Shopped long and hard for my first tractor. Did not want to repeat Dad's tradition of being forced to buy a new tractor every 8 years because duty's became to large or the tractor wouldn't stop breaking.
I was sold on the Kubota for price and features as compared to the competition. The hi/lo feature in each gear is golden!!! I stay in Med most of the time and can run across open ground in med the switch to low for work and back.
Cab was well worth the money. I can spend all day on the tractor and not be near as worn out as an open station.
L854 FEL with QA bucket has proven strong enough even for me. If the back end of the tractor comes off the ground I just don't have enough weight on the 3pt but she's lifted a few things I probably shouldn't have and she's still ticking!!
The only quirks I have are these. For my use, and south Louisiana mud, I should have gotten the ag tires, the R4's don't pull will in wet dirt! The next are probably due more to the dealer. I had two hoses chaf holes in them. One was the 3rd mount front hydraulic they installed at time of purchase. Bad choice of routing. Then I'll find bolts missing, assuming vibration from working and a lack of torque perhaps. Most seem to be from dealer installation.
I do with it had a better brush guard. I've broken both lights and torn the front grill using my grapple and having sticks poke through. I fix them all because replacement parts are $$$.
I'm glad I stepped up to the 42 but there are times I wish for just a few more hp. Long, thick south LA grass and a 6' bush hog rotor mower makes for a slow cut. But it's trivial as I've only cut about 10 hours on the 280 total thus far.