Century or Kubota

[Anonymous Poster]

Eddie, I agree with P3000. You aren't likely to get any more substantive information than has already been put forth. To me, the Korean built CUTs are a much better value than any of the other brands hands down, and it was only a matter of choosing from those that were available in my area.

I chose Branson. Centurys are not sold here, probably because Branson USA is right down the road, which keeps the freight costs down to nil. If I had to do it all over again, the only thing that might be different is the model number.

Good luck with whatever you choose.

SnowRidge

 

[DavesTractor]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I'm also concerned about Century being around in 5 years or more. What evidence is there to support this? Is Century selling enough tractors to indicate a growing market share? I've been told Kubota holds 40% of ALL compact tractor sales nation wide. )</font>

Branson sales went up abut 300% from 2001 to 2002, and it appears they will go up 300% this year as well. By May of this year they equaled all of last years sales. While no where close to the volume of the big three, they are certainly gaining. I suspect Century has seen similar growth. It is encouraging to me as a Branson dealer to be working with a company that is growing stronger every day.

 

[JohnMiller3]

In our area, Upstate New York… I’ve never seen any M series out in the field… but they must have them somewhere… ‘cause I considered a M6800 briefly ~ about 3 years ago, so I know they are sold here… /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

On the other hand, it’s no secret that Kubota has had the majority of the Compact Tractors market under 30 hp for the past “many years”… for years, you would only see Kubota orange on landscape trailers, new home sites, back of weekend warrior’s property…

From about 1997 onward… NH Blue Boomers and JD green have come out swinging, scratching and clawing to obtain market share… and from 2000 onward you see a much stronger presence of Mahindra, Kioti, and AGCO Iseki’s, with Branson, Century, TYM, and Chinese taking up the trailing end… (point being… it can be anyone’s market, with so many contenders)

The compact tractor market is <font color="red">HOT</font>… Dealers that had sold large AG since the beginning of time… have seen the market change over to the Compacts… Some of these AG dealers never switched… and are now history… with closed doors… (another point being, the compact market for most is in it's infancy if you only look at the numbers)

Back to where I wasn’t… /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif Early last year, at the NY Farm Show, I had the pleasure of talking with one of Kubota’s top reps imported from California… /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif He indicated Kubota had a very large presence in the SW U.S., mainly California in the AG end of the business… He indicated the rest of the country was not as generous for Kubota’s AG market share, and he acknowledged they had a long way to go to make a dent. His new job in our N.E. U.S. area… was to make that dent. (As he was the key person for obtaining the California AG numbers) So… time will tell… /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[_RaT_]

John, my impression from lurking around this forum for the last few years leads me to believe you are absolutley correct. Kubotas presence on the large farm is miniscule at best. Kubotas forte is with the compacts. Here in California, it is quite evident, but obviously not in all regions of the country. With the big farmer's, JD is the undisputed king, hardly arguable. Vineyards seem to prefer the Kubotas, at least, running around the Napa area, a wine producing region near me. I never thought about buying my tractor based on whether it was used by the large or "real" farmers. Heck if that were the case, I'd be sporting a JD, NH/Case or Cat. For some reason, MF has all but disappeared from the landscape. MF was my first tractor experience so I have a little soft spot for the o'l company. Anyway, as usual, your comment was right on target. The competition is getting stiffer and the bonus is better tractors for us all. My L30 is certainly proof of that. Rat... /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[_RaT_]

Pacesetter, most of my tractor experience is with manual (JD 790 type shift) or a shuttle shift. While shuttle shift is a gigantic improvement on the old manuals, after experiencing HST with my L48 Kubota and more recently with my L30's series Kubota, I'm a born again convert, all because MChalkey was the first one to really make me aware of its value. I used Bobcats Skidsteers for years, never really thinking about the drive mechanism. It was fast, quick and easy. Using my L3830 HST for many hours today made me think about posting a thread exclusive to HST. It's not so much that I care what folks decide to purchase for a transmission as much as making them aware of just what the benefits are. Perhaps the greatest value this forum offers is the ability to inform. Prefering HST over any other transmission is not to denegrate them, they all have their strong points, if they did not, manufactuers would be silly to continue producing them. As I mentioned, the instantaneuous response HST offers is a huge factor. For mowing purposes on my property, it comes in extremely handy. My acerage is not as smooth as I would like. When the front wheels hit a rut, bump, dip or other obstacle, it's second nature to back off the speed. The result is instant feedback and a smooth transition or response from the HST. Low branches and a ROPS, no problem, slow to about 1.8 mph, look, and decide if its going to clear or not. The control is just exactly what I need. In a word, HST offers me the control that my International 454, NH 2120 shuttle shift, Kubota L4850 shuttle shift/wet clutch just don't have. It's simply my preference and my many years of experience using various tractors with various transmissions. People who choose to buy alternative drives aren't wrong, some are just misinformed. I hope that when the hard earned dollar is spent, it is done so with plenty of accurate information. Rat...

 

[DavesTractor]

Regarding Kubota's being used by real farmers, here in the orchards of Nothern California we see quite a few Kubotas in the 70+ HP range primarily being used to run large flail mowers. The farmers seem to like them and get good hours out of them. Of course this is not the kind of ground engaging work that many other types of farming requires, but it does give the tractor a good workout.

 

[Pacesetter300]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Your "buck" dosen't "bang" quite as loud as ours. )</font>

Calling 5030 - I'd really like you to expand on your statement.

