Potential New Owner...

DanR

New member
Apr 26, 2018
26
1
0
Moncton, NB, Canada
Like a lot of folks I've exhausted a lot of energy online and YouTubing various SCUTs. So tomorrow is the day.... I'm going in person to sit in the seats and see what one I'll pull the trigger on.

I'm looking at the BX2380 and also in the running will be the JD 1025R, MF 1705, and LS/TYM comparables. These are all within 20 minutes of my house.

LS/TYM likely won't be an option because the local dealer only offers 5.99%. I'm not sure if I'll even waste my time going there.

Massey is cheaper overall and 0% up to 84mo. but is much less refined and in need of an update compared to Kubota or JD, so I'd have to be kinda "blown away" with operation to swing me in that direction. One pro for MF is you can add a backhoe after-the-fact where I don't believe you can with the rest. A backhoe is not in the budget for me right now so it's not great that I won't ever have that option down the road with the others. But I guess it would be a sell/trade mine and upgrade type of deal.

Mainly I've been torn between Kubota and JD A LOT over the last several weeks. I've basically flipped in my mind from "I'm buying the Deere" to "I'm buying the Kubota" several times.

The pros and cons between the two makes it hard to say one has a very clear upper hand. And most YouTube videos are very biased so I take those with a grain of salt. Some are downright ridiculous! But something in-person with the Deere would have to sway me to spend the extra $2000 (besides resale value). Position control on the 3-pt and twin pedals are what Deere has over Kubota for me, and the tractor is physically a bit bigger. But $2000 can buy a lot of extras on the Kubota!

Kubota for me has some pros over Deere too... The new Swift-Tach is pretty sweet, especially the single coupler disconnect. I will say the JD quick attach is pretty slick too, but it does get edged out by the Swift-Tach. The controls are placed better up on the fenders than JD's wonky under-the-seat setup for a lot of the drive-train controls. I've noticed some videos of folks in winter gear fumbling around next to their bum for the levers. I've heard pretty consistent feedback (even from JD fans) that the hydro controls are much more smooth on the Kubota and the FEL allows multi-function use (ie. curl/raise) where JD is one function at a time only. It's also a quieter machine. And of course the age-old argument of metal vs. plastic.

All that said, I'm strongly leaning towards Kubota for bang-for-the-buck. But once my butt is in the seat... who knows. And it could change if the salesman is aggressive about winning me over. Money talks after all.

Point of the post..... if there's intricacies you folks have noticed or things I should pay special attention to when trying out these machines, please let me know. The more informed I am, the more comfortable I'll be making the choice!
 

RCW

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Equipment
BX2360, FEL, MMM, BX2750D snowblower. 1953 Minneapolis Moline ZAU
Apr 28, 2013
8,284
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Chenango County, NY
Dan - - sounds like you're taking a logical approach.

Obviously, being a Kubota forum you're not likely to have anyone banging the Green drum.

I've had a BX since 2013 - - Bought new. I was buying a Kubota, period. Had looked at them a few times over 15 years.

My only regret was not looking at other models, primarily the B, which is a little bigger.

Would anything have changed? Don't know, since I did stretch $$$ a little (for me) to get a front-mount snowblower. Financed about half, and I did pay off the 60 month note in 25.... You being in Canada will affect pricing versus the States.

Am I unhappy with my BX? Not at all. Love it, and it has been trouble free over almost 300 hours. Just sometimes I still wish I had gone 1 size bigger....

Good luck, and happy test-driving!
 
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eddiebob

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BX2680, JD 40
Mar 23, 2014
217
1
18
67
Poplarville, Mississippi
I was in a similar place several years ago. I had run John Deere lawn equipment for the previous 10 years. I had a JD2210 with 500 hours on it. One of my (grown) children ran it hot, it started burning oil, and I needed to get it rebuilt. When I talked to JD they told me it was not rebuildable. I checked with our local guy and he rebuilt it for $500. My take was that JD didn't want to work on such a small project. I looked at the Kubotas, liked what I saw and here I am. BX2680 and love it. My thought in response to your post is to consider that Kubota's claim to fame is the compact and subcompact market. Service should not be a problem or concern for years to come. Thanks, Ed B
 

mickeyd

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2014 L3200 DT w/LA524 FEL, 2019 Kubota Z121S w/ 48" Pro Dec, TG1860G w/RCK54TG
Mar 21, 2014
1,192
17
38
Guin, AL
Welcome to the OTT forum Dan. :)

I went in looking for a B tractor but my dealer told me I would be back for a bigger one in a year with my requirements.

You don't list what your main uses will be or how much land or what type of land, etc. so it is hard to recommend anything at this point.
 

Mike.O

Member

Equipment
B2650
Mar 28, 2017
109
0
16
CT
I did not know JD cannot do multi-function on the loader. That would be a HUGE deal breaker in itself. Add on the $2000 more and, to me, the JD would be out of the picture.

Try going to a pile of dirt/gravel and only use one loader function at a time. I can only imagine how much of a pain in that would be.

