Readers of Progressive Farmer Pick Top Tractor Award Winners

First-ever peer-reviewed survey highlights top tractor manufacturers, as indicated by farmers.

Minneapolis, MN (July 14, 2020) – Progressive Farmer recently announced the winners of its inaugural Reader Insights Awards for tractors. This first-ever, peer-reviewed survey gives farmers an independent review of tractors that can be leveraged to make smarter equipment purchasing decisions. Progressive Farmer asked nearly 2,000 farmers from 47 states about their experience with more than 7,000 tractors. John Deere, Kubota and New Holland claimed top spots in the various categories included in the study.

On behalf of DTN and our Progressive Farmer team, I would like to congratulate our inaugural winners of the Reader Insights Awards,” said John Teeple, senior vice president-agriculture at DTN. “These three manufacturers have been recognized for excellence by the most important audience – their customers.”

The inaugural Reader Insights Awards featured tractors within three horsepower ranges: Small—less than 100 hp; Medium—100 to 235 hp and Large—greater than 235 hp. Farmers across the United States were asked to rank tractors in three areas: ownership experience; owner loyalty and fewest reported problems.

“The farmers sharing their reviews of tractor manufacturers and their experience with the tractors themselves brings invaluable insights to their fellow farming community,” Teeple said. “We’re proud to bring these independent results to the market to help farmers make informed equipment purchasing decisions.”

The Progressive Farmer Reader Insights Awards is agriculture’s first research program that brings to life the farmer’s voice in key equipment categories. It provides farmers and ranchers a better understanding of the quality of their various equipment choices. Agriculture equipment manufacturers also have an opportunity to leverage the survey data to inform their product roadmaps, customer loyalty programs and customer service operations.

Farmers are currently weighing in on planters and combines as the Reader Insights research expands its reach. Those winners will be announced in the coming months.

 

RESULTS

Small tractors (less than 100 hp)

  • Ownership Experience: Kubota and John Deere (tie)
  • Owner Loyalty: John Deere
  • Fewest Reported Problems: Kubota (0.78 issues on average per tractor)

Medium tractors (100 hp to 235 hp)

  • Ownership Experience: John Deere
  • Owner Loyalty: John Deere
  • Fewest Reported Problems: New Holland (1.25 issues on average per tractor)

Large tractors (236 hp and above)

  • Ownership Experience: John Deere
  • Owner Loyalty: John Deere
  • Fewest Reported Problems: John Deere (1.00 issues on average per tractor)