Kubota L3301 vs John Deere 3035D

[nashgirl]

I am pondering the purchase of a 33-ish hp tractor and have narrowed down to these two options. I have great service for both in my area. My previous experience with Kubota has been very good. The primary use of this tractor will be grooming arenas and dragging pastures. I’d like the bucket to be removable so I have the option to use forks. I’ve been using a UTV to groom the arenas and it is tedious to manually raise and lower the groomer. It would be nice to have the groomer on the 3 point hitch, plus I could back in to corners and generally be more precise.

I already have a 65hp New Holland (no, I will not consider another New Holland!) which is used for moving round bales, bush hogging, moving large debris, and pulling the manure spreader.

I’d love to hear from people who have experience with either of these tractors. Also, which options are important. I’ve always used the equipment that kind of came with the farm so this is my first tractor purchase.

Thanks!

[HungarianHippo]

I considered those but ended up buying the LS MT235HS Have only had for 2 mos now but very happy thus far. I liked the JD quite a bit too, but in the end, the cost was too high. Yes they’ve got a massive network of dealers, but that means you’re paying for that network. And the quick-attach implements are slick, but they come at a premium-- from what I read, you’ll end up paying $150-200 more, for each implement you buy. I figure I’ll just get good at putting them on/off, and save that $$ for something else.

One mistake I made was to stick with the ag tires, instead of the optional, less aggressive, industrial tread. While the ag tires do give the best traction, they tear up the turf a LOT.

In the end, those are both really good tractors, I wouldn’t lose too much sleep over it. Go with the machine that feels comfortable

[stb]

Kubota has a quick attach system too - you don’t have to buy a JD to get that. We have a Kubota and have been very happy with it. We did get the hydrostatic transmission and ours is also 4WD.

[LexInVA]

Take a good look at the local dealership support system and costs of ownership. That should always be a key factor in determining farm equipment purchases. Kubota is well supported in the Nashville region.

[Hej]

I’ve got a JD 3032E that I mostly mow and drag with. I find it a nice tractor to use, all controls are placed pretty intuitively. I don’t have any quick hitch implements, not a big deal to me after growing up with good old 8Ns.

I’ve no experience with Kubotas, can you test drive each and see which fits you better?8

ETA: Definitely go with the turf tires rather than ags for grass and arena work. They are much easier on your arena surface.

[HungarianHippo]

When I mentioned whether it’s comfortable to operate, pay close attention to the transmission pedals. Some brands have a “treadle” where you just have one pedal that you press forward with your toe (to go fwd) or press back with your heel to go in reverse. Others have separate fwd/ reverse pedals side by side. We chose the twin pedal setup. For the rocker pedal, I found my foot could never relax, it always felt like I had to “perch” it in the correct position. I’m sure I could have gotten used to it, but I think the treadle design is better suited for a guy’s larger shoe.

Oh, and I wish I’d gotten a retractible seatbelt. We’re constantly fishing out the belt from between the seat and the frame. Annoying, because a vital safety feature is not something that should be a PITA to put on. But don’t sweat it if that’s not an option on the tractor you buy-- I just ordered a replacement belt that’s retractable, and they’re easy to install.

[goodhors]

This is a funny thing, but when we were shopping brand names, asking friends, customers, everyone except Kubota owners, was willing to sell us their tractor!

The Kubota folks only would even THINK about selling if they wanted a different size tractor, smaller or bigger!! More like “the Kubota only goes when you can pry the wheel out of my cold, dead hands!”

Terrific brand loyalty in Kubota owners. We did end up buying a used Kubota, from BIL of a customer, 300 hours, which has been a gem to own over 10? years of use. And he threw in the accessories to boot! Finish mower, brush hog, snow blade. Not a quick hitch on the bucket. However we have a quick hitch on the backhoe tractor (Kioti because we could not find a Kubota big enough then) and husband uses the pallet forks there all the time. They are SO HANDY! I would pay the extra to have the quick hitch, with bucket and forks, if I only had one machine. Keeping things on pallets makes it fast to move stuff without getting off to “handle” items.

