John Deere 1 Series VS Kubota BX Series: Grass Bagging System

Check out the big differences between these two mower bagging systems. 1023E \ 1026R vs BX2380 with GCK60-26BX

[johnmerryman]

I have a 1025R with a 60” deck. Very heavy construction and the auto connect works great for me since I bought it back in 2013 (with no adjustment since new!) a real time saver. The Kubota bagger looks much nicer. For the Deere (and Kubota) you can get a TKV20 bagger setup which is much better, with a PTO fan and the ability to dump from the seat.

[bluenapalm]

Dammit.. I need to buy a farm in the US so I can buy from this guy... #legend.

[eosjoe]

I'm a Deere guy but I will be the first to agree that the deck setup and bagger on the Kubota BX is world's better than the Deere. The 1-series bagger is an abomination. It's interesting that you measured the raised height of the decks. That is something that soured me right away on the 1-series. When the deck is raised it barely clears the ground. Maybe not a big deal if used as a dedicated mowing machine but it certainly means you'll want to remove the deck for loader work. I have a slightly larger Deere model and elected NOT to use it for mowing. The deck setups on most of these small tractors is just too kludgy. For what I would have spent for a decent mid-mount deck and the extra hardware to go with it I was able to just get a dedicated riding mower. :-)

[VAC]

My neighbor has a Deere with a 54" deck and bagger. First thing he did with his bagger is utilize his OLD plastic canisters from his Crapsman bagger in place of the mesh bags Deere has. MUCH easier to dump. Almost a direct fit. All he had to do was reinforce the top of his canisters with some 3/4" pvc pipe.

As far as mowing, his Deere does 10 times better job of mowing than my 60" Kubota does. My deck does not pick up behind the front wheels especially on the discharge side. I put on Gator blades and that made a huge difference, but I'm still not pleased with the result. I've also watched him take his deck on and off many times, never had a problem with the drive over. Personally, I don't mind the "old way" of removing it and I would never leave it on when tilling a garden. You end up with too much dirt on top of the deck.

All in all, I would still buy the Kubota over the Deere

[philipdunne]

The kubota seems to be a more user friendly from a multi purpose side of things like if you wanted to drop the mower to do some landscaping. Thanks for the video it has helped me make up my mind which one to buy

[alpine]

I have had a BX2200 since 2001 with bagger. I LOVE the tractor. The ONLY thing I don't like about the tractor is the rocker foot pedal. The JD twin touch is much better. The Bagger works VERY well. I have the older style and is a little difficult for me to put on alone. I am thinking of making a larger container out of screen and a metal frame for when I pick up the leaves since it fills up quickly.

[truckinchihuahuaalvieschre]

I will admit if I was going to use a Factory bagger I would rather have the Kubota. However there is an aftermarket bagger that would kick both of their butts. Tractor time with Tim just demonstrated it 2 weeks ago. I have no idea how much it costs but I thought about buying one and I don't even use a bagger. You don't even have to get off the tractor to dump the bags. And it does mount to the 3 point hitch. And it also uses the rear PTO for the fan.

[Kbob]

We have a X360 deere with the bags, and i gotta say it's probably one of the better lawn tractor designs, but i see where the good points of that design become a nightmare with the sub compacts. I gotta agree with you guys on this video 100%
Edit: although I will say, and this is not a good point at all for deere, the whole mower system with the bags seems like an afterthought for the 1 series. I see things that they get great marks on their smaller tractors for that simply were not changed what-so-ever for the bigger machine.

[dakotaellingson]

I have both John Deere 1023E and Kubota BX 1820.I personally like the John Deere better I take the loader off and on a lot and also the mower deck. It takes me maybe 2 mins to do either one with JD. The Kubota is a lot more steps and I personally hate the Kubota toe heal petal. I don't have a bagger for either of them I am currently looking of one. Both are nice tractors there the same but way different.Thanks for the video!

[wildbillc]

There's 2 different bagger setups for the Deere. The one in the video is the cheap option. They do have a 3 point option as well but like the Kubota you have the issue of raising and lowering the bagger when you raise/lower the deck...problem solved if you opt for the optional separate valves I believe.

If you don't want to bag, you remove the whole system including the blower. Its not meant to be uninstalled and reinstalled all the time so requiring a couple tools to install/remove the system isn't a deal breaker. Most people either bag all the time or maybe just a few times during the fall picking up leaves. So its not something that is put on and taken off every time.

I have heard several people say that the auto-connect decks are a joke and not to waste the money on them. Like you they've had similar experiences in the PTO coupling. Myself I'd skip that as well. The deck wheels spin 90 degrees to allow you to drop the deck onto the deck wheels and simply roll the deck out from under the tractor. No you aren't going to just pick the deck up by hand and carry it around, but it still allows easy removal if you are going from mowing to tractor work like with a loader or other implements.

