Posted: 2/6/2026 4:21:59 PM EDT
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I'm in need of some help on choosing a compact tractor to use around my place. I live 15 minutes from a Kubota and John Deere dealership do that narrows up my decision. Looking at a 3025e , b2601, or the lx2620. I know nothing about tractors. My use would be around my homeplace, gardening, light road work, bushhogging. among other things. Which tractor brand would be the best? Both dealers are pretty well regarded as far as service goes so its a mute point for me asvfar as service goes.. What are the must have options I should be looking to add. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated. |
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I have a Deere 1025r. Looking at your choices the Kubota LX2620 is the best workhorse tractor on the list. Get two rear remotes (with float) and a front 3rd function. Two rear remotes let you run hydraulic implements properly (rear blade angle/tilt, box blade, hydraulic top link). You won't be stopping to adjust things by hand. Float makes grading and driveway work much easier because the blade follows the ground instead of you constantly fiddling with the lever. Front 3rd function lets you run a grapple or other hydraulic loader attachments right from the joystick huge upgrade for brush, logs, and cleanup. This combo turns a basic tractor into a genuinely versatile machine, saves time on every job, and prevents the "wish I'd added that" regret later. You'll forget what it cost pretty quickly once you start using it. |
Illegitimi Non Carborundum
DEXAI
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| Only thing I'd add is go visit the two dealerships. Talk with some of the employees. Back where I used to live, the nearest dealership was a bunch of assholes. Grumpy old dudes biding their time to retirement, doing as little as possible. |
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I've got an L3400 kubota 4x4. When I bought the package deal in 06' it was tractor with fel w/float setting, 5' woods brand brushhog, box blade, 3 point auger w/8" bit & 18' tandem trailer. It's worked well mechanicaly, few years back i had to replace seals in both top rams on fel, replace couple hydraulic hoses & replace the original decca battery. Brushhog in 2hi can do approx 2 acres/hr, if knee high or taller it's less (1 1/2 to 1 acres/hr). Box Blade approx 1/2 mile of my driveway & road regularly with no problems. |
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I bought a Kubota L2501. I got mine with a bucket, box blade, 5' mower, and a grapple. I've got 90 hours on it. It's been good so far. was maybe $30k all in. For mowing, something bigger would have been nicer. For dirt work and garden and house/land stuff, the smallest Kubota with a bucket would have been fine and probably better. Honestly, I should have bought a refurbished Farmall Cub, A or Super A, or old Ford, for mowing my 10 acres of fields and just hired a skid steer and operator for my dirt and brush work and had $20-25k left for something else. |
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I've had a Kubota L3400 4x4 for at least 20 years, had to change a hydraulic hose on the backhoe last year, other than that just oil and filters. Backhoe, York rake, box blade, disc, and a post hole digger 6 inch. I don't have a better picture. 
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 I suggest the Kioti CK2610 (New models are the CK2620 I think). This thing has been a workhorse. It has a floating FEL, 3rd function and dual outputs for the 3 point mount. If you are in colder/hot climates I suggest the heated/AC cab. |
"Hey Teacher, if my kid is misbehaving, slap the kid next to him." -diesel1 (May 2024)
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I’ve got about 100 hours now on my JD 2032R. Fantastic machine. Just barely fits under my 8ft garage door with the ROPS up. If you aren’t going to throw a ballast box or other heavy implement on the 3-point, you’ll definitely want something like a Heavy Hitch back there at the very least loaded up with suitcase weights. A full bucket and no ballast weight can be pretty sketchy in certain situations…trust me on that! You could fill the tires with beet juice too, but maybe see if you can get by without it. I found I haven’t needed filled tires yet. With 4x4 and a locking rear differential, I can usually find the traction I need without that extra weight over the rear axle. YMMV depending on what you’re doing. If you’re going to do any digging, sodding, or loading from a compacted pile of dirt (or even loading larger stones), the best thing you can buy for your tractor is a Piranha Tooth Bar. Turns a tractor with FEL into a pretty legit digging machine with the right 4x4/locking diff coordination. The advice above about getting rear remotes and 3rd function right off the bat is great advice. You’ll need all of that at some point down the line. Just get it over with up front. Forks and a rear ballast weight are necessary right off the bat as well. Go hop on some tractors and see if any dealers will let you work the FEL controls. My JD’s FEL is a bit crude to operate. Just not easy to be quick and precise at the same time with the joystick for whatever reason. It can take a decent amount of