Buying Advice Kubota vs John Deere

[jwenzler]

First time tractor buyer, but I really think it's what I need now. I currently have a JD 777 Zero Turn mower with a 60" deck to mow my 4 acres and a very old Polaris ATV to plow my 500' paved driveway.

The ATV has officially died and it just seems to be wasteful to have the John Deere mower sitting in the garage all winter. So, I've talked to quite a few people in the area and think a small compact or large garden tractor is the way to go. I have both a local Kubota and a local John Deere dealer within 20 minutes. I don't really have a need for the FEL, at least that I can think of.

My question is, what should I be looking at? I stopped at the Kubota dealer today and they quoted me a BX2660 with a 60" deck and a front blade. I'm going to the John Deere dealer tomorrow, but I'm not sure what line to even look at (the X500 series, X700 series, 1026r, etc).

Any help is much appreciated.

 

[jenkinsph]

Really depends on what you wan't to do, if all you need it to push the drive and mow i recommend the x700 series. These seem to work well with front mount blades and snowblowers and are great mowers if you think you want a fel then you might be better off with a subcompact tractor. i really like my x749 and it is a great mower imo.

 

[murphy1244]

:welcome: Go with a Simplicity Conquest with the snow blower attachment,wheel weights and chains.

 

[3v0]

There are Deer vs Kubota comparison videos made by both companies. I watched both a while back and for the most part they were nit picking. Both companies make good tractors. It may come down to which dealer you like better or who will give you the best deal.

I have a 2nd hand BX2200 with FEL that I find very useful. That makes me a bit biased. It is about 10 years old and still worth about 2/3 of new price. That says something about the machine.

 

[TripleR]

Pretty much what jenkensph said, we like our BX2660, but use a FEL, rotary cutter, tiller and box scraper. We bought a John Deere 2305 for mowing as it has a ROPS and we have lots of steep stuff to mow on a different farm. As far as quality both are good.

 

[pizzaguy]

I agree that both make great tractors, but I will never give up my zero turn mowers for a garden tractor or sub compact for doing the mowing. I mow 5 acres with trees, buildings, etc. and the zero turn is the only way to go.

 

[TripleR]

Our renters tried zero turn mowers for a couple of years and got rid of them because of the hills; worked great on flat land or inclines if they weren't too bad.

 

[xring100]

If your zero turn works well for you keep it. unless of course you want to spend twice as much the time mowing your lawn. If you want to spend the extra time outside away from your wife sell it. Things that do a lot of things generally only do a few things well and others just okay. Its like putting a backhoe on a tractor yes they work good but in a lot of ways a small excavator could blow the tractor away digging a larger hole or trench which would require a lot of repositioning of the tractor . As far as kubota or jd they are both excellent tractors. Just find one with features you like and that fits you

Dave

 

[tractchores]

Both are good machines. I'd buy on dealer, price and on ergonomics (controls are laid out differently). I did the same and ended up with a kubota... though I also have an old JD. I would strongly suggest considering a FEL. Its amazing what uses you find for it and it can help with snow if you have big banks etc. I actually plow with a rear-blade and a FEL. FELs are tough to get after market and it may make it tough to sell later without one. They all come off easily and don't take a ton of space to store.

 

[3v0]

I would like to add to what tractchores said.

You do not have to keep the FEL on the tractor if you prefer to have it off when mowing or whatever. The BX loader can be attached or detached in a few short minutes. I would expect the same of the JD but do not personally know.

 

[art]

If you are thinking of switching to a tractor make sure you check turning radius!

 

[jwenzler]

So I visited the JD dealer today and they steered me away from the Compact Tractors and into the X728. They said I would be much happier with the ride cutting the lawn. They also said I should have no problem plowing or snow blowing (I haven't decided yet on the snowblower option) with it due to the 4wd. They did recommend rear weights though.

What does everybody think? It's quite a bit cheaper than the Kubota BX2660, but I think I with price, it is not a fair comparison.

 

[hodge]

When you compare the two, they are similar in size, while the Kubota is heavier. I am very familiar with Kubota's, but I have spent quite a bit of time scouring over an X748. To me, and I'm sure I will ruffle a feather or two, the Kubota was more tractor-like. I felt that the 748 would make an overbuilt, fantastic mower, but for farm chores, it wasn't as well suited; lots of plastic, less access to mechanicals, and the 3 point hitch on the Kubota is more usable. These are my observations, so take them for what they are. I appreciate both machines, but if I were shopping, I would lean towards the Kubota.

