Which tractor to buy

[stevef]

Hello everyone this is my first post in the form of a plea for help on deciding which tractor I need. I have looked at them all I think in the 65 and more HP and I think the MF471 with 4wd, a loader and a belltec 9" rockdrill is my best bet. I own a ranch in the Texas Hill Country which is very rocky and hilly and I'll be using this machine to do road upkeep, dig fence post, and do lake and creek work. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Bird]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I have looked at them all )</font>

Steve, if you've looked at them all and test drove several different brands and models, then the one you like; i.e., the one that feels best to you and from a dealer you think you'll like doing business with, is the right tractor for you. Deere, Kubota, and New Holland are frequently referred to as the "big 3" and they're all good, but there are also lots of other good brands out there, including the Massey.

 

[stevef]

Bird
I'm sorry I think I've already gotten off on the wrong foot.
What I was trying to get across was I've looked at all of them on the net, I've test driven the John Deere, the New Holland, and the Kuboto. and in trying to compare them all I can come up with is they all started, they all ran and on the sales lots they all were able to move their loaders and tires and make diesel motor noises. I've never owned or operated a tractor and what I'm asking is which one is the most dependable/reliable, best parts networks, cheapest parts and machine when considering the best performers and eliminating the ones that are trouble for any reason (hard to work on, parts availability, or just plain junk). I'm looking for a very strong well made dependable tractor that I can learn to operate it first and slowly overtime learn to maintain. I'm trying to avoid laying on my back looking up and scratching my head figuring out how the machine should work and why it's not.

 

[Bob_Skurka]

<font color="green"> what I'm asking is which one is the most dependable/reliable, best parts networks, cheapest parts and machine when considering the best performers and eliminating the ones that are trouble for any reason (hard to work on, parts availability, or just plain junk) </font>


steve, according to several sources (basically multi brand dealers) there is no more reliable tractor than Kubota. Sales figures have their market share at about 50% of the total compact tractor market. JD and NH make up an additional 40% according to numbers I have seen (but I have no hard proof of that). I would say that those 3 would have the most dealers, most parts availability and most support. Not necessarily the cheapest, nor are they going to have the cheapest parts. However, they may end up being cheaper to own overall, all factors considered. I would suspect trade in value and resale might also be higher.

 

[WilliamBos]

Hi,

And the same goes for the MF including one of the highest trade in values on the market!!

Keep us posted on your purchase !!

Take care

Will

 

[JerryG]

In the hp range that you are looking at the MF 471 is a very good tractor. It is not as hight tech as the 4000 series, but would be very strong and dependable. BTW Kubota doesn't have very much of the utility size market, but they do have a very very large portion of the compact market. Kubota is not even in the contest for the big three in the utility market. (I'm ready to duck, because you can't say anything negative or should I say any thing NON-pro-Kubota around here. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif)

 

[Bob_Skurka]

<font color="red"> (I'm ready to duck, because you can't say anything negative or should I say any thing NON-pro-Kubota around here. </font>

Jerry, I think it is fair to say that Kubota dominates the under 40hp market but pretty much falls apart above that. That is not to say that they don't have good machines above the L3830, they do, but as machines grow in HP, preferences of buyers change to different brands.

 

[Bird]

OK, Steve, I don't know of anyone who has really reliable statistics on the most reliable tractors and best parts availability and price. There are many really good, long lasting tractor brands, but any of them can have a problem now and then. I know Deere has a very good reputation for parts availability, but as to whether your dealer would have what you need in stock; that varies. And as for overall best price on parts, I have no idea. I'm old enough that everything seems high priced to me now-a-days. I afraid your question is kind of like asking what brand car you should buy, considering the same criteria. You'll get lots of different opinions.

It is true that, personally, I'm a little partial to Kubotas and have more confidence in them and the Kubota dealers I know. But that's more of a personal feeling; no proof or hard evidence. I helped a cousin shop for tractors and he bought a New Holland; nice tractor. I have one friend who won't buy anything but Deere; he has 3 of them. And if I were going out to buy a new tractor today, I'd probably go look at some brands other than Kubota, and if I found one I liked that had all the features I wanted, at a price I could afford, from a dealer I thought would provide any service I needed in the future, that's the one I'd buy.

Personally, I'd probably only consider Kubota, Deere, New Holland, Case, White, and Massey Ferguson because I've driven those at one time or another, I know some dealers, and they've been around awhile. Now we have some "relative" newcomers to the market; Mahindra, Zetor, and Kioti seem to be coming on strong and I suspect may become major names someday. The problem with any "new" product is that it may be great, or it may not. You have to decide whether resale value is important to you or not. And are you willing to take a chance? I've met some folks who bought Belarus tractors for about half the price of a comparable Deere, and every one of them I've met has regretted that decision. But we'll never know unless someone tries them first. Now we have a number of Chinese tractors, and your guess is as good as mine as to whether they'll be a good investment over the long haul. Again we'll never know unless someone buys them.

