I was considering an LS tractor package until.......

[LS Tractor Owner]

In the future my tractor needs will be changing, requiring a larger tractor than my SCUT now. LS will be the forerunner in that upgrade. I have had 0 mechanical issues with my tractor, no warranty issues whatsoever. It has been worked hard for over 170 hours so far. Overall, a satisfied customer.

 

[atsah]

Such as?

Throughout this whole thread you have been looking for a brand fight. You don't due video's, "ever". From the get go you wanted someone to decipher what the video entailed and then type it all out for you on there keyboard.

If you don't do video's and you don't want to get the information for yourself why post at all..

Not willing to make the effort and trying to defend any brand tractor you have doesn't make a whole lot of sense..

 

[LouNY]

Well it was a slow morning for me,
so I watched all of his LS videos.
The little LS that he had at first had low rpm vibrations, so yes if he had run the rpm up higher that may have been taken care of.
Also the cooling fan for the hydrostatic transmission was blowing hot air up around the seat, not something desirable in the summer.
I don't recall in his video were he had mentioned the oil leaks in his first little tractor till it got returned to him as a loaner, with frame reinforcement added to it.

His larger one and the one with the most video footage has a lot of different issues.
One of which is regeneration issues were the computer takes over all the throttle control for regeneration issues but doesn't seem to ever get the regeneration done.
Yes, he does run the rpm a bit low when videotaping, yes the fuel gauge is around a quarter in many of the videos if either of those two issues are the cause then the fuel pickup is designed exceedingly poor, when the computer controls the rpm it should have done the regeneration completely and properly.
When it is starting and stopping every few feet with no error codes that is pure D ridiculous. If it was caused by low fuel it would not have restarted as quickly as it did with no bleeding required.
Is his dealer taking good care of him I would say not, I don't recall in the videos anywhere being mentioned that he had had any direct contact with LS, he does list a contact us from their website (LS).

Does LS make a good tractor I think overall they do, but his is not one of them. If the dealer can't handle the repairs and troubleshooting it is a problem.
I had looked at a couple of LS's before I bought my Branson 8050.
I liked them they had the power shuttles and similar equipment, they did not have a local dealer that inspired any confidence at that time. And the main reason I quite looking at them was I knew that I'd be using chains in the winter and the models that I was looking at didn't in my mind have adequate clearance for chains. One dealership about 4 hours away was talking that they had lifted the cabs in order to fit chains. I didn't really want to go that way and it was going to be a long haul if it needed to go back for any reason. My Branson dealer is only 18 miles away but that is still a 35 minute drive or 45 -50 minutes if towing which to me is considerable, especially as JD is only 2 miles away and NH is 10 miles, and IH is 12 miles one way or 15 miles to other way.

 

[Diggin It]

Throughout this whole thread you have been looking for a brand fight.

Pretty much the opposite. I've been trying to figure out why people that don't have them and have never even seen them are attacking them based on one disgruntled person's taped opinions. A few have posted details about what he said and why they do or don't agree. Others have just ranted.

I don't even watch commercial, professional TV anymore, so why would I watch amateur TV? I prefer printed words that can be read, referred back to and quoted.

We've seen a few threads about LS engine issues. At least one case seems to be operator error or misunderstanding. Some are still unresolved and we don't know what happened. We've also seen threads on orange and green problems, some of which turned out to be bad dealer practices.

Whether or not this guy has a bad machine, bad dealer, or just doesn't understand the machine and how it operates doesn't seem to have been determined by those who have watched it.

 

[Diggin It]

he does list a contact us from their website (LS).

I've sent two or three messages to them that way without reply so I'm not too impressed there. My dealer says he gets responses and information quickly though.

 

[4570Man]

There’s much more useful information in amateur tv aka YouTube than professional tv. Writing off the whole thing as whole is pretty dumb. YouTube is a valuable source for problem solving. But like I said earlier, Your loss.

 

[Ford850]

I agree the tractor or the dealer is a lemon, and since we'll never know the whole story or all the details we won't be able to determine which is the lemon. Not knowing the cause of a problem and throwing new parts on it in hopes it gets corrected is not a good dealer.

Out of curiosity, I looked for a dealer close the OP's location. I won't name names, but the 2 dealers I found close were not dealers I would consider. One was indeed a larger dealer but had no LS inventory. The other was small and listed nothing on their website about service. That's a flag when I look for a dealer. Maybe I'm spoiled, but all dealers I frequent are proud of their service departments. They have at least one web page dedicated to service, listing techs and their years of experience, and certifications at a minimum. Some dealers list 24 hour emergency numbers to talk to a tech. When I see websites like the LS sites close to this OP that don't mention a single word about service, forget about it.

 

[Diggin It]

^^ My dealer doesn't even have a website. I found them from a Tractorhouse listing. When I got there, I found a decent sized operation for the area and a number of larger LS machines in there for sale and other brands and implements to be serviced.

The TYM dealer near me has a fancy flashy website with all kinds of bells and whistles listing their brands, contact, service and so on. But when I went there, I found I was less than impressed with how they operated.

