# John deere bad brand?!?!



## Ironeye

I have herd from alot of people that john deere is a bad tractor but I dont think its true...is it?


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## Hoodoo Valley

There is........ for some people, a real bias against John Deere. They are however, excellent tractors. I just think they're jealous because they had to settle for second best! All joking aside though it's like with anything I suppose, like trucks, air compressors, stereo equipment and so on. Some people make top of the line models of this or that, while the rest of the line sucks. I happen to own a John Deere, in fact I've had several of them over the years. What I can tell you is that certain aspects of them are excellent, and other aspects are pretty darn cheeky. My John Deere 316 rider for instance.......... had one of the best engines ever made, the Onan P series, bullet proof hydro and a frame tougher than you'd see on a 3/4 ton truck. But imagine my surprise when I changed a front tire and discovered that the thing was sitting on bushings rather than roller bearings. Same with my John Deere 990. The machine is made by Yanmar. Couldn't knock it at all. The loader is John Deere, and certain aspects of it are bomber, but then other aspects of it piss me off. I think with just about everything a person could buy, unless you had unlimited amounts of income (most of us, me included, need to stay within a budget) that most of the time, your hard pressed to hit a home run. Although I must say, that My Kubota BX really IS a home run for me, and it was a whole heck of a lot cheaper than my 990.


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## MBTRAC

IMO JD makes great Lawn Mowers, our 2x LT155's, the old 415 & our latest used X748 do everything & more that's asked of them.........

As for farm tractors, we've run most brands over the years & apart from our old faithful JD6030, I've always found the subsequent JD "ownership" experience well below their "reputation" though their resale value is good........our JD8440 (pictured)was a dog from new being too costly to run/maintain & now at c.8500hrs far too costly to rebuild & will spend out it's days rusting out in the paddock where it broke 18mths ago - we're also exiting/replacing our other late model (pictured) JD headers & other self propelled gear (like windrowers) for similar reasons & in the forseeable future have no intention of purchasing any more new JD green machines..........

So IMO is a JD a bad tractor, no - it's just there are far better value tractors & machines around........


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## Mickey

I can offer similar personal experiences. IMO JD products are over rated and priced accordingly. Had a JD 318 with mixed opinion of it. Built like a brick outhouse but had aluminum rear differential housing. Shaft drive to trans but twisted belt for the MMM. Had a 336 baler, got it new and it nickle and dime me to death. First season, knoter frame broke. Replacement was a universal part and had to be modified depending upon which model it was going on to. Broke a half doz needles until I found out the instructions for setting the timing on the needles was wrong in the manual. Tongue jack was a real widow maker. Was fortunate that when the jack handle came flying off, it missed my head by a couple inches. Design was replaced after a couple yrs.

The big end bearing had to be replaced a couple times a season. Bearing was easily removed from the pillow block and replaced but dealer only stocked the bearing mounted in a new pillow block. Also JD had a custom bearing made for this application. Stock bearing except for bore size. I found a stock bearing that was slightly larger than the JD version and I made a sleeve so it fit perfectly. Bought stk bearings for $13 Vs the $35 the dealer wanted. Don't even get me started on the current JD TV commercials. They are so misleading.

I've owned a few JD products but I don't worship at the alter of JD.


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## Ironeye

tractor beam said:


> There is........ for some people, a real bias against John Deere. They are however, excellent tractors. I just think they're jealous because they had to settle for second best! All joking aside though it's like with anything I suppose, like trucks, air compressors, stereo equipment and so on. Some people make top of the line models of this or that, while the rest of the line sucks. I happen to own a John Deere, in fact I've had several of them over the years. What I can tell you is that certain aspects of them are excellent, and other aspects are pretty darn cheeky. My John Deere 316 rider for instance.......... had one of the best engines ever made, the Onan P series, bullet proof hydro and a frame tougher than you'd see on a 3/4 ton truck. But imagine my surprise when I changed a front tire and discovered that the thing was sitting on bushings rather than roller bearings. Same with my John Deere 990. The machine is made by Yanmar. Couldn't knock it at all. The loader is John Deere, and certain aspects of it are bomber, but then other aspects of it piss me off. I think with just about everything a person could buy, unless you had unlimited amounts of income (most of us, me included, need to stay within a budget) that most of the time, your hard pressed to hit a home run. Although I must say, that My Kubota BX really IS a home run for me, and it was a whole heck of a lot cheaper than my 990.


So do you like kubota more than john deere


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## Ironeye

I always think the older the better but dus an old jd top a new one?