concentration or I find myself accidentally slamming the bucket in the full out or full curl positions. That’s really my only gripe with the tractor. I always wonder if Kubota FELs are easier to operate more efficiently…never tried one myself. Kubota dealership was a bit slimy and I felt I’d be taken care of better with JD, so that’s the way I went. Went to a Kioti dealer. Driveline parts were beefy and seemed like a lot of value in terms of power output/price, but the other stuff felt a bit flimsy and cheap so they could keep the cost down. For example, the fender and grab handle design is a little flimsy and basic compared to how well built and rock solid my JD fenders are built. Zero flex or give or creaks when I grab the handle to hop on and off the tractor. I’ve had to get on and off dozens of times in a short span of time to check the ground I was working on, so I appreciate the extra solid construction with the fenders, grab handles, control switches, and pretty much everything else. Take your time and don’t rush the purchase! Good luck! |
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I bought a B2601 this summer and have zero regrets. I have a 54" box blade that also works great as ballast weight. 3rd function valve for the front - I haven't had to use it yet, but I plan on getting a grapple within the next year for light tree work. I have about 2.5 acres that are pretty hilly, so I got the rear tires filled with "beet juice" and it's very stable on hills. All things considered, If I had more land and it was flatter, I'd opt for the Kubota LX series or JD 3 series because you do gain more lift capacity. I have a lot of tight spots that even my B barely fits into, so it's been perfect for me I didn't get the hydraulic rear controls for the 3 point. I sometimes wish I did because I do use my box blade a lot for grading and hydraulics would make controlling the blade easier, like some others have said. It was a "nice to have" option but it didn't fit into my budget. Also, if you know you'll never use a mid PTO like a belly mower, the LX doesn't have one. My B has one, but I'll probably never throw a mower on it because mowing with a compact tractor with an FEL sucks. This was also my first tractor. My dad has a larger Case/IH, but i didn't have much time using his. I recommend watching a lot of Youtube videos on operation, implement reviews, etc. I learned a lot about operation, maintenance, and safety before I even had the tractor delivered. When you do get it, go slow and take your time learning all the controls and build your confidence. I was really afraid of messing my loader up the first few days, but these machines are very capable and they tend to let you know when you're reaching their limits before disaster hits   ETA: Get R14 tires if you can. I've found they''re the perfect balance between turf and ind. treads. They have been awesome in the snow, whereas my dad needs to put chains on his R4 industrial tires. I have a fairly steep driveway at spots and had zero issues pushing 12" of snow. On flats I was actually in 2WD/mid range most of the time. |
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Originally Posted By Vmaxguy: Thanks for all the reply's. I wasn't sure what I needed as far as hydraulics looking through the options. Now I have a better understanding. Thanks for that. One brand better than the other. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. As for which is better, people will go back and forth on that all day. You might as well ask what oil is the best for your car. The reality is that both Kubota and Deere make good equipment. Personally, I would lean towards the Kubota due to the mentality Deere has on larger equipment and right to repair, but that is a personal opinion. Your best bet would be to feel out the dealerships and ask around and see which dealer tends to offer better support. I have a 2007 L4400 that came with my place when I bought the house/land. It has never let me down aside from when the battery needed replaced, but that isn't what I would consider a major issue. The only problem I have had aside from that is I needed to replace one of the pins on the front end loader. Even with the broke pin, it was still usable. My neighbor has an older Deere that has been a workhorse, too. That said, when his brother moved down here and bought a new tractor, he recommended his brother buy a Kubota over a Deere. Make of that whatever you will. My main suggestion is whatever size you think you want, consider going one size larger as long as your tow vehicle/storage/work area will permit it. Not many people have ever been disappointed from getting a little too much tractor, but a whole lot of people have been disappointed by getting too little tractor. As others have said, a third function valve is a great thing to have for the loader, as it will allow a grapple up front. Something you will have to consider with that is the lift capacity, though. If you have a loader with a lift capacity of only 800-900 pounds, and you end up putting a heavy ass 600 pound grapple on the front, you aren't left with much lift capacity to work with. Rear remotes are nice to have, as they will allow you to run hydraulics on any implements on the rear. I don't feel they are as important as having a third function