Your Advice Please Kubota vs JD

TMAC · May 26, 2004

gwmullins, I know you've done made up your mind on the two but if your dealing with a dealer from Gallipolis in Ohio you should also check out the NH dealer that is in Gallipolis also. It wouldn't hurt to at least look at them in person if you go up there. Don't know a whole lot about the dealer but I did call and get a fair estimate over the phone during the time I was searching for a tractor. But decided to deal with the Jackson Ohio dealer being closer and a pretty respectable dealership. But if not good luck and I hope everthing works out for you /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

maxtractor · May 26, 2004

I have to give you my 2 cents on this one. Buy the Kubota! I mowed most of 3 hilly acres for the past 20 years with a Kubota B6100 that I bought used. I also plowed, graded, tilled, moved snow and tons of dirt. I even used a box blade that was way to big for the tractor. Sometimes the tractor lacked the weight to get traction or the box blade would lift the front end off the ground, but it never lacked power. The guy I bought it from also mowed about 3 acres with it. The tractor is now about 25 years old and I sold it to a guy who is using it to mow a couple acres. He was thrilled to get it for just $700.00 less than I paid for it 20 years ago. That tractor is only rated 14 hp. I wanted a bigger tractor, power steering, a hydostatic transmission etc. so I upgraded to a B7610 this year. But, that was (still is) one great little 14 hp tractor. My point to telling you this is to say that I know first hand: 1. Kubota makes a great product. 2. You cannot compare gas hp to diesel hp. That 14 hp diesel tractor would out work, out pull and out perform any 20 hp gas tractor I ever saw. The torque is so much different. 3. The diesel engine will be way more fuel efficient and last much, much longer than a gas engine. 4. If you decide to upgrade later (say in 20 years) the resale on the diesel will be much better. I am a big Kubota fan because of my experience, but if not Kubota at least go diesel. You will be glad you did. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

yellowsocks93 · May 27, 2004

It does not have steering brakes or differential lock like others have said. The Kubota is way more powerful than a small JD gas garden tractor. The JD is not bad the Kubota is a bigger machine.

DaveInColorado · May 27, 2004

I have a BX1500 and also use an almost new JD 425 for mowing at a church. The JD 425 is a toy compared to the BX1500. The BX1500 is in a whole different class, especially when you consider that the price is about the same. I cringe when I think that I used to lust over the JD 400 series! That said, if I was in the market for a large mower and didn't need a front loader I believe I would go for the semi-disposable 48 inch deck HST JD mowers at Home Depot for about $2100. I paid five times that price for my BX1500. Granted, it is a much better investment for the long run, but cash usage is an important thing to conserve. My BX will likely be for sale in about 5 years if I ever get done with these landscape projects. 130 hours on the beast - going up by at least 15 hours per week! I've mowed 25 degree banks sideways with it, though only for very short slopes and only if I have an escape route. The 4WD on low range HST will get you up any slope that is safe to ascend. You'll run out of traction or tip over before you ever run out of power. The darn JD 425 has some kind of safety switch that shuts off the motor when I put it on a 15 degree slope.

Ole_Hickory · May 27, 2004

( The only thing the JD dealer advised me on was Kubotas transmissions and differentials )

I live in WVa,I would be interested in what dealer would make a statement like that. I have a JD 4400 and I could tell the dealer a thing or 2 about my JD 4400.

khd · May 27, 2004

Here's a diesel vs gas vs HP comparrison to help out:

Ford F700 7-10 yard dump with a Cummins Diesel - 195 HP
Ford Mustang with gas 300+ HP.

Now try to imagine a mustang trying to move a 10 yard load of gravel and the F700 on a 1/4 mile drag strip. There is no comparrison between the two. The F700 is all low end brute force torque and the mustand is high end speed.

Hope that helps in understanding the difference in the two motors. The comparrison holds true for the 20 HP gas vs the 15 HP diesel just not to such an extreme.

Kevin

Rainbow6 · May 27, 2004

You probably have your tractor by now, but I would say go w/ a Kubota. They generally offer the same level of quality for a few hudred ( or thousand ) less than JD. I have owned both.

Ole_Hickory · May 28, 2004

( The only thing the JD dealer advised me on was Kubotas transmissions and differentials, which he said are not the best, especially in the bigger tractors.. )

This comment is what I was referring to.

Gary_in_Indiana · May 31, 2004

When I was first tractor shopping I went into it with the idea that I wanted a Kubota. A friend had one and loved it. The Kubota dealer was literally just half a mile down the road from me and was an old HS classmate. Our sons had been in the same school for a year together, too. I was, for lack of a better term, pre-sold.

I bought a John Deere. Here's the story. I'm tall and I got on the Kubota and the rocker pedal set up for their hydro transmission was very difficult/painful for me to operate after a very short time. I knew I'd never be able to use the machine for more than an hour without a serious break. I then looked at Deere.

The pedal system was far more comfortable for me but the lever to operate the loader bucket was poorly designed and placed for my long legs (the Kubota's was fine). I read online of someone having a similar problem and solving it simply enough so I went with the Deere because it "fit" me better.

My point is that you should try to use or at least drive the models you're considering. You might be surprised to find that one just seems more comfortable than another for you. Believe me, after you get a few hours on it and have some dings, scrapes and scratches and have replaced a few lenses that branches knocked out the brand isn't going to matter near so much to you as comfort and ease of operation.

Good luck with whatever you decide. I hope this helps. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

JDdude · May 31, 2004

The foot controls and local dealer support are the two most reasons I went with a 2210 Jd over a Kubota..I feel the Kubota with the planitary gears at the wheels is a tougher setup-better than the deere, but comfort was the important factor and ease of operation..It is time for Kubota to update it`s foot controls, I feel that this alone cost them alot of sales to Deere.