Decision Time - My hands are sweating!

[texaslandman]

Thanks for your thoughts.

 

[txdon]

Texaslandman, at first you will be able to push bigger trees and more brush with the coyote. In a year or two you will have all your brush and small trees cleared and will be just maintaining the cleared area. If you look into the future doesn't a more maneuverable HST tractor seem more desirable? Plus you will get more seat time clearing at a slower pace now. You must determine if the Kubota can push the size of trees and brush that you have now, if it can't get the coyote or (here's something you don't want to hear) a larger Kubota. What ever you get, get teeth on the bucket. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[texaslandman]

Andy,

Thanks for your comments. You make some good points. I'm worried about the dirt floor service area, staffed by 2 mexicans at the Kioti dealer. Seems to me there should be more of a price spread between Kubota (high customer recognition) and Kioti (relatively unknown).

 

[rozett]

I have to agree with Andy. I bought my Cub because it was heavier, bigger footprint, and much better 3pt lift capacity than the competition. Since most of my previous tractor experience was with older equipment, I was used to gear drive. The shuttle-shift is my HST. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

While many folks would make their decision based on the dealer, my Cub has never seen a dealer in 3 years. I'm sure it will some day, but I'll worry about it then.

And I agree with Bob. If you are going to use the FEL, get the tires loaded. Is heavier and loaded tires going to be a problem with your sand?

 

[AndyMA]

</font><font color="blueclass=small">( Andy, do you feel the same if the service area is a dirt floor shop, staffed by 2 mexicans, not mechanically certified as far as I know? )</font>

Probably not. I agree that the dealer is very important. I took the time to look up the specs on the 2 machines and I found the weights without loaders to be 1367 lb vrs 2469 so there is quite a difference. The 3pt lift capacity 24" behind pins was 1058 vrs 2100 in the Kioti's favor. The one spec where I didn't find your numbers was the loader lift capacity at full height. Kubota 925# at bucket pin. Kioti KL1230 loader 920# at bucket pin. Heights were different.
Loader breakout was 1356 vrs 1870 in the Kioti's favor. The Kioti is just a bigger tractor, and yes I do think size matters /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif
Where is the next major Kioti dealer if something major goes wrong?

Andy

 

[texaslandman]

Thanks for your comments. I'm leaning to the Kubota purely for the dealer..

 

[texaslandman]

Your answer may be the reason I go orange in our area.

 

[BillG_in_TX]

Gary,

I don't know if Deen Implement is the Kubota dealer you're considering, but they have an ad in the Dallas Morning News today, and I noticed that they are running a special on the B7800HSD with FEL, 5' rotary cutter and 5' box blade for $16,280. Sounds like a good deal to me.

I sent you a PM (private message). Look for the flashing envelope toward the top of the page.

 

[texaslandman]

It is a fact that Deen Implement out of Wills Point has given me the best price with no hagling.

 

[BillG_in_TX]

Gary,

As I think I told you before, I've bought filters, parts, and even my ROPS from Deen in Forney. They are all fine folks, and have gone out of their way to be helpful to a newbie tractor owner with an old tractor (that I didn't buy from them). /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Joe1]

Is there a significant difference in resale value on the two tractors? If you will want to trade in 3 - 5 years, that may make a difference in your decision.

Which Deere model were you looking at, the 4XXX or 790?

 

[riptides]

I'd really factor your bride into the equation, that in my humble opinion would sway me to the HST. As a previous noter said, the learning curve is less.

You might need her help one day, and the HST will suit you both just fine.

Good luck.
-Mike Z. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[PineRidge]

<font color="blue"> Mark makes a great point about the Dealer Dealer Dealer. I ruled out one brand of tractor simply because the dealer, in my humble opinion, is a j@(&@$$. But you will probably need dealer support someday. Having a good dealer is like having a good gun, you hope you never need it, but on that day when you need it, you probably need it really really bad.
</font>

I think Mark and Bob both have very important points to consider. My dealer has been to my place twice since I took delivery of my TC-40D (125 hours on clock). Once to take care of an issue with a quick connect fitting that fell apart and once for a hydraulic leak & sticking HST pedal issue.

I could have saved a few bucks by buying my tractor out of state but I have to wonder just how this same dealer would have reacted to my calls for help if I had spent my money elsewhere. Very glad now that I didn't.

When you are broke and needing help talk is cheap, but action is priceless.

 

[texaslandman]

I suspect the Kubota would have higher resale value. I looked at both 790 & 4115. My #11s got tangled up on the operator platform of the 790, but I sure did like its looks!

Hard to believe both JD dealers were $2K higher.

 

[texaslandman]

Very good point about my bride. Thanks.

 

[SteveH_CT]

I was faced with a similar decision a few months back. I came down to the same criteria you are talking about now. I really liked the Kioti tractor - it was a lot of machine for the $$ (DK40) - but - the dealer network in my area was and is lacking the ability to support you after the purchase. I couldn't even get the dealer to deliver because they didn't have the means to do it... they had to pay someone to get the tractor out to me... Who knows what the "Service after the Sale" would have been like. I guess it would help if you were very mechanically inclined... I'm not and I went for the tractor that fit my needs and had great dealer support. I recommend the Kioti tractor in a heartbeat to folks, but only if you're comfortable without a good dealer network behind you. I'll bet we'll see this change in the next 5 or 10 years... at least I hope so, because competition is good and they really have a nice product.

Good Luck with your choice!

 

[texaslandman]

Going back to look again today, I'll check out teeth for the bucket!

 

[Bob_Skurka]

If you purchase the correct tractor, you will not have to worry about resale value. And by correct tractor I mean the tractor that will serve you well for a decade or more. At 10 or 15 years old, the resale issues pretty much level out and you will get what you get based on brand, but at that age, a lot is based on functionality, condition and appearance. Most of us who buy tractors, and buy the correct tractor, keep them a long time. There are plenty of folks who trade them in every now and again, and they are probably the people who use their tractors to make a living, but for us city-turned-country types, or for us who have our own 3, 5 or even 20+ acre mini estates, we tend to keep tractors a while.

 

[texaslandman]

The dirt floor dealer has been in business about 20 years and is 20 miles from me. He also carries NH and Long.

The next closest Kioti dealer is 50 miles. He has been in business 6 months and carries Kioti, Long and Century. He has a concrete floor, but was way out of line on his prices.

 

[Evasive1]

I do not think that I would let it bother me about the guy having a dirt floor. We are not talking about working on a high end luxury vehicle here, but rather a tractor that is at home in the dirt. If he has been in business for 20 years he must be doing something right when it comes to sales and service.

I recently had to take my wifes BMW in to the dealer for a problem I could not figure out. This BMW service shop was spotless from the facilities to the workers. Well after two trips to the service department and the problem could not be fixed by the "certified BMW mechanic" /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gifI took it to a shop a friend told me about that was on the "wrong side of the tracks". This place was a dump, although there were several other nice cars out front to be worked on. After handing over my keys I went home and got a phone call 2 hours later saying he found the problem and it would be fixed by the next day.

Maybe by not laying down a concrete floor in his shop he is able to keep his overhead down.