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## pogobill

All depends on what you want it for. If you are a handy dude, that has a smaller acreage to work, and your tractor isn't mainly used to earn a living, the older tractors without all the electronics, etc. would be a great little tractor to have. If you are farming hundreds of acres and need a big machine to do it, I suspect you might want a newer, more efficient unit to do the work.
I have a 2004 tractor that I need to do what bit of work I have to do around my place, but I have a few other late '40's early '50's tractors that I can do a lot of chores with and they are somewhat easier to maintain and repair.


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## Hoodoo Valley

Ironeye said:


> So do you like kubota more than john deere


I'd say yes. If I had it to do again, or later down the road, I might upgrade to the Kubota line for my bigger tractor, but that little Kubota BX I have is a friggin workhorse addict *NINJA!*


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## Ironeye

tractor beam said:


> I'd say yes. If I had it to do again, or later down the road, I might upgrade to the Kubota line for my bigger tractor, but that little Kubota BX I have is a friggin workhorse addict NINJA!


Thats like my little kubota


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## timtim2008

i like JD, but ive noticed parts for my equipment are about 20 to 30% more than other brands.. (ie. blades, belts, etc)


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## JDonly

We have 15 John Deere tractors on our farm and will not own anything else. We bought a new IH 966 back in 1975. Uncomfortable to drive, controls were not placed well, power steering sucked so we traded it in 2 years later for a JD 4630 that we still use today. Has about 15000 hours on it so It's semi retired now used for planting and fertilizing corn. Primary tillage is done by the bigger tractors.The nearest JD dealer is 10 miles away and parts are never a problem. Always get good deals and treated well.


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## ben70b

Funny, I live in the grain belt and know a bunch of guys that would sit around and try and pic apart Deeres, the really funny part is since the corn prices have been good for the last few years these same guys have bought there own Deere equipment, we farm with Deeres and have never had any major issues, and when it's time to trade em you get good money back out of em. In my opinion you get what you pay for. To each there own tho, I respect other people's opinions about there tractors and why they believe they are superior, even if they are wrong!


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## wjjones

I like the older John Deere stuff but not so much with the newer tractors, etc.


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## Hoodoo Valley

Ironeye said:


> Thats like my little kubota
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What year is it Ironeye? It sure looks like it's in great shape!


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## Ironeye

I dont know the exact date but I do know that its from the 1980s and my granpa gave that to me about two months ago for my erly 12th birthday and It doesnt show in the picture but the steering wheel is majerly cracked my head lights dont work I have a busted tale light my seat lookes terable huge crackes in it but atleast the motor and the tires and every thing to drive it workes


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## Hoodoo Valley

Ironeye said:


> I dont know the exact date but I do know that its from the 1980s and my granpa gave that to me about two months ago for my erly 12th birthday and It doesnt show in the picture but the steering wheel is majerly cracked my head lights dont work I have a busted tale light my seat lookes terable huge crackes in it but atleast the motor and the tires and every thing to drive it workes


That's a heck of a birthday gift! I'll bet you felt on top of the world huh?  Does he ever borrow it?


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## Ironeye

No he doesnt borrow it and I love rubbing it in the faces of my cousins and it wasnt for my birthday it was just close to it.


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## OldIron52

I too perfer John Deere's older stuff. The new tractors seem cheap to me.


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## Ironeye

Its with any new tractor my granpas newest tractor is tore up but his and my older tractors are good. But the new tractors hoods are made of plastic mine is metal


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## bgi

I grew up running deere equipment alongside ford, massey, farmall, IH, etc. Nothing even came close to the Deere equipment we had. The others were poorly designed, difficult to use and maintain, and had maintenance issues much more often. JD 4010, 4020, 5020, 45 combines, baler, 450 dozers, loaders, 690 excavators, and lots more were all excellent. Nowadays, I can't say. I'm not in the business. My 1026R TLB has been good, but I'd say the hydraulic controls on the backhoe are really poorly engineered and they're working on a fix for the FEL valve that allows it to creep in the dump direction when you ease into the curl up direction. If you're in the corn belt and you're running Deere, you have an amazing support network that nobody can touch. I get the feeling that the newer top-end equipment is complex and easy to muck up - check the electronics in a large tractor or combine and judge for yourself if it's more reliable than an old 5020 or 45 was back in the day? I dunno. Maybe I'm comparing a 1970's cessna 152 to a modern glass cockpit airplane.


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## Marcintosh

I like that my little JD Piddler is twenty two years old and it takes me 4 days at most to get any part specific to my machine that isn't in stock - attachment parts too.
Would also like to say the parts department is rock solid and gives me more help than I ever imagined they would.
I have to admit though, that Yanmar's looking affordable next to a 1026


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## Ronnie62

I have a 51 john deere mt. It's a good reliable tractor for its size.


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## Fwes

*Lest we forget*

According to John Ratzenberger, host of the Travel Channel series "Made in America", Deere & Company never repossessed any equipment from American farmers during the Great Depression. This was revealed during the shows profile of Deere & Company.