 

[MaineGuy1]

As stated in a previous post, the owner definitely does some things that contribute to the problem. Who knows about the dealer? Are they truely doing the part replacement they say? Is the tractor a lemon? Maybe. He refers to "the company".... Never the "dealer" or "LS rep" .....who specifically is he talking to...he mentions "the mechanic".

This is also his second LS tractor. Apparently he had "issues" with the other model too. That one DID NOT have emissions on it. ....but he still had problems with it and then "upgraded" to this one. Almost sounds like owner induced issues. As far as vibration...my small little Yanmar motor shakes like all get out at idle...purrs like a kitten at 2K rpm...So does the JD 1025... Same motor.... So does the JD 2025... Same motor... Just sayin... He's running / working it at 800-1000rpm....??

As to making a decision to buy an LS or not, based on these videos....well ..... Thats not being realistic. Talking about plastic...anyone go to a JD dealer recently? There's more metal on my little LS than on the JD's 2-3 sizes bigger. All manufacturers try to make the profits by "cutting corners" or using cheaper materials.

There are 1000's of happy, satisfied LS customers out there...along with 1000's of satisfied owners of other brands.

You only hear about that "one bad apple", not the 1000's of good ones

I agree. I have friends that have LS's and they love them, no issues so far. I almost bought one but the Massey dealer gave me a good price and he was a much more established dealer. The point is though, this XR3135 that he has is a POS. The XR3135 sitting next to it on the lot probably would have been a great tractor. Looks like he got a lemon. All OEM's have had lemons. Someone working on that tractor at the factory might have been having a bad day, who knows.

 

[Tennsawdust]

Basically, you get what you pay for. Cheaper lines of tractors are cheaper because they cut corners. They use things like a zip tied tight bend hose instead of a pipe or proper 90 degree fittings. Lower link shafts that spin instead of fixed ones with proper ball joints on the arms and so on. More plastic than steel. Buying on price point alone means that you may have to make sacrifices that aren't readily apparent. That is not to say that paying top dollar is going to get you the best machine, it is just to say that you need to compare carefully between tractors to make sure you are getting the exact same build quality in a lower priced or more expensive machine.

I suppose you are right. They should go to New Holland and buy the same tractor for a higher price. As for plastic, it depends on the LS model as to how much it has. It's worth pointing out that companies like John Deere seem to have no aversion to plastic either. I would agree with you that price point alone is not a good reason to buy anything. However, in some cases you can buy a better equipped tractor for less money and that isn't a bad thing. It does require that one do their homework though.

 

[Tennsawdust]

Pretty much the opposite. I've been trying to figure out why people that don't have them and have never even seen them are attacking them based on one disgruntled person's taped opinions. A few have posted details about what he said and why they do or don't agree. Others have just ranted.

I don't even watch commercial, professional TV anymore, so why would I watch amateur TV? I prefer printed words that can be read, referred back to and quoted.

We've seen a few threads about LS engine issues. At least one case seems to be operator error or misunderstanding. Some are still unresolved and we don't know what happened. We've also seen threads on orange and green problems, some of which turned out to be bad dealer practices.

Whether or not this guy has a bad machine, bad dealer, or just doesn't understand the machine and how it operates doesn't seem to have been determined by those who have watched it.

It is hard to say what the issues really are there, but one thing is for sure: putting around on a DPF equipped tractor is not a good practice. You have to run it at high enough RPM to generate some heat in the exhaust system. The engines are designed with this in mind. You will not hurt it by running it in the proper RPM range. Throw the coal to it. It likes it!

 

[George2615]

As mentioned, with all brands you will find some that have problems. The same problems are found in the automotive industry. My XR3037HC turned 5 years old last month. Other than a mirror replacement I've had no problems with mine. The early model mirrors have an opening at the top which allows water to get in between the mirror back and plastic housing. The water froze in winter and pushed the mirror out. Newer models and replacement mirrors now come with a drain hole in the bottom. I think it is a quality built tractor. I watched some of the vids and agree that some of the problems shown could be easily fixed by the owner and other problems seem to be operator error. My dealer is a small Mom & Pop store but seems to be very knowledgable. I can't speak for how they are with warranty work as I haven't needed any. My basic needs have only been filters. Replacement mirror order took less than a week.

 

[coobie]

Basically, you get what you pay for. Cheaper lines of tractors are cheaper because they cut corners. They use things like a zip tied tight bend hose instead of a pipe or proper 90 degree fittings. Lower link shafts that spin instead of fixed ones with proper ball joints on the arms and so on. More plastic than steel. Buying on price point alone means that you may have to make sacrifices that aren't readily apparent. That is not to say that paying top dollar is going to get you the best machine, it is just to say that you need to compare carefully between tractors to make sure you are getting the exact same build quality in a lower priced or more expensive machine.

I own Kubota products and Kioti product.I can tell you the Kioti is right there equal with Kubota.

 

[coobie]

I've sent two or three messages to them that way without reply so I'm not too impressed there. My dealer says he gets responses and information quickly though.

