Branson vs New Holland

Thanks,
Cami

Personally, i think if you plan to farm 40 acres, i'd be be thinking of getting a farm utility tractor, instead of a compact.. A farm tractor is built much heavier than a compact, and with the same horse power it will last longer because of it.

You really need to think about what your going to use the tractor for, as different needs, will need a different class of tractor!!

Robert

A compact holds up very well for mowing and doing light to medium duty chores. The difference in a 40hp Compact, and a 40hp farm utility tractor is in how heavy they are built. Farm utility tractors are heavier, with thicker castings and heavier made internal parts.

Look at a 40hp L series Kubota, it's there compact. For a farm tractor, Kubota makes there M series. Thety look similar, but they aren't.

I have a Agco Allis 4650, it's a 43hp farm tractor, and it's about 1,000 pounds heavier than a 40hp compact. For heavy use, the thicker castings make a tractor last longer, and take the stress better.

Keep in mind, farm tractors rate there hp at the PTO, compacts usually rate there hp at the engine. Although i see they are getting better about that now.

Have you looked at a Mahindra brand tractors?? They seem to hold up very well, and are cheaper in price. They are made in India, and the ones i looked at, were heavier built than the compacts from Korea, and Japan. I keep hearing good things about them.

Robert

I asked the dealer about parts, common parts are next day. Uncommon parts are three days. At this time I think that there are four warehouses across the country.

I too looked at New Holland, Deere, and Kubota. I think Branson is a good value for what you get and the warrantee looks good. Now, will it run for 20-30 years? I guess I will find out.

Some of the things that I was impressed about the Branson are, fenders, hood, and side panels are all steel. The controls are laid out nicely, the platform is nice and open, quick attach loader and bucket, and common service items are easy to get at. The other brands offer pretty much the same features and most of the layouts are good.

As mentioned in another post, Hydrostatics are nice for doing loader and box scraper work. If you plan on doing some harder work you may be happier with a gear drive tractor. The transmission and shuttle shift on the Branson work smoothly as do the same on other brands.

I don’t think you will be unhappy with whatever tractor you choose. The ones I would stay away from are the China built machines. Task Master, Farm Pro, Kioti. All three of these are built by the same company and marketed under different names. The warrantee on these machines is only one year parts and no labor. The dealers around here will not take one on trade as they seem to be plagued with problems. I talked to one owner that found sand in the hydraulic reservoir. Apparently the castings are not getting cleaned out as good as they should be at the factory. The other issue I have heard about is porous castings that weep oil. In both cases the dealer did nothing to help these people out and told them that that is just the way they are. This dealer will not be around for long I am sure.

Greg

The Kioti Tractors are made in South Korea and have more than one year warranties.

Product
LB & LK 12 months Parts & Labor
CK series 24 months Parts & Labor
DK series 24 months Parts & Labor

Components Terms of Warranty Coverage
Engines & Drive Lines
LB LK Series 24 months or 1,500 hrs Parts Only CK Series 36 months or 2,000 hrs Parts Only
DK Series 36 months or 2,000 hrs Parts Only

The warranty is transferable after 1/1/2003:
Transferable warranty only applies to tractors purchased after January 1,2003. If your unit was purchased before that date the warranty is not transferable to any other owner.

Hydros are not good for heavy tillae work. They are handy for lighter utility work, like the loader.

--->Paul

Rod