This might get long. Fair warning, but here is my story, including why I started making my tractor videos, which apparently have also helped people with their decision.
I needed a tractor several years ago, but was getting by with a big Yamaha Grizzly 660 ATV for snow plowing and light work around the house. A very close friend of mine, loaned me his tractor from time to time, a 30hp Mahindra. But it was always a hassle loading it up and trailering it back and fourth. He never seemed to mind, he only ever really uses it in the winter anyway. But it wasn't MY tractor. When it came close to buckling down and buying a tractor, I asked my friend where he got this Mahindra, since it was affordable and seemed like a solid tractor. He took me to the same, small 'mom-and-pop' dealer he used.
Cascade Tractor in Spokane. Dealer in Massey Ferguson, Branson, this odd LS Tractor, and Mahindra. But, the owner informed me that he is no longer going to be dealing with Mahindra. He didnt tell me why.
I've never heard of LS until this day. But I am not brand loyal, open to anything.
The dealer told me that LS is a relatively new tractor company, whos parent company is LG, the same LG as kitchen appliances, and everything else. Based out of Korea, but are really exceptional tractors. He quoted me a price for that tractor in the photo and I thanked him for his time. That was late 2014.
Over the years, I spoke with several different dealers about several different tractors. I did my due diligence, read up on everything I could, joined this forum, etc. Even went to the new Mahindra dealer and spoke to them. Growing up on the farm back home, we only used New Holland and John Deere. So, of course my family would tell me to get a little JD. But here is what I learned from all my dealings with these different manufactures:
JD - over priced, way outside my price range for what I wanted compared to the others
NH - Same as JD
Mahindra - Good little tractors, but not the same as my friends. They seemed to go down in quality and up in price since he bought his.
Kubota - Great tractor, expensive price tag, few features
Branson - Simple tractor, no extra features, good price
Koiti - lol no. Drove about an hour and a half to a 'dealer' who showed me a tractor that was not... good. I dont know. Just seemed off.
Massey Ferguson - Good tractors, expensive.
LS - Good tractor, great features and extras, decent price tag.
The Branson, MF, and LS were at the same dealer, but I never really spoke to him about those brands. In fact, I didnt speak to that dealer since that one afternoon back in 2014. All my research was done online. And that LS, it kept coming back.
A part of my research was watching videos. You get a solid mix of "reviews" from just about all the brands. Many videos shows people hating their tractor because of this is broken or that is messed up, etc. Then you get the others who love their tractor and nothing will ever go wrong with it, ever. The JD guys, who spent more that everyone else combined, fiercely defend their purchasing decision, and of course, their tractor is 'the best.'
I kept searching YouTube for LS tractors, I wanted..., needed to see these LS tractors preform, what real people were saying about them. I remember yelling at the screen "SHOW ME THE DASH!" or "DRIVE THOUGH SOME MUD!" or "GET A BETTER ANGLE OF THAT!" I needed to see these things. There were a few videos, but not many. And by now, I was focusing on which model I wanted. The LS XR4040 (If memory serves) without a cab. That was the tractor I wanted. 40hp, bigger than my friends because I can, its a beefy tractor. Then... I heard about their engine going into regen every 10 minutes....
I didn't know much about this regen thing. When I was on the farm, the EPA mostly kept their noses out of the tractor world. What is a regen? Why should I care? DPF??? I did some digging. Learned about these Diesel Particulate Filters, these regeneration cycles and how they work. Some people were upset at this Shibarua diesel engine in the XR4040 and their every 5hr regeneration cycles. But, okay, you don't need to stop work every 5 hours. It really not noticeable when your actually working the tractor. But then, LS did something I wasn't expecting.
LS made the XR41 series. Same tractor, different engine. The use the new and improved LS made engine. They claimed 50 hours between regen cycles. I changed my mind. I want this new and improved tractor... but in 45hp! Of course, I YouTubed it. Couldn't find it, for a long time. But it was new to the market. Give it some time. A few popped up here and there, but it was variants, if memory serves. Everyone seemed happy..., mostly. Ok, time to put my money down. Loaded up the wife and visited Cascade Tractor on a Friday afternoon.
I was focused on the XR4145, the gear driven one, without a cab. I live in the woods, and figured branches would break the glass. Besides, I'm not made of money and cabs are expensive. I didn't want they hydrostatic drive either, because, well, I just don't like them. I prefer gear driven. So I sat down with the dealer, he of course didn't have any in stock, only these smaller ones. He penciled about the XR4145 for me and it was a good price. He asked me about the cab model, and I told him why I wasn't considering it. He then told me that he has actually sold a few of these cab model LS tractors around the area. Only had to fix one, when the operator didn't close the door while driving through a gate. Branches are not really a concern, and the cab is nicer in the winter months.
"Okay, whats the added cost?" ... Now, honesty, I don't remember what the added cost was. I just remember thinking: 'oh wow. That's really nothing more!' We then added a few implements (because what is a tractor without implements?) and in about 2 weeks, he delivered my new LS XR4145C in April 2018.
I decided to start making YouTube videos the day the tractor showed up. I was so excited to show it off. No one on YouTube (that I was aware of) had this tractor. So I filmed it in hopes that I could educate someone else, maybe, on the features of this tractor. I had some horrible videos up before I got my tractor, no real views or subscribers. After I posted that tractor video, and more after, my channel has steadily grown. It's not huge by any means, and I don't push out content on a regular basis. I am a 'one-man-show' where filming and editing all take away from working. But I still try.
That is why A) I bought an LS. B) Watch YouTube about LS. And C) Make my own YouTube videos.
