Kubota or Mahindra

[twodogs]

I purchased a 7800 last year when Kubota was running the 0% deal for 3 years. In the past I purchased a vehicle going the "cheaper route" saving a few thousand - Chevy Blazer vs. Toyota 4 Runner, only to regret it. (30 trips to the Chevy dealer in 30K miles). I also did it with a tractor Husqvarna & Crafstman - and in both cases, I have regretted it.

I have nothing bad to say about the Mahindra tractors - I haven't used them, so it isn't fair for me to judge them. Based on my experiences, I put my money with companies that have a proven track record for reliability. I do it for my cars & trucks, and I did it for my tractor. I paid more for my Kubota & my Toyota Tundra, but they have both proven their value. To me, it is worth the extra money up front. When the time comes to sell them, I will get it back.

Of course, as I mentioned, I have gone the cheaper route. You have to do what works for you at the time. The Craftsman tractor that I mentioned earlier was a temporary tractor & it served its purpose. Funds were tight, and it did what I needed it to do at the time. If you can swing it financially, I always think it is wise to invest in the best equipment.

 

[lawn_king]

For us the big issue is weight, we do lots of work on established turf be it commercial, residential or minucipal. We need enough power to get the job done without the weight of the machine destroying the turf. We also have a tractor on a trailer in tow 3 - 5 days a week, the light weight kubota is cheaper & easier to haul all over the state!

 

[fishpick]

I paid more for my Kubota & my Toyota Tundra, but they have both proven their value.

Not to go way off the tractor path - but my 2002 Tundra experience was AWESOME - after 13 trips to the dealer in 8 months - NY state helped me by making Toyota buy it back... Please, ohh Lord, don't make my Kubota follow suit!

 

[PBinWA]

If you're on a budget then the 2615 is a good deal. I've had mine for two years and am happy with it. I would have bought Kubota if I had the extra money but I needed implements too.

The 2615 used to be sold by Cub and is made by Mitsubishi. It has good parts availability (expensive filters though). It has been around for a while so I wouldn't say it is too much of a risk as far as non-big three brands go.

The Kubota will have better re-sale value and it will be easier to get service for. So if you can afford it, it is money well spent.

 

[PondCreekFarm]

I looked at all the brands, especially Mahindra since the dealer is right around the corner from me. I settled on a Kubota GrandL 3130. I was surprised to see that the Kubota did not fit you as well. I am 6'7" and weigh in at 250, so operator station roominess was my biggest concern. I found that the Kubota gave me a lot more room in the L series than any other brand. The loader controls were well placed too, whereas Deere hit my leg. The Mahindra seat slid back on a flat track, but even all the way back, it was too low and I felt as if my knees were under my chin. New Holland also were roomier than most, if this is your primary concern. I looked at the TC-30 and the Boomer and found both to have sufficient room. All said, however, I really like my Kubota and would not easily part with it.

 

[AB4D]

I went over to the Mahindra board on TBN and noticed quite a few complaints about quality issues and one specific complaint about trading a used Mahindra. The quality complaints don't bother me too much because you can find plenty of complaints about Kubota products on this board. However, what would keep me away from Mahindra is the complaint in the thread that indicates you can't get anyone to accept a Mahindra in trade [I bought a new 2015hst with loader last summer while I was building my house and it has been a GREAT tractor, no problems and I've done a lot of work with it" I'm wanting to get a 3215 hst but I can't get a dealer to trade with me and no one seems interested in buying the 2015?? Is the resale value of Mahindra this bad??]

This would keep me away from Mahindra because you can never tell when you may need to go bigger/smaller and may need to sell/trade your tractor.

 

[fishpick]

To build on AB4D - regarding Kubota in general - for being so much Deere country out there - take note of how many people post in these forums - Kubota almost 2:1 over Deere... point being, you are likely to get any question you have answered here by fellow Kubota owners - the sample size is just larger.

 

[Glowplug]

What's a Mahindra?

Just kidding. But truthfully in my nearly 3 years I have been researching tractors I had never heard much of Mahindra until I started browsing this board. Kubota owners definitely seem to have by far the most activity here.

I would obviously go with the Kubota!!

 

[IslandTractor]

Kubota makes great tractors, no one could disagree. However, at certain points in their product line (B series for example and the smaller Ls) other companies are offering tractors of similar quality, more features and often lower price.

Some folks just want to buy the big 3 brands (GM, Ford, Chrysler anyone??) but the newer brands offer perfectly good options too. People used to make fun of Hyundai's, now Car and Driver as well as Consumer Reports rates them right up with Honda and Toyota and well above anything the "big three" make.

I'd say look to buy a tractor that has features you like and with a good dealer to support you. Color ain't all it's cracked up to be.

 

[Dargo]

Kubota makes great tractors, no one could disagree....

People used to make fun of Hyundai's, now Car and Driver as well as Consumer Reports rates them right up with Honda and Toyota and well above anything the "big three" make.

I'd say look to buy a tractor that has features you like and with a good dealer to support you. Color ain't all it's cracked up to be.

