Kubota L3901 vs Mahindra 2638

[Blackgreyhounds]

Try to get a quick hitch or pin-style telescoping sway bars +/- extending lower arms if you plan to be switching implements on the 3-pt hitch.

 

[tradosaurus]

Well I finally made a decision today. Signed the papers on a new L4701. Will be delivered week of the 22nd.
Thank you all for your insights and opinions. Will post some pictures once it's here...

The L4701 will definitely do what you need but I don't understand why you aren't getting the MX4800 for a few dollars more?

 

[rScotty]

Well I finally made a decision today. Signed the papers on a new L4701. Will be delivered week of the 22nd.

Thank you all for your insights and opinions. Will post some pictures once it's here...

Hmmm..... OK, a similar tractor to the older JD1050, but newer of course. That is exactly what you said you wanted originally. It will be interesting to hear your comparisons. Our Kubota has performed so well for so long that I'm afraid we just kind of take it for granted now. Which transmission & tire option did you get?

When we decided to upgrade from the old JD to a more modern tractor it took us a long time and many trips to wean away from the JD dealer. Finally we went with a Kubota and it has been a remarkable machne. Just right, perfectly reliable, and has enabled us to get more of the work we enjoy doing in spite of an aging body. It really couldn't be much better.

OK, I'll admit that sometimes I do look at the bright orange paint and wince, but less now than for the first ten years. While I'll probably never quite get over that color, it does blend well with pumpkins....if we had any pumpkins.....

What finally make us decide to change from JD to Kubota was a realization that ever since their Yanmar era, JD had changed many of the things they considered important in a compact tractor.... while we had not. That's probably a compliment to them rather than to me.... , but true. Kubota had continued improving the things we liked about the older JD, while JD had taken a more consumer-oriented path. Time will tell who got it right.
rScotty

 

[tradosaurus]

Hmmm..... OK, a similar tractor to the older JD1050, but newer of course. That is exactly what you said you wanted originally. It will be interesting to hear your comparisons. Our Kubota has performed so well for so long that I'm afraid we just kind of take it for granted now. Which transmission & tire option did you get?

When we decided to upgrade from the old JD to a more modern tractor it took us a long time and many trips to wean away from the JD dealer. Finally we went with a Kubota and it has been a remarkable machne. Just right, perfectly reliable, and has enabled us to get more of the work we enjoy doing in spite of an aging body. It really couldn't be much better.

OK, I'll admit that sometimes I do look at the bright orange paint and wince, but less now than for the first ten years. While I'll probably never quite get over that color, it does blend well with pumpkins....if we had any pumpkins.....

What finally make us decide to change from JD to Kubota was a realization that ever since their Yanmar era, JD had changed many of the things they considered important in a compact tractor.... while we had not. That's probably a compliment to them rather than to me.... , but true. Kubota had continued improving the things we liked about the older JD, while JD had taken a more consumer-oriented path. Time will tell who got it right.
rScotty

Hard to believe JD brags about having a plastic hood. If I wanted a plastic hood on a tractor I would go to a toy store. :laughing:

 

[rScotty]

Hard to believe JD brags about having a plastic hood. If I wanted a plastic hood on a tractor I would go to a toy store. :laughing:

Now that's interesting. I've got a toy tractor...It has a steel hood. We've almost come in a complete circle. But you're right. JD's use of plastic was one of the things that turned me off.

I'm not consistant, though. 'Cause I feel the same way as you do about plastic hoods, but not so sure about other parts. Looking at my JD310 backhoe - it has plastic fenders and they work fine (5674 hours).And I like the plastic canopy on my Kubota. Both are hollow structures thick rubbery impact resistant plastic and are about 2" thick with lots of support ribs connecting inner and outer skins.
You can't damage either one with a hammer. I gotta admit that iIt's pretty good stuff.

I can remember the first time I saw a car with a plastic dashboard and how we all laughed. To this day, plastic car interiors look cheap to me.
rScotty

 

[RonSwanson]

Plastic hoods make a lot of sense. Things will bounce off rather then dent. But with a tractor you aren’t trying to save weight so I could see the hesitation. I trust plastic frames for my guns, I’m sure it’s fine for a hood.

 

[rScotty]

Plastic hoods make a lot of sense. Things will bounce off rather then dent. But with a tractor you aren’t trying to save weight so I could see the hesitation. I trust plastic frames for my guns, I’m sure it’s fine for a hood.

I gotta agree that plastics makes sense when it's good material, double thick and reinforced like the stuff on the Kubota canopy. Surely plastic for gun frames is better yet. So there is no doubt that the companies can make good plastic parts if they want to.
I'm kind of wonderingjust just what kinds of things in Arkansas might fall from the sky hard enough to dent a tractor hood? I guess it all depends on where the tractor lives. Where we live, the sun really eats up plastics, but the air is so dry that steel doesn't rust much. No rust problem to speak of , and also there's not a lot of heavy things falling from the sky.....

 

[STERLING351]

So my search hasn't gotten any easier... Once I started toying with the idea of the L4701, I looked back at the John Deere 3039R and also may consider jumping to the Kubota MX4800. Prices by me are as follows:

All priced for HST tractor + FEL unless stated otherwise

John Deere 3038e - $22,500 +tax
John Deere 3039R - $29,500 +tax (includes mid PTO and 1 set rear hydro)
Kubota L3901 - $24,800 +tax
Kubota L4701 - $29,800 +tax
Kubota MX4800 - $30,500 +tax (estimate 10% off MSRP)

For those prices what would the Mahindra dealer charge you for a 2555 cab? I got mine with a 6ft brushhog and box blade for $30k

 

[chim]

............................................I'm kind of wondering just just what kinds of things in Arkansas might fall from the sky hard enough to dent a tractor hood? I guess it all depends on where the tractor lives....................................