Sounds like its KUBOTA TIME!!! (Slightly biased!:D)
 

DanR

New member
Apr 26, 2018
26
1
0
Moncton, NB, Canada
So I did the rounds today. I didn't bother with LS/TYM for the financing reasons. I forgot to mention my main use for this, which is mowing an acre and snowblowing probably 250' of paved driveway. Eventually I'll probably start clearing another acre or so of brush/alder area to extend my lawn.

Massey
I was quite unimpressed with the Massey. I actually didn't even stick around to talk to a salesman. It looked a lot smaller, had pretty low quality finishing and seemed very "basic" compared to JD and Kubota. Sitting on the seat was like sitting on a wooden bench!

Deere
The JD was very smooth and comfortable to drive. It has the superior seat for sure. But the controls. Come on JD! The 4x4 and PTO selector are tucked under the seat. And the diff lock is a metal nub sticking out. Engineering kinda $hit the bed on ergonomics there. And the one-function at a time with the loader control is pretty bad. Positives.... It "feels" and "looks" like a bigger tractor and has better loader specs. And it has the 3-pt position control.

Also, JD charges you 5% up-front fee if you take the 0% on 84 months. So it's not really interest fee... All said and done, all-in the JD is $2,900 more than the Kubota.

Kubota
I have to say it was just ever so slightly less comfy than the Deere sitting in the seat. But still 100x more comfy than MF. The plastic on the dash and panels and rubber on the flooring seemed a bit cheaper than JD. But the controls are great. They're all positioned where I'd expect them and easy to reach/use. The loader operation is really smooth with multifunction. And there's no hidden fees with the financing... 0% means 0%.

The Salesmen at JD and Kubota were both good. But the JD guy got a little sales pitchy about stuff. The Kubota guy was genuinely trying to help me get what I need without blowing the budget with overkill stuff.

So all the above plus a difference of almost $3k ($30/month) has me pretty much decided on the Kubota. The package I chose will be the BX2380 with loader and pin-on bucket (SSQA isn't worth it for me). I'll have the standard 54" deck and manual chute rear-mount 50" blower.
 
Last edited:

dirtydeed

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B2650 BH77, U27-4R2, BX23TLBM, box blade, rear blade, flail mower, Stump Grinder
Dec 8, 2017
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Wind Gap, PA
sounds like you definitely did your homework and your findings are really no different from what many others have observed. Only thing I would maybe suggest, is springing for the SSQA. You may be surprised at what other attachments you may find "necessary" down the road a bit. At least it isn't the JD proprietary attachment set up.

Best of luck to you...the BX series are great machines.
 

PaulL

Well-known member

Equipment
B2601
Jul 17, 2017
2,098
1,106
113
NZ
You mention position control as a feature the JD has - but not clear on what you'd use it for if you're mostly mowing and snow blowing? I can see it being useful with a snow blade, but for me with my BX I'm usually all the way up or all the way down - I never have a plough or something like that that requires a specific depth. Just something to think about - it's maybe not a big deal to give up.
 

beaterboss

Member
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L3901, LA525-FEL, BMLX-3164 3pt Blower, 72" Coteck Sno Pusher, 60" Box Blade
Feb 20, 2017
152
1
18
St.Francois,New Brunswick. Canada
So I did the rounds today. I didn't bother with LS/TYM for the financing reasons. I forgot to mention my main use for this, which is mowing an acre and snowblowing probably 250' of paved driveway. Eventually I'll probably start clearing another acre or so of brush/alder area to extend my lawn.

Massey
I was quite unimpressed with the Massey. I actually didn't even stick around to talk to a salesman. It looked a lot smaller, had pretty low quality finishing and seemed very "basic" compared to JD and Kubota. Sitting on the seat was like sitting on a wooden bench!

Deere
The JD was very smooth and comfortable to drive. It has the superior seat for sure. But the controls. Come on JD! The 4x4 and PTO selector are tucked under the seat. And the diff lock is a metal nub sticking out. Engineering kinda $hit the bed on ergonomics there. And the one-function at a time with the loader control is pretty bad. Positives.... It "feels" and "looks" like a bigger tractor and has better loader specs. And it has the 3-pt position control.

Also, JD charges you 5% up-front fee if you take the 0% on 84 months. So it's not really interest fee... All said and done, all-in the JD is $2,900 more than the Kubota.

Kubota
I have to say it was just ever so slightly less comfy than the Deere sitting in the seat. But still 100x more comfy than MF. The plastic on the dash and panels and rubber on the flooring seemed a bit cheaper than JD. But the controls are great. They're all positioned where I'd expect them and easy to reach/use. The loader operation is really smooth with multifunction. And there's no hidden fees with the financing... 0% means 0%.

The Salesmen at JD and Kubota were both good. But the JD guy got a little sales pitchy about stuff. The Kubota guy was genuinely trying to help me get what I need without blowing the budget with overkill stuff.

So all the above plus a difference of almost $3k ($30/month) has me pretty much decided on the Kubota. The package I chose will be the BX2380 with loader and pin-on bucket (SSQA isn't worth it for me). I'll have the standard 54" deck and manual chute rear-mount 50" blower.

