jfdlaw
Silver Member
Background: We own 13 acres of hilly land on the shore of an upstate NY lake. The house is 130 feet above the water. We access the dock and waterfront area via an old dirt trail 6-10 feet wide. We’re not allowed to run “motor vehicles” (road going vehicles) up and down the trail, but “ATV” use is allowed. Most of the time we’re transporting people, toys and gear up and down the hill, but we also pull a chipper and log splitter each spring and fall, spread wood chips on the trail, haul leaves and brush and collect firewood.
We’ve had a Polaris Ranger 6x6 for the past two years, but the dual rear axels tore up the lawn and trail too much and I decided to sell it and buy a 4x4 utility vehicle. Everything I read about the Kubota sounded like it was the perfect machine. My other choice was a Polaris Professional 4x4 (lower gearing than the regular ranger). I drove both during the past two weeks and came to the following conclusions:
Kubota has a great machine, but they made a few mistakes. It’s a lot more machine than the Polaris and the price difference should be greater.
It's strengths: three cylinder diesel, hydrostatic drive, power steering, tailgate hinge and latch.
The mistakes:
First, they stupidly decided to locate the parking brake and power dump control to the left of the seat, shortening the seat. The power dump should be on the side of the vehicle, where you can operate it when standing next to it watching the box, but they shouldn't have put it next to the seat. Even though the vehicle is the same width as the Polaris, the seat is 6-8 inches narrower. We frequently carry three adults on the Polaris. You can't carry more than two on the Kubota.
Second, they have the hydrostatic drive adjusted poorly when it comes to let off of the accelerator. When I drove it I could not get it to stop smoothly. As soon as you let pressure off the accelerator it jerks to a stop and throws you off the seat. They need to adopt Deere’s system to adjust how quickly the Hydro drive stops the vehicle when you let your foot off the accelerator.
Third, like many Kubotas, the cockpit is too cramped. There is less legroom and less room from the seat to the dash than the Polaris, which is surprising since the dump box is longer and they could have made the cockpit more spacious. (Orange fans: I want to love your tractors, I just find the operating areas cramped compared to Deere and New Holland - Are they designed with Americans in mind?)
If I had to choose either a Utility Vehicle OR a tractor, I would buy the Kubota utility vehicle. I think it’s more rugged. The hydro drive system should far outlast the Polaris Belt system. Three cylinder diesel compared to one cylinder gas. The tailgate is a much better design. The Polaris hinge gets clogged with dirt and mulch, the latch is weak and the retaining cables get jammed after a few uses.
However I'm going to buy a tractor, and I can use the tractor for the tough duty (towing a chipper up the hill, etc.). I need to buy a utility vehicle that is more polished and user friendly for other tasks, like transporting people.
I wanted to love the Kubota, but I'm going with the Polaris.
We’ve had a Polaris Ranger 6x6 for the past two years, but the dual rear axels tore up the lawn and trail too much and I decided to sell it and buy a 4x4 utility vehicle. Everything I read about the Kubota sounded like it was the perfect machine. My other choice was a Polaris Professional 4x4 (lower gearing than the regular ranger). I drove both during the past two weeks and came to the following conclusions:
Kubota has a great machine, but they made a few mistakes. It’s a lot more machine than the Polaris and the price difference should be greater.
It's strengths: three cylinder diesel, hydrostatic drive, power steering, tailgate hinge and latch.
The mistakes:
First, they stupidly decided to locate the parking brake and power dump control to the left of the seat, shortening the seat. The power dump should be on the side of the vehicle, where you can operate it when standing next to it watching the box, but they shouldn't have put it next to the seat. Even though the vehicle is the same width as the Polaris, the seat is 6-8 inches narrower. We frequently carry three adults on the Polaris. You can't carry more than two on the Kubota.
Second, they have the hydrostatic drive adjusted poorly when it comes to let off of the accelerator. When I drove it I could not get it to stop smoothly. As soon as you let pressure off the accelerator it jerks to a stop and throws you off the seat. They need to adopt Deere’s system to adjust how quickly the Hydro drive stops the vehicle when you let your foot off the accelerator.
Third, like many Kubotas, the cockpit is too cramped. There is less legroom and less room from the seat to the dash than the Polaris, which is surprising since the dump box is longer and they could have made the cockpit more spacious. (Orange fans: I want to love your tractors, I just find the operating areas cramped compared to Deere and New Holland - Are they designed with Americans in mind?)
If I had to choose either a Utility Vehicle OR a tractor, I would buy the Kubota utility vehicle. I think it’s more rugged. The hydro drive system should far outlast the Polaris Belt system. Three cylinder diesel compared to one cylinder gas. The tailgate is a much better design. The Polaris hinge gets clogged with dirt and mulch, the latch is weak and the retaining cables get jammed after a few uses.
However I'm going to buy a tractor, and I can use the tractor for the tough duty (towing a chipper up the hill, etc.). I need to buy a utility vehicle that is more polished and user friendly for other tasks, like transporting people.
I wanted to love the Kubota, but I'm going with the Polaris.