valve, but they are worth getting if you think you might use any 3 point equipment with hydraulics in the future. Adding them at a later time tends to be pricey, so it is best to just rip off the band-aid and get any of them when you are buying the tractor. One often overlooked thing is rear ballast. No matter what you go with, get the rear tires filled with ballast, and you should probably still be ready to attach a rear implement to add a bit more ballast if you are going to be moving heavier stuff with the bucket/grapple/pallet forks. Even on my L4400 with fluid ballast in the rear tires, it still isn't enough to keep it from becoming a teeter-totter on the front axle if moving a bucket full of dirt. I found this out building my shooting berm. In my case, I ended up just hooking up the bush hog to add more weight to the ass end and keep that from happening again. |
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Another consideration - make sure you get a quick-detach bucket so you can use other implements on the FEL arms. Kubota uses the universal skid steer attachment system/plate, along with a bunch of other brands (Kioti, Bobcat). I believe JD still uses their own proprietary system, but they may have also switched over to skid steer. Pretty much any new tractor is going to have this option. I don't think dealers are even selling pin-on buckets anymore. As others have said - lift capacity ratings can be deceiving depending on your bucket/attachment weight. I'm searching for the lightest grapple I can fit on (probably a 48") so I don't lose capacity with my arms. |
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Originally Posted By jebova2301:One often overlooked thing is rear ballast. No matter what you go with, get the rear tires filled with ballast, and you should probably still be ready to attach a rear implement to add a bit more ballast if you are going to be moving heavier stuff with the bucket/grapple/pallet forks. Even on my L4400 with fluid ballast in the rear tires, it still isn't enough to keep it from becoming a teeter-totter on the front axle if moving a bucket full of dirt. I found this out building my shooting berm. In my case, I ended up just hooking up the bush hog to add more weight to the ass end and keep that from happening again. |
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Originally Posted By Vmaxguy: Thanks for all the reply's. I wasn't sure what I needed as far as hydraulics looking through the options. Now I have a better understanding. Thanks for that. One brand better than the other. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Brand depends on the quality of your dealers and your ability to get the tractor to the dealer. Neighbor has two big JDs. When they break it's expensive since his truck won't haul the largest of the two. And, one of them breaks pretty much every spring. I have 3 Kubotas. They've all had something go wrong. So far, it's been things I can fix myself. Parts are expensive from both brands. Its gonna cost me over $200 to rebuild the dipper cylinder on my L39. Also, get fluid filled rears if offered. My smallest one doesn't and it's dangerous sometimes. My biggest (M7060) does and I can load logs and lumber without any weight on the 3pt. |
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Originally Posted By Rooster-X: https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/480444/IMG_8222-3708690.jpg I suggest the Kioti CK2610 (New models are the CK2620 I think). This thing has been a workhorse. It has a floating FEL, 3rd function and dual outputs for the 3 point mount. If you are in colder/hot climates I suggest the heated/AC cab. Oh.... That looks nice. mm |
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Originally Posted By CPshooter1: Interesting anecdote. My Deere 2032R is pretty stable with a full bucket of anything, and as mentioned above, it doesn’t have the tires filled - only a Heavy Hitch (double bracket model) with I think only (8) of the smaller 41 lbs suitcase weights hanging on it. I didn’t opt for the heavier HD bucket though that some folks upgrade to. Do you have an extra heavy bucket or is it a larger loader bucket perhaps? Just curious. As the tractor came used, I'm not exactly sure if the bucket is the HD bucket or not. All I know is that with a bucket full of packed dirt, it will lift the rear tires off the ground, and it isn't a fun feeling. Your comment is also interesting since Deere specifically states the 2032r requires "Fluid-filled rear tires and 350 kg (772 lb) of 3-Point Hitch Ballast" or "Three rear wheel weights per wheel and 350 kg (772 lb) of 3-Point Hitch Ballast" as the minimum ballast. It then goes on to add "If loader is equipped with pallet fork attachment, 85 kg (187 lb) of additional ballast is required" Ballast page from Deere manual |