Actually, Hyundai and Kia are not quite rated "right up" with Honda and Toyota, but they have come a long way. What has not come a long way is their resale value. To be blunt, resale of a Hyundai or Kia is terrible at best. When will that portion catch up? I say that because I'm not going to disagree that several makes, such as Mahindra, have made big gains on Kubota on quality, but why (seriously - no derogatory inflection here) has the resale of tractors like Mahindra, Kioti, Branson, Montana etc. not begun to rise yet?

If a Hyundai "tests" out just under Honda, why do 90% of the people gladly pay $3000 or $4000 more for the Honda? The obvious answer is that in two years they have made up that gap and more in resale value, but can that be the only reason? Why does Mahindra have to be priced $3000 to $4000 less than a similar Kubota to get most people to consider it?

 

[orgt]

Why does Mahindra have to be priced $3000 to $4000 less than a similar Kubota to get most people to consider it?

Very simple, to get a bigger market share. It's standard business strategy and also fairly easy - when your manufacturing costs are lower, which is most likely the case with Mahindra vs. Kubota (unless those are getting made in China, dunno if that's true or not though.)

Resale value increases with notoriety and image, nothing new here. I know a guy who has been a Kubota man from the beginning and the resale value of his first tractors was horrible. Now it's just the opposite.

 

[Dargo]

Very simple, to get a bigger market share.

Okay, I phrased that wrong apparently. It's obvious that they want to sell more tractors, get a bigger market share, but why are they forced to do so? For example, why not spend advertising dollars showing where their quality, reliability, and usefulness of their tractors compare on an even playing field, and only come in slightly under on the price?

I know it may come as a shock, but there are a lot of people who equate price with quality. If you drop your corporate drawers, so to speak, and make your price considerably less, that group of people would dismiss your product as being inferior without giving it a second glance. So, why not advertise and prove that you have a product that competes with Kubota, JD, and CNH rather than just lowering your price?

 

[IslandTractor]

I know it may come as a shock, but there are a lot of people who equate price with quality. If you drop your corporate drawers, so to speak, and make your price considerably less, that group of people would dismiss your product as being inferior without giving it a second glance. So, why not advertise and prove that you have a product that competes with Kubota, JD, and CNH rather than just lowering your price?

Some people may blindly associate price with quality but Mercedes and Cadillac have taken a dive because they tried just the snobby price and exclusivity marketing approach you seem to be advocating while Toyota, Honda and others were giving greater value for the buck. I think Kubota is potentially weak in that area (as is JD). You may not be an early adopter (though I know you love HF tools ) and may have chosen a GM over a Toyota back in the early 70's. However there are enough people who will be willing to risk a little to gain a little that the Korean and Indian companies will likely do quite well in the near future and eat into Big Orange and Big Green market share. At least until the Chinese improve their quality and wipe everyone out.

If you recall the situation in the late 60's and through the 70's, Toyota was not selling primarily on quality and they were certainly not selling the Lexus brand. They established their market by building better more reliable cars for less money. I don't think anyone is going to build a more reliable tractor than Kubota, they've pretty much nailed that factor down, but there are a lot of companies that know they can build a tractor for less....with similar if not identical quality. Kubota's main advantage right now, especially for the under 40hp tractors, is in it's dealership network and market coverage. If there were more Mahindra, TYM and Kioti dealerships of the professional type that characterize the Kubota dealerships, Kubota would be losing a lot of business.

And, by the way, the new Hyundai Sonata was rated at or above the Toyota Camry and the Accord as I recall by both CR or C+D. It doesn't really matter who is #1, or #2, because #3 and 4 are now close enough in quality that other factors come into play. That shows how far some of these Korean companies have come in the past few years. Their resale value will increase with time just as Toyota's resale increased over several decades. One marketing tool that Hyundai, Kioti and TYM are using is extending the warranty. Ten years/100,000 mile powertrain coverage on a Hyundai will look real good in the used market six years from now. Similarly Kioti's 4 year warranty is a bonus that comes into play both for current purchasers and the used market (with presumed impact on the resale value).

My original point was not to knock Kubota at all just to point out that other companies have been catching up essentially by building tractors that compete head to head with Kubotas. I was looking for a small Kubota when I started learning about the "other" orange brand. A little investigation showed for the same money I could get more tractor so I did. If I wanted to resell it today I might only come out equal (with buying and selling the Kubota) but so long as I own it I've got more tractor for my money.

 

[MessickFarmEqu]

I went over to the Mahindra board on TBN and noticed quite a few complaints about quality issues and one specific complaint about trading a used Mahindra. The quality complaints don't bother me too much because you can find plenty of complaints about Kubota products on this board.

One thing to remeber here is that Kubota sells about 15-20 times as much product as Mahindra does. For the quality of these two products to be even approximatly equal you should be seeing 15-20 times as many owners complaining.

 

[IslandTractor]

One thing to remeber here is that Kubota sells about 15-20 times as much product as Mahindra does. For the quality of these two products to be even approximatly equal you should be seeing 15-20 times as many owners complaining.