My guess is that material falling off the back side of the bucket has more to do with damaged hoods than the location

 

[RonSwanson]

My guess is that material falling off the back side of the bucket has more to do with damaged hoods than the location

That and in the woods branches and whatnot fall all the time. Point is it doesn’t really matter. I hear a lot of people say “well I would have gotten a Deere but those plastic hoods.” Really? Either you are making excuses or you are picking tractors for the wrong reasons.

 

[tradosaurus]

My guess is that material falling off the back side of the bucket has more to do with damaged hoods than the location

True dat! I'm also in the woods a lot with my tractor and a plastic hood wouldn't last long.

I wonder how many car companies would brag about having a plastic hood?

 

[hks003]

I've had plastic parts on lower end vehicles. Had an 01 Nissan frontier with plastic fender covers and plastic grill that I drove until 2015. The south Arkansas sun did a number on it. Those parts faded and got so brittle, that a small bump could put a hole in it or break a piece off. So, in the first 8-10 years, a plastic hood would probably not be a problem. But, if you're looking for a forever tractor, I wouldn't go plastic. You can grind rust off, fill it in, and paint and it's good as new. Plastic only gets weaker with each defect.

That and in the woods branches and whatnot fall all the time. Point is it doesn’t really matter. I hear a lot of people say “well I would have gotten a Deere but those plastic hoods.” Really? Either you are making excuses or you are picking tractors for the wrong reasons.

 

[rScotty]

That and in the woods branches and whatnot fall all the time. Point is it doesn稚 really matter. I hear a lot of people say 努ell I would have gotten a Deere but those plastic hoods. Really? Either you are making excuses or you are picking tractors for the wrong reasons.

Or it could be that you don't have a problem with things falling on the hood, but do have a problem that a steel hood would fix. You forgot that.
rScotty

 

[RonSwanson]

True dat! I'm also in the woods a lot with my tractor and a plastic hood wouldn't last long.

I wonder how many car companies would brag about having a plastic hood?

Except that car companies have crash standards they have to meet and tractors don’t. At least, I hope you aren’t running in to trees at 60mph on a tractor.

 

[RickB]

Except that car companies have crash standards they have to meet and tractors don’t. At least, I hope you aren’t running in to trees at 60mph on a tractor.

What does a hood have to do with crash standards? Bumper covers are almost all plastic.

 

[Newby first timer]

Congrats on your decision
when you get it delivered go have some fun on it.

 

[Wilks44]

Well I decided to be nice and email the John Deere salesman to let him know I made a decision and he didn't need to keep emailing me daily trying to get me to buy... I was polite and simply said "thank you but I decided on a Kubota, but thank you for all your assistance"

His response: "So sorry for you. But the Kubota where it falls short does make up in trade value, almost like a Deere. When you want that Deere someday, which you will, I will be happy to take yours on trade. Have a great day."

I will be forwarding the message on to his supervisor. Not sure if he was trying to be funny or serious. Either way, I found it very unprofessional. Guess he is mad he didn't get a commission.

This post isn't intended to bash JD. Just the dealer. Needless to say, I will never buy from that dealer.

I now know firsthand what you all have said on other threads about "you don't just buy a tractor, you buy a dealership". On the brighter side, this has put me at ease with thinking I made the right choice on my purchase.

 

[mopardude318]

I wouldn’t worry about it. Maybe he was throwing you a couple of friendly blows. Lighten up a little and enjoy that Kubota

 

[rScotty]

I wouldn’t worry about it. Maybe he was throwing you a couple of friendly blows. Lighten up a little and enjoy that Kubota

That's the same thing I was thinking. Sounds disappointed but trying to make the best of it. That's just a bit of a clumsy try at country humor.
Enjoy your tractor. Instead of writing his boss, invite the JD salesman to come try it out. That's probably something he doesn't get a lot of opportunity to do....

And he might have a pretty good point..... As near as I can tell these things are cyclical. Both are top class operations. Right now Kubota does have the upper hand in compacts, but JD won'tl be held down long. I'll bet we see JD on top again in the not too distant future.
rScotty

 

[tradosaurus]

Well I decided to be nice and email the John Deere salesman to let him know I made a decision and he didn't need to keep emailing me daily trying to get me to buy... I was polite and simply said "thank you but I decided on a Kubota, but thank you for all your assistance"

His response: "So sorry for you. But the Kubota where it falls short does make up in trade value, almost like a Deere. When you want that Deere someday, which you will, I will be happy to take yours on trade. Have a great day."

I will be forwarding the message on to his supervisor. Not sure if he was trying to be funny or serious. Either way, I found it very unprofessional. Guess he is mad he didn't get a commission.

This post isn't intended to bash JD. Just the dealer. Needless to say, I will never buy from that dealer.

I now know firsthand what you all have said on other threads about "you don't just buy a tractor, you buy a dealership". On the brighter side, this has put me at ease with thinking I made the right choice on my purchase.

Write back and say you prefer the larger front axle on the Kubota as well as a metal hood and then say he can take his high priced green paint and shove it. :laughing: