Kubota or John Deer

   / Kubota or John Deer #82  
I don't know I have ran a JD 3033 and that thing would do anything that I need one to do. A friend of mine has a 35 hp Kubota and that is a nice tractor too. I know I don't want a sub compact but I don't need a 75 hp machine either. The main thing I'm looking for is something with a loader that can pick up 12 to 1500 lbs. At 75 I have become much to lazy to load by hand my little trailer then have to unload it by hand. Yesterday I broke up and hauled 3 loads of concrete and it was on the third load that I decided a tractor, other than my old Power King was in my future.

Lifting and moving 1500 pounds with a loader is going to put you in the next size up tractor than a typical 30-35 HP compact that weighs under 3000 pounds without ballast or a loader- you are looking at something the size of a 4 series Deere that weighs just under 4000 pounds without ballast or a loader to pick up 1500 pounds with the loader. And while you can move that much weight with a tractor that size, if have to move that weight very far, or have much of any hills to contend with, you are really going to want a full-sized utility tractor, which is going to start at 50-75 HP. They are noticeably larger than a Deere 3033R but ironically can be had for lower prices. If you don't want a tractor that size, can you perhaps split what you are picking up into smaller pieces?

I will say that in the last 10 Kubota's I've owned, I've never had any warranty claims or issues so for me at least a warranty is moot. Kubota built quality tractors. Not sure about the new ones, just the 'vintage' ones. having said that, the new Kubota round bailer I bought last year has had some teething issues, teething issues to the point where the district rep has had to come to the farm to address them but the tractors have all been totally trouble free. Of course like all new equipment the bailer is 100% electronically controlled. Hard to get away from that today and getting worse. My dealer had a helluva time interfacing the new bailer with my older tractor.

Producer down the road runs 100% JD ag tractors and he cannot even change the fluids or filters on them. The filters have electronic sensors in them that monitor not only the life of the fluid but filter restriction and when it's time to renew, the units alert the dealer via the Green Star, not the owner. With JD you never really own a unit, you 'lease' it instead. Gotta use genuine JD filters and parts too. 250 grand plus for a tractor you cannot service is a crock of poop.

Why the 'right to repair' is a stinky mess actually.

Maybe their large rowcrop machines have the electronic goofiness you discuss but the compacts and utility tractors do not. You change fluids and filters based off of hours or calendar time, and fluids specifically do not need to be Deere-branded fluids, they only need to meet certain specs that third-party fluids often meet. The only difference is that the recommended drain intervals may be shorter if you use some industry-spec fluid rather than Deere's branded fluid. Most filters and parts do have to come from Deere, but that's little different from any other tractor made in the past several decades, it has to be pretty old (and have been very popular) before you can go to the local auto parts store to get filters or have much for aftermarket parts support.
 
   / Kubota or John Deer
  • Thread Starter
#83  
Lifting and moving 1500 pounds with a loader is going to put you in the next size up tractor than a typical 30-35 HP compact that weighs under 3000 pounds without ballast or a loader- you are looking at something the size of a 4 series Deere that weighs just under 4000 pounds without ballast or a loader to pick up 1500 pounds with the loader. And while you can move that much weight with a tractor that size, if have to move that weight very far, or have much of any hills to contend with, you are really going to want a full-sized utility tractor, which is going to start at 50-75 HP. They are noticeably larger than a Deere 3033R but ironically can be had for lower prices. If you don't want a tractor that size, can you perhaps split what you are picking up into smaller pieces?



Maybe their large rowcrop machines have the electronic goofiness you discuss but the compacts and utility tractors do not. You change fluids and filters based off of hours or calendar time, and fluids specifically do not need to be Deere-branded fluids, they only need to meet certain specs that third-party fluids often meet. The only difference is that the recommended drain intervals may be shorter if you use some industry-spec fluid rather than Deere's branded fluid. Most filters and parts do have to come from Deere, but that's little different from any other tractor made in the past several decades, it has to be pretty old (and have been very popular) before you can go to the local auto parts store to get filters or have much for aftermarket parts support.
Lifting that much weight would not be an everyday thing. I do need to unload my building off of the tractor trailer when it gets here. I found out yesterday that a couple bundles on the trailer are well over 2000 ibs so that puts me way out of business on that one. Hopefully I can sweet talk my buddy out of his skid steer for the day when the building gets here.
The main thing I would be using the loader for would be for moving, mulch, dirt, and gravel around. I'm not a farmer so I won't be plowing and disking 100 ac fields but I do want to be able to run a bush hog and maybe a tiller a couple times a year. Also, I do understand what you guys are saying about more tractor is better......I did watch a few episodes of Tim The Tool man Taylor when he was on tv.:D
My poor old PowerKing tractor has had a pretty hard life and more than a few times I have asked it to do things that it was never designed to do. It's sitting out in my shed right now waiting for it's next job to do. That's an amazing little tractor, I've never done anything to it but change the fluids, put two battiers in it and put one set of tires on the front end. The weakest thing on it is the 3 point hitch and that will need a little attention in a few years probably.
 