Better watch out someone might think you have a chip on your shoulder.

 

[shooterdon]

As many have said..."you are buying a dealer" when you buy a tractor.

I have pretty well written off the local JD dealer. Not bad guys, just incompetent IMO. But they have a flashy showroom.

I am looking to upgrade and stopped by the LS dealer out of frustration. Boy, what a difference. The place is dumpy looking. They have four mechanics and a service truck for minor repairs. They will pick up and return a tractor if it needs warranty work for free (not covered by LS but the dealer himself). They sold 100 units last year and give every purchaser the cell phone number of the owner so they can get help 24-7. He will come in on the weekend if you need parts. He is opening a second location this year closer to where I live. Hard to ignore things like that. The Kubota dealer is closer to me and will charge $300 for pick up and delivery. The JD dealer about $150.

If LS was as bad as some think, this dealer would be swamped with calls.

As to the guy in the video, I wonder what is with him. Some of the stuff is hard to believe...like the dealer using up (or stealing?) his fuel. Some people do not read operating instructions, some like to complain and some are trying to get something for nothing. I am more concerned about the thread of the turbo issues and how LS will handle that.

 

[Grateful11]

There痴 much more useful information in amateur tv aka YouTube than professional tv. Writing off the whole thing as whole is pretty dumb. YouTube is a valuable source for problem solving. But like I said earlier, Your loss.

I agree. I see no reason why this guy take the time to make these if he wasn't really having trouble? I doubt he's getting paid anything at all from YT, if he is it's pennies.

 

[uphere]

I was considering a Kubota, Massey, Deere, etc., - until I bought an LS.
Have had three over the last 13 years and no big problems (other than issues with the EZ-shift on one which was covered under warranty) ... any other issues were minor and brought on by the operator in most cases. Dealer does make a difference - mine has been top notch.

 

[rgr33]

It’s so tempting to jump in this thread and defend the tractor, but I don’t have any real knowledge of the tractor, the owner, or the dealer. It does seem odd that he has issues with both of his LS models, especially the XR 3135, which I have read good reviews on. My LS has been solid and dependable since I bought it new in 2012. I will say I am not a fan of plastic body parts, having witnessed some jD 4400’s in the area that are held together with duct tape. Though the rest of the tractor still performs well at 20 years old.

I’d kind of like this guy to buy another brand of tractor, and write his review of that experience after a couple of years of ownership.



I am glad my tractors don’t have tier 4 emissions, or as far as I know, no computers to cause problems I can’t fix on my own.

 

[atsah]

So 1930..


You must have looked this model over enough to get a quote on it, did you notice any of things to reviewer pointed out as far as how the tractor is designed? Plastic, dipstick, air intake floating in the breeze, coolant bottle over the battery, pins on the bottom hitting, the hydro hose hitting the wheel, etc.

Are you not considering this model tractor because of the issues the reviewer has experienced or are there things he points out that you missed.. By the way the motor vibrates no more than any other 3cyl Japanese diesel and I think my Massey vibrates more, so don't let that bother you..

ALL tractor brands have an issue now and again, this guy having issues doesn't mean they all have issues. You can search until you're heart is content on this forum and find issues with ALL brands.. Why the reviewer found what he calls design flaws (which there could be) and buys the same brand is beyond me, I would have headed for a different color dealership to see if they were built differently and more to my liking.

Before he bought the first tractor he surely didn't look at it very hard because he didn't pick up on anything that he picked up on after he bought it.. I actually wouldn't put much stock into what he has to say.. No doubt he had some problems but he hates them now so getting anything positive out of him concerning LS isn't going to happen..

 

[1930]

So 1930..


You must have looked this model over enough to get a quote on it, did you notice any of things to reviewer pointed out as far as how the tractor is designed? Plastic, dipstick, air intake floating in the breeze, coolant bottle over the battery, pins on the bottom hitting, the hydro hose hitting the wheel, etc.

Are you not considering this model tractor because of the issues the reviewer has experienced or are there things he points out that you missed.. By the way the motor vibrates no more than any other 3cyl Japanese diesel and I think my Massey vibrates more, so don't let that bother you..

ALL tractor brands have an issue now and again, this guy having issues doesn't mean they all have issues. You can search until you're heart is content on this forum and find issues with ALL brands.. Why the reviewer found what he calls design flaws (which there could be) and buys the same brand is beyond me, I would have headed for a different color dealership to see if they were built differently and more to my liking.

Before he bought the first tractor he surely didn't look at it very hard because he didn't pick up on anything that he picked up on after he bought it.. I actually wouldn't put much stock into what he has to say.. No doubt he had some problems but he hates them now so getting anything positive out of him concerning LS isn't going to happen..

I dont know when it happened but I wasnt aware of tractors having the plastic in them, I thought only the small home versions were doing this.

I have zero interest in the plastic, that was enough for me, I do collision work for a living, I see too much plastic as it is.

Not to bash the brand but there were alot of things I did notice that I thought screamed save a dollar.

I havent signed any papers yet but I was approved today for the Kubota and it looks like Im going that way.