Justify price difference between a John Deere 3033R and Bobcat CT2035

[Blue Mule]

I, too, wanted a name brand tractor with the support of a company that's been in the ag business for a long long time, without the exorbitant prices. So I looked at everything on the market but eventually narrowed it down to New Holland. A Deere equipped similarly was a $7,000 hike. No thanks.

"But the New Holland is just a rebadged Korean tractor."

Maybe, but the Deere is a rebadged Yanmar regardless of what goes on in Georgia and the one with blue paint was $7,000 less money than the one with green paint.

 

[Henry Island Guy]

I had a similar decision to make last year. I started out favoring Kubota as I have a Beta Marine engine in my sailboat and it is fabulous. After researching all the major brands that were available in my area, I was all ready to pull the trigger on the Kioti. Looking around all the forums. It is very hard to find a negative word about them and they have more legroom, more ergonomically designed controls (unless you pay for the "luxury" model Kubota). Then I clicked on an ad for the Bobcat. I realized it is essentially the same tractor with slightly less loader capacity. (which was much higher than the equivalent Kubota, Deere and New Holland.) In addition, at least last year Bobcat was offering a free loader and sizeable discount for paying cash. (I think the free loader deal now only comes with the 0% financing). In the end, I was able to get the tractor, loader, pallet forks, 3rd function, rear hydraulics, Grapple, box blade and barely used Wallenstein 5inch PTO driven chipper for same price as the equivalent JD tractor and loader alone. With the deal they were offering it was still 3.5k less than the Kioti. Orange is my favorite color. Fortunately, Bobcat kept the Orange wheels!

Compact JDs have Yanmar engines, so the "Buy American" thing gets a bit hazy here.

 

[Bobctat2035]

Hate to break it to you guys but Bobcat, Kioti and John Deere are all 'Assembled in the US' using the same crap from all over the world.
The Doosan plant these are assembled at is right down the street for me. Do you really think every part of a John Deere tractor is 'Made in the USA'? Ha.

"John Deere compact and sub-compact tractors often have diesel engines made by Yanmar."

Compare the specs and features. If you think universally lower specs are worth an additional $12,000 then you should definitely get a John Deere.

 

[Username Taken]

Deere is a very, very successful and a very well-run Company. They saved Dee-Troit Diesel's bacon a time or three back in the day (generic motors still managed to run them into the ground.... shock).

The stuff they have made for them is made to their specifications. And they're brutal about it. If it doesn't meet their QC standards, guess what? They don't get paid for it. Their final assembly is top-notch because they're tough on their Dealers as well as on their factory workers.

Deere has great engineers and a superb R&D department. One reason they're bigger than generic motors or Ford. They're also much bigger than Chrysler unless you include Stellantis. Deere is a big company, folks.

Deere makes really good stuff. Mostly. The thing about them that annoys me more than anything else is their arrogance. Starts at the top and goes all the way down the line.

Maybe they've earned the right..... I don't know

 

[ArlyA]

There are company's around the world who make castings, alternators, bearings, hydraulic cylinders etc, etc for our autos and tractors. If someone thinks every part that comes out of factory XYZ is of the same quality,,,, then I have a swamp to sell them.

 

[dusty3030]

You have to also factor in the economics of the dollar / won relationship and the trade deal we are currently in with South Korea (lowered tariffs). That accounts for some of the differences we have seen between the cost of South Korean tractor makes versus others in the last several years. That has helped make them an excellent bang for the buck. That is currently in flux and we should expect the price of South Korean imports to rise as the won strengthens and the dollar weakens. On the flip side the goods we export to South Korea are seeing some decreases making US goods cheaper over there.

Some highlights from linked page below:

• Korea, South was the United States' 6th largest supplier of goods imports in 2019.
• U.S. goods imports from Korea, South totaled $77.5 billion in 2019, up 4.3% ($3.2 billion) from 2018, and up 97.5% from 2009. U.S. imports from Korea, South are up 36.7% from 2011 (pre-FTA). U.S. imports from Korea, South account for 3.1% of overall U.S. imports in 2019.
• The top import categories (2-digit HS) in 2019 were: vehicles ($21 billion), machinery ($15 billion), electrical machinery ($14 billion), mineral fuels ($4.2 billion), and plastics ($2.9 billion).

U.S. - Korea Free Trade Agreement

New Opportunities for U.S. Exporters Under the U.S.-Korea Trade Agreement The entry into force of the U.S.-Korea trade agreement on March 15, 2012 means countless new opportunities for U.S.

ustr.gov

 

[TractorGuy]

No guarantees in this world but I think JD has a better track record of supplying parts for their older equipment. At the very least they have maintained a good online database of parts listings which make it easier to source parts when you need them.

Go see if you can find parts for a 10 year old Bob Cat tractor.

I'm not a fan of a rebranded anything. In my opinion if you are going to end up with a Kioti or a TYM you should buy that brand with that name on it. Rebranded deals to often fall through the cracks and the parent manufacturer has no obligation to the customers that bought their equipment with a different name on it.

 

[Username Taken]

No guarantees in this world but I think JD has a better track record of supplying parts for their older equipment. At the very least they have maintained a good online database of parts listings which make it easier to source parts when you need them.

Go see if you can find parts for a 10 year old Bob Cat tractor.

I'm not a fan of a rebranded anything. In my opinion if you are going to end up with a Kioti or a TYM you should buy that brand with that name on it. Rebranded deals to often fall through the cracks and the parent manufacturer has no obligation to the customers that bought their equipment with a different name on it.

Not to be a contrarian but, I do believe that John Deere has sold more re-branded tractors than anybody on Earth.

Now.... Whether JD keeps parts available for them; I don't know. If they do, good on them.

 

[KennyG]

There is a difference between re-branded and a subcontracted build. Yanmar builds a good tractor but the Yanmar built John Deeres are not Yanmars with a different paint job. They are built to JD specs and design. My tractor was built in Japan by Yanmar but I don't think you can find a Yanmar that is identical under the paint.

 

[ptsg]

What about the Goldoni tractors that were simply painted green to sell under JD name as a specialized tractor line? Do they offer support for those?