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"moot" as in moot point A "moot point" is a topic or issue that is either debatable and lacks a satisfactory solution, or is irrelevant because circumstances have made it insignificant or hypothetical. The American usage emphasizes irrelevance, while the British origin emphasizes debate. The correct term is "moot," not "mute" or "moo". I have a CK 35 Kioti. It's getting to be a pain with glow plug issues but I'm working through that when spring gets here. It's a solid tractor, with FEL, backhoe, (plus 5ft bush hog, a wallwestein 5 inch chipper, and a 4 ft tiller). It did everything I needed when I had 50 acres (God knows how many sheep and goats I buried on the farm), and now serves its time on our smaller property. If I were to replace it, the JD dealer is 4 miles local to me, so for that reason alone, I'd probably go JD. My Kioti is on the bigger side of a "compact tractor". Regardless, I'd like an enclosed cab option, cabin heat, and a snow plow blade for the FEL. |
"A man can never have too much red wine, too many books, or too much ammunition" - Rudyard Kipling
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I will say it again for those in the back; buy for the dealer. In my area there is a JD, Kioti, Massey, New Holland, and Kubota dealer. I looked at them all, then went 2 hours away to buy a Kubota from a better dealer. I have a Kubota L3901. I love it and have no regrets at all. I bought an Ansung FEL instead of Kubota and saved a lot of money. The L series may be larger than you want, but go test everything in your area. |
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As many have said, the closer you are to a good dealer is the most important thing. Kubota vs. JD is kind of like Ford vs. Chevy. A lot of what you are going to need is dependent on the size of your property and the terrain. I got my first tractor when I was living in New Mexico. Our house sat on 6-1/2 acres. It was mostly flat with a good amount of trees. There were quite a few tree stumps on the property, so my main priority was mowing and removing the tree stumps. The JD and Kubota dealers were both about an hour or so away from me. At the time (2016) Kubota had a better financing deal, so I went with them. I got a L3901. It had 4x4, front and rear hydraulics, bucket, brush hog and a backhoe. The only other option I got was a canopy as it gave protection when mowing in the sun. I did manage to pull a bunch of stumps with the backhoe, but it was a major pain in the butt to swap that out with the brush hog for mowing. Looking back on it, I should have just rented an mini excavator, which would have been better suited for the job. The one implement I should have gotten was a set of pallet forks. Those are super handy!    I sold that tractor when we moved to Colorado. We downsized the property to 5 acres (All flat), so I went with a smaller Kubota LX2610. It has 4x4, full cab with A/C and heater, bucket, pallet forks, box blade, quick attach hitch (Awesome for swapping out implements) and a brush hog. I primarily use it for mowing and snow plowing (The heated cab is awesome for this!). I use the heck out of the pallet forks, because there always seems something that has to be moved.    
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“So shines a good deed in a weary world”
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Originally Posted By jebova2301: As the tractor came used, I'm not exactly sure if the bucket is the HD bucket or not. All I know is that with a bucket full of packed dirt, it will lift the rear tires off the ground, and it isn't a fun feeling. Your comment is also interesting since Deere specifically states the 2032r requires "Fluid-filled rear tires and 350 kg (772 lb) of 3-Point Hitch Ballast" or "Three rear wheel weights per wheel and 350 kg (772 lb) of 3-Point Hitch Ballast" as the minimum ballast. It then goes on to add "If loader is equipped with pallet fork attachment, 85 kg (187 lb) of additional ballast is required" Ballast page from Deere manual  Before I got the Heavy Hitch weight bracket and the suitcase weights, I had a super sketchy moment on my driveway with my forks trying to remove a pallet of mulch bags from my truck for the first time. Had the fucker teetering good on my driveway... ROPS up, but wasn't wearing my seatbelt. Literally had to shift off the seat and stand off to the side to keep it from toppling over. I'm glad I had good instincts to do it quickly when I felt the balance getting wonky. Also, if I didn't have my phone on me, I would have been so fucked. I called my wife, and she was able to carefully remove a few bags of mulch to let the rear wheel back down. That's how fucking close I was to disaster.I learned a very valuable lesson that day about operating heavy machinery and what can happen if you aren't taking your time or set up properly. Between the JD iMatch factory quick hitch, the Heavy Hitch weight bracket, and 328 lbs of suitcase weights, I'm probably at ~500 lbs back there. I've moved full buckets of damp crusher-run stone, wet dirt, sand, 4" cobblestones, etc. across my relatively flat 2.5 acre lawn without any issues. I do have some light hills, but I'm very careful to keep the bucket as low as possible when the load is heavy so I don't lift a rear wheel when going up and down the hills at an angle. If I had steeper hills, I would have already had my tires filled by now. I know I should probably still do it though. Maybe this spring... |
