John Deere 4310 farm tractor.
(Courtesy: Mascus Auction)
Kubota L5740 (Courtesy: Zimmerer Kubota & Equipment)
When selecting a used farm tractor, most people first consider brands, find comparable models within each brand, and then compare the models.
Many base their brand selection on their own experiences or they consult friends to determine a consensus of brands to consider.
Let’s assume that you’ve done your preliminary homework and have decided that you need a farm tractor and the brands that you have settled on for consideration are Kubota and John Deere. Then you’ve probably gone to each company’s website to determine comparable models and discovered that the Kubota L5740 is akin to the John Deere 4310. You’ve decided after performing your due diligence that you will buy one or the other depending on the comparison.
You should probably start off with a list that identifies your specific needs in a farm tractor. For example:
· Do you want the tractor with the most powerful engine?
· How important is fuel capacity to you?
· What kind of steering do you prefer?
· Do you want a gasoline or a diesel engine?
· What type of transmission do you prefer?
· Is the size of the machine an important factor in your decision?
· Do you prefer 4-wheel drive or 2-wheel drive?
· Do you want to include a loader with the machine?
According to comparical.com, there are 99 differences and 18 similarities between the Kubota L5740 and the John Deere 4310 farm tractors.
Let’s start our comparison with the capacity of the two tractors.
· Fuel Capacity. The Kubota L5740 has 14.3 gallons Vs. the John Deere 4310 with 10 gallons
· Capacity Front Axle. Kubota 9.5-qts. Vs. John Deere’s 4.7-qts.
· Hydraulic System. Kubota 11.9 gal. Vs. John Deere’s 8.3-gal.
Next, let’s consider power takeoff (PTO).
· Rear RPMs. Kubota L5740 rates at 540 Vs. John Deere 4310 which is 540
· Rear PTO. Kubota –independent Vs. John Deere – independent
· Mid PTO. Kubota – optional Vs. John Deere – semi-independent (optional)
· Mid RPMs. Kubota – 2000 Vs. John Deere – 2,100
Now, let’s consider the mechanicals.
· Mechanical Steering. Kubota L5740 – hydrostatic power steering Vs. John Deere 4310 – power steering
· Chassis. Kubota – 4×4 Mfwd 4WD Vs. John Deere – 4×2 2wd4x4 4WD optional
· Brakes. Kubota –mechanical wet disc Vs. John Deere – wet disc
· Cab. Kubota – two-post ROPs, Grand Cab on Hstc Vs. John Deere – two-post ROPs, foldable ROPs optional
· Differential Lock. Kubota – standard Vs. John Deere –mechanical
Engine
· Engine Fuel. Kubota L5740 – diesel Vs. John Deere 4310 – diesel
· Engine Type. Kubota –Kubota Vs. John Deere – Yanmar 3tne84
· Engine Aspiration. Kubota – turbocharged Vs. John Deere – natural
· Engine Cylinders. Kubota – 4 Vs. John Deere – 3
· Engine Displacement. Kubota – 148.5 ci Vs. John Deere – 92 ci
· Engine Cooling. Kubota – liquid Vs. John Deere – liquid
· Engine Rated RPMs. Kubota 2,700 Vs. John Deere -2,600
· Engine Starter Volts. Kubota – 12 Vs. John Deere – 12
· Engine Power. Kubota – 59-hp Vs. John Deere – 31.2-hp
· Engine Oil Capacity. Kubota – 9.9-qts. Vs. John Deere – 4.5-qts.
· Engine Coolant. Kubota – 8.7-qts. Vs. John Deere – 6-qts.
Transmission
· Transmission Type. Kubota L5740 – hydrostatic Vs. John Deere 4310 – partially Synchronized
· Transmission Oil Capacity. Kubota – 47.6-qts. Vs. John Deere – 25.2-qts.
· Transmission. Kubota – Hst plus Vs. John Deere – syncshift
· Transmission Gears. Kubota – infinite (3-range) forward and reverse Vs. John Deere – 9 forward
More needs to be considered concerning the transmission. For example, the treadle foot pedal controls the Kubota L5740 hydrostatic transmission that includes cruise control as standard, auto hydro dual speed that permits automatic control to match load, reduce speed under load controls stall guard to maintain engine RPMs, Hst response control adjusts acceleration rates, auto throttle advance links engine RPMs to transmission so throttle increases when speed increases. The left-hand lever controls the power shift.
The John Deere 4310 transmission features three gears and reverse in three ranges of gears. It can be shifted on the move using the clutch. The tractor must be stopped to shift ranges.
The John Deere 4310 has a second transmission that is three-range hydrostatic with foot pedals and cruise control. The tractor must be stopped to shift ranges. There is an automotive cruise control option that permits the operator to set the speed that can be adjusted with a rocker switch. Speedmatch option allows a maximum speed to be set and full pedal travel is used to achieve speed. A loadmatch option prevents the tractor from stalling during heavy loads. A mottonmatch option enables the acceleration rate to be set to fast or slow.
Dimensions
· Width. Kubota L5740 – 67.3-inches Vs. John Deere 4310 – 50-inches
· Weight. Kubota 3,902-lbs. Vs. John Deere – 2,600-lbs.
· Wheelbase. Kubota – 75.4-inches Vs. John Deere – 68-inches
· Length. Kubota – 126.4-inches Vs. John Deere – 117-inches
· Ground Clearance. Kubota 15.7-inches Vs. John Deere -13.4-inches
· 2WD Turn Radius. John Deere 7.5-feet
· 4WD Turn Radius. Kubota – 9.2-feet
Hydraulics
· Hydraulics Type. Kubota L5740 – open center Vs. John Deere 4310 – open center
· Hydraulics Valves. Kubota – 2 Vs. John Deere -5
· Capacity (cu. ft.). Kubota – 11.9-gal. Vs. John Deere – 6.3-gal.
· Valve Flow. Kubota – 9.8-gpm Vs. John Deere – 8.6-gpm
· Total Flow. Kubota – 14.7-gpm Vs. John Deere – 13.9-gpm
· Steering Flow. Kubota – 4.9-gpm Vs. John Deere – 5.3-gpm
Now determine which tractor satisfies your specific needs.