Not really. You'd have to account for at least a few other factors: 1) Kubota owners may be (are?) more likely to just run to their dealer rather than post on TBN. After all, they bought the safe bet tractor with the best dealership network, 2) there are not 15-20 times more posts in general on the Kubota board so post frequency does not parallel sales. Kubota owners are under represented in all posts, pro and con. 3) Also, once a problem has been described on the board (e.g. BX24 fender cracks) it is likely that other owners with cracking fenders will just read rather than start new posts or even contribute to the thread.

Although I don't have proof, it is quite likely that non Kubota (and JD) owners are more likely to do at least some of their own wrenching and therefore are more likely to post about questions and problems.

Kubotas are certainly reliable but the competition is catching up or equal in many areas. Don't over interpret "problem" posts on this or other forums.

 

[Dargo]

...because they tried just the snobby price and exclusivity marketing approach you seem to be advocating...

Nothing personal, but I don't need to read any further. I did not phrase my first question wrong, you just don't seem to be able to grasp what is written. Show me where I am advocating a "snobby" marketing approach. I very clearly spelled out that a marketing plan that shows the strength of your product is the way to gain market share. You did not pay attention to a single word I wrote.

Over and out...

 

[IslandTractor]

Oh Dargo, there you go again.... get off your high horse. I'm sorry I offended your delicate sense of fairness. We all know how polite and careful you are with words.

 

[Dargo]

Oh Dargo, there you go again.... get off your high horse. I'm sorry I offended your delicate sense of fairness. We all know how polite and careful you are with words.

Yup, there I go again. Pointing out when somebody completely twists what I say and tries their best at an offhanded insult. I'd love to point out more of your twisting my words to suit your own agenda, but I'm rather busy. If you check the internet, you'll see that there was a terrible tornado that swept through my home town right at a year ago killing 23 people in their sleep. You see, I'm too busy to fool with your twisting of words because I'm spending my time, money and using my equipment and employees to work all weekend to put in a park for the surviving children who have suffered great loss.

I don't comment on it much, but I do enjoy that I have now gotten to the point where I can help others who have suffered losses or are simply not as fortunate. That makes me too busy to spend just a huge amount of time online pointing out when someone is pompous and tries to impress their buddies by twisting my words and putting words into my mouth. It's taken a lot of hard work in life to now honestly feel better giving than receiving. I take nothing in return nor do I want anything in return; even recognition. Many of my donations are anonymous. However, yes, I do take offense to people lying about what I say and when I see some people intentionally giving bad advice just to screw with someone who doesn't know any better. I try very hard to give back to the community that has given so much to me. That said, if you slap me, don't be foolish enough to think that I don't take note nor that I won't point out your folly and slap back.

So, as on many weekends, I won't be here to play because I'm off doing other things that I rarely mention. In the interim, you can try again to show me where I advocated snobby marketing, where I said that Mahindra is of lesser quality, and maybe you can go do something for your community other than show your demeanor. And, if you so desire, I can post pictures of the children’s park that we are funding and building this weekend for those who have suffered a terrible disaster in their lives. Now, you have yourself a good weekend. (your favorite smiley)

 

[MessickFarmEqu]

Not really. You'd have to account for at least a few other factors: 1) Kubota owners may be (are?) more likely to just run to their dealer rather than post on TBN. After all, they bought the safe bet tractor with the best dealership network, 2) there are not 15-20 times more posts in general on the Kubota board so post frequency does not parallel sales. Kubota owners are under represented in all posts, pro and con. 3) Also, once a problem has been described o......

No question there is alot of things to weigh here, I did not ever say it was an exact science, however you gotta admit that its certianly going to be a huge contributing factor.

 

[proudestmonkey]

Kubota owners may be (are?) more likely to just run to their dealer rather than post on TBN. After all, they bought the safe bet tractor with the best dealership network.

Kubotas are certainly reliable but the competition is catching up or equal in many areas. Don't over interpret "problem" posts on this or other forums.

As to reliability, I can't speak to experience because I have owned just one Tractor. As to Network coverage, though, I am going to have to disagree with this post. In my area (Minnesota), for every 1 Kubota dealership, there are 4 JD dealers (or more). I know that Quantity doesn't equal Quality, but choice tends to result in, well, choice. Now, bear in mind, I think my particular Kubota Dealer is fantastice, but I also think that is not about Kubota, it is about my dealer. I got lucky. If that dealer shut down, I would have to travel 50 miles or more to get to another Kubota dealer, and I live on the outskirts of a metro area with a population of roughly 3 million people. If my JD dealer closed (8 miles from me), there are at least three others within 10 to 15 miles of my home.

I do have to say, though, that apparent resale value was a primary consideration of my purchase. However, JD seemed to have better resale value than Kubota in this area. On the other hand, I got my Kubota for about 20% less upfront dollars than I would have had to pay for a comparably equipped JD or NH.

I didn't consider Mahindra, Kioti or any of those because this is a niche market with machinery that is complicated, gets abused by its nature, and will certainly be sold while still quite operable down the road.