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I have a Kubota L2501. Cross shopped it with the JD 3025e, the Kubota felt better in all the right places, has a lot more metal on the body, the FEL controls are smooth (can curl and lift at the same time). I find the treadle pedal to be intuitive to use. The local Kubota dealer sold out to a larger chain and the service went downhill, so even buying for the dealer isn't any guarantee. Kioti has some interesting machines but their support and parts availability was terrible during COVID. I spoke with their dealer rep at one of the farm shows and didn't walk away with any confidence that has been fixed. |
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Originally Posted By Vmaxguy: Nice looking tractor. I had not heard of that brand. look like we have dealer really close. I will check them out. As others have said, buy the dealer, not the brand. That said, tier 1 is Deere and Kubota and their prices reflect that. Kioti, a South Korea dealer is really starting to catch up. They also make tractors for Bobcat, the skid steer company. Everyone else is roughly tier 2 or lower. For information overload, check out the YouTube channels: tractor time with Tim and Messicks equipment. ETA: Kubota is the #1 selling compact equipment. Deere is focused on farmers, even though they say differently. I’ve had a Kubota BX and a B2650 (now the LX series). Both are great machines and the LX packs a lot of power in a little package. I’d also look at the L2502. |
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I have a Kubota B2650. Great tractor. Bush hog, rear box blade, quick detach front bucket, pallet forks, grapple and 3rd function hydraulics on the front. One complaint. This tractor is light, like maybe 1600-1800 lbs. So trying to do loader work on dirt you can't get a good scoop without 4WD. Smaller L series didn't exist when i was shopping, only full blown L series. I like the R4 industrial tires. Weight is your friend on tractors. I can't get wheel weights on my B series but BX and L have weights available. |
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Originally Posted By AKJEFF: Ive always been told a few things about tractors. Buy for the dealer, not the brand and buy bigger than you think you'll need. |
trobertson5-0 I wasn't put in jail for what I did. I was put in it for what I think. There were FBI agents posting in my threads. I've seen the discovery showing this.
LEFTISTS: ”Our violence is speech, your speech is violence!”
LEFTISTS: ”Our violence is speech, your speech is violence!”
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Originally Posted By jebova2301: As for which is better, people will go back and forth on that all day. You might as well ask what oil is the best for your car. The reality is that both Kubota and Deere make good equipment. Personally, I would lean towards the Kubota due to the mentality Deere has on larger equipment and right to repair, but that is a personal opinion. Your best bet would be to feel out the dealerships and ask around and see which dealer tends to offer better support. I have a 2007 L4400 that came with my place when I bought the house/land. It has never let me down aside from when the battery needed replaced, but that isn't what I would consider a major issue. The only problem I have had aside from that is I needed to replace one of the pins on the front end loader. Even with the broke pin, it was still usable. My neighbor has an older Deere that has been a workhorse, too. That said, when his brother moved down here and bought a new tractor, he recommended his brother buy a Kubota over a Deere. Make of that whatever you will. My main suggestion is whatever size you think you want, consider going one size larger as long as your tow vehicle/storage/work area will permit it. Not many people have ever been disappointed from getting a little too much tractor, but a whole lot of people have been disappointed by getting too little tractor. As others have said, a third function valve is a great thing to have for the loader, as it will allow a grapple up front. Something you will have to consider with that is the lift capacity, though. If you have a loader with a lift capacity of only 800-900 pounds, and you end up putting a heavy ass 600 pound grapple on the front, you aren't left with much lift capacity to work with. Rear remotes are nice to have, as they will allow you to run hydraulics on any implements on the rear. I don't feel they are as important as having a third function valve, but they are worth getting if you think you might use any 3 point equipment with hydraulics in the future. Adding them at a later time tends to be pricey, so it is best to just rip off the band-aid and get any of them when you are buying the tractor. One often overlooked thing is rear ballast. No matter what you go with, get the rear tires filled with ballast, and you should probably still be ready to attach a rear implement to add a bit more ballast if you are going to be moving heavier stuff with the bucket/grapple/pallet forks. Even on my L4400 with fluid ballast in the rear tires, it still isn't enough to keep it from becoming a teeter-totter on the front axle if moving a bucket full of dirt. I found this out building my shooting berm. In my case, I ended up just hooking up the bush hog to add more weight to the ass end and keep that from happening again. All solid advice |
trobertson5-0 I wasn't put in jail for what I did. I was put in it for what I think. There were FBI agents posting in my threads. I've seen the discovery showing this.
