{"id":23728,"date":"2018-12-04T15:50:17","date_gmt":"2018-12-04T05:50:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.machines4u.com.au\/mag\/?p=23728"},"modified":"2022-08-25T15:02:28","modified_gmt":"2022-08-25T05:02:28","slug":"kubota-tractor-vs-john-deere-tractor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.machines4u.com.au\/mag\/kubota-tractor-vs-john-deere-tractor\/","title":{"rendered":"Kubota Tractor Vs John Deere Tractor: Which is Best?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cShould I buy a Kubota tractor or John Deere tractor?\u201d It\u2019s a common question that we thought we\u2019d finally shed some light on with a quick comparison of the two brands. In fact, it\u2019s so common that the brands have answered this question themselves! Watch the videos below to get the pros and cons from each perspective.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>(Looking for a comparison for medium-sized tractors? We pit <a href=\"\/mag\/john-deere-vs-case-ih-vs-new-holland-tractors\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">John Deere, Case IH and New Holland Tractors<\/a> against eachother. Otherwise check out our <a href=\"\/mag\/small-tractors-comparison-mahindra-vs-kubota\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">small tractor comparison<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Then take a look at our breakdown to see who comes out on top!<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Kubota Tractor Video<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><iframe src=\"\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/rRxJ4yAar4s\" width=\"560\" height=\"314\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 10pt;\">Disclaimer: This video showcases an overseas model. Configurations may differ from the Australian model.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Still with us? Great, let\u2019s get comparing!<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">John Deere Tractors Vs Kubota Tractors<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Firstly, let us say that these brands are both at the top of their game when it comes to building high-quality tractors and machinery. Their specs are so close, it\u2019s difficult to \u2018pick a winner\u2019 so to speak. So we have categorised these smaller tractors by their differences, as well as which brand comes out on top for that particular element.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Round 1. Plastic or Metal?<\/span><\/h3>\n<figure id=\"attachment_23736\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-23736\" style=\"width: 698px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-23736 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/magmedia.machines4u.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/04145403\/hoods.png\" alt=\"Kubota and John Deere Tractor Hoods\" width=\"698\" height=\"260\" srcset=\"https:\/\/magmedia.machines4u.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/04145403\/hoods.png 698w, https:\/\/magmedia.machines4u.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/04145403\/hoods-300x112.png 300w, https:\/\/magmedia.machines4u.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/04145403\/hoods-500x186.png 500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 698px) 100vw, 698px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-23736\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Source: Machines4U<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As both videos mention, Kubota tractor fenders and hoods are made from tough, durable steel. While the John Deere tractor is made with composite plastics.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Why does this matter?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Metal is great in theory\u2014it\u2019s built tough, it looks nicer, and if well maintained will stand the test of time. In saying that, there are some pretty big drawbacks to using metal in high-impact areas of the tractor, such as the fenders and the hood. Over time, the metal will:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Show up fading paintwork easier (no amount of buffing is going to work)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Rust, ding and dent<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Show up the slightest mistakes<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While yes, plastic can be damaged, it won\u2019t rust and cosmetically, the John Deere fenders and hoods hold their colour and look much better than their metal counterparts. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Round 1 winner: John Deere<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Round 2. Joystick Controls<\/span><\/h3>\n<figure id=\"attachment_23738\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-23738\" style=\"width: 446px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-23738 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/magmedia.machines4u.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/04151735\/kubota-joystick-e1543900692610.jpg\" alt=\"Kubota joystick\" width=\"446\" height=\"330\" srcset=\"https:\/\/magmedia.machines4u.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/04151735\/kubota-joystick-e1543900692610.jpg 446w, https:\/\/magmedia.machines4u.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/04151735\/kubota-joystick-e1543900692610-300x222.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 446px) 100vw, 446px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-23738\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Pictured: Kubota joystick. Source: Machines4U<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Looking at the front-end loaders for this round, and no we\u2019re not going to bang on about lift capacity. We\u2019re actually looking at the joystick controls, more specifically the ability to move the joystick to its corners to curl and raise (or drop and dump) the bucket at the same time.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This ability is easily available on Kubotas, but not designed into the John Deere. While it\u2019s possible to maneuver the John Deere in the same way, it takes quite a lot of skill, focus and patience to do so. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For this reason, Kubota wins this round!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Round 2 winner: Kubota<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Round 3. Transmission<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-23739\" src=\"https:\/\/magmedia.machines4u.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/04152123\/kubota-transmission3-1024x685.png\" alt=\"Kubota 3-range transmission\" width=\"440\" height=\"294\" srcset=\"https:\/\/magmedia.machines4u.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/04152123\/kubota-transmission3-1024x685.png 1024w, https:\/\/magmedia.machines4u.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/04152123\/kubota-transmission3-300x201.png 300w, https:\/\/magmedia.machines4u.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/04152123\/kubota-transmission3-768x514.png 768w, https:\/\/magmedia.machines4u.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/04152123\/kubota-transmission3-500x334.png 500w, https:\/\/magmedia.machines4u.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/04152123\/kubota-transmission3-360x240.png 360w, https:\/\/magmedia.machines4u.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/04152123\/kubota-transmission3.png 1468w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 440px) 100vw, 440px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Now we\u2019re getting to the nitty-gritty. When you\u2019re driving your tractor, you want to be able to do so smoothly. A standard feature on Kubotas (except on the BX Series) is the 3-range hydrostatic transmission (L\/M\/H). <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Comparatively, the John Deeres only offer 2-range transmission unless you invest in their more \u2018premium\u2019 series, like the 3R series. This means that the Kubota range gives you more control right off the bat, and many prefer having that M gear to power through the job without compromising on the quality of the work. