5 Reasons John Deere Is Better Than...Tractor Comparisons - 6 Tractor Brand Comparison...Which of the three for Tim?
John Deere vs.Which is the better vehicle?My customers ask me about the debate on a regular basis.Which one do I prefer?I thought I would take the time to explain why I think John Deere is better.I appreciate some of the features that Kubota has to offer, but I am not a John Deere die hard.I will be making a video and article about five areas that John Deere is not as good as.Click here to watch if you haven't watched it before.
There is no clear winner.I sell used John Deere and Kubota tractor because of the proven reliability, parts availability, and plethora of dealer locations around the country to provide support.It is hard to go wrong if you combine this with excellent resale value.John Deere and Kubota are what my customers are looking for.Nothing else is close.The first rule of business is to give the customer what they want.
John Deere won the head to head competition in five areas.The first reason is that plastic is superior to metal.The cheap plastic panels found on garden tractor are not what I am talking about.John Deere's sub-compact and compact tractor have light years ahead of metal.For anyone in the automotive or aerospace engineering world, you are familiar with high strength plastics and their benefits.These aren't being used in structural locations, but rather in trim pieces.
I have a lot of John Deere and Kubotas come through every year and it is always enjoyable to see an older one that is in good shape.Their metal panels are unforgiving.They fade as they rust, ding, and dent.Plastic doesn't rust.You hit it with a hammer.You can even break it.There will be damage to the steel panels if it is that violent of an impact.They hold their color better than painted panels.No amount of buffing can remove that pink hue from a faded paint job.Even the worst cases on John Deere will be saved by a buff and wax.
The hydrostatic pedal configuration is the second reason.John Deere has pedals on both sides of the operator station floorboard.There is a brake pedal on the floorboard.The treadle pedal from Kubota uses a pedal by your toe to propel you forward and a second pedal to push you backwards.There is an operation station on the right side of the floorboard.Not only is the rear pedal located so that it uses a good chunk of floor space, it is also awkward to try and control pressure with your foot.The brake pedal will be above the go forward pedal.If you accidentally press the wrong pedal or both at the same time in an emergency situation, it could cause a catastrophe.
The integrated parking stand that John Deere offers is better than the one that Kubota does.Do you think I'm wrong because Kubota has a built-in parking stand?They have a quick park loader that requires hopping off the tractor, moving the legs from the stored to stand position, hopping back to work the loader, and then walking around the other side to remove the second retaining bolt.
It took almost an entire paragraph to explain.John Deere has a loader that you can use to put down pressure on the bucket, then flip up the spring loaded brackets from the operation station.I did not mention fooling around with the parking stand.John Deere has integrated it in a way that allows the stand to move into position when the loader is parked.There is no other way to put it.You have to disconnected your hydraulics after either system.Click here to watch a video on how a John Deere loader is installed.
John Deere won the debate because all but one loader comes standard with a quick attach bucket.If you want to use your loader for something other than a bucket, you need a quick attach bucket.Attachments such as pallet forks, bale spear, snow pusher, grapple, and snow blade can be mounted to the end of the loader arms.Many front end loaders come with a pin-on bucket which is not quick attach.You can't quickly add those other attachments to your loader.It will cost you more if you upgrade to a skid steer quick attach carrier.
John Deere holds their value better than any other brand, and I have bought and sold all of them over the years.This also includes Kubota.A used John Deere costs more than a new one because it is more expensive when new.I think that John Deere depreciates the least amount from their new price over the years.This could vary from market to market as tractor prices are not the same in every part of the country.
I do not list all of the reasons why John Deere is better than Kubota.A prospective buyer is going to be happy if they choose to buy a John Deere or Kubota tractor.It is a common question and one that deserves an honest answer.I don't hold a prejudice against John Deere.John Deere has their short comings as well and you will have a chance to see where Kubota shines in another follow up video and article.Thanks for reading and hopefully this will help you make a decision down the road.