LEFTISTS: ”Our violence is speech, your speech is violence!”
LEFTISTS: ”Our violence is speech, your speech is violence!”
| John Deere and Kubota are both great tractors with great reputations and generally great dealer support. That is however reflected in their pricing, which from my experience is many thousands higher than a comparative tractor from another brand. Last year I was looking for a compact tractor in the 60 HP range and settled on a Massey Ferguson 2m.60 with cab. I purchased it with every option and it was still around $15k cheaper than the similar Kubota and over $25k cheaper than the Deere. Massey has a great reputation and I've got a great dealer. I would encourage you to first determine what do you want to use the tractor for and go from there. What pto horsepower do you need, what lift capacity on the front end loader, what hydraulic flow rate, do you need a cab, etc? When I did this I lined up the brands and respective models that fit my criteria, compared the specs, and then went around to the different dealers and put hands on. I narrowed my purchase down to either the Massey or Yanmar (which the last time I checked makes John Deere's compact tractor engines) and ended up choosing the Massey for a few reasons including better specs in areas that mattered to me as well as a great local dealer. |
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Originally Posted By jason101ab: John Deere and Kubota are both great tractors with great reputations and generally great dealer support. That is however reflected in their pricing, which from my experience is many thousands higher than a comparative tractor from another brand. Last year I was looking for a compact tractor in the 60 HP range and settled on a Massey Ferguson 2m.60 with cab. I purchased it with every option and it was still around $15k cheaper than the similar Kubota and over $25k cheaper than the Deere. Massey has a great reputation and I've got a great dealer. I would encourage you to first determine what do you want to use the tractor for and go from there. What pto horsepower do you need, what lift capacity on the front end loader, what hydraulic flow rate, do you need a cab, etc? When I did this I lined up the brands and respective models that fit my criteria, compared the specs, and then went around to the different dealers and put hands on. I narrowed my purchase down to either the Massey or Yanmar (which the last time I checked makes John Deere's compact tractor engines) and ended up choosing the Massey for a few reasons including better specs in areas that mattered to me as well as a great local dealer. You must have an awesome dealer, or one trying to go out of business. The local Massey dealer was not that great when I bought my tractor. The prices for a similar Massey to the Kubota I bought were higher. As always, the dealer makes a difference with tractors. Not with cars, but absolutely with tractors. |
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My dealer is pretty great and easy to deal with. Small town company and locally owned. He worked with me on price and came down several thousand dollars from sticker. That's the other thing I found out about my local Deere and Kubota dealers, there is zero negotiation on price but they are also both part of larger local dealer networks. I did end up buying a zero turn from the Deere dealer and they wouldn't come down a penny from MSRP. Even without price negotiation and comparing only the MSRP from each of these three brands, the Massey was significantly less expensive. I'm talking low $50k range compared to mid $60k for Kubota and mid $70k for Deere for a tractor in similar configuration and HP. The price's weren't as far off for a basic tractor but once I started adding a deluxe cab, front end loader, additional hydraulic features, the price difference really ballooned. I did notice the price for the Massey has significantly gone up this year. |
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I'm not saying you don't want a good dealer for support and the purchase process, but I surely wouldn't put good dealer proximity over how I like the machine. The last tractor I bought was in 2019. I've bought filters and such that I could have bought from any dealer, including Messick's online. Otherwise I haven't needed that dealer since the purchase. The second to oldest tractor we have on the property here is 20 years old. Same deal, other than filters that we could have gotten from any dealer or online, the dealer has never been needed again. We have a couple older tractors that are about 45 and 55 years old. They've had some work done on them that most people would have a dealer do, but it's not been frequent. If they had to be transported farther away to find a good trusted dealer, it wouldn't be that big of a deal. If you like one machine more than another and you're confident it's going to be a good machine, don't let the local dealer situation make your decision for you. You shouldn't need the dealer THAT often. If you do, either your machine is junk or you're not using it right. If you don't like your closest dealer, find one farther out that you do like. |
Gotta enjoy the little things.