Hey Moncton...I was down there a few weeks ago. Much less snow than here, and I like the Moncton area, nice place.

The SSQA bucket is worth it's weight in Gold Buddy, I would suggest to spring the extra few $ and get it. I have many friends who have switched from Deere to Kubota for many reasons, but reliability was one of the main concerns. Seems like the Deere's spend more hours on the trailer back and forth to the dealer, than operating. I don't think you would be making a mistake buying the Kubota, and I also believe you will be very pleased with it over the long haul.
 

D2Cat

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L305DT, B7100HST, TG1860, TG1860D, L4240
Mar 27, 2014
12,903
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At this moment, while counting your funds, you say you don't need the quick attach on your loader arms. Suck it up and get it now. Just like the rest of the tractor...when you get to using it you won't believe all the chores/task you can do and that SSQT will be REAL handy.

There's just no sense in every time you get on your tractor you say to yourself, "I wish I woulda...":D
 

Mike.O

Member

Equipment
B2650
Mar 28, 2017
109
0
16
CT
SSQA is a must.

I thought exactly like you when I was buying my tractor. I actually put the order in with pin on bucket. A day of so before delivery, the dealer called and said he didn't have any pin on buckets and he's going throw in the SSQA setup for free!

Just by pure luck did I end up with SSQA and I can tell it is the best feature of the tractor. I use my pallet forks just as much as my bucket.

Just figured I would share because I thinking just like you are when I bought my tractor and the SSQA is AMAZING. Spend the few bucks now because to do it later is more of a pain.
 

Bulldog777

New member

Equipment
L3200, RTA1266, Modern 5' BB, Mustang 60 FM
Jan 25, 2017
215
0
0
Texas
Smaller John Deere tractors are actually Chinese Yanmar tractors with John Deere labels. Something I found out in earlier research I did. You might check whose engine is in there.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk
 

DanR

New member
Apr 26, 2018
26
1
0
Moncton, NB, Canada
I put in my order!!!

I ended up going with the SSQA. I was actually pretty surprised with the responses here advocating for it. I'm quite handy and can see myself building a snow pusher, trenching bucket, carryall, etc.

Aside from that, I got the 54" standard deck, 51" rear blower, and rod level indicator. Also the insurance through Kubota Canada was cheaper than adding a rider on my home insurance and is actually way better coverage.

It should be delivered to me next week!!! I'll post pics once it arrives.
 

DanR

New member
Apr 26, 2018
26
1
0
Moncton, NB, Canada
Oh, I know my sales guy is on this forum.... shout out to Todd at Nova Int'l. Very patient guy with all my questions and a good, no-pressure salesman!
 

Tractor Dell

New member

Equipment
Kubota BX23S
Jun 13, 2017
122
0
0
Central PA
I ended up going with the SSQA. I was actually pretty surprised with the responses here advocating for it. I'm quite handy and can see myself building a snow pusher, trenching bucket, carryall, etc.
I switch between my bucket and my EA grapple all the time. You won't believe how much easier it makes it to switch. I liked it so much, I got the BXpanded quick attach for my backhoe, because switching between the bucket and their ripper was a pain in the butt. ;)
 

jmf78

Member

Equipment
BX23S W/ Factory Deluxe Cab, 60" MMM, 60" BX-2612 Snow Blade & BX-2816 Blower
Nov 5, 2015
437
4
18
Edinboro, PA, USA
Congrats on your purchase! You're going to love it.

I went with the pin on bucket. I occasionally regret not getting the SSQA but I really don't have much use for a grapple or forks. Of course, this may change in time but my property is mostly mowed lawn. Once a year (this time of year) I could probably use a grapple. Or I'd have to go play on someone elses property.
 

dirtydeed

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Equipment
B2650 BH77, U27-4R2, BX23TLBM, box blade, rear blade, flail mower, Stump Grinder
Dec 8, 2017
2,854
3,102
113
Wind Gap, PA
I put in my order!!!

I ended up going with the SSQA. I was actually pretty surprised with the responses here advocating for it. I'm quite handy and can see myself building a snow pusher, trenching bucket, carryall, etc.

Aside from that, I got the 54" standard deck, 51" rear blower, and rod level indicator. Also the insurance through Kubota Canada was cheaper than adding a rider on my home insurance and is actually way better coverage.

It should be delivered to me next week!!! I'll post pics once it arrives.
Congrats. Enjoy your new machine. I think you'll appreciate the SSQA down the road.
 

Stmar

Active member

Equipment
B2650HSDC
May 23, 2017
904
38
28
Buffalo, Wyoming
The SSQA is a very popular option and will be a good thing down the road either for resale or when you find more toys/tools to work/play with. I practiced changing implements before I had to and it paid off, you will learn the best tilt and height. Better to do it in nice weather than in blizzard, wind, rain, etc. conditions. It takes me about 5 minutes to change from bucket to snow blade.
 

dirtydeed

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Equipment
B2650 BH77, U27-4R2, BX23TLBM, box blade, rear blade, flail mower, Stump Grinder
Dec 8, 2017
2,854
3,102
113
Wind Gap, PA
Congrats. Get out there and get some mud on it.