[brandoncrimmins]

As a mechanic I saw features on both that I liked and didn't like. Although for the most part I agree with your talking points.

For example that is an older Deere. Not vintage by any means but older non the less. The newer ones have separate height control of the mid and rear implements. I don't know if this one does or not. I believe it does...And if in fact it does...Why not use the 3pt hitch for the Bagger mount? That's just silly...

I am personally a fan of Kubota Tractors over MOST Deere products...Meaning that there are a Couple of Deere Tractors I would buy before a Kubota Equivalent. But I can say the reason most manufacturers use a deck mounted blower is simple...It's in the name "Blower". These type of Fans Blow a whole lot better than they Suck. So having them closer to the deck discharge makes them more efficient. Now as I said earlier...I agree that the way the Bagger is mounted on the Deere doesn't really make any sense when there is a perfectly good and capable 3 pt hitch back there.

I can see the thinking behind offsetting the bagger. There are 2 obvious reasons from my perspective. 1. You get a straighter shot from the blower to the Hood. (NO 90 degree bend from the fan to the hood like the Kubota) and 2. It allows you to THEORETICALLY get closer to garden beds and other such obstacles on the non discharge side of the machine.

As far as the bags being held in by a latch...I do not have that feature on my current bagger. And it has NEVER been an issue. When a bag is full they are HEAVY and that causes a lot of friction. They're not going anywhere. Unless you leave the hood open and start pulling wheelies. Which is an idiotic thing to do with or without a bagger...

You also forgot to mention that you have to alter your 3pt hitch on the Kubota to be able to use the bagger meaning you have to reassemble your 3 pt to get back to normal 3pt hitch operation is also quite inconvenient...Even if it is just pins...It's still an inconvenience that the bagger needs to have the 3pt set up differently to be able to use either the bagger or any other implement.

And finally...Drive mower decks are no different than any other decks in terms of maintenance. They ALL need to be serviced and maintained to work correctly. And that includes checking adjustments.

[kmilosz]

Information you gave it was something that I was looking for for a a long time. Thanks !!!!

[dank]

On my 3042R, It's really not that hard to put on the drive over deck, as long as someone is available to guide the driver to keep the tractor centered over the deck. Doing it alone can be a challenge.

So, it's not as easy as Deere says, but it doesn't take 2.5 hours unless something is seriously screwed up. Or maybe the 1 series is massively different from the 3 series.

[wildbillc]

Something else to point out, the 3 point on the 1023e is a limited category 1, I hadn't realized this till I started researching tractors.

The bagger on the JD is just a 1/2 assed attempt it seems, and the tractor itself is just a very large lawn/garden tractor in the way its built it seems.

[keithkindler]

I think it’s only fair to point out kubota makes a grass catcher just like the deer’s for their Gr2120 and it sucks just as bad . That being said I think this kubota grass catcher for the BX is the best on the market today.

[chriswest]

There is a trade off from one brand to the other. I bought a JD X580 and really like it for my needs. Kobota has limited in the lawn/garden models.

[frios]

Let’s be clear on this, John Deere only made this tractor in recent years where as Kubota has been doing it longer. JD just wanted a piece of the pie that Kubota has been enjoying for years!

[stevek]

I like the simple disconnect by the decks discharge chute. John deere has a better drive over deck set up than kubota, but I would prefer a pull behind on a 3point though. If I want a mower I buy a mower. However one sarcastic advantage to owners in wooded areas, kubota orange is safer aroundhunting season than the green paint lol. So there is that. As far as apull behind goes, that's why one of many reasons I am looking at the m5-111 though:)

[fredkaminski]

I have the power flow vacuum on my 2025, not really in love with it! I always remove the fan whenever I'm NOT bagging the grass or leafs! You have to remove the drive over ramp! It's just 2 nuts, not bad. Don't like the way the fan matches up to the deck. I have the 62 inch deck. I don't have any trouble with the 3 bags sliding out of the hopper. On the 2025, that L shaped bracket that holds the bags is bolted to the drawbar with 3 large bolts. I bought it sight unseen, I first talked to my dealer about some way to collect the grass/leafs, and he recommended the power flow. I feel a trac vac would be better then the power flow from John Deere.

[WillieWonkaD]

I'm a Deere fan, but their newer MCS are disappointing imo. They just seem like a lawn tractor's collection system on steroids which personally isn't something I'd want (except the trusty MC519 which is a great collector). The old 3 Bag and Hydraulic Dump Power Paks they made in the 80s, 90s, and early 2000s I always thought were much better units. Better engineered and very well built, almost exactly like the Kubota's design but they had an auxiliary engine rather instead of being PTO powered.

If I was in the market for a Deere collection system I'd either find a nice used older unit, or get a unit from another company.