What are the most reliable tractors to own?

[Hay Dude]

One of my friends wrenches in an AGCO shop and believes the German made MANN (Fendt) & Finland made SISU (Massey Ferguson) Diesel engines in the bigger frame tractors are the longest lasting engines they’ve seen.
Last year he told me they hadn’t had the head off either of those 2 brands under 12,000 hours from a customer unless crazy abuse. Top and bottom ends built stronger than anything else they sell or service.
Fendt powershift transmissions are about as good as it gets and go in AGCO tractors.
If money allowed, Fendt would be my choice.

 

[Jstpssng]

Yanmar has been making small water cooled diesel engines for a long time. First I heard of them was when a friend of mine put one in his sailboat about 45 years ago.

Consider the context of my comment...

 

[Reddogs]

Those were sold 50 years ago. There are no cars that bad today.

Same principle applies....

 

[Reddogs]

All of the modern tractor brands make tough reliable machines. But everything breaks eventually. The most reliable brands are those with good local parts availability so that down time is minimized.

Not if your tractor spends more time in the shop than on the farm, so need reliability from the getgo...

 

[Hay Dude]

Not if your tractor spends more time in the shop than on the farm, so need reliability from the getgo...

What size tractor are you looking at?
The smaller the tractor, usually the better the Asian brands are. The larger the tractor, usually the better the American or German brands are. This isn’t always the case, just my general observation and what my fellow area farmers are using.

In my area, large frame farm tractors are usually Case-IH, Fendt or Deere. Some Massey Ferguson And JCB. A few Challenger or McCormick.

New Holland, Deutz, and Claas is non-existent.

Fendt and JCB are making the biggest inroads here. Only thing holding Fendt back from completely taking over is price. Finest tractor you can buy. Their drivelines are stout.

I like JCB because they are really a cross between a truck and a tractor. You can do just about anything with them, but man are they expensive to repair.

 

[kellerw]

Asking which tractor is best is exactly like asking which pickup truck is best (Ford, Chevy/GMC, Dodge, even Nissan or Toyota?) The answer is that it depends on a LOT of factors, like how big a tractor, your location, the work you want to accomplish, and probably the most subjective of all, which one do you actually LIKE the most? (it might be the color....) Key thing is that you realize you cannot analyze this to death. Make up your mind on what you need it for, then go shopping and HAVE FUN

 

[Mtnmnstr]

That's a pretty loaded question.
Blondes or brunettes?
Define "Best"
Performance?
Price?
Service?
Carbon foot print?
Comfort?

We all have our likes.
I like my LS.
They made all the other tractors before selling theirs under th LS badge.

 

[FERLING]

I was looking at the best of tractors, and I came across this list as the most reliable tractors in North America..​

1. John Deere​

2. New Holland​

3. Case IH​

4. Kubota​

5. Massey Ferguson​

6. Fendt​

7. Claas​

Is this list correct or is Kubota better than John Deere or on par, and why are Case and New Holland even up there. And what happened to all the others, like Mahindra, Sonalika, etc.. or are these listed the best tractors.

Remember when you purchase one, no matter the name on the hood, it's the "apple of your eye" or you wouldn't have bought it. When it breaks it becomes a " lemon" that you own. If you have a dealer that can make a lemon into lemonade then that dealership becomes the best place to purchase a tractor from in your opinion.
Some people buy a brand name chainsaw and pay dealer price that covers warranty problems. Other purchase a "china knockoff" with no dealer support at about 1/3 of brandname price. If it breaks they order the parts and furnish the labor and hope they can make it run again.
What ever makes you sleep good at night is your most reliable tractor. Tractors are a lot like women, until you sleep with her you never really know!

 

[Yanmar J]

I was looking at the best of tractors, and I came across this list as the most reliable tractors in North America..​

1. John Deere​

2. New Holland​

3. Case IH​

4. Kubota​

5. Massey Ferguson​

6. Fendt​

7. Claas​

Is this list correct or is Kubota better than John Deere or on par, and why are Case and New Holland even up there. And what happened to all the others, like Mahindra, Sonalika, etc.. or are these listed the best tractors.

Look at Yanmar. It is a Chinese JD.

 

[bowenskye]

I was looking at the best of tractors, and I came across this list as the most reliable tractors in North America..​

1. John Deere​

2. New Holland​

3. Case IH​

4. Kubota​

5. Massey Ferguson​

6. Fendt​

7. Claas​

Is this list correct or is Kubota better than John Deere or on par, and why are Case and New Holland even up there. And what happened to all the others, like Mahindra, Sonalika, etc.. or are these listed the best tractors.

