Strengths At present, I only have 176 hours on my tractor, however it seems very strong and extremely fuel efficient. Simply put the "feature, fit & function" aspects of the tractor are excellent.

Weaknesses Although as I understand some of the early production had some problems, however as the old saying goes, don't buy the first year of anything. The only problem that I notice is a design flaw in that the fuel tank which restricts the operators visibility when hooking up attachments.

Overall Before purchasing I did a lot of research on tractors and front-end loaders. However, for value retention, quality dependability absolutely nothing compares to a "John Deere". For example, I just sold my old John Deere tractor for roughly twice what it sold new in 1965 and it was still running good. Within their product line my needs were matched a 2008 John Deere 5103 Turbo with a 522 removable front loader. Hopefully my review will be helpful to other potential tractor buyers.

Strengths Low fuel cost, Easy to start, Tires and wheels roll good!

Weaknesses The hydraulic lift system is slow to react when using the height adjustment lever in conjunction with the up and down position.Seat is uncomfortable and the height adjustment is constantly sticking. Transmission since day one has ground gears when shifting and requires you to stop before shifting. Now the transmission jumbs out of reverse. Note: After having all of these transmission problems I took the tractor to the dealer and discovered that john deer will not stand behind this tractor. I also discovered that john deer claims that this transmission will sync and shift without stopping the tractor (Well mine wont and never has). IMPORTANT John deers warranty is void when the equipment changes hands, so if you are buying a used john deer remember their is no warranty.

Overall Over all I am completly DISGUSTED with this tractor, and would not recomend anyone to buy it. JOHN DEER appears to be selling a name and not a quality piece of equipment or service.

Strengths Good on fuel, Strong for the size

Weaknesses Three point decided not to lower lake many of the others, Had to remove the rate/lock valve assy below seat to remove corrosion. Don't take to a DEALER, you too can repair this problem.

Overall

Strengths Looks good sitting still waiting for repairs

Weaknesses Lift system, locking in up position-repaired in 2007. In May 2008 lost seal on hyd. valve for lift-this is the same valve the dealer replaced in 07. Tractor has been in the shop over 1 week for each repair (2 weeks total) and I have ONLY 60 HOURS TOTAL TIME on this tractor. Gears grind. No arm rest on seat.

Overall I grew up on John Deere's but they are clealy not what they used to be. This tractor is made in INDIA and I have not had good service from the tractor. The dealer has been good to work with the 5103 has not.

Strengths Has not not been running long enough to find strengths.

Weaknesses Owned for eight months, 44 hours. Three point hitch has stuck in the up positon twice, engine smokes and looses power. Been repaired 5 times so far. This is a lemon and John Deere will not replace.

Overall Will never buy John Deere again.

Strengths Before I purchased my John Deere 5103 tractor with 512 front-end loader, I did a lot of research on-line. The tractor reviews I read were VERY helpful in allowing me to make an informed decision. I hope my review will be beneficial to other perspective tractor buyers out there. Let me first give a little background about my experience using tractors and what I was looking for in a new tractor. I am 35 years old and the only tractors I have operated on a routine basis until now are Ford N-series tractors. The vast majority of my tractor time has been spent on my late father’s 1942 Ford 9N. My family has used this tractor for over 40 years to do maintenance work on our 160 acre farm. It has been used primarily for mowing and scoop work. The 3-point hitch dirt scoop is used for moving fill dirt to eroding areas (gulleys) on our farm. When I started my search for a new tractor, I told myself I wanted something as close to a Ford N-series tractor as possible. I envisioned the perfect tractor for my needs would be a tractor just like my family’s old 9N except with a little more horsepower and greater 3-point hitch lift capacity. When I found the New Holland TT55, I thought this tractor was for me. It has the transmission shift levers (gear lever + range lever) on the floor just like the old N-series tractors from Ford. However, the TT55 levers are very short and I felt like I had to lean forward a long way just to reach them. It also felt like a big, clumsy tractor. So I continued my search, looking at everything from Kubota MX5000 to finally John Deere’s 5103. In July 2006, I bought my tractor from a local Kansas dealer. For a brand new 2006 John Deere 5103 I paid $14,250. The brand new 512 front-end loader was an additional $3,500 installed. This brought the total price for my tractor and loader to $17,750 (no tax for ag use). The dealership was less than 10 miles from my farm, so I just drove the tractor home. My 5103 has surpassed my

Weaknesses Vertical exhaust pipe tends to catch on tree limbs.

Overall Great tractor for the price!

Strengths VERY STRONG FOR THE SIZE. TURBO'S GREAT

Weaknesses A LITTLE GRIND IN THE GEARS SOMETIMES

Overall CAN'T BE BEAT FOR POWER AND PRICE BY ANY OTHER TYPE TRACTOR. PERFECT FOR MY HORSE FARM

Strengths BETTER THAN EXPECTED

Weaknesses GEARS GRIND SOMETIMES

Overall NOTHING RUNS LIKE A DEERE

Strengths Good on fuel since it has been in the shop for for nine of fourteen days since I bought it.

Weaknesses Oil seaping into the cooling system after only eleven hours of use. Dealer REFUSES to back the product and refund my money or replace. John Deere executives non-responsive thus far and the area rep only cares to satisfy the dealer. Very poor customer service.

Overall Do not buy anything from this dealer. He is unprofessional, dishonest, and only cares about the sale.

Strengths Great Tractor, plenty of power for plowing, mowing, even pulls a large GEHL round baler with ease.

Weaknesses Bolt that holds the PTO lever keeps breaking off. It needs to have bearings and doesnt. It only costs $10.00, but you replace it about 3 times a year if you use the PTO a lot

Overall You cant go wrong with this tractor. If they would only fix the PTO bolt that keeps breaking it would be perfect.