I'll be the first to admit I'm still learning about all the aspects of tractors and implements. I am totally dumbfounded to understand how 2.5 PTO HP and 200 lbs. weight (5030 Kubota vs. 3045 Century) for ~ $15,000 equates to a "louder bang for the buck" /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

Wolbert dealt with another guy on another forum making wild statements regarding Kioti transmissions. That guy wouldn't back up his claims either. This is a GREAT forum. We all learn a lot from each other. I had a great exchange with RaT on this thread and learned a lot from it. I just think if someone is going to make wild slanted statements, they should be prepared to back them up with facts. 5030 is definately guilty the former and is certainly AWOL with the latter.
Pacesetter

 

[5030]

Without going too deep. I'm not referring to brands of tractors or anything concerning tractors/owners/etc. I'm referring to the exchange rate of currency between the U.S. and Canada. Nuff said.

I'm out farming/haying with my "little Kubota". Not too much time for this site right now. Just waiting for the dew to come off so I can turn forage. Want to round bale this afternoon. Will take pictures as usual.

 

[JohnMiller3]

Please Guys... Let not start any flame wars...

(Don't take things personally...!)

Thanks... /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[19th_VA]

Hey Eddie,

Welcome to tbynet. Can't believe I missed this discussion (almost). Up front, let me say I own a Branson 3520 and am perfectly satisfied with it, except I want a backhoe! I would add in the price of the implements, like front end loader, before saying the difference in price is $4100. Add in the implements, and your price difference grows. As for long term, if you are all that nervous about it, pay the extra $ and get the Kubota. I considered the same thing and obviously decided in favor of Branson. Kukje has been around since 1968, has been making tractors for John Deere for a long time, and is currently rapidly expanding its share of the world compact market. They make all the major components--engine, drivetrain, frame, save for the yanmar engine for the 45 hp. They just signed a deal to sell engines under the Cummins label. I do not worry about the long term. This company is doing great and is most likely not going anywhere.

I really think you should take a more careful look at your competing dealers. The kubota dealer already gave you some bad information about the # of Century dealers in Texas. Perhaps and innocent mistake, but YOU need to get in there, ask some tough questions and see whose answers you like best. We are all biased in favor of our own tractor brands. When I started looking, I had NO tractor brand because I had NO tractor.

I don't think you would be unhappy with either tractor. It's up to you to decide if the extra $ are worth it.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Yep I have seen a couple M series Bota's being used for haying and small scale tillage/cultivation uses. I will have to ask one guy I know that has one what the thinks about the M series.

 

[Bird]

I know of one guy in the hay business who uses an M6800 and the last I heard, he'd had one problem with it; the air-conditioning quit cooling on a hot Sunday afternoon while the dealer was closed. So he took it to a local mechanic (who lives next door to his shop). The mechanic washed the debris off the front of the radiator and it started cooling just fine again. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[EFC]

Have you looked at TYM yet? You could get the Kubota engine at the Century price and there is a Hydro available also…. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

That should make this thread go another 4 pages at least, hehe!

 

[_RaT_]

"That should make this thread go another 4 pages at least, hehe!"

You could be right! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Woodbeef]

Hey 19th Va,

The Kukje site says they have been providing farmers with good quality equipment for over 50 years. But then on the info page it says Kukje Machinery has been around since 1968. I wonder what they were called befor Kukje Machinery?

We'll have to put ol Chipperman on the trail of that one!!

 

[19th_VA]

Well, I imagine they're a lot like American companies--the vaguest connection to a product produced 100 years ago and, whala, been in business since 1903! I think it's safe to say Kukje has been Kukje since 1968, has been making tractors for about 20 years, and is here to stay. What I want to know is why those darn Frey loaders showed up on my local Bransons?#!@ /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif They are inferior to the Ansung loaders in appearance and specifidcations, save for the joystick, which is a bit closer to the operator, out of the way of the hand throttle but quite clunky otherwise (perhaps will interfere with brakes or foot throttle?).

 

[Woodbeef]

Hey 5030,

So you cut and bale hay with your Kubota,I have no doubt it will handle that work with adequately sized machinery,especially on level ground. What other type of farm work do you do with it? Do you plow,disc,plant...etc with it?

No,I do not check out the photo section here,unless someone specifically points me to a posting in it.

Not really sure as to why would I need a cab with air if I came down to Michigan to cut hay though?

 

[EddieWalker]

I went back to the Kubota dealer to see if he was really serious about his price for the L3830GST. He was and said $15,050 is rock bottom.

We talked about Century and what make Kubota better. Mostly Kubota is better because it is. I've hated this line on reasoning since I was 5 years old. I pushed and asked for reasons Kubota is better. After some stalling he said the Kubota will hold its value if I sell it later down the road.

I'm wonder if this is still true. For many years Kubota held its resale value due to lack of anything else of value to buy.

I then said that the $4,000 price difference is too much and what can he offer me in the $11,000 range. He came back with the L3000. His quote was $10,800.

The L3000 is a manuael tranny, 8 forward, 2 back. 4X4 with only 25 PTO hp. His big sales pitch was the live PTO it had. He also said Century didn't have a live PTO. I know Century has an independent PTO.

Isn't an independent PTO better than a live PTO?

Another stumbling block is the 0% financing Kubota is offering. If they have such a great product, why the begging for business financing? Will people still buy so many Kubotas if they have to pay normal rates for the loans? Is the reason the Kubota is so expensive because of the low financing? Is this a way to make up the money?

 

[Chipperman]

Hello EddieWalker
Actually the Century does have a live PTO. It uses a two stage clutch. When you push it half way down you disengage the first stage. That will stop the tractor from moving. Push it all the way down and the PTO stops. The Century has stops to hold the clutch pedal half or all the way down. Most independent PTO uses a switch and an electric clutch to engage the PTO.
Chipperman