Are they really that good?

flying belgian · Apr 21, 2012

Local Case dealer here also sells Kabota. I go in there often as I have a lot of Case tractors and equip. Every time I go for parts I always walk back through the shop just to see what they are working on. Today was the first time I ever saw them with a Kabota torn down. Something in the front axle. Other wise it is always Case tractors. They must have had 10 Case tractors back there today and only the one Kabota. Don't they ever have trouble with Kabotas?

Lyndon - AB · Apr 21, 2012

(quoted from post at 20:44:07 04/21/12) Local Case dealer here also sells Kabota. I go in there often as I have a lot of Case tractors and equip. Every time I go for parts I always walk back through the shop just to see what they are working on. Today was the first time I ever saw them with a Kabota torn down. Something in the front axle. Other wise it is always Case tractors. They must have had 10 Case tractors back there today and only the one Kabota. Don't they ever have trouble with Kabotas?

The New Holland dealership I used to work for also sold Kubota. Good tractors, but they break down too. I've rebuilt a few front axles, done a tranny in one, engine in another, clutch cable in another. Pain in the rear to work on compared to the Cases and New Hollands, but a good tractor. I'd buy one. The biggest reason you don't see as many of them in the shop is there aren't as many of them out there, especially in the higher horsepower range.

Anonymous-0 · Apr 21, 2012

Around here the yuppy farmers have Kubotas to mow their lawn and plow snow. Those of us who farm have real tractors, and real loads wear things out.

Lyndon - AB · Apr 21, 2012

Oh, so you must farm with Belarus then. 'Cause the yuppies up here have every color under the rainbow, 'cept for Belarus.

The Kubotas I worked on came from every walk of life. Yuppy machines to dairy loader tractors. They hold up every bit as well as the other brands.

Thomas(AB) · Apr 22, 2012

Worked my Uncles Kubota almost into the ground...just won't give up and die.

Gun guru · Apr 22, 2012

I rented a Kubota several years ago.
It was beat up, the steering mechanism broke while I was using it.
I think one reason the Kubota's dont see the major tear down work is because the Kubota's are used for mowing grass and other light work. How many large farm operations have 100HP Kubota's?
Whenever I see a municiple medium size tractor cutting the grass along the freeway it is usually a New Holland, or Deere. When ever I see a medium to large farm operation it is a Case IH or a Deere.
Kubota's are mostly used by homeowners, IMO.
If my 5 year old Deere utility tractor pukes out and dies I might get a Kubota......Depends on a lot of things.

doubleN · Apr 22, 2012

That highway issue has more to do with township/county bids and contracts than it does with the quality of the brand.

In my experience, the mid-size Kubotas are way above the other brands in engineering, quality and toughness.

northvale · Apr 22, 2012

here is my 2 cents, at a local salvage yard, most tractors were IH, very few Deeres. Does that speak for dependability or popularity? Also, the ease of working on a machine speaks for something too. Older machines are just easier to repair, period.

Anonymous-0 · Apr 22, 2012

I have been an independent AG mechanic for 35 years , in my career most repairs that I do are caused from operator abuse , misuse and neglect. I do not believe any one brand is better built then the next.

oldtanker · Apr 22, 2012

I think most Kubotas sold are on the smaller side and are used to mow lawn and till the garden. When you think that 30 years ago at Cub Cadet, JD or Wheel Horse did the same job they are way overbuilt for how most are being used. On the other hand talking to Bobcat mech who had just finished going through a Kubota Diesel for a customer " I couldn't believe it, 10,000 hours and all it needed was rings" is what he told me. I really wish I could afford one of the 80HP ones. I think they are a nice solid tractor.

Rick

Rick Kr · Apr 22, 2012

I live real close to a huge Kubota - Case dealer. Service manager tells me Kubota is what keeps the money coming into the dealer. Constantly replacing worn shafts and bearings in housings. If you compare tractor to tractor at the same HP, it appears Kubota is considerably lighter than the NH/Case, JD. Does that allow the tractor to flex more when worked hard and have parts wear out quicker? Don't know but would seem to make sense.

Not bashing Kubota since I had one and it was a tough little tractor. I think in the higher HP tractors I would stick with a NH/case or JD. I think this dealer has only move 1 or 2 of the bigger Kubotas in the last 3 years. MX100s.

Around here most people put a 5-6ft belly mower or rear mower on them. Not to hard on the tractor.

My two cents.
Rick

blunosr · Apr 22, 2012

I think the size thing is the reason they are so good. They are Ag tractors, designed to work small farms in Japan, and most areas of the World. As a result, they are built tough. So when they get to North America, and we use them to mow the lawn, or haul the garbage to the end of the driveway, and maybe do light work, we are amazed at how well they last. They are capable of much more than we use them for.

I think about our old dairy farm. Up until the mid 80's the highest hp tractor we ever had was about 40hp (IH 454), and it was a powerhouse compared to our other tractors. And we got everything done.

