, upsized hydraulic pumps, etc. the Green and Orange guys have far more choices, readily available for their tractors.

Aftermarket implement manufacturers design things for the Green and Orange, which also work with the others. But if I ask a manufacturer or vendor of a 3-point implement if it will work with my TYM T233, they don’t have a clue unless I tell the how much my 3-point can lift, the PTO horsepower, and the hydraulic flow they definitely won’t know, and even if you tell the all the specs many of them still won’t know. Tell them it is a Green or Orange and which model, and they can give you an answer immediately.

If you can weld you can, and will, make a tooth bar, or grab handles, or whatever else you might need, to get your tractor optimized for you. If you can’t fabricate, and fix things yourself, you are better off with Green or Orange.

 

[setxjeff]

This is even better than the Ford,Dodge Chevy debate because most of the smaller tractors are made by someone else and rebadged.
My International was made by Mitsubishi and my Mahindra 1538 is a Mitsubishi also. Yanmar has made Green Tractors for over 30 years. I agree with buy what fits you, size,mechanical ability and wallet. IH still has parts for my 254 IH/Mitsubishi that’s 40 years old and the alt/starter/voltage regulator is rebuildable or available any alternator shop. I think the problem is going to be 10 years or so from now what happens to the computer controls with the legal battles going on now about the OBD-II codes the tractor companies are not releasing. Even kubota and daedong built a tractor Kubota and Kioti's parent company, Daedong, worked together to build Kubota's 02 tractor series.

Time will tell how long they last and will we be able to repair the normal wear and tear items in the future.

I don’t think There is very few pure bred tractors probably under 150hp

As always this is just my personal opinion

 

[WranglerX]

Actually the best tractor you ever owned was the one you traded in or sold to get the new bright shiny one...

 

[Tx Jim]

Actually the best tractor you ever owned was the one you traded in or sold to get the new bright shiny one...

I'll stay with my '91 JD 4255 that has over 11,600 hrs on the speed/hr meter or my '11 Kubota M7040 with 1800 hrs on speed/hr meter. I've read too many threads about nearly new bright/shiny tractors that engine won't start or tractor won't move or stops moving after being put in gear or problems with regen cycle

 

[Jstpssng]

I'll stay with my '91 JD 4255 that has over 11,600 hrs on the speed/hr meter or my '11 Kubota M7040 with 1800 hrs on speed/hr meter. I've read too many threads about nearly new bright/shiny tractors that engine won't start or tractor won't move or stops moving after being put in gear or problems with regen cycle

I'll bet there are a lot more stories though, about older tractors which don't start, won't move, the 3pth won't work,...
There are only so many older used tractors out there, and every one of them is getting even older, most are getting more used.

 

[Sportsman762]

Reddogs, all the brands you list make good machines for the most part. They have all made duds as well. The dealer is the deciding factor. For example I know Challenger is a good brand, however my coworker has terrible issues with his, but most is due to an incompetent dealer. With that being said this topic is going to be no better than a Ford vs Chevy vs Dodge debate. Start a new thread with details, or watch this one spiral out of control.

 

[Buggs67]

 

[Torvy]

They dont say, but here is another one with John Deere on top, that seems to be consistent across the board... https://www.cropsreview.com/best-tractor-brand/

May as well use a random list of the favorites of anyone here. This article is literally one guy's personal opinion. Without statistically relevant data, this any all like it are just hot air. Best-selling is about good marketing, not necessarily good quality.

 

[jyoutz]

May as well use a random list of the favorites of anyone here. This article is literally one guy's personal opinion. Without statistically relevant data, this any all like it are just hot air. Best-selling is about good marketing, not necessarily good quality.

Not to mention that none of these articles and surveys focus on CUTs or UTs. They are focused on large agricultural row crop tractors.