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## blackrag

I am not a big farmer. I bought one new JD lawn tractor in 1992 and it still works great without any major repairs. I own 2 JD compact 955 tractors (1996 & 1998) used for different purposes. The 955 I have at home I use a couple days a week and love it. It does it all for a "gentleman farmer". General maintenance for these machines have left me with NO issues.


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## bzktm8

*John Deere lawn and garden*

My son works at a big home improvement store. General consensus there is the Deere lawn and garden tractors are junk. This was due to the return rate by upset customers. I was shocked since I was under the impression they were a very good brand. Facts speak for themselves. :dazed:


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## GrowFarmers

bzktm8 said:


> My son works at a big home improvement store. General consensus there is the Deere lawn and garden tractors are junk. This was due to the return rate by upset customers. I was shocked since I was under the impression they were a very good brand. Facts speak for themselves. :dazed:


Now this may be a rumor so if someone knows different please set me straight. I heard that the lawn tractors sold at home improvement stores are licensed to use the JD name but JD does not provide them with the manufacturing. Meaning they are different tractors altogether than what you would buy from a JD dealer. I have heard of other products doing this at big box stores so they can meet the demands for low prices.

In answer to the original post, I grew up with a number of JD tractors and we have had good luck with them. Resale value is great and as others have mentioned the control layout just makes sense compared to all other tractors. Then again maybe it's just what I am used to!


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## ben70b

i my opinion will our 2008 9560 combine last as long as or 1982 7720 combine, not a chance. i know my 2002 f250 will never be around in another ten years like my 1994 f150 is now. as far as our ag tractor go they are all older, 4020,4430, 4440, 4640, the latter two being 1982 models, same age as me. these are extemely durable machines and are very reliable. WE DO PRACTICE REGULAR MAINTAINENCE AND USE A BIG ENUF TRACTOR FOR THE JOB. THEY DO EVERYTHING WE ASK THEM TO AND MORE. we also have a 1998 model 8300 and havent had a problem with it yet, it too gets taken care of and maintained reguraly. when we bought this tractor deere had never had the oil pan off of an 8300 in any of its shops. with any make or model you buy you need to research a bit. i think there is good and bad in them all. will the 8300 last as long as the 4640 has? time will tell i guess. as for the lawn mowers, i havent a clue, i have a 212 deere and it seems pretty bullet proof to me. as far as my 2185 cub, not so much, it was a good machine but its starting to piss me off. i dont think its hevily built. i ay look into a simplicity for my next one but thats probably not tilll next year. i love my antiques tho, the deere lineup is a 70, 60, and a B. and an oliver 70. in my opinion none of these new tractors will make it 60 years, i dont care who makes em, plastic, what a joke.


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## ben70b

hey growfarmers, the man at the deere dealer told us the same thing about home depot deeres when my buddy bought his deere zero turn.


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## ponytailbill

The family field tractors have been Deere for over 50 years -Now we use Case IH exclusively- Better performance-more power and fuel economy 
We just upgraded all to GPS for planting- gotta love it! ride the tractor and take a nap- and still have the straightest rows ever- even applies the rite amount of fertilizer where and when needed.
On a lighter note I still mow the lawn with a Deere.


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## rmankty

My Dad and Mother bought a Ztrac 737 in 2005 or 2006. I have used it to cut grass on their property since then.Also they bought a 8 bushel bagger from same Co. I like the machine,the bagger handle broke last fall,before then, occasionally the individual bags would fall off sometimes at higher speeds or if alot of bumps on terrain. I like JD, I havent compared with other brands to know if JD is better,or worth the price. I dont like the fact you apparently have to buy parts etc through a dealer instead of direct from Co. I like zero turn mowers though,and am looking to buy myself in the near future. Before I do buy,I will surely investigate all brands around, I would not automatically buy JD. I would like to buy equipment made here for sure. You have to look good to make sure you get your moneys' worth,as I'm sure you all know.


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## retiredw3

Well, after buying a used 1963 Ford diesel tractor with a 'rebuilt"motor that lasted 4 hours before throwing a rod..I bought a new 2011 John Deere 5045D tractor to maintain my 100 acre hunting preserve...mainly for planting food plots,bushhogging,disking and scraping roads.So far the only problem I've had is the emergency brake fell apart.Being a city slicker I am very satisfied with my John Deere.It is easy to use and very comfortable.I hope it is my last tractor.


