John Deere tractor vs. TYM tractor - any difference?

[SkipHiLad4me]

I am starting to price tractors for our farm. A friend manages a John Deere dealership so I’ve had him price a 26hp tractor with FEL which comes out to about $18,500.

We’ve also looked into the TYM tractors (Korean brand in business since the 50s) and found a comparable tractor for about $4000 less. We could buy a couple of implements plus the tractor and a trailer from the TYM distributor for close to what we can buy a new JD tractor with FEL by itself.

My question is - is there really a difference? I’d love to give my friend the business and buy the John Deere but is there really any difference in reliability, quality, etc? Or are you truly paying for the brand recognition these days?

For what it’s worth, the bulk of use for this tractor will be bush hogging pastures and some FEL work to move gravel/dirt/etc.

[JBD]

Do some research on the website Tractorbynet. I don’t know anything about the Korean tractor you’re considering but did enough research when we bought our tractor to decide not to go with anything that didn’t have a great reputation. We bought a Kubota and considered John Deere also as our lawn tractor is John Deere. The deciding factor was that John Deere had very little in stock while we had many choices at Kubota.

[SkipHiLad4me]

Great site JBD! Thanks for the tip!

[sk_pacer]

FWIW, JD will almost always have parts to repair the machine, regardless how long you keep it. You can still get parts for equipment that was made decades ago - I toyed with the idea of making a 100+ year old mower work after it sat idle for nearly 40 years, and yes, they had parts but I didn’t have the know-how to make it work properly. Didn’t have the same satisfaction with Massey with a much younger baler.

You get what you pay for, and I still can get service specials, including hauling to the dealership on a 20 year old tractor and I know that does not happen with off brands. Stick with JD, Case, etc and keep our NA businesses afloat even if the initial cost is more

[NoDQhere]

There is really no comparison between JD and other tractors, IMO. The down side is that JD ALWAYS costs more, usually a lot more. But with JD you can always get parts and most dealerships have mechanics that will make farm calls.

[Jim_in_PA]

You are going to be better served long-term with a brand name like JD, Kubota, New Holland, etc. Frankly, the tractor buying decision is less about the brand and more about the dealer where you’ll be getting service. Around here, Kubota gets the nod because there are three dealers within a 10 mile radius and all offer excellent service. The closest Deere dealer is about 20 miles away. Same for New Holland. And yes, TractorByNet is a wonderful resource, both pre- and post- purchase.

[tangledweb]

I’m not sure there will be a difference in quality, or it may even be in favor of an off-brand at the low end. The small JD is likely made in China and not of the same quality as the machines they build their reputation on.

Parts availability is definitely a risk. If they don’t sell well here they may stop importing them.

You’ll see a big difference in resale value if you ever want to sell. A used JD, NH or Kubota will happily sell for a big chunk of its purchase price even in 10 or 20 years. A brand nobody has heard of is a tough sell and depreciates much more like a car, taking a big hit as you drive off the lot and becoming practically worthless at 10.

[Dance_To_Oblivion]

Are you a USEF member? When I bought my 10’ mower from JD I get a pretty nice discount because of my USEF membership!

[SkipHiLad4me]

Dance - I’m not a USEF member but I am an AQHA member. I got a pretty big chunk off the JD quote also with that membership (want to say ~$1,000?!) but I have to choose between that or the 0% financing for 60 months. I can’t apply both

[rothmpp]

Definitely you need to factor in the availability of parts/service for a “off” brand.

We bought a Jinma. Got a great deal on a barely used tractor with a FEL. Has been a challenge to find parts, and service manual in anything other than Chinese.

[Guilherme]

In general quality doesn’t cost, it pays.

How long have the Korean tractors been sold in the U.S.? Go back to that first year, find out what the new price was and what it sells for today. Then do the same for a Deere. I’ll bet money the Deere will have retained much more of its value.

In general, anything you buy nowadays will have a decent engine and drive train. Many foreign brands are, in fact, off patent U.S. technology from decades back. The big differences will be in electronics, hydraulics, and ergonomics. Sit on each, drive each, and then you’ll bet a better “handle” on which is the best value.

I’ve got two Deeres. The 4310 was made in GA with a Japanese engine, IIRC. My 6210 was Hergestellt in Deutschland. Green Paint is no guarantee of U.S. production. It is a strong assurance of quality.

Repeating: quality doesn’t cost, it pays!!!

G.