My 50hp Kubota is every bit as good as the old IH, and even the MF 135, but you can't compare them to the 100hp behemoths of today's megafarms.

I love my '66 Ford 5000, but my 2005 MX5000 Kubota (50hp 4wd) is just as good a tractor (maybe better).

Bye for now,

Troy

Ray · Apr 22, 2012

I don't know anyone with a kubota that actually uses it.Most are hobby farmers that maybe mow grass,use a loader and pittle around.I can show you some 10 years old with 200 hours.

Dean · Apr 22, 2012

I have a small, 20 HP Kubota hydro bought new in 1993. I use it to mow grass, plow snow and occassionally do some back blade work. It is obviously not a farm tractor.

Since 1993, I have changed lubricants and filters regularly, replaced the battery twice and kept it inside.

It has required NO other work of any kind. Not so much as a fan belt or mower belt or even any initial defects requiring warranty returns.

If I were to shop for a larger machine within the Kubota line, I would certainly look at Kubota first.

Dean

Richard from SE AZ · Apr 22, 2012

I worked in underground mines for over 40 yrs. Most,I'll say 90%, of the machines that are used as worker utility vehicles for hauling supplies, transporting men, and as boss buggies are Kubotas. Most have very heavy steel structures built around them for these purposes. Underground miners are not known for babying anything so they get used very hard. It is amazing how well these machines hold up under these tough use conditions. Would I ever buy one? Probably not. They are very expensive, and repair parts are high dollar.

NCWayne · Apr 22, 2012

Being an independent heavy equipment mechanic who also works on anything else my customers want me to work on from lawn equipment to ag tractors, to weedeaters, I couldn't agree with you more. Granted there are those makes of machines that are built heavier/different to suit one market more so than another. Within those lines however the quality, life expectancy for a given application, etc, etc is usually about the same across the board.

Having been into so many different brands over the years I've always said if all of them would put their heads together and take the best parts of each they could make one heck of a machine. Then, of course, guys like us would be out of a job.

That said, you can always tell when a machine is a one owner, and one operator machine. Rarely do those machines need any kind of work, and when they do it's because of a major failure usually attributed to normal wear and tear, or as you said, operator error. Heck I just built an engine in one of the old Ford tractors made for them by Shibaru back during the summer last year. The customer bought the thing new in '88 and has worked it constantly and taken pretty good care of it as well. The only reason it needed the rebuild is that it had gotten low on oil, he had gotten busy and forgot to check it, and it starved, and spun #1 rod as he loaded it on the trailer to take back home from a job.

Anonymous-0 · Apr 22, 2012

Hey Lyndon, never seen a Belarus, just saying what many of the
others said. No big Kubota farm tractors anywhere around here,
so I think flying belgian is comparing apples and oranges. I use
a 1975 Case 220 for mowing/snow removal and it has never
been in the shop, so is it better than a Kubota?

Lyndon - AB · Apr 22, 2012

It is hard to compare brands just based on volume of machines in the shop. As to your Case 220 being better than a Kubota, I've seen all kinds of yard tractors that seem to go forever, and all kinds that blow up in short order. I'd rather work on the Case than the Kubota though.

I was more going at the whole discussion from the higher horsepower models, being as that's what we saw more of in our dealership.

doubleN · Apr 22, 2012

"There you go again!"

I"m 69 years old, I ain"t a yuppie and I despise yuppies. Grew up on and around a farm and still have some acreage myself. I enjoy using my old tractors but if/when the moonbat environmentalists cry "uncle" and the state allows gas drilling, I"m going to get a Kubota. I"ve been around a lot of these types of tractors, seen what the different brands can and can"t do. I ain"t trying to start a color war but Kubota is by far the best of these types with JD"s bringing up the rear. Again-not shooting from the ip here-just based on my experiences and what I"ve seen.

doubleN · Apr 22, 2012

I think you've been spending too much time with ol'
"jakee-bub." You seem to think and talk along the same lines as he does.

Bruce from Can. · Apr 22, 2012

If you are 6 foot tall or or taller, you don't want one with a cab. They are built for a world market, and most of the world are short fellas.

Bill(Wis) · Apr 23, 2012

Kubotas are as good as tractors come. Look at the rental places. Don't most of them have Kubotas and not much else? The contractors (landscapers, concrete contractors) all use Kubotas around me. Neighbor bought an M6800 11 years ago and has absolutely beat the snot out of it (big dairy/beef operation). That tractor does everything except the heavy field work. It gets used everyday rain, snow or shine.

Anonymous-0 · Apr 23, 2012

I think it's a pay off somehow and they have a secret underground garage....
Our local Case/IH dealer also sells Iseki and Steyr, you only see the red ones or off breeds in the shop here too.... No Steyr or Iseki....

Are they really that good?

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