Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire John Deere or Kubota

Some of the "economy" tractors now don't even have a rear hydraulic remote.

How crazy is that?

First tractor I saw like that was a 65hp JD...

Another thing to think about are the ergonomics of your tractor. For example, my John Deere tractor has the loader levers on the right side, near my hip. That is very similar to the fork lifts that I used as a kid at my dad's business. I've look at the Kubotas and didn't like the loader lever up and in front of you. Personal preference, but I use my loader a lot so it works for me.

I'd second the notion of buying the best dealer considering pre tier 4 and getting a loader. Also consider getting an SSQA for the loader. If you find a deal on a kubota 3350 run like hell. They have an emission system that is unique to that model and it is problematic for most of the owners.

Had both in similar sizes. I give the edge to Kubota.

This is so true..

My neighbor tried to do this last year and the prices he was quoted were more than a new JD with purchase incentives ,so he went new. I'LL bet there is all sorts of hot deals on new equipment this spring. MB

I asked a lot of Professional operators what their opinion was about what tractor I should buy when the time was right.
I maybe talked to 100 to 150 Operators in the Construction field (no agg Operators)
Everyone of them said JD and then asked what size and what I wanted to do with the Tractor and everyone of them changed and said Kubota.
it was like I they were the same guy every time.
I purchased an MX5800 and am very happy with it.
the 0% financing was a + for me as well.

Good Luck on what you choose to get.

I think the size you want depends on your usage. In our case, we maintain several food plots, the largest of which is two acres. We use the tractor as much or more in the woods and mowing narrow fire lanes where maneuverability is more important than a bit more power. For the difference in money it was tempting to get the larger tractor, but we decided on the L3901. After two years we have no regrets. If you are only going to operate in large fields, the extra power and weight might be more important.

I have been JD for 25 years atleast... I have a lot of friends with Kubota... both are good tractors... One factor for me in JD is that I know I will always be able to get parts for it... absolutely get a Front end loader but also get a set of Forks for it... Pallet forks... Ever since I bought a pair of them I will never be without them... I end up keeping them on the tractor all the time and put the bucket on only when I need it... Both are good machines and since you are going geared, even less apart.. I do like the JD hydrostatic controls a lot better than the Kubota..

There's a lot to what the operators told you.

The thing is, now JD are made all over the world, just like all the other tractors. Italy, Korea, Mexico, Japan, India, China... etc.

The JD's of old, were American made and pretty bullet proof. You could will it to your kids or grandkids along with the family land.

Another thing to figure is what made the operators switch brands when you were talking about compact tractors...

Kubota has an edge over JD perhaps because so many small acreage owners have them. Weekend warriors so to speak. (No offense meant, it's just the way it is.)

You get into bigger tractors that are operated every day under hard conditions and you can whittle the makes down to 2-3 here in the US... John Deere, Case & New Holland.

Case and New Holland are the same tractor only one is red, the other is blue. The farms here are a pretty even split on either JD or CNH.


One factor that made me buy a New Holland compact track loader was the fact that they are American made. In Kansas. Which means if I need parts, they don't have to wait 2 months on the ship to come in from India.

Both are quality tractors. The JD has a yanmar engine but I'm not sure where the tractor was built, I think they're made in the U.S. Yanmar makes a good engine and has been making a lot of Deere's engines for many years. The turbo is no problem, diesels and turbos go together like peas and carrots. Likewise Kubota builds a good tractor.

Definitely get the front end loader as others have said. A FEL on a MFWD tractor easily doubles what you can do with it, peas and carrots again. I use my FEL just about every time I'm on the tractor.

It would probably boil down to ergonomics for me. Get on both of them and drive them around some, test out the location of the controls and see how they feel. On some tractors I can't get the seat far enough back to work the clutch and brakes, my cousin's MX5000 was like that and I hated driving it. It felt like it was designed for a 5' Japanese guy, not an American. The tractor itself was fine but it didn't fit me and it wouldn't have lasted but a day if I'd bought it. Try them both out and see what feels better.

Its a given you want the front end loader. I bought the Kubota L4600, 46 HP hydrostatic drive and am very disappointed with the hydraulics. The tractor is good but the hydraulics are weak. I would make a comparison between the two before a final decision is reached.

Thanks to everybody for great information. As of now kind of leaning towards the Kubota. I’m going to decide tomorrow.

I've never owned a Kubota. I've only owned JD lawn tractors as opposed to a tractor, and also sundry other JD equipment, like a combine, for instance. I don't think there's anything wrong with a Kubota, but you've already listed the reasons why the JD tops the Kubota in this instance. JD wins. I agree with getting a loader. IMO you won't be sorry. The wild card will be your dealer. What could throw the monkey in the wrench is a bad JD dealer. One thing that I'd consider if you haven't already and if the above tractors aren't so-equipped, is a cab with heat and air.

If you don’t prefer one dealer over another and they’re equally convenient, tell the dealer your dilemma and see what they can throw in to earn your business. Free service, free delivery, free service pickup, etc.

all things otherwise equal, I would buy the one made in the USA.

The Kubota engine is 111 cu. in and puts out 37 horse but needs 2,700 RPM to get the 37 horse. The John Deere only has 98 Cu. in. but puts out 42 horse at only 2,400 rpms. The John Deere is a much higher performance engine for sure. However, the Kubota has 13% more displacement. Bigger displacement is important for a diesel. Im not sure what one I would pick. I have a Kubota 21 horse . It is a B7510, I have 999 hrs on it. It has been used very hard . One reason is cause it is too small for what I use it for. I cut grass with 60" mower and when it is heavy grass in the spring , it bogs a bit and also when I move heavy snow. Very tough tractor and was in the shop one time when it was new . Had it for 15 yrs.

Good point on the engine HP @ RPM's.

Another thing to check is what RPM's are needed to run a 540 PTO at speed.

My brother's JD is at 2500 engine RPM's.

John Deere tractors in this size are made overseas (and in some cases by a non Deere factory and painted green) and imported and it has been that way for years.

I think that I would take a close look at the Kubota. I have a JD 1435 and it has some engineering issues you wouldn't expect on a high priced equipment. The fuel system on the diesel engine is a cheap gasoline lawn mower type. The fuel system works, but it is fragile for a diesel engine. JD credit treated me like a dog when I bought the unit. I assumed a standing loan and they would not except cash for an answer. They forced the sale into default before they qualified me for assumption. It took a legal threat to complete the deal.