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## Umaxman

The JD lawn tractors are made by John Deere so your dealer and the rumors are not true 
Now are they any better then any other lawn tractor out there ......NO JD has lowered the quality to keep the price down to be competitive with all the others, after all everyone thinks they want a JD. 
This is going to hurt them in the long run but thats their decision :duh:
The hydro rear ends are very week and the B&S engines are built to JD specs ? really what is the difference other than the sticker on the top of the motor? 
That being said I do own a LA145 that gets used to cut almost 4 acres of grass along with a 44 inch snow blower in the winter and so far I have zero issues but the rear end has me concerned. I do have a reliable back up though and thats my 1976 Sears SS18 which is a beast and runs like the day it was new. It plows, discs and drags around the 40 inch roto-tiller every year 
The bigger John Deere might be really well built but way over priced in my opinion.


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## TonyH

Ironeye said:


> So do you like kubota more than john deere


From hanging over the fence rails and listening to opinions, I think most of my friends have gone to Kubotas. Rumor is that when they need replacement parts, which is rare, Kubota does not beat you up Price-wise like many of the others.


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## lilwing500

GrowFarmers said:


> Now this may be a rumor so if someone knows different please set me straight. I heard that the lawn tractors sold at home improvement stores are licensed to use the JD name but JD does not provide them with the manufacturing. Meaning they are different tractors altogether than what you would buy from a JD dealer. I have heard of other products doing this at big box stores so they can meet the demands for low prices.
> 
> In answer to the original post, I grew up with a number of JD tractors and we have had good luck with them. Resale value is great and as others have mentioned the control layout just makes sense compared to all other tractors. Then again maybe it's just what I am used to!


I bought an L120 lawn tractor at one of the big box stores a number of years ago thinking it was a "real" John Deere. After the 4th trip to the dealer for warranty work I asked the service manager if it was in fact a "real" John Deere. He said it was licensed by John Deere but manufactured by another company such as MTD, Murray or the like. It was pretty much like a Walmart throw away mower that can be used for 3-5 seasons then replaced. 
I traded it for an older 318 and after working all the bugs out of it (I posted several threads on this forum for help, thank you all for all the suggestions) it runs great, feels like it's built like a tank and will hopefully provide service for years to come.


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## RC Wells

John Deere had a reputation for great equipment with full manufacturer support for years and years. You paid a price, and reaped the benefit of knowing your ten, twenty, or 60+ year old Deere would be supported with factory parts through the dealer. 

Deere has adopted the same seven year from last date of manufacture parts availability policy of most major manufacturers. As long as the same product is built, maybe even with a different model number, those parts will be available. But, when a product is discontinued, there will be a seven year window of availability just like about everyone else today.

For some of the older products like the 3010-4030 tractors that were built and sold for many years, there will be a continued supply of parts manufactured by third parties and sold through Deere dealerships. But, for the newer stuff that will not be the case as there is not enough of a customer base.

There is virtually nothing in the John Deere agricultural line up that is actually manufactured in the USA. Assembly yes, some equipment is still assembled in the USA, but from third world parts. During my last visit to Iowa, the combine frames were still fabricated in the US, but everything else was from Mexico and China.

This manufacturing shift has gone on for years. For example, those of you with the early 5XXX and 6XXX series wheel tractors have Zetor sourced tractors, with German Deere engines and German front axles, assembled in Georgia. The newer versions are Chinese sourced components. The bigger tractors were Mexican components assembled in the US for years, but now a grab bag of Chinese and Mexican parts assembled in Mexico.

I own a number of Deere machines, and the durability and quality has diminished greatly in recent years, and especially quickly in the last six years as manufacturing of major components shifted to China. Deere, like most manufacturers, has shifted manufacturing operations to cheap labor and material countries to remain competitive and keep profits high.

As for lawn tractors, there have been three hydrostatic transmissions available for the consumer products for years. The hydro built by Yanmar that is found in the higher priced Dealer floored units, the consumer quality TuffTorx found in the medium priced Dealer floored products, and the generic unit found in the Home Depot/Lowe price point product lines.

The high and medium priced lawn and garden products found on the Deere dealer floor are still very good. The price point stuff found in the box stores and on some dealer floors, is just that and made to be competitive with the stuff from Sears and the other manufacturers of inexpensive lawn and garden products. A careful owner can make a price point yard tractor last for years, so they can be a good buy be they Sears, JD, or some other brand.

Same story on engines. Higher quality consumer equipment is fitted with Kawasaki engines. The lower price point stuff was fitted with Kohler China sourced engines, and now with Briggs and Stratton. Premium diesel consumer products remain fitted with Yanmar engines. The older consumer equipment fitted with US built Kohler engines before the shift to Kawasaki were also excellent products.

Is Deere worse or better than anyone else? It all depends on what you are buying, and your expectations. Possibly also whey Mahindra is eating their lunch on a world wide basis, and Kubota and Japanese built Challenger and Massey tractors are surging in the small to medium farming operations.

