Attachments: Tractor brands or aftermarket?

[Freep]

Greetings, All,

I will be purchasing my first tractor in near future, and am completely overwhelmed by the selection of attachments.

For one thing, there are so many different manufacturers of similar attachments and implements, and I am unable to find general info on overall quality of various brands other than on this forum. I am usually very good at finding reviews and determining the major players with various products - not so with tractor attachments. Am I missing some resources, or is there a general lack of organized information available regarding the quality of various brands of attachments?

Most importantly, I wonder why I see relatively few reviews or opinions on tractor-branded attachments. Are aftermarket options usually of higher quality than those sold at the dealer? I am considering a Kioti, for example: Are Kioti's attachments generally high quality? Or is aftermarket the way to go? It would be very convenient to buy everything at the dealer, but I want to get high quality stuff.

Finally, Everything Attachments seems like a great choice for many attachments. I particularly appreciate the free shipping and the youtube videos that describe how to use them, but I am on the west coast, well out of the 1000 mile free shipping range. Is there a similar company out west that offers high quality attachments and will ship them free?

 

[mcfarmall]

How many farmers have all the same brand of equipment and attachments/implements? The answer is probably close to none. Buy your attachments and implements based on features, construction, and the ability to do the job at hand. There are certainly exceptions in some cases, for example, I was looking at the Mahindra heavy duty rotary cutter aka brush hog, bush hog, slasher, ad infinitum, and the cutter happened to be made by Kodiak but simply had the Mahindra logo painted on the side. Many OEM's implements and attachments are made by third parties, and as stated above there are certainly exceptions in some cases.

Bottom line, buy your attachments colorblind. Look beyond the matching paint job and logo to construction, features and the ability to get your job done.

 

[fried1765]

Greetings, All,

I will be purchasing my first tractor in near future, and am completely overwhelmed by the selection of attachments.

For one thing, there are so many different manufacturers of similar attachments and implements, and I am unable to find general info on overall quality of various brands other than on this forum. I am usually very good at finding reviews and determining the major players with various products - not so with tractor attachments. Am I missing some resources, or is there a general lack of organized information available regarding the quality of various brands of attachments?

Most importantly, I wonder why I see relatively few reviews or opinions on tractor-branded attachments. Are aftermarket options usually of higher quality than those sold at the dealer? I am considering a Kioti, for example: Are Kioti's attachments generally high quality? Or is aftermarket the way to go? It would be very convenient to buy everything at the dealer, but I want to get high quality stuff.

Finally, Everything Attachments seems like a great choice for many attachments. I particularly appreciate the free shipping and the youtube videos that describe how to use them, but I am on the west coast, well out of the 1000 mile free shipping range. Is there a similar company out west that offers high quality attachments and will ship them free?

Don't get hung up on "free shipping".
Do you REALLY believe ANYONE ships for "FREE"?
The shipping cost is actually already included in the selling price, ANYTIME shipping is advertised as "FREE".

I live over 1000 miles from Blain's Farm and Fleet (Blain's is in Janesville, WI.), and they consistantly seem to have very low implement/attachment shipping costs.
I have bought several King Kutter implements/attachments from Blain's.
Periodically, Blain's also has sale pricing on KK items. Watch for Blain's sales!

I have a 60" KK tiller, KK 60" box blade, and KK 84" rear blade.
In my opinion, KK implements/attachments bought from Blain's, are the best bank for the buck.

That said: I have read here on TBN, that ETA additional shipping costs, beyond 1000 miles, are quite reasonable.

 

[jeff9366]

Greetings, All,

I will be purchasing my first tractor in near future, and am completely overwhelmed by the selection of attachments.

For one thing, there are so many different manufacturers of similar attachments and implements, and I am unable to find general info on overall quality of various brands other than on this forum. Am I missing some resources, or is there a general lack of organized information available regarding the quality of various brands of attachments?

It would be convenient to buy everything at the dealer, but I want to get high quality stuff.

Finally, Everything Attachments seems like a great choice for many attachments. I particularly appreciate the free shipping and the youtube videos that describe how to use them, but I am on the west coast, well out of the 1000 mile free shipping range.

Implements and tractors have to be matched. An implement adequate for a 1,700 pound tractor will be terrible behind a 4,000 pound tractor.

Some implements, Box Blades for instance, serve to move dirt with the Three Point Hitch but are also commonly used for Three Point Hitch counterbalance to Front End Loader (FEL) loads. For counterbalance a significantly heavier Box Blade is often necessary, relative to a Box Blade adequate for moving dirt.