 

[Don87]

The X748 should do all you need. But I wouldn't be without an FEL again, they are just too handy to have around (IMHO).

 

[TripleR]

I really like the John Deere mowers, but I just can't seem to get comfortable on anything without a ROPS anymore.

 

[jenkinsph]

When you compare the two, they are similar in size, while the Kubota is heavier. I am very familiar with Kubota's, but I have spent quite a bit of time scouring over an X748. To me, and I'm sure I will ruffle a feather or two, the Kubota was more tractor-like. I felt that the 748 would make an overbuilt, fantastic mower, but for farm chores, it wasn't as well suited; lots of plastic, less access to mechanicals, and the 3 point hitch on the Kubota is more usable. These are my observations, so take them for what they are. I appreciate both machines, but if I were shopping, I would lean towards the Kubota.

Having the 749 i will agree that the kubota 2660 and Deere 1026R are both more tractor like. For mowing in this case where 75% of the time that is what needs to be done i think the riding mower is the better choice. My take is the OP wants to mow his lawn and clear the driveway while most of us who participate here are interested in a wide variety of tractor functions. Keeping the mower as light as possible with the 26 12 12 tires is going to be better for the lawn.

For the person who likes to do a wide range of tasks the scut is a good choice if all the major jobs has been done. i use my mower along with my compact tractors all the time and think that both lawnmowers and tractors have their merits and place.

 

[yelbike]

John Deere 737 Zero Turn Mower Tractor 60" Deck Plow 23hp Kawasaki Trailer | eBay

Food for thought.

There's another guy that used to sell the blades separately for john deere ztr. They were about $1500. I can't seem to find it right now but it is another option.

 

[Don87]

John Deere 737 Zero Turn Mower Tractor 60" Deck Plow 23hp Kawasaki Trailer | eBay

Food for thought.

There's another guy that used to sell the blades separately for john deere ztr. They were about $1500. I can't seem to find it right now but it is another option.

Ferris Snow Plow, Dixie Chopper snow plow, ztr plow, ztr plows, hustler ztr snow plow, mibar products

This one is on a JD: http://www.countryztr.com/snowplow.htm

http://www.bing.com/shopping/search...r&qpvt=snowplow+for+zero+turn+mower&FORM=HURE

 

[chim]

We have many different approaches to similar circumstances. I prefer a machine that is "more tractor-like". I've been mowing and removing snow since we built our current place back in '89/'90. Mowing went from a little over 2 acres to around 5 or so and now back to a little over 3-1/2. Our driveway is nearly 100 yards long and I do another one that long plus at least three shorter ones. My theory is buy the biggest machine that can get the job done. It did take 23 years for me to get to where it seems the tractor is at the max. As someone here pointed out in another thread, it's really rare for someone to say they want fewer horsepower or less of a tractor.

The first few years were with an old International Cub 154 LoBoy. No 3PH and a very difficult switch between the 5 foot belly mower and front blade.

Next was around 10 years with a Ford 1210 HST / 5' RFM / rear blade and no FEL. This was a step in the right direction.

After looking at everything under the sun, added a B7500 HST / FEL / 5' RFM back in 2002. Really thought I'd be satisfied forever. Looked at the BX series but felt kinda cramped on them. Couldn't imagine using anything larger than that.

10 years into owning the B7500, and after many times wishing there were an extra 5 or 10 horses under the orange hood, I went on another mission to find the perfect piece of equipment. Came home with an L3200 HST / FEL / 6' RFM. I love this one a whole lot. Since I bought it early this summer it hasn't seen snow, so I'm only guessing it will do a little better than the B7500. For mowing it has been great. I can putter around in any gear range and it purrs right along. It walks right through places where the B7500 had to be put in 4WD. Mowing takes a tad over 1/2 hour per acre. The FEL is much stronger than the one on the B7500 and it moved a lot of dirt the first month it lived here. The loader is easier to remove and install that the one on the B7500, and that one wasn't difficult.

 

[jwenzler]

So the final pricing from the dealers is in and I still can't decide what is the best tractor for my needs.

Kubota BX2660 with 60" deck and 60" front blade is $15200.
Deere 1026r with 60" deck and 54" front blade is $15778.
Deere x728 with 60" deck and 54" front blade is $12785.

So, over $3k more for a SCUT, but I'm sure it would hold that value more if I would want to trade or sell.