You will see the farmers that are hooked on the Deere finance plans and never actually own their equipment, still buying new all Deere equipment. But, the more sophisticated farmers that avoided the finance trap are buying a mix that includes many other manufacturer's products. This is reflected by the reduced equipment inventory and slow turnover you will now see at most Deere dealers, and by the merger of many small dealers into mega dealerships as the small guys can no longer afford to be in business.

A good look at what is floored and available for sale at any dealership tells a lot about the overall quality of the product.

What happened with Deere is no different that what has happened to Case/International and Ford after they became Fiat, Freightliner after Daimler Benz moved manufacturing to Mexico, and so on. There are still good products to be had, but it requires care in selection and a different set of expectations on the useful life of that equipment.


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## TonyH

GrowFarmers said:


> Now this may be a rumor so if someone knows different please set me straight. I heard that the lawn tractors sold at home improvement stores are licensed to use the JD name but JD does not provide them with the manufacturing. Meaning they are different tractors altogether than what you would buy from a JD dealer. I have heard of other products doing this at big box stores so they can meet the demands for low prices.
> 
> In answer to the original post, I grew up with a number of JD tractors and we have had good luck with them. Resale value is great and as others have mentioned the control layout just makes sense compared to all other tractors. Then again maybe it's just what I am used to!


This is true.
Not the real Deal.

Same with Cub Cadet and troybilt. 
The model numbers in the big box stores are not sold at the Dealers.


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## LostValley

*Deere John bad? NO!*

Have a 1975 JD300B, 2nd to the newest tractor we have, and it runs great. Easy enough to work on. Overall it has been a good loader w/gannon. Except for 1911 Fordson 2 Cats, 2 AC, Hesston Swather and Baler, Massey Ferguson and Case 580 CK extendahoe.....they all run.


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## ljeune

Ironeye said:


> So do you like kubota more than john deere


I have a 92 Kubota B-7200 for the past 6 years and it had 120 hours on it when I bought it, had hardly been used. I love that little thing, I mow, plow snow, pull stumps, grade our road and clear brush and she works like a little trooper. I have had JD, Farmall, and a few others but would never get rid of my Kubota.


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## ljeune

The only complaint I have about Kubota is that their parts cost a arm and a let, but probably so do others.


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## Umaxman

TonyH said:


> This is true.
> Not the real Deal.
> 
> Same with Cub Cadet and troybilt.
> The model numbers in the big box stores are not sold at the Dealers.


can you please explain where you are getting your info on the JD being a different one then the dealers have. I would really like to know?


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## speedwrench

Over the years I have been around all kinds of tractors and equipment. I cut my teeth on Allis Chalmers. I still have a fondness for them. Ran and owned several JDs all nice tractors. I still have a 1979 JD 950 with 650 actual hrs on on. But ony use it to mow my yard. Nice little unit, no bells and whistles. When it comes to bells and whistles it is hard to beat the new Deeres. Green Star is a great system. It or something like it is a must for modern agriculture. been over thousands of acres with JD 9430. Nice unit! When it comes to spray machines and application equipment Ag-Chem Rogator and Terragator hands down the best!


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## speedwrench

That is the exact reason you Can Not buy Stihl Products at a big box store!


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## skunkhome

I have A bias against John Deere that dates back 60 years. I grew up in a household that lived and breather Allis Chalmers. My dad worked for AC and the equipment we had was also AC. John Deere has always been masters at marketing which! back then, included parking inventory at different dealerships around the country when other company's required all inventory to be on the dealers floor plans. Many small dealers could only afford to have 2-3 tractors at a time while the John Deere dealership down the road had the advantage of a yard full of nice shiny green machinery. This practice gave John Deere a market presence that was hard to overcome. 

Regardless John Deere must have been doing something right to be the only American based farm equipment manufactured to survive intact the disastrous economic climate of the mid 1980's. 

Now, John Deere makes some lawn and garden equipment of questionable quality for the pedestrian "big box stores" but I believe they do make or market quality products for the serious tractor, farm equipment and industrial machinery segment. 

To say that they are a bad tractor as a general statement is non-sense. That said, I hate John Deere.


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## Ironeye

ljeune said:


> I have a 92 Kubota B-7200 for the past 6 years and it had 120 hours on it when I bought it, had hardly been used. I love that little thing, I mow, plow snow, pull stumps, grade our road and clear brush and she works like a little trooper. I have had JD, Farmall, and a few others but would never get rid of my Kubota.


I realy do like kubota mostly becous thats the only tractor I own


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## skunkhome

Kubotas? I have mixed feelings about them. I have had two "garden" tractors, a G1900 and a G5200. I loved the diesel engines but I hated the mowers that apparently even the dealers did not know how to properly set up. I found them to be a bear to work on. The G5200 was a fun tractor but the improved G1900 was even harder to work on and did not correct the shortcomings of the G5200. Both had bushings in the front wheels that made steering very sloppy. They called them garden tractors but they were pretty much dedicated mowing machines even though they scalped badly in heavy turf grasses like St. Augustine. . If you did choose to used them in a capacity without the mower it was a major undertaking to remove and remount the deck.