Deere and Kubota dealers have access to quality Deere and Kubota branded implements. However it is most dealers experience that customers are mostly interested in low price, Low Price, LOW PRICE. For heavy, high quality implements, you have to PAY. Dominant market share of Deere and Kubota brands (65% combined) support encyclopedic implement offerings.

I own several satisfactory ETA implements. Shipping is included in the price of the implement, it certainly is not free. However, you MAY not pay sales tax ordering out of state. For most tractor purchasers the ability to include implements in finance package at time of tractor purchase is highly attractive.

Finally, we have the common circumstance when first time buyers buy too light a tractor initially and are ready to move up to a heavier tractor at year two/three. Selling a used tractor is easy. Selling light implements in order to buy heavier, wider, implements for a heavier tractor you eat more depreciation on the implements than on the tractor. Passing time with multiple implement browsers is a pain. ((Ask me how I know.))

For this reason, used implement can be a bargain. But: Caveat Emptor!

Buy enough tractor.​

 

[newbury]

<snip>

For this reason, used implement can be a bargain. <snip>

And also a "used implement" may never turn up for sale where you can get it and when you need it. Whereas a new implement may often be delivered within a week. In my sig I've a lot of "used implement" but I know sometimes I've an unforeseen job to do and need a certain attachment NOW and retail or rental are my only choices.

 

[ericm979]

You often can't generalize about a given manufacturer's implement quality or durability. For example Land Pride (Kubota) makes inexpensive light duty rotary cutters (and other implements) that look similar in design to the cheap Tractor Supply ones, and some nice sturdy models, and real ag equipment. You have to look at each implement.

Used implements around my area are like used tractors- they are usually beat up and overpriced. The few that are in decent shape cost close to new.

 

[CMV]

I would buy the factory front end loader vs an aftermarket on a new machine without exception. If any issues arise, I wouldn't want to have to sort the tractor manufacturer pointing finger at FEL manufacturer & vice versa. Or potential warranty item failure not being covered if possible to point at aftermarket loader as culprit.

Otherwise, unless you're getting a significant price breaks (multiple attachment rebates along with purchase), I wouldn't care what brand name other attachments were. As long as they're suitable for the task and machine - really don't care if their paint is a different color.

 

[airbiscuit]

Often (mostly?) tractor brands are actually manufactured by a third party (Land Pride manufacturing implements for Kubota for example). To me, they seem substantially overpriced. The best thing to do is to compare specifications between brands (weight, gearbox hp, etc.). I would list manufacturers as follows (yes, these are generalizations):

Premium Brands

Buhler/Farm King
Bush Hog
Land Pride
Woods

Value Lines

King Kutter
CountyLine

There is nothing wrong with value lines - they are reasonably priced, but generally less robust.

 

[jeff9366]

Often (mostly?) tractor brands are actually manufactured by a third party (Land Pride manufacturing implements for Kubota for example). To me, they seem substantially overpriced.

Kubota has owned 100% of Land Pride for about a year. Kubota owns some portion of Vermeer.


CountyLine is TSC's label. CountyLine has been produced by Tarter in Kentucky for TSC for about two years. Prior to Tarter, King Cutter produced CountyLine label for TSC.

Tarter labels are on today's CountyLine implements. Photo is a CountyLine Disc Harrow.

 

[CMV]

Often (mostly?) tractor brands are actually manufactured by a third party (Land Pride manufacturing implements for Kubota for example). To me, they seem substantially overpriced. The best thing to do is to compare specifications between brands (weight, gearbox hp, etc.). I would list manufacturers as follows (yes, these are generalizations):

Premium Brands

Buhler/Farm King
Bush Hog
Land Pride
Woods

Value Lines

King Kutter
CountyLine

There is nothing wrong with value lines - they are reasonably priced, but generally less robust.

Even at that I think there is a lot of overlap. Bush Hog brand rotary cutter for example. Their lightest duty model 6' rotary cutter (BH6) has a price tag close to a basic TSC 6'. Shear pin, thinner deck, lighter overall weight, stronger gearbox. In general the two compare very similarly on paper. So I wouldn't assume name brand > TSC in that specific case. Land Pride seems to be similar offering a range of economy - heavier duty stuff.

I would suspect that the economy line stuff from a bigger name is still going to be on par with overall build quality and durability with other economy line brands like what TSC and others offer.