Everything here is stick shift. Renting a tractor with hydrostatic transmission, it was much less powerful to do hard jobs. Learned from that, we did not want to own a hydrostatic tractor! Other folks have said the same about their tractor that was hydrostatic. Just never seemed as strong as it should be in work, for the size of it. We avoided tractors without a stick shift, when looking at any to buy.

[NancyM]

I have a Kubota of about that size. It’s 25 years old now, and it has been a reliable little tractor, we bought it practically new. It is developing some problems now, IDK if they are going to be fixable at an acceptable cost or not. I use it for dragging the arena ( 3 point hitch and spike harrows), brush hogging the pastures, feeding out and moving 600 lb round bales (which it can lift, but nearing it’s limit), moving dirt and gravel, and for the hay rake, and our ancient small square baler. It also can run our bale wagon, but that bit of equipment has recently been retired. So it’s a pretty useful little tractor. It does not have rear hydraulic outlets, and is under powered for our other haying equipment, but that’s OK, we have other, bigger tractors. The Kubota is very handy, it fits in tight places, has a tight turning radius. The DH “hates” it, since he has had experience with larger, more powerful tractors, he says it is like riding a bucking bronc. It has no cab, it is open station, and the short wheel base of a smaller tractor makes it ride rougher than the bigger tractors. But it has been a good tractor for us. It has no core heater though, and sometimes does not start at lower than -20C temperatures in winter.

One of the bigger tractors is an old JD. It’s a 1976 model 80 horse. No computers on board, all mechanical. High hours. Old JDs like this are awesome things! Very simple, the DH does practically all the work on it to keep it running and healthy.

That is our experience with both these brands of tractor. Both have a good reputation.

[costco_muffins]

We have a new Kubota from that line, but the 47 horsepower one. My hubby adores it. Agree with the recommendations of which service provider is easier and you like better, and then all things being equal go for Kubota. No one complains about their Kubotas and you can rarely find them for sale - which speaks to their lasting value.

[Unfforgettable]

I’ve got a Kubota L3301 and I absolutely love it! I shopped them all before making a decision, and Kubota came out on top. Be aware that John Deere’s quick tach system is proprietary and if you want to use the same front attachments that other tractors and skid steers use, you will need to buy an adapter.

[hosspuller]

@Unfforgettable

…Be aware that John Deere’s quick tach system is proprietary and if you want to use the same front attachments that other tractors and skid steers use, you will need to buy an adapter.

Deere machines are available with the choice of three attachment standards, Deere QA, Skid Steer and Global (much used in Europe). Each has significant pros & cons.

[Unfforgettable]

@hosspuller

Deere machines are available with the choice of three attachment standards, Deere QA, Skid Steer and Global (much used in Europe). Each has significant pros & cons.

Thanks. When I was shopping I was told they only had the Deere version. Perhaps a ploy to get me to buy Deere attachments? My neighbor bought a JD, thinking we could share the front end stuff, but no bueno. I bought a Kubota anyhow, and am quite happy with it.

[walktrot]

My BO bought a Kubota around 2002 after she built her new arena with attached barn, 120x200’ building with about 40-50 acres of hay to cut. A Deere was out-of-reach so the Kubota was the next best choice. It was probably a compact size but it didn’t have problems with mower or round baler. Incredibly reliable machine. In the 20+ years I’ve boarded there it never broke down or was out of action. Last spring she got an outrageous bargain on a slightly used Deere, full-size with a cab, heat and air. The local Deere dealer found several in Canada so she snapped one up. The Kubota is still there moving round bales and plowing snow. I expect her boys will learn to drive the Kubota.

She has this “thing” where nobody else can drive the tractor. Not negotiable. She made an exception when she married her 2nd husband. Her daughter is allowed to put round bales out. I used her builder last summer for some work on my house. He gets manure for his garden. A couple of years ago he came back for a second load and DH says yeah, go ahead and drive the tractor. When he inquired about manure this year I had to make him promise he wouldn’t drive the Kubota. The Deere probably has one of those bubbles of personal space like the horses have.

[Equibrit]

I have this one; http://www.tractordata.com/farm-tractors/001/8/3/1831-kubota-l3240.html manual trans. Lots of bolt on goodies available.

Does everything I need. (Hate HST though.)