[FitToBeTied]

We we bought our New Holland Several years ago we also looked at JD. One they were very expensive compared to the NH. The kicker for me was that the NH FEL could use any SkidSteer compatible attachment while the JD had to use only JD.

I don’t know if this is still true.

[Jim_in_PA]

SkidSteer quick attach is commonly available with all the major brands, FTBT. I’m a believer on quick attach systems for the 3pt, too. I use the simple, small Pat’s system on my little Kubota and it saves me a lot of time and effort when I am using 3pt attachments. (Of course, I have to remove the backhoe first, but that’s a different issues altogether… )

[Bluey]

We sold out 1956 JD for several times what it cost new, 30 years later.
We were able to find specific parts for it still then.

I have seen some not too old JD farm tractors sell for more than they did new.

JD is higher than others, but it keeps it’s value for resell better.
If that is a consideration for you or not, could make a difference.

[asb2517]

Is this a new JD? I ask because I know from unpleasant personal experience that some recent used models have some serious problems with the rear end/transmission. Super expensive to fix…and surprisingly easy to break. Tractor only had 600 hours on it.

And yes. JD is made in China now…

And yes it is true that JD holds it’s value shockingly well…just do your research on the specific model you are buying and make sure if you do go with JD it has the reinforced rear end.

[hosspuller]

Every brand of tractor will wear out & break parts. If you can’t get a replacement part, the whole tractor is broken. My Deere tractor is 18 years old, the Deere mower is 25, the Deere backhoe is 26… Every part is a phone call away, with overnight delivery for a fee.

Also the manuals are top shelf.

[asb2517]

[QUOTE=hosspuller;7622603]
Every brand of tractor will wear out & break parts. If you can’t get a replacement part, the whole tractor is broken. My Deere tractor is 18 years old, the Deere mower is 25, the Deere backhoe is 26… Every part is a phone call away, with overnight delivery for a fee.

Also the manuals are top shelf.[/QUOTE]

Yes. But this is an actual manufacturer’s defect…although JD won’t admit to it apparently. Plus the tractor only had 600 hours on it AND it broke ridiculously easy…to the tune of over $6000 in repairs.

Oh yeah, and the part has taken almost a month to find so, yeah while ordering it was a phone call away, actually getting the part in hand is not so simple in some cases.

Don’t get me wrong, my family has had JD’s for years and years, but I was just cautioning the OP to do research on her specific model and make sure it is not one that potentially has this defective rear end/transmission.

[hosspuller]

asb2517 … My comments were generic …

What model was your tractor? And What broke? Why do you say it was easily broken?

[asb2517]

Well here’s the horrible thing…it wasn’t ours. We borrowed it from my uncle to rototill our yard so we could seed it.

The PTO broke the transmission housing. We hit a small rock…not a boulder or even a large stone…a small rock. There is supposed to be some sort of slip clutch that disengages the PTO and that apparently didn’t function correctly either. After it happened, my husband Googled it and found NUMEROUS instances of this happening, one guy was even trying to start a class action lawsuit.

It is a 2210, but the 2305 also has this problem. I just texted my husband about it though, since he was doing the research on it and he says that JD beefed up the rear end in anything after 2008. This was a 2007 model, but hardly used.

This probably doesn’t apply to the OP, since it sounds like she’s looking at newer, but just a caution to do research on a model before you buy it.

I’m just still a little sick to my stomach over the $6000 repair bill. My uncle wanted to pay part since it was a defect in the manufacturing, but my husband said no way. We broke it, we pay.

[DHCarrotfeeder]

Some considerations:
John Deere has a top of the line reputation. They also sell a ton, so doing research on a particular model, buying parts, and getting to know the details are very accessible. For example, the PTO transmission issue mentioned above. My NH TC45DA is known for having less than durable pedals and shifter arms, so while it does not appear they are about to break, I keep in mind to not hammer on them.

Kubota is not far behind JD in quality and reputation. Also a cut cheaper, maybe a bit more bang for the buck. New Holland, Case, etc are major players and quite good also.

TYM, Mahindra, Kioti, etc are newer direct import brands that seem to be developing a following in areas immediately around a strong dealer for those brands. In these areas the familiarity is better with these brands and resale and support are probably better. But the reason they are popular is for lower price, and cheaper is not always better.

Have a sift through your local Craigslist ads, even if you’re shopping new. You’ll get a feel for what is popular in your area.

David