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## MBTRAC

Great to read lots of diverse comments/opinions. 

Maybe it's just me but I just don't have any brand allegiance anymore, be it cars, trucks or tractors (or anything else for that matter) they seem all pretty much the same with only ever rarely the occassional model coming along to stand out from a crowd of also rans.

Paint a colour, put a badge on it & it somehow makes it a brand, blue it's a NH, green it's a JD, red it's Case.....etc trouble is apart from the colour they're all the products of globalisation & mostly built to a price.........at least Kubota, Mahindra, Daedong/Kioti & the like are somewhat honest with their brand representation & are not misrepresented as a rebadge of something else or with outsourcing of major components...... reasons why we recently purchased a Daedong/Kioti DK1002 instead of paying a premium for a facsimile from the older established brands. 

Whilst we run a lot of recent/new gear & IMO there generally isn't many "bad" tractor brands around, there also isn't really any great modern tractors either..... 
Ideally I'd much prefer to contiue to operate/keep our old dinosaurs running (some are pictured) as the old JD's & models from now defunct stand alone brands(prior to all the acquisitions/mergers) like Allis, Case, White, IH, Steiger, Versatile, Fiat, Deutz..etc IMO have real heart & remain the authentic tractors - you usually have ample warning if something needs fixing & what's more they can be fixed in the field, try that with any modern computerised machine spewing out fault codes & replacing rather than repairing components..........


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## patsiilive

TonyH said:


> This is true.
> Not the real Deal.
> 
> Same with Cub Cadet and troybilt.
> The model numbers in the big box stores are not sold at the Dealers.


I work at a dealership in sales. Not only do we sell the same models (at the same price) as the box stores but the box store models are made by John Deere. They are manufactured at a John Deere plant in Greenville Tennessee. The dealer exclusive models are made in Horicon Wisconsin. There are stickers on each model that say made by John Deere in the U.S.A. 

They are made to lower quality standards to keep the price lower. Less money = less quality. Not everyone can afford a $13k X758. A lot of people can't afford a $3k X300 so John Deere makes a more affordable option. I don't think this means they make a junk tractor. It means you get what you pay for. Compared to the other box store options they are rated and reviewed favorably (Consumer Reports). They are built to compete with craftsman and mtd not with the dealer exclusive Deere models. 

These are all verifiable facts.


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## Umaxman

patsiilive said:


> I work at a dealership in sales. Not only do we sell the same models (at the same price) as the box stores but the box store models are made by John Deere. They are manufactured at a John Deere plant in Greenville Tennessee. The dealer exclusive models are made in Horicon Wisconsin. There are stickers on each model that say made by John Deere in the U.S.A.
> 
> They are made to lower quality standards to keep the price lower. Less money = less quality. Not everyone can afford a $13k X758. A lot of people can't afford a $3k X300 so John Deere makes a more affordable option. I don't think this means they make a junk tractor. It means you get what you pay for. Compared to the other box store options they are rated and reviewed favorably (Consumer Reports). They are built to compete with craftsman and mtd not with the dealer exclusive Deere models.
> 
> These are all verifiable facts.



Thanks for the info  I knew this to be true but would still like to know where people got the info that they are made by another company ?


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## lilwing500

The service manager at the now closed Deere dealership was who told me my L120 wasn't made by Deere but by another manufacturer licensed by Deere. Whatever the case, the L120 is gone and hopefully the 318 is here for a good long time.


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## GTML

*Re John Deere*

John Deere are a good brand across the range, including the small (Yanmar) and the better ride ons. However a machine is only as good as its back up service, and factory support. As I was selling opposition machines to JD it is a combination of factors that determines a makes success. I would rate the very good business relationships I had with my customers as the number one sales tool and being honest with people is equally important.


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## duke7595

I like the older John Deere tractors especially the generation series, 1020, 820, 830, 1520, 2020
these tractors are bullet proof for the most part.
They are easy to work on and still used everyday on many small farms, at the end of the day
they are still working hard,when comparable tractors of different makes are dead from
work exhaustion.
For instance the 4020 approx. 95 hp and 50 years old will out work any comparable tractor
day in and day day out.