   / Kubota or John Deer #84  
...My poor old PowerKing tractor has had a pretty hard life and more than a few times I have asked it to do things that it was never designed to do. It's sitting out in my shed right now waiting for it's next job to do. That's an amazing little tractor, I've never done anything to it but change the fluids, put two battiers in it and put one set of tires on the front end. The weakest thing on it is the 3 point hitch and that will need a little attention in a few years probably.
My Dad had a 1972 Power King, and I spent many hours on that machine. They are built well and seen to last forever. It was still running when my Dad passed a few years ago, and I actually used it to clear up some stuff on the property before sale.
 
   / Kubota or John Deer #85  
Lifting that much weight would not be an everyday thing. I do need to unload my building off of the tractor trailer when it gets here. I found out yesterday that a couple bundles on the trailer are well over 2000 ibs so that puts me way out of business on that one. Hopefully I can sweet talk my buddy out of his skid steer for the day when the building gets here.
The main thing I would be using the loader for would be for moving, mulch, dirt, and gravel around. I'm not a farmer so I won't be plowing and disking 100 ac fields but I do want to be able to run a bush hog and maybe a tiller a couple times a year. Also, I do understand what you guys are saying about more tractor is better......I did watch a few episodes of Tim The Tool man Taylor when he was on tv.:D
My poor old PowerKing tractor has had a pretty hard life and more than a few times I have asked it to do things that it was never designed to do. It's sitting out in my shed right now waiting for it's next job to do. That's an amazing little tractor, I've never done anything to it but change the fluids, put two battiers in it and put one set of tires on the front end. The weakest thing on it is the 3 point hitch and that will need a little attention in a few years probably.

You would need a full-sized utility tractor to lift 1+ tons with the loader, but if you can borrow something to do that one task, otherwise the things you describe can be done by about any size of tractor with appropriately-sized implements. It will just take longer to do the job if you are using a smaller tractor with a smaller bucket that can scoop up less gravel/dirt/mulch with each load, till the garden with a narrower tiller, or run a narrower bush hog.

There is such thing as too large of a tractor, it is when it becomes too cumbersome to use for a particular task. For example, a 50 HP utility tractor is going to be a much better tool to jockey around equipment to get it all to fit inside of a machine shed or to back up hay wagons compared to a 250 HP rowcrop tractor.
 
   / Kubota or John Deer
  • Thread Starter
#86  
Well I went and pulled the trigger on a brand new L3301. I got the front end loader, a spreader box and a heavy duty pallet fork for just under $30,000. I'll probably be going back and get a chipper and a bush hog a little later.
So far I have logged 16 hrs on the ol girl mainly scooping up gravel out of gravel piles and spreading it out around my new building site. I have a big top soil pile that I use to fill in low spots around the property and I did in just 10 minutes what it would take me a half day or more to do with my Powerking and little trailer by hand. And I wasn't tired a bit after doing it. :D As some have stated the loader is a little light for any real agressive rooting and digging but I found out pretty quick that you just have to slow down and take your time after all it's not a D8 cat. Over all I'm pretty happy with it. In 16 hrs it has only gone through a 1/4 tank of fuel. One thing I found that was not really to my liking if the fuel fill. I don't know what brain child came uo with the idea of placing it on top center of the hood, especially with the way these new fuel cans we have today. I can see a lot of of fuel all over the place when trying to ballance yourself in one spot for 15 minutes while fuel drips from these stewpid so called safty cans. Other than that it seems like a pretty solid machine you just have to take your time with it.
 
   / Kubota or John Deer
  • Thread Starter
#87  
My Dad had a 1972 Power King, and I spent many hours on that machine. They are built well and seen to last forever. It was still running when my Dad passed a few years ago, and I actually used it to clear up some stuff on the property before sale.
Yeah they are amazing machines and you can get a lot of work done with one. I hate to admit some of the things I have asked that poor old tractor to do. I think dragging big logs out of the woods an up to my wood pile was just about the worst. The little 3 point hitch was just not cut out for that kind of work but it did drag a lot of logs but it took time to do because T would have to stop and reposition the tractor at times especially in real tight spots.
 
   / Kubota or John Deer #88  
Yeah they are amazing machines and you can get a lot of work done with one. I hate to admit some of the things I have asked that poor old tractor to do. I think dragging big logs out of the woods an up to my wood pile was just about the worst. The little 3 point hitch was just not cut out for that kind of work but it did drag a lot of logs but it took time to do because T would have to stop and reposition the tractor at times especially in real tight spots.

We need pictures; pictures of the L3301 and the Power King!
 
   / Kubota or John Deer #89  
Of course the issue is, if it's under warranty or a new unit, that modification will void any warranty so if there is any issue, you are 100% on your own.


' Yes My Long term concern would be with the factories piston choice for Turbo / Non Turbo applications of the same Cubic displacement diesel engine.

That is what the FRED ran into with his Kubota Turbo upgrade conversion.

It ran Great for a while until it beat the piston ring lands out and then lost some compression.

Once he sourced the factory Kubota Turbo pistons that employ piston steel ring land inserts, all was well other than having to tear the engine down to replace the Normally aspirated pistons and rings.
 
   / Kubota or John Deer #90  
I always buy 'more' tractor than I need and then grow into it and find out after a fashion that what I thought was big enough is too small. Far as I'm concerned, there is no replacement for displacement or power. I don't do weinie tractors here.
You do have "weinie" tractors. You should buy a Big Bud. LOL
 
 
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