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Round 3 winner: Kubota<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Round 4. Pedals<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-23741 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/magmedia.machines4u.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/04152749\/Pedals1.png\" alt=\"Kubota vs John Deere pedals\" width=\"736\" height=\"374\" srcset=\"https:\/\/magmedia.machines4u.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/04152749\/Pedals1.png 736w, https:\/\/magmedia.machines4u.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/04152749\/Pedals1-300x152.png 300w, https:\/\/magmedia.machines4u.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/04152749\/Pedals1-500x254.png 500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 736px) 100vw, 736px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">John Deere stick to simplistic design when it comes to floor pedals: side-by-side pedals for forward and reverse. The brake pedal is found on the other side of the floor panel (the left), so emergency stopping is easy. While you\u2019re left with less floor space, having separate pedals makes driving a John Deere tractor more comfortable and easy to master.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Kubota have the treadle pedal, which is a little bit more technical. You have a pedal near your toe to accelerate, and to reverse you dig your heel into another pedal near the base of your foot. Kubota also have their brake above the accelerator pedal, which could be dangerous in the event of an emergency where quick braking is required. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Round 4 winner: John Deere<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Round 5. Specs<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When comparing similar compact Kubota and John Deere tractor models, in similar series, the specs are really much of a muchness. So we can\u2019t really pick a winner here. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Round 5 winner: Tie<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A Quick Recap<\/span><\/h2>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\"><b>Element<\/b><\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\"><b>John Deere<\/b><\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\"><b>Kubota<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hood &amp; fenders material<\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Composite plastic<\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Steel<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Joystick controls<\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Doesn\u2019t easily allow for \u2018curl\/raise\u2019 and \u2018drop\/dump\u2019<\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Allows for \u2018curl and raise\u2019 and \u2018drop and dump\u2019<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Transmission<\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2-range (L\/H) only unless you go for premium series<\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">3-range (L\/M\/H) available on all tractors except BX series <\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pedals<\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Standard side-by-side accelerator\/reverse<\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Treadle pedal system &#8211; accelerator\/reverse pedals are placed at the toe and base of the foot<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\"><b>Other things to consider<\/b><\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>John Deere 1 Family Series<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Kubota BX Series<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Serviceability<\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">More difficult to service due to tight working area<\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Easily serviced<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Attachments<\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">iMatch Quick Hitch allows for fast attachments without leaving your seat<\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Swift-attach front-end loader is easily removable from operator\u2019s seat<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dashboard<\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Traditional gauges <\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">More modern fuel gauges<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mower decks<\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Autoconnect drive-over mower deck &#8211; attach the mower without leaving your seat<\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Multiple mower decks available<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Will it fit in my garage?<\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Yes &#8211; requires the ROPS to be folded<\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Yes &#8211; no folding required<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Verdict<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When it comes down to it, it really depends on your personal preference. What matters most to you? What are your dealbreakers? <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Either way, Kubota and John Deere are solid brands and industry leaders for a reason. Whatever brand you decide, you\u2019ll get good service, proven reliability, plenty of dealer locations and good support. In short, you\u2019ll be happy either way\u2014just choose the brand that ticks most of your boxes!<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p>Have you got something to add to this article? Let us know by commenting below! Otherwise, why not check out <a href=\"https:\/\/www.machines4u.com.au\/browse\/farm-machinery\/tractors-88\/john-deere\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">John Deere tractors<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.machines4u.com.au\/browse\/farm-machinery\/tractors-88\/kubota\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Kubota Tractors<\/a> for sale.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u201cShould I buy a Kubota tractor or John Deere tractor?\u201d It\u2019s a common question that we thought we\u2019d finally shed some light on with a quick comparison of the two brands. In fact, it\u2019s so common that the brands have answered this question themselves! Watch the videos below to get the pros and cons from [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":28,"featured_media":23730,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7836],"tags":[21025,21024],"yst_prominent_words":[],"class_list":["post-23728","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-farming","tag-john-deere-tractors","tag-kubota-tractors"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.machines4u.com.au\/mag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23728","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.machines4u.com.au\/mag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.machines4u.com.au\/mag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.machines4u.com.au\/mag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/28"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.machines4u.com.au\/mag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23728"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.machines4u.com.au\/mag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23728\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":29638,"href":"https:\/\/www.machines4u.com.au\/mag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23728\/revisions\/29638"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.machines4u.com.au\/mag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/23730"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.machines4u.com.au\/mag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23728"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.machines4u.com.au\/mag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23728"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.machines4u.com.au\/mag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23728"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.machines4u.com.au\/mag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=23728"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}