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## GTML

As I say it depends on a few factors; local dealer, service back up by manufacturer,( and I include the manufacturer fixing up design stuff ups willingly, and not go into denial!) Regular service and good operators, a bad or incompetent operator will turn the best piece of gear into junk at a speed that you would not believe, they are always the experts and full of themselves!
Not overloading the gear ie why put a small square baler on a 100hp tractor? see the driveline gradually come apart! I drive my balers with 45- 65 hp no problems and just as quick. Then good brands JD has always been a cut above, although my experience was mostly with Fiat, which gave very good service and had good back up, all that changed with the downturn in the early 80's. If you want a tractor to be reliable get a manual shift and non electronic otherwise turn over every 4-5 years, G


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## Ironeye

tractor beam said:


> What year is it Ironeye? It sure looks like it's in great shape!


Its actually in bad shape a lot of things are broken but if it drives well I say its awesome and its a 1980 something model but its great


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## oliverjames14

Ironeye said:


> Its actually in bad shape a lot of things are broken but if it drives well I say its awesome and its a 1980 something model but its great


No it's a good brand


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## Ironeye

I never said it was a bad brand I was just saying some stuff are broken


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## Argee

I love all tractors.....regardless of color or manufacturer......they're all fun to use and work on and they all give me satisfaction and enjoyment from just operating them!


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## Ironeye

Argee said:


> I love all tractors.....regardless of color or manufacturer......they're all fun to use and work on and they all give me satisfaction and enjoyment from just operating them!


Yeah I'm kinda that way to but you have to think what kinda tractor will last you a long time so that you don't have to work on it every time you use it.


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## Argee

Ironeye said:


> Yeah I'm kinda that way to but you have to think what kinda tractor will last you a long time so that you don't have to work on it every time you use it.


I think any reputable brand will be trouble free as long as you keep timely maintenance on it. My FNH 1715 has virtually been trouble free for the past 11 years that I've owned it and I attribute a lot of that to consistent maintenance intervals.


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## Country Boy

I used to love John Deere equipment as a kid (we had all IH growing up), until I got to work on them at my cousin's farm. He used to be all IH as well, but he didn't check the gear oil on his one baler, and the gearbox blew up and IH wouldn't cover it, so he started going all JD. My impression of JD is that they are great to operate and look nice, but they are crap to work on. They can take an awesome design and screw it up royally. For instance, I had to change the transmission filter on my cousin's JD 7200 loader tractor. Sounds simple enough. Take off a plate on the bottom of the transmission housing and screw out the filter. Well, they had the filter so packed in there that you couldn't get your fingers or a wrench around it. The old filter was smooth as was the replacement, so you couldn't get a wrench on the end either. I ended up having to hammer a pry bar through the filter to get it out. Strike two was when I changed the oil on his tractors. On both his 1983 JD 4450 and his 1995 JD 7200, when you would remove the drain plug for the oil pan, the oil would hit the front drive shaft and splash all over the place. In all those years, they couldn't figure out to move the oil plug over to the other side of the pan to eliminate the problem. On their field cultivator, the main pivot tube for raising and lowering the unit was about 15' long and was supported by 3 bearing caps. The bolts on the center one sheared (probably from pressure from the lift cylinder right there) and the cap popped off. The shaft then bent instead of twisting to lift the unit. We had to use a 20 ton hydraulic jack to get it bent back to get a different cap on it. He ended up trading it for a Case IH unit with a similar setup, but it had 4 bearing caps on the same length shaft, making it stronger. I could go on, but the basic gist of it is that they look nice, they operate nice, but they are built cheap in the wrong areas and are a PITA to work on. My cousin's favorite phrase was "Those damned John Deere engineers should be shot!" which he uttered just about every time he worked on them. He was too stubborn to go to any other brand, though.


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## drmonsterbrain

I refer to John Deere engineers as "Tater Heads"! I have the joy of working on them daily!


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## Argee

Country Boy....I hear ya! I used to work for Clark Equipment as a lift truck mechanic back in their heyday. One of the best units on the market at the time... but a mechanics nightmare to work on. We always wanted to get those engineers out in the field to see what we had to go through. Reflecting back, it was a blast!


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## js5020

Argee said:


> Country Boy....I hear ya! I used to work for Clark Equipment as a lift truck mechanic back in their heyday. One of the best units on the market at the time... but a mechanics nightmare to work on. We always wanted to get those engineers out in the field to see what we had to go through. Reflecting back, it was a blast!


Oh another green weenie fixer,,, my sentiments exactly about those old Clarks, great machine but be ready to disassemble quite a bit to get to the problem,,,, them old I/C C500s and such made me get interested in the Electric lifts just get out of working on them, those were the days.


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## Argee

Yep! The C500 was the nemesis to the repairmen. Good to hear from another Clark alumni. What branch were you at?


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## js5020

I never worked for Clark itself, we had a few in the factory I worked at, I did however work for a Crown dealer for 10 yrs.


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## Argee

Another lift truck knuckle buster. Had the opportunity to go to work with Crown...opted to stay with Clark. Worked on electric lifts too. I recall the SCR 1,3,5 waltz.