 

[airbiscuit]

So, are the prices the same for a Land Pride Implement vs a Kubota badged implement?

Does John Deere make Frontier Implements?

 

[majorwager]

Usually when Jeff replies, that if the definitive word on the subject, if still awake at the end.

BUT a salient point is thus. Folks that purchase a new Kubota tractor have the option to roll their Land Pride purchase into the 0 o/o interest rate offered from Kubota. Believe these implements are covered by Kubota ins. as well but must defer to jeff for the additional definitive word.


Note: Acquiring Kverneland provided ownership, 100 % of Vermeer.

 

[jeff9366]

Broadly, if you compare weights of similar sized implements, the heavier implements TEND to be higher quality.

Weight is how to fit ETA implements into your implement research. Then inquire here about specific implements, implement design and/or implement suitability to a particular tractor, if necessary.

 

[airbiscuit]

Even at that I think there is a lot of overlap. Bush Hog brand rotary cutter for example. Their lightest duty model 6' rotary cutter (BH6) has a price tag close to a basic TSC 6'. Shear pin, thinner deck, lighter overall weight, stronger gearbox. In general the two compare very similarly on paper. So I wouldn't assume name brand > TSC in that specific case. Land Pride seems to be similar offering a range of economy - heavier duty stuff.

I would suspect that the economy line stuff from a bigger name is still going to be on par with overall build quality and durability with other economy line brands like what TSC and others offer.

I don't disagree about the overlap. That's why it is important to compare specifications. That said, my experience is that tractor brand implements are often over priced compared to equivalent premium brands.

 

[jeff9366]

Usually when Jeff replies, that is the definitive word on the subject, if still awake at the end.

I try to provide readers full value for their T-B-N subscription money.

Sometimes contributing to T-B-N makes ME sleepy.

 

[majorwager]

Broadly, if you compare weights of similar sized implements, the heavier implements TEND to be higher quality.

Weight is how to fit ETA implements into your implement research. Then inquire here about specific implements, implement design and/or implement suitability to a particular tractor, if necessary.

Jeff,

When you state "inquire Here" in quote above, are you requesting folks contact you directly for all of their implement questions? Very generous gesture w/ your time and advice, call it the jeff help desk?

 

[airbiscuit]

Kubota lists the RCF2072 Rotary Cutter at $3,080

Tractor House lists Land Pride RCF2072 Rotary Cutter at $2.295

Same Specs

 

[CMV]

Kubota lists the RCF2072 Rotary Cutter at $3,080

Tractor House lists Land Pride RCF2072 Rotary Cutter at $2.295

Same Specs

List price vs what the dealer actually sells for are vastly different though? Build my own Kubota on site vs quotes from multiple dealers shows list prices/MSRP way inflated. Guess so you feel like you're getting a heck of a deal when that $3100 cutter gets quoted @ $2300? Dunno about implements. Asked about a box blade from local Kubota when I was searching for one and price for a new Land Pride one in Kubota orange was really inline with any other brand light duty one. No idea what MSRP is on it, but their quoted price of just buying it standalone (not as part of deal with a tractor or anything else) was pretty close to a generic yellow China one.

 

[airbiscuit]

List price vs what the dealer actually sells for are vastly different though? Build my own Kubota on site vs quotes from multiple dealers shows list prices/MSRP way inflated. Guess so you feel like you're getting a heck of a deal when that $3100 cutter gets quoted @ $2300? Dunno about implements. Asked about a box blade from local Kubota when I was searching for one and price for a new Land Pride one in Kubota orange was really inline with any other brand light duty one. No idea what MSRP is on it, but their quoted price of just buying it standalone (not as part of deal with a tractor or anything else) was pretty close to a generic yellow China one.

Don't disagree, but if you don't know what equivalent products from other manufacturers cost, you could get rolled. Deere's Frontier implements seem to be priced at a premium to me.

 

[Freep]

Great advice, All - thanks for the input.

I do intend to buy high quality stuff. I am fairly strategic in that way, and generally think beyond initial price. I'll definitely consider weight a telling variable. It is useful to know that dealer implements are often re-brands. Used implements do seem dear in the area, but I am patient.

No chance of 0% for me and Kioti. I would be going on a spree if that were the case. Airbiscuit's note that you could overpay without knowing more is exactly why I'm tapping y'all's expertise. I find the information asymmetry between consumers and dealers in the whole tractor market disconcerting. I am generally willing to support local business, but there's a limit to the prices I will pay.