I bought an LS......and I like it!

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As a part time mechanic I can tell you all the parts I've needed for the two LS tractors I've had apart have been a lot longer than a week. One was down almost 8 weeks waiting on some simple items.

I'm NH guy and wrench on a lot of them both mine and customers and rarely wait a week for anything. Just ordered planetary gears, bearings, seals, king pins, etc on Monday am, had parts today (Wednesday) and tractor is back in the field currently.
And I am not saying I won't run into that with mine. But everything that I had him look up was available within a week. I hung a hydraulic steering hose on stump last week and he could've had one to me in 3 days. I ended up having one made cheaper than the OEM one, but nevertheless it was available pretty quick.

I think with the LS stuff, the dealer makes all the difference. I know LS has overnighted multiple parts to the dealer here before to keep customers going. The tractor that I own apparently had a weak point in the front planetaries. One went down and LS had an upgraded version for it. The guy that owned it (the guy that owns the dealership) then bought one side and LS sent him both.

Again, I know the verdict is still out on whether or not parts can be had quickly and long term. I am trusting what the dealer here has told me.
 
If needing a 130 hp NH with fairly low hours this looks pretty good. THey have 3 backhoes listed that look fairly priced if in good shape.

Those old NH/Ford tractors are hard to beat!! Looked at several of them, but they are bringing their worth right now. Finding one that was still all together around here is hard to do.
 
I thought the same thing, he needs that.
I have the previous version of that tractor, an 8260 and love it. That TM130 has been advertised elsewhere before, because I remember them posting the pics of the transmission operating procedure in the ad - probably either tractorhouse or fastline. That's a nice, clean tractor with low hours. I understand that's a simpler, cheaper transmission to service/maintain, but I can't imagine having a tractor that size and use without some sort of powershift. Ours has the 18 speed powershift and I know it's going to cost me big time one day, but it's my favorite transmission to round bale with by far. I'd buy another one if I needed it in a heartbeat.
 
I have the previous version of that tractor, an 8260 and love it. That TM130 has been advertised elsewhere before, because I remember them posting the pics of the transmission operating procedure in the ad - probably either tractorhouse or fastline. That's a nice, clean tractor with low hours. I understand that's a simpler, cheaper transmission to service/maintain, but I can't imagine having a tractor that size and use without some sort of powershift. Ours has the 18 speed powershift and I know it's going to cost me big time one day, but it's my favorite transmission to round bale with by far. I'd buy another one if I needed it in a heartbeat.
I moved from an old 5000 ford to this LS with power shuttle... I'll never go back! I know these are all comparing apples, oranges and bananas, but the 24 speed in this LS is NICE. (again..compared to my old 5000)

My father has a NH TL90A with mechanical shuttle and I don't think I can go back to anything else. Especially with loader work.
 
I moved from an old 5000 ford to this LS with power shuttle... I'll never go back! I know these are all comparing apples, oranges and bananas, but the 24 speed in this LS is NICE. (again..compared to my old 5000)

My father has a NH TL90A with mechanical shuttle and I don't think I can go back to anything else. Especially with loader work.
The 8260 and our McCormick CX105 both have the F/R shuttle lever, but honestly I'm faster and smoother with my old 7710 which has a dry clutch and the 16/4 gear transmission. Everything has it's good points and bad. Those old 10 Series Fords are some of the best tractors ever built in my opinion.
 
The 8260 and our McCormick CX105 both have the F/R shuttle lever, but honestly I'm faster and smoother with my old 7710 which has a dry clutch and the 16/4 gear transmission. Everything has it's good points and bad. Those old 10 Series Fords are some of the best tractors ever built in my opinion.
I agree 100%. Dad has a 6610 with a loader and its the go to tractor on the hill if you're having a bad day. It's never let us down. Honestly the only thing I ever remember touching on it is the alternator. I don't know of anything else we have ever done to it.
 
The parts I needed for the LS tractor the dealer told me 3-5 days as well. 7ish weeks later multiple phone calls to the warehouse, we robbed parts off a tractor he had in his shop to get my customers up and running.

Full powershift transmissions are wonderful as long as they work. Currently own 2 and probably won't buy another tractor without one. Rebuilds get expensive but the productivity out of them is worth it. Keep good oil in them, filters changed, coolers cleaned out, and enjoy.
 
The parts I needed for the LS tractor the dealer told me 3-5 days as well. 7ish weeks later multiple phone calls to the warehouse, we robbed parts off a tractor he had in his shop to get my customers up and running.

Full powershift transmissions are wonderful as long as they work. Currently own 2 and probably won't buy another tractor without one. Rebuilds get expensive but the productivity out of them is worth it. Keep good oil in them, filters changed, coolers cleaned out, and enjoy.
That can be frustrating. I'll just have to see on this one. I think I bought it cheap enough that I can get my money back out of it if parts become too much of a challenge. At 700 hours, its in pretty good shape and has had all maintenance done on schedule and I plan to continue that trend. Hopefully I can get some years out of it before I need much.

Wishful thinking, but I hope LS continues to invest in a parts network. If that is strengthened, they have a really good reputation around here. This dealer always has a JD or Kubota on the lot someone has traded in.
 
So back in the fall/winter last year, I had asked for some advice on buying an M9540 Kubota. Well, one thing led to another and that deal fell through. Spring rolled around and I was still in the market for a tractor. A friend of mine owns a LS dealership and I have always been impressed with the product he sells, but I have never been able to swing a new one. Finally the right used one came along. 2010 LS P7030 with cab/air and hydraulic power shuttle. The tractor was sold new in 2011 to older gentleman and he passed after a few years of owning the tractor and it sat in a barn for several years. The owner of the LS dealership ended up buying it and kept it to use as his personal tractor. The tractor now has almost 700 hours on it (I put the last 30 or so on it). Minus a few cosmetic issues such as lights being broken, the tractor is in excellent shape.

