Deere Video Tape

[HunterdonPaul]

Wow. I finally received my JD4000 series video tape which compared them to Kubota and New Holland. I was pretty impressed with Deeres presentation. I understand though this is the sort of propaganda that their sales and marketing team puts together - I guess it is their job. It is worth the 15 minutes or so -

 

[JATO_RaT]

I got my tape several months ago and admit it was interesting to watch. JD did a good job with it. I decided not to go with JD for a new tractor but hope the new series of compacts works out well for them. I would like to see a video on the new series 4X10's but like everyone, we're just going to have to wonder, Rat...

 

[sleepyhollow]

I waited a couple of months for mine and was kind of disappointed. The video focuses on the 4500 on up. Not very informative if you are a homeowner with <5 acres of land and were more interested in the 4400 on down.

The other thing I couldn't understand was the amount of time they spent on mowing capabilities. I have a need to mow, but I would have liked to see more video on the backhoe (maybe pulling a stump) or the 59" front mounted snowthrower (I want to see how fast it eats through 2 feet of snow). The coverage of the front end loader was nice and I think I saw a tiller shot in there as well.

Mostly marketing fluff though. Since the dealers don't have demo tractors with demo attatchments, how sure can one be that the tractor/implement is effective for a given task? The video would have been a nice place to showcase this. If I buy a 4200 with the 59" front mounted snowthrower and it isn't powerful enough, I don't think Deere will gladly refund the purchase. The dealer had no snowblower in stock and even if he did, he wouldn't blow snow with it as a demo.

I think Deere should showcase a broader range of its 4xxx series and their implements showing them doing hard tasks well. The bit with the middle age housewife in her dress shoes mowing her front lawn didn't tell me much. My 30 year old JC Penny riding mower does a great job with the lawn (I wear workboots myself
I'd like to see a 4200 with a 47 backhoe rip out a stump, hook, chains and all, or the same tractor with a Deere posthole digger try to make it through my rocky New England soil. While they are at it, they should mention whether the tractor they are showcasing is accomplishing the task with gear or hydro transmission. With this video, it's not so much the problem with what they tell you, but what they don't tell you or don't want you to know. I think, I'll get off my soap box for now

 

[babybober]

Borrowed the tape from the JD dealer. I was comparing a new 4100 vs. a used Kubota B2400. While nicely put together it showed the differences on the higher level tractors. A lot of the "features" that gave JD the edge were not on the low end models... For the money, I bought the used Kubota. The 4100 was nice but....

 

[butzkeg]

I thought the Deere video was refreshing. Deere has 1 up'd Kubota and NH in marketing by releasing this. Sure it would be nice to see every available attachment tested in a video. There have been other TBN threads about the video, with people bitching about Deere (complimenting them as well). None of the other manufacturers have spent the time or money on creating a comparison video that showcase any of their strongpoints. Until someone else makes another video, it would be safe to say that Deere has the best and only product(video) available on the market.

 

[MossRoad]

I, too was interested in the smaller 4100 series. I think they focus on mowing because most people use it as a mower more than anything else and will plunk down 3 grand for a mower deck way before they will buy a 3 grand snow thrower or 5 grand for a back hoe. A Kubota/New Holland dealer near here offered to bring out both brand models that I inquired about with mowers and let me compare them on my lawn. He said let's deal. Just goes to show you, it is the dealer that is most important in your decisions to purchase.

<font color=green> MossRoad </font color=green>

 

[JATO_RaT]

Well, maybe not with a video, but Kubota has some pretty good comparisson phamplets comparing the L4610 to the 4600 and the 4700. That was convincing enough, but to me the proof as they say was in the pudding. I would not trust a marketing mechanism to purchase my tractor, Thats where going and checking them out is most important. The video gives you a heads up on what to look at, but that was about it. When I compared the loader on the L4610 to that on the 4700 and 4600 (same loader) the L 4610 has slightly better lift load ability, but more then that, it has some beef to it. Much thicker arms. The JD's looked like after market loaders painted green. The JD's have great engines and great drive trains with wet clutches, planetary drive on the rears. The exception is HST which in my opinion is not as good as the Kubota. Since my main desire was a great loader and a great HST, I went with the Kubota. I think the new 4X10 series will address everything I mentioned, especially if the JD dealer I spoke to is accurate. Rat...

 

[cowboydoc]

I also compared the 4610 and 4600. For me it came down to comparing the two as well and price. I got the better price on the 4600. On the spec sheets I didn't see much difference at all. Most JD was higher but only by a small percentage. I agree with Rat on most of what he said, although I don't know about HST as I never considered it. I definitely don't think that the loader was wimpier on the JD though. When I looked at them they looked almost identical. The JD is beefy and I wouldn't say it looks like an aftermarket loader painted green or looks any less in quality than the JD. I looked at the aftermarket loaders as well and they didn't compare in quality or materials to the JD or the kubota.

 

[JATO_RaT]

Hi Richard, you know its always a touchy subject when talking about a tractor in what might appear to be disparaging tone when the intent is to try and offer some constructive criticism. You already know my position about the various makes, particularly John Deere, New Holland and Kubota. All would make a great addition to my home and I would not be disappointed in any of them. The last thing I would desire to do is make you or anyone else feel as though what they had was not good, not wise, a poor choice etc. I sometimes think on TBN we tend to pick the "fly poop out of the pepper" often finding the only advantage one tractor has over the other is that the seat reclines or has arm rests. My remark about the loader is a great example of this. It only appears "whimpier" but in fact could be stronger. I must admit to not having used the JD 4600 or 4700 loader and can not make an accurate assesment. I used to visit a photographic site and it was very similar, actually much worse then the brand loyalty and ego mentality found here. It always came down to "who's better, Canon or Nikon" The fact of the matter was in the end result, who took the most interesting pictures that captured the eye. Sometimes it was the point and shoot that most photographers like to have as a backup. No fancy lenses or shutter speeds, or auto exposure, auto eye focusing, just a simple camera that did the job. While on occasion its fun to poke at various brands, it certainly needs to kept in perspective. If you put a box scraper behind a JD 4600 or Kubota L4610 or NH TC45, I would suspect the dirt would know very little difference. Rat...

 

[butzkeg]

Well put Rat...

Any brand should get the job done... maybe even some of the brands outside of the big 3 Having all of the choices we do for just about anything we purchase is what is great. You don't have to buy the uncomfortable tractor, because it's the only one on the market. You can try them all and pick the one that fits you and your needs best. People and their preferences are very diverse from one to another. All the choices, make deciding difficult at times though.

Another big debate over the years has been GM, Ford or Chrysler. This will go on for many more years, as long as we still have the choices to make.

I've grown up with GM and Deere products. Does that make them the best...no, but I have decided they are best for me. Just because I see a Ford truck going down the road with a John Deere license plate on the front, doesn't make that person wrong...only 1/2 wrong, right?