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Have a New Holland TC40D 4x4 hydro. Looked at others and had to buy this one. Fuel tank up behind the seat instead of underneath. Hydro lines run behind the frame protected from snagging and damage. Non turbo less crap to go wrong. 2300 hours so far. Best purchase I've made besides the house. Only issue I've had. Battery blew up and made a mess. Acid got into the radiator and caused it to leak. 2 hydro lines damaged. Couple flat tires. |
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Originally Posted By 57plymouth: I will say it again for those in the back; buy for the dealer. In my area there is a JD, Kioti, Massey, New Holland, and Kubota dealer. I looked at them all, then went 2 hours away to buy a Kubota from a better dealer. I have a Kubota L3901. I love it and have no regrets at all. I bought an Ansung FEL instead of Kubota and saved a lot of money. The L series may be larger than you want, but go test everything in your area. To be honest, my tractor has never been back to the dealer in the 6 years I've owned it. "I" only go to the dealer to get maintenance supplies. |
"Hey Teacher, if my kid is misbehaving, slap the kid next to him." -diesel1 (May 2024)
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Originally Posted By Rooster-X: To be honest, my tractor has never been back to the dealer in the 6 years I've owned it. "I" only go to the dealer to get maintenance supplies. I did have one issue with my tractor (so far) and I called the local dealer for advice. They told me to bring it in. I called the dealer I bought it from, and they told me what the likely issues could be and how to fix it over the phone. I was able to repair the machine myself. If I ever buy any other equipment, I will be going back to Wilsons in Newberry, SC where I bought my tractor instead of the local dealer. But overall, I do agree that if you really hate Kubota (or whatever brand) then don't buy one. |
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Originally Posted By AKJEFF: Ive always been told a few things about tractors. Buy for the dealer, not the brand and buy bigger than you think you'll need. This. I’ve never heard someone say I needed a smaller tractor. And get 4WD. |
17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
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Originally Posted By Rooster-X: To be honest, my tractor has never been back to the dealer in the 6 years I've owned it. "I" only go to the dealer to get maintenance supplies. Same. I value having a close dealer, but it bears repeating that as long as you don't get a lemon or abuse it, AND if you do maintenance yourself, the machine probably will very rarely ever need to go back. If you don't want to do your own maintenance, it becomes more important. |
"When you need it and ain't got it, you're singin' a different tune..."
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Attached File Get a mating pair so you get a little lawn tractor. Attached File |
"The past is a foreign country; they do things differently there."
L.P. Hartley
L.P. Hartley
Joined:
Jun 2023
Posts:
4587
EE: 0% (0)
VA, USA
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On our 2nd BX23S. First one was stolen and immediately bought the same tractor again. I’m partial to Kubota and skid steer attachments for the front bucket system. Always buy bigger than you think you need. 3rd function valve is a major upgrade right off the bat, and never underestimate the PTO shafts ability to end your life or the life of your children. |
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If you go with the 3e series I recommend adding the rear remotes (scv 4&5) with manual (not electronic) controls & the 3rd function on the front. That will enable a number of future options., things like hydraulic top & tilt, a grapple or hydraulic plow adjustment cylinder. I waited 15 years to add rear remotes & hydraulic top link to our 3038e & wish now I had done it the first year. The hydraulic top link can make connections & adjustments a lot easier. I added a diverter to my rear remotes so I can use the hydraulic top link while still having the two cylinders on the offset flail connected. Weight is your friend. Loading the rear tires is a cheap & easy way to improve stability. A heavy rear implement can also serve as ballast for FEL work. The backhoe on our 1025r is an example as is the 600lb. stump grinder with the 3038e. |
Joined:
Jul 2023
Posts:
264
EE: 100% (2)
MO, USA
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I didn't have time to read through all the posts, but seeing various shades of orange leads me to believe that other members have broadened the choice more than just Deere and Kubota. My opinion is that Deere brand is significantly overpriced for most stuff, especially parts, but they have a few good bang for your buck models in their lineup. But what you're paying for overall is a HUGE network of parts and supports, basically untouched by any other brand. Also, their service department is top notch from my experience, but again, you pay for it. If you want to buy a tractor and not have to worry about anything and don't plan on doing much, if any work on the machine yourself, then Deere would definitely be my recommendation. But I suspect others have opened the door to other really good South Korean manufactured machines. I personally have owned 2 LS tractors and still using one to this day. When I was buying, you got a lot more features and machine for the price with S. Korean tractors when comparing to Deere and Kubota. The LS dealer network has really taken off in my area, but I know that's not always the case in other parts of the country. I would also highly recommend Kioti and TYM brands as well. I think probably Kioti and TYM have taken a big market share away from LS, at least in my area, and they both make great machines. |