I like the way the tractor is set up. Im an average sized guy and the cab fits me and my 6yo son in the buddy seat perfect. I could see a bigger person having a little trouble inside the cab. The controls are ergonomically placed. It is well balanced. It has a tight turning radius. My tires are filled, so it stays planted well on inclines and slopes. I didn't think I would like the amount of "gears" it has, but I find myself using the hi and low function on the shifter quite often. (each gear has a high and low). It has an Iveco engine which is shared by some other equipment brands like CNH. My particular machine is 88hp, but other than tire size, it's the same tractor as the 97hp counterpart. The dealer did turn up my pump and dyno'd it at 97hp. The self leveling loader is nice. This tractor is HEAVY... I would guess around the 10k mark. The dealer support is excellent. I know the owner and their mechanics. I think one would be hard pressed to find a better dealer for any brand in my area.

A couple of knocks on it.. The loader functions aren't weak at all, but a little on the slow side compared to some other tractors I have operated. I don't mind this at all. The hydraulic shuttle has a little more delay than I like, but I am in conversation with the dealer to see if this is something that can be changed via computer. Hydraulic line fittings are metric which means a 45 minute drive to get a line made vs a 10 minute drive into town... which isn't uncommon for a lot of things when you live in a small town. No third function valve. We will see about parts availability from LS. This being a discontinued model, I hope they don't drop parts for it. My understanding is that it shares a lot of parts with some of the other series tractors as well. Longevity is another concern I had about the LS brand, but they aren't necessarily the new kids on the block. Their tractors seem to be holding up well and resale value is continuing to climb around here.

If LS continues building tractors like this one and they have the capacity to keep producing parts for their older models, they could be around for a long time.
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Good luck! I had a 35hp lemon a few years ago. They did fix all the problems under warranty but some took awhile and a few phone calls to corporate in USA. Final blow was I had to buy a $500 starter so it would crank for the guy I sold it too. I thought I did my research but then not enough people around had them so weren't many complaints.
 
The dealer here folded.
New owners sale Kioti that are pretty popular around here.
Unless they have done a lot of improving in the last 10 years Kioti has a great tractor but parts and service were impossible. From the dealer to corporate level their customer service was so bad I traded a tractor I loved for a JD.
 
Unless they have done a lot of improving in the last 10 years Kioti has a great tractor but parts and service were impossible. From the dealer to corporate level their customer service was so bad I traded a tractor I loved for a JD.
They are four big dealers I know of in east Texas.
My hay man runs a 100 hp and bales about 8k bales a year.
He went from Deere to Kioti that said a lot about them to me. He is pulling a huge commercial Vermeer.
 
I was all set to get a Kioti, after all the research I did. They seem to have a lot of owners with good things to say. The salesman I was negotiating with at Southern Tractor didn't want to work with me on price. I was able to get a Kubota for $900 more. I figure that Kubota will hold its value and cover that extra $900 if I ever sale it.
 
I have the previous version of that tractor, an 8260 and love it. That TM130 has been advertised elsewhere before, because I remember them posting the pics of the transmission operating procedure in the ad - probably either tractorhouse or fastline. That's a nice, clean tractor with low hours. I understand that's a simpler, cheaper transmission to service/maintain, but I can't imagine having a tractor that size and use without some sort of powershift. Ours has the 18 speed powershift and I know it's going to cost me big time one day, but it's my favorite transmission to round bale with by far. I'd buy another one if I needed it in a heartbeat.
That TM130 has been on CL for a while now. I think it's located in Central KY somewhere.
 
Good luck! I had a 35hp lemon a few years ago. They did fix all the problems under warranty but some took awhile and a few phone calls to corporate in USA. Final blow was I had to buy a $500 starter so it would crank for the guy I sold it too. I thought I did my research but then not enough people around had them so weren't many complaints.
I hate you had a bad experience with them. I'm hoping that with 700 hours, all the kinks ought to be worked out. I don't work a tractor to hard. Mostly just bush hogging, light loader work, fence works and from time to time haying. So I won't be pushing it.

Theres a website you can buy parts from and I priced all the stuff I could see going out in the near future and everything was reasonable to me. Hopefully I won't have the same troubles you did.
 
I was all set to get a Kioti, after all the research I did. They seem to have a lot of owners with good things to say. The salesman I was negotiating with at Southern Tractor didn't want to work with me on price. I was able to get a Kubota for $900 more. I figure that Kubota will hold its value and cover that extra $900 if I ever sale it.
There is a dealer here that sells Kioti and New Holland. The 7320 KIOTI and the Workmaster 75 are within a thousand dollars of each other.. I think I'd have to go with new holland if I were about to buy one or the other. Simply because of dealer support and brand establishment.
 
Some cheap horsepower with not a lot of bells and whistles.

 
There is a dealer here that sells Kioti and New Holland. The 7320 KIOTI and the Workmaster 75 are within a thousand dollars of each other.. I think I'd have to go with new holland if I were about to buy one or the other. Simply because of dealer support and brand establishment.
Old post but in its class the Kioti 7320 is a feature-packed/value buy. I was really considering one...ended up going with a larger New Holland but Kioti makes an awesome machine at a good price point and their larger tractors are even pretty dern nice.
 

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