This list is meaningless without details on the sample criteria.

 

[Hay Dude]

The best thing to NOT do is be “brand loyal”. When buying a tractor, 99% of us have different needs, budgets and tastes. Make every purchase with an open mind to all brands that suit your task & budget.
I got 2-3 barns with equipment of all different brands. Only reason I have more Kubota on the smaller side is pure luck and they seem to have a good reputation on smaller equipment.

 

[DSteiner]

I think they started out making engines for another small time manufacturer.

Yamar has been making tractors for years. We had one 45+ years ago. John Deere has used Yanmar engines in their compact tractors for years and due to an agreement between the two companies Yanmar quit exporting to the US. Apparently the agreement has expired as Yanmar is now exporting to the US again. Not sure when that started.

 

[sixdogs]

In my experience, resale value tells me all I need to know. It tells me, based on collective wisdom of those with skin in the game, what is the best value for their money and by the nature of that, the most reliable. The highest percentage of resale price compared with retail wins. That's just what I think.

 

[tjandrews]

I was looking at the best of tractors, and I came across this list as the most reliable tractors in North America..​

1. John Deere​

2. New Holland​

3. Case IH​

4. Kubota​

5. Massey Ferguson​

6. Fendt​

7. Claas​

Is this list correct or is Kubota better than John Deere or on par, and why are Case and New Holland even up there. And what happened to all the others, like Mahindra, Sonalika, etc.. or are these listed the best tractors.

Can't say much about most of those brands, as I have no experience with any of them. However, this one has been pretty reliable: My grandfather's Case SC, 70 years old, and still able to do a full day's work. Sure, it's had new sleeve kits put into it four times, the head's been replaced, hydraulic pump rebuilt, rear axle bearings replaced, front spindle replaced, 12-volt conversion done, a new rear rim, about 8 starters, clutch plate, rebuilt carburetor, etc. but that doesn't mean it isn't reliable. Hey, stuff happens...

 

[Jstpssng]

Yamar has been making tractors for years. We had one 45+ years ago. John Deere has used Yanmar engines in their compact tractors for years and due to an agreement between the two companies Yanmar quit exporting to the US. Apparently the agreement has expired as Yanmar is now exporting to the US again. Not sure when that started.

Read my comment in the context it was made.

 

[Hermio]

I was looking at the best of tractors, and I came across this list as the most reliable tractors in North America..​

1. John Deere​

2. New Holland​

3. Case IH​

4. Kubota​

5. Massey Ferguson​

6. Fendt​

7. Claas​

Is this list correct or is Kubota better than John Deere or on par, and why are Case and New Holland even up there. And what happened to all the others, like Mahindra, Sonalika, etc.. or are these listed the best tractors.

It would depend a lot on specific models. For example, John Deere does not manufacture some of their smaller models, which are made by Yanmar. Overall, probably Kubota tops the list for smaller tractors (<100 Hp). But who really knows? There is not a "Consumer Reports" for tractors; the evidence is largely anecdotal. For my part, I chose Mahindra over Kubota, because it was much heavier, has larger tires and axles, etc., than the same power Kubota model. If you push and drag, that is important. If you just mow, it is not so important.

 

[YanmarFever]

The very BEST reliable tractor EVER made is the Yanmar YM and FX series, if you do the maintenance and take care of them, they are bulletproof.
If you don't like it, its because you have never owned one!
By the way, I have owned over 27 tractors of all makes in my time here.

 

[Little Red Tractor]

Lists such as theses are totally subjective. You can selectively mine the data, pick and chose your favorite high and low points, and from that you prove about anything you'd like.
Statistics without context is valueless

 

[Reddogs]

Can't say much about most of those brands, as I have no experience with any of them. However, this one has been pretty reliable: My grandfather's Case SC, 70 years old, and still able to do a full day's work. Sure, it's had new sleeve kits put into it four times, the head's been replaced, hydraulic pump rebuilt, rear axle bearings replaced, front spindle replaced, 12-volt conversion done, a new rear rim, about 8 starters, clutch plate, rebuilt carburetor, etc. but that doesn't mean it isn't reliable. Hey, stuff happens...

Well, I look for the ones that stuff doesn't happen to, and constant rebuilds and service... as you can find them...but have to check long and hard to find them...and do careful research and check over stats and comparisons..

 

[lman]

The very BEST reliable tractor EVER made is the Yanmar YM and FX series, if you do the maintenance and take care of them, they are bulletproof.
If you don't like it, its because you have never owned one!
By the way, I have owned over 27 tractors of all makes in my time here.

Will they pull a 20 row corn planter? If not, they would not be practical for some serious farming.