Both sub-compact · John Deere against LS Tractor
John Deere 1E 23 vs LS MT122
| Spec | John Deere 1E 23 | LS MT122 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | ~$15,734 | $15,580–$18,900 |
| What that price is | dealer list, not MSRP | dealer list, not MSRP, spread across dealers |
| Size class | Sub-Compact | Sub-Compact |
| Transmission | Hydrostatic | Hydrostatic |
| Engine hp | 21.5 hp | 21.5 hp |
| PTO hp | 16.2 hp | 15 hp |
| Loader lift | 803 lbsat the pivot pin | 1,008 lbsmeasuring point not recorded |
| Three-point lift | 758 lbs24 in behind the lift points | 992 lbsat the ball ends |
| Hydraulic flow | 7.0 GPM | 6.7 GPM |
| Drive | 4WD | 4WD |
| Engine | Yanmar | Yanmar |
| Weight | 1,475 lbs | 1,433 lbs |
| Fuel tank | 5.6 gal | 6.6 gal |
| 4WD | Yes | Yes |
| Front loader | Yes | Yes |
| Cab available | No | No |
| Hydrostatic | Yes | Yes |
| Power steering | Yes | Yes |
| Cruise control | No | No |
| Warranty | 6 yr / 2000 hr powertrain | 6 yr powertrain |
A highlighted cell wins its row on the rule named above the table: more power, lift, capacity or flow, or a lower price. A lift row is left unwon whenever the two makers measured in different places, or where either of them did not say — a figure quoted at the pivot pin and one quoted 500 mm ahead of it describe the same loader and differ by roughly a third, so ranking them against each other would invent a result. Prices are typical list and move with dealer packages.
From owner discussion and long-term write-ups
What owners of each one say
John Deere 1E 23
What they like
- Carries over the 1023E's 21.5 hp Yanmar 3TNM74F and its 758 lb hitch, so a decade of dealer service knowledge and implement fitment transfers straight across
- The 120R Quik-Park loader goes on and comes off in about a minute with no tools, and lifts 803 lb at the pivot pin
- Folding ROPS clears a low garage door or a barn opening, which is the usual reason a sub-compact ends up living outside
- 4WD and a two-range hydrostatic transmission are standard rather than options, at the bottom of the Deere range
- Six years or 2,000 hours of powertrain coverage - the same term Deere puts on machines three times the price
What they complain about
- No cruise control is offered at all, where the 1M 25 one rung up has it standard, and it shows on any long mowing pass
- No cab is available, so the factory HVAC cab that headlines the new 1 Series is out of reach on this model
- 7.0 gpm of pump flow split evenly between steering and implements leaves only 3.5 gpm for a backhoe or a grapple
- 758 lb at the hitch rules out most 5 ft rotary cutters once a wheel and tailwheel are counted
- 5.6 gal of fuel is a small tank even at 21.5 hp
- Deere publishes no starting price for it, so the only figure available is an individual dealer's own bare base-machine quote
LS MT122
What they like
- Under the 25 hp emissions threshold, so there is no diesel particulate filter and no regeneration cycle to sit through
- 1,008 lb at the loader against 1,433 lb of bare tractor is a better lift-to-weight ratio than most sub-compacts manage
- At 1,433 lb it is light enough for a single-axle utility trailer, which is the practical difference between owning one tractor and owning a truck upgrade as well
- The Yanmar 3TNV76F is a widely-used industrial three-cylinder, so filters and service parts are not tied to LS's own supply chain
- Two-year bumper-to-bumper plus six-year powertrain cover is longer than Kubota or Deere offer on a comparable sub-compact
What they complain about
- 15 hp at the PTO is the lowest figure in this catalog, so a 48 in rotary cutter in heavy grass is near the limit of what it will pull
- 6.7 GPM total pump flow is shared with the steering circuit, leaving 4.6 GPM for the loader - slow cycle times when the bucket is loaded
- LS publishes no price at all, and the three dealer lists found for this model spread 21 percent from bottom to top, which is why this page shows a range rather than a figure
- LS does not state where the 1,008 lb loader rating is measured, which makes it impossible to compare honestly against Kubota's pin figures
- 6.6 gal of fuel and a 1,433 lb frame mean it runs out of both range and traction before it runs out of hydraulics
- The dealer network is thin outside the Southeast compared with Kubota or Deere, and that matters more on a machine this cheap