Whatever you buy, I'd strongly recommend that you include the workshop or service manual and the parts manual to start with. And buy it from a dealer you have confidence in.

 

[JerryG]

Bob,
Kubota does control the compact market which I mentioned above. The reason that I said what I did about Kubota not being in the running for the top three is for the simple reason that the post asked about a heavy utility tractor not a compact. And yes Kubota has done very well in the compact market, but they have done very badly in the utility market. It is just my opinion, but Kubota will never do very well in the above 40 hp market. You can see how the farmers (which are the ones that buy the larger tractors) have down played the Kubota brand as far as real farm work goes. All you have to to is check in on some of the FARM sites. They are preceded as very light duty and that they will not hold up. That is not to say that some of these very farmers don't own a Kubota to mow their lawns with, because they do.

 

[Bob_Skurka]

Jerry, I was actually agreeing with you about Kubota and the larger machines when I posted the information about their dominance under 40hp. As the machines get larger I see mostly Deere & New Holland in the fields around me. But there are a lot of White and Massey units out there too, so in my immediate area, as the tractors get into the 50 to 80hp range, I would say Kubota has virtually no presence in larger machines. We have a lot of small farms around me, so there are still a lot of old tractors out there working. The guy down the road from me uses old AC and Deere. Around the corner is a guy who still uses an Oliver Super 77. But as for the Kubotas, the only ones I see are the ones in peoples yards. I did miss the HP desire in the original post, had I keyed in on that, I would not have posted the message about the Kubotas.

 

[JerryG]

<font color="blue">I did miss the HP desire in the original post </font>
I did think that a couple at least had missed that. That is why I was trying to clarify. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[stevef]

Everyone is being helpful but I can't decide. I went to look at the Kioti DK65 this morning the dealer in Boerne doesn't have it in stock so I ended up looking at the DK55 which has a "Kioti" engine instead of the Perkins that the DK65 has in it. The dealer in Boerne seems a little mobile trailer type but I had to look. I wasn't impressed especially after he told me that Belltec would not deal with his company so I would have to go elsewhere to get my hydraulic auger. I'm going to look at the MF471 either Sat or next week early. I did get a call back from the New Holland folks and I'll have to say their sales dept is a little sluggish although I think I was talking to a fairly honest sort because he told me that their tractors along with everyone elses are not really designed to dig with the loader in hard material and I will probably end up damaging something pretty quick. So I guess to add to my questions about good tractors does anyone out there know who makes a tractor with a pto and hydraulics that has beefed up their loader to be used for digging and not just loading. Thanks for your suggestions and responses to an absolute novice.

 

[CMunger]

I know most everyone thinks California is a different country, but Kubota DOES dominate the utility tractor market in California, the
M9000 does very well here. It may not have the number one position, in the whole state, but in some counties it does.
And by the way, Zetor has been building tractors since 1946.
Chuck M.

 

[Gatorboy]

<font color="blue"> Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated. </font>

I recommend buying the tractor that you like and fits in your budget. I have a Kubota M8950 (85 PTO HP) with just under 8000 hours on it now. I would not concern myself with resale value, for most likely if you buy a tractor 65HP or more, you will keep that forever -- it will outlast you.

You can't go wrong with Kubota, JD, or NH. I don't know much about the Kioti or MF, so I rather not give input one way or the other on those brands.

 

[JerryG]

<font color="blue"> Kubota DOES dominate the utility tractor market in California </font>
I would have to see the figures to believe that.

 

[CMunger]

Ask your MF dealer to ask the AGCO district rep. They have EMI reports that show market share. California is where Kubota entered the market in the US in the 70's, their headquarters are here, and the have a large assembly/distribution center here. They would bring in 500+ tractors a year into Ca. that were designated as "Harvest Rental Tractors". After the rental season the tractors were made available to dealers at a special price. It was a very successfull program that was carried on for years, and still is today, but not in the same numbers as in the past.
Chuck M.

 

[stevef]

Hello Again
I think I've decide on a Kubota 9000 4wd with loader and a Hydraulic shuttle, a Belltec unit with a 9" rock auger and a heavy duty box blade. Since I'm going to use this machine to do clearing and such out in the rough I'm going to have the tires filled with urethane so that I don't have to hire a wrecker to help me change a flat out in the hills somewhere. If anyone has experience with urethane filled tires I'd love to hear your response to do you like it or does it weigh the tractor down so much its slugish in soft earth the dealer says it should add about 3,000 lbs to the weight.