Kubota or John Deere

[Sumner Sapough]

What do you think guys....should I buy a diesel JD or Kubota? I am at all loss. Help me!

 

[murphy1244]

You own a JD now why do you want to change?

 

[Sumner Sapough]

Because the Kubota is a shaft driving transmission vs JD belt driven (this is the diesel versions). I know that the belt will not last as long as the shaft but the shaft will be more expensive when it does need repair/replacing vs the belt which is cheaper. Im looking at about the same price. I just don't know which is a better deal.

 

[jeff9366]

If your Deere dealer is reasonably close by and has been helpful and reliable, favor the Deere dealer with repeat business.

 

[Sumner Sapough]

Now that is one rule I will always follow. Buy whatever is closest as long as it has a strong history and isnt going anywhere anytime soon. The nearest Deere shop is about 20 minutes and Kubota is about an hour. The Deere is better in my opinion I just dont want to spend $15000 on a new machine and hate it lol. I feel that you can't go wrong with a Deere, however Kubota does have my respects too. Either way they are great machines. Deere is closest, and Deere is a Deere!

 

[jerrybob]

They are both great machines and expensive. I haven't used the JD but I can tell you that Kubota is a real workhorse. We used one in Colorado last year during elk season. That machine went places it probably should not have. We used it to pack out two elk and four hunters. You probably can't go wrong with either unit.

 

[Sumner Sapough]

That is a substantial amount of weight, and how awesome is that to be able to carry all that weight. I don't think we will be hunting any Elk anytime soon but it gives you a great idea of it limits and capabilities.

 

[RalphVa]

I went through this last year when my lemony JD 1025R became too much to bear. I checked out a JD 2025R and a Kubota B2301. The B actually came out better ranked in my spreadsheet, but I went with the JD because the dealership had treated me well and is a skip and a jump away vs. near an hour away for the Kubota dealer. They do have a Kubota dealership now about as close as the JD's, but they only deal in the BX and smaller so far (but apparently could get B parts there). Close call.

Ralph

 

[JRobyn]

Test drives? I found that a deciding factor (for me) was the noise level, which tends to differ quite a bit between models. Can't assess that without actually driving each.

 

[s219]

I gave the Deere Gators a look since the dealer was right down the street and I have owned several Deeres over the years, but there was no comparison in my opinion -- the new Kubota RTVs felt more solid and rugged to me. Price didn't even enter into it. I didn't like the Deere at any price! Got an RTV-X1120D in December and it's been awesome so far.

 

[ultrarunner]

^^^Do you have the hand throttle option on the 1120D?

 

[s219]

^^^Do you have the hand throttle option on the 1120D?

Nope, I do not.

 

[ultrarunner]

Still have not tried out any of the Kubota X models... there is not one around in Dealer inventory to try unless I want to take a day to drive there and back.

The closest Dealers are AG Dealers and real busy... moving lots of new equipment.

 

[jerrybob]

That is a substantial amount of weight, and how awesome is that to be able to carry all that weight. I don't think we will be hunting any Elk anytime soon but it gives you a great idea of it limits and capabilities.

In fairness.....my statement needs some clarity......the elk were separate....different days. We did have four guys and one elk on different days....still a lot of weight.

 

[ultrarunner]

Does anyone here have a Kubota RTV with the optional hand throttle?

It would seem to make operation similar to my Kubota tractors.

One question is does the hand throttle replace the pedal setup or is it in addition to it?

 

[DT86]

I don't have the hand throttle but this is my understanding...

It is in addition to the pedal. It only keeps the engine rpm up and movement is still controlled by the pedal. It does not function as a cruise control.

 

[aczlan]

I don't have the hand throttle but this is my understanding...

It is in addition to the pedal. It only keeps the engine rpm up and movement is still controlled by the pedal. It does not function as a cruise control.

That is what I have seen (never driven one though)

Aaron Z

 

[Sumner Sapough]

In fairness.....my statement needs some clarity......the elk were separate....different days. We did have four guys and one elk on different days....still a lot of weight.

Absolutely. I would love to think a side by side moving all that combined weight. We have elk around our farm in NC and I know just how heavy those things can get to. It's not your average game catch for sure. Thank your for your info and opinions

 

[s219]

As far as I know, the hand control is only needed for certain implements where you might need high RPM but want to travel slowly. The rotary broom is one of the ones listed on the Kubota website that requires the hand throttle.

I can't see how you'd need it for normal operation. The pedal works very well in my experience to control speed/throttle simultaneously. The engine has a lot of torque, and the two gear ranges give a lot of flexibility. I have yet to encounter a situation on-road or off-road where rpms and speed were mismatched.

 

[ultrarunner]

Thanks for the feedback... no plans for a boom.

It would be nice to actually see one and take it for a test drive.

When I look at the big used websites nothing within a 1000 miles or 3 states away... it seems RTVs are not as popular here in California as the midwest.