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## js5020

SCR1,3,5 waltz :lmao: Yep they got things more reliable over the years but even the late EV100 SCR controllers would waltz with you from time to time,,, now pretty much everything has gone mosfet, just mysterious black boxes that make everything happen. I dont work for the Crown outfit anymore Im now at a very large distribution center near home and now I have guys work on the lifts for me until they get stuck, then I get to play like the old days.


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## LostValley

*Deere John quality*

Our JD is second newest tractor on ranch, built in 1975. Bucket loader on front, gannon scraper on back except when bush hog or other implement in use. It has been very trouble free although I have had to replace water pump, radiator and injector pump. Overall it has been a champ. :dazed::usaflag:


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## farmerbudd

I will say this, it's a brand that has been around for a long time. All tractors have a purpose, ( I'm not talking riding mowers) I do believe that as Kubota & deere have grown there brand name they have felt that they can cut back in quality. I do think they do offer there better made products at a extreme cost to end users. They have done a wonderful job marketing there product, fit & finish & ease of operation. As for them holding there value I would say they all do , if you pay 10000.00 more for the equipment out the gate it will probably sell for more at a later date. There is some other great manufacturers out there chomping at there heels these days. McCormick International & Kioti. Check them out, they spec good with great warrantys. As for the idea that Deere is a American product ( Ha HA ) they are as American as a Iseki or Mitsubishi. In Fact they bought a 112 acre factory in India to build there tractors for the USA market back in 1999. Also China now holds the JD licence for the US. This is all available on line for verification.


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## skunkhome

You are not going to trick me into defending Deere but like every company the healthy bottom line and satisfying the stockholders is the goal. If you happen to make a quality product and provide employment then that is great but you can't sell the "perfect" tractor if it cost too much. The big conflict has always been to keep quality up while reducing cost so that your product can stay competitive. As far back as you can look most manufacturers figured out that in addition to their first line of product they had to produce "special" products that might not be as robust or is absent of some of the features on their first line. Being quality means meeting the customers needs at a price they won't choke on. As for the lawn and/or garden tractors, most people aren't going to $10k plus for a tractor that can handle all manner of ground engaging implements when all they want to do is mow their 1/2 acre lawn and look good doing it. John Deere has captured a top position in that market. It's not much of a "tractor" but it's green and yellow and has John Deere on the hood. 
One company that I thought had some promise was AGCO but their current Eurocentric managment just does not understand the American farmer and their brand loyalty.


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## jparkerri

I have a JD 2320 compact tractor and I am amazed at what I can do with it including things I probably shouldn't be doing. I always thought I'd get a Kubota when the time came but after comparing the price and features, I went for the JD 2320 and never looked back. I wanted the largest tractor I could get that my wife would still feel comfortable mowing the lawn with (belly mower). I have 10 acres of land and am always cutting firewood, loading manure, digging holes, moving rocks, clearing brush, etc. I've made many attachments using the hooks that you find on the bucket for the loader like forks, rock grapple, a 3-pt quick hitch for my attachments that normally go on the back. I use the optional hydraulic connection to run a log splitter, tiller, etc. The only parts I've replaced after 5 years are on the mower deck (belts, blades, bushing, etc) usually from hitting rocks. Go JD.


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## Ironeye

I have all ways wanted to own a jd tractor but I need a hidrostatic transmission but how hard is it to shift gears work the bucket and steer at the Same time?


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## Ironeye

The very first tractor I ever drove was a john Deere but I grew up driving mostly kubota and my parents don't have a tractor yet but we borrow my grandpa's tractor and he just went from the la series to Mx series and he had a smaller la tractor and the b5200 and I'm still lucky to this day


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## Jim_WV

John Deere bad ?, surely you jest .

I think the lower end units of which I own two of, perhaps have soured some on JD. But these machines were made to compete with the other brands lower priced machines. You can't fault Deere for tying into that market. Buyers need to understand the limits of these tractors and use them accordingly. 

The upper priced tractors are still of course made with the old JD quality, and for that you pay the premium.


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## ksfarmer

John deere is not a bad brand. There are a lot of good brands out there. I am partial towards JD, I have a 4010 with 12k hrs and only 1 overhaul and it runs great. But I will say that JD is overpriced. My father in law has a Kubota and he really likes it. I have thought about getting one since the price is more reasonable. My only reservation on getting a non JD is that the brand has proved its self were I dont believe Kubota has.


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## dirtfarmer101

I mentioned this in another thread...I lost a lot of respect for John Deere when I found out that I could not buy a simple starter solenoid for my nearly new 5065e from John Deere. They wanted me to buy a $448 complete starter. None of the aftermarket suppliers had cross-reference information making the purchase almost impossible.


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