JD 3720 vs K L4240 Opinions?

[Kyle_in_Tex]

Elgin4420,
Welcome to the board!

Our place is so much like the way you described yours it gave me "deja vu". We have 25 acres, lots of trees, hay and a 3 acre pond in the middle.

I was very new to tractors 5 years ago when I'd bought ours. Only had a handful of various 8N, Deere 950, etc experience. When I bought I was definitely on a tight budget but wanted a new tractor. After reading this board for a million hours, and shopping mostly Kubota and Deere, I chose the deere 4310 and luckily, it came with a terrific dealer only 3 miles away. Turns out the next day my FatherIL bought a bigger 5420 deere 65 PTO HP.

1) Choosing your dealer is as much important as choosing your tractor.

2)Tires- Since you have a ravine, I recommend the R1's. Just don't ride near your lawn when the soil is damp.

3)Cabs- I want one badly myself but can't afford it now. Here's my logic, a cab adds 5-6K to the price regardless of which deere compact you buy. So, I'd get the larger framed 4X20 series from that perspective. If money is a big factor, the 3720 is more than able to do most everything you outlined, just takes a bit more time. You will have to buy a really good pole saw to trim your trees up high to keep from hitting them with the cab.

4)Shredder- Yes, you would want a 6' for a 45 hp tractor, but I'd recommend a 5' for less HP than that. If you have any bahia grass hay, you'll know what I mean after the first 100 feet of cutting. For light cutting you could easily pull a 6' with a 3720 but heavy stuff and branches would like more HP. I know, I can bog down our 5420 with our 6' bush hog in bahia grass. It starts smoking the slipper clutch on the mower.

5)Box blade- get the 6', once you know how to use it, with 4WD you can get quite a bit done. I recommend getting a heavy model. I'd put weight at the top of my parameters when price comparing box blades. I have a Monroe Tuffline and it does pretty good but wish I'd bought the next heavier model. Its weight that make them dig in and cut/scrape.

I would say if you are only getting 1 tractor and don't have the luxury of borrowing a bigger model from your FIL, I'd recommend looking at the deere 4X20 series. I know that we (on this board) are great at helping others spend their money! You could also find a used model without cab, preferably close to what you really want but maybe 4-5 years old or newer. Then you can gain invaluable experience and not take a big loss to trade up.

My tractor dreams include a 4720 Cab model with all the bells and whistles, even the $500 dollar air seat option. I got to go buy my lottery ticket now.

 

[elgin4420]

Thanks to all. These replies are very helpful and making us think some more.

I guess we are now throwing a NH TC45DA into the mix (price is under 29K minus the shredder).

I have mixed feelings on the tires, some of the work seems more suited to the AGs, but for the shredding seems like industrial would be better. Not sure how we'll go on that, but we appreciate all of the feedback. Also, we will be going with the best FEL we can get for the tractor we buy.

I'm quite sure I will have to do some tree trimming in order to cut closer to the trees, but I'll figure that out first time around.

Anyone out there using Mohawk shredders that can compare them to the Rhinos and Bush Hogs? Please include Model#s so I know what to look at. Also, I can't seem to find a website for the Mohawks??

Thanks to Everyone
mike..

 

[art]

Around here in the northeast we seem to mow more often as I've got the bush hog 84" squealer twin spindles behind many forty horse tractors.

 

[Kyle_in_Tex]

Did you get a chance to test drive anything yet?

I think JD in Giddings handles some Mohawk stuff.

 

[elgin4420]

Kyle and the forum,
I got back from NY on Friday and Pat (my wife) had set up appointments with NH, JD, & K. So we were out until Sat afternoon driving and talking to dealers (are all tractor dealerships open 1/2 day on Saturdays?), although we only made it thru JD & K. In each case, we were test driving a different model, as it seems nobody currently has the model we are looking for on their lot (is that good or bad?).
I still have to go to the NH dealer, which I plan to do Monday afternoon.
We are now looking at JD4320, K4240, and the NH TC45DA, based on feedback from the forum on HP needed for a 6' medium duty shredder.

I think these tractors are similar enough that it will come down to price/dealer in the end. We are getting quotes from other dealers in the area (within 60 miles) to see how they compare.

I dug up the specs on the equivalent medium duty 6' Bush Hog, Rhino, Mohawk, & JD. The Rhino weighs more by 50-100 lbs and the Rhino and Bush Hog have higher gearbox HP, but the MX6 has a higher blade tip speed.
If we go with the JD, we'll probably get the MX6 and the I-Match option set up for both the shredder and the box blade. Seems like a real nice feature and we've seen some posts on the forum from users who are raving about it.
What will be the signifigance of the Gearbox HP 130 vs 80?

Speaking of specs, someone on the list pointed out that the Manufacturers Rotary Cutter weight limit for the K4240 was 926 lbs??? When we questioned the dealer about it he pulled out the manual and found it. So we asked "Since the Rhino is 1180 lbs will it void the warranty on the 3PH?" The dealership owner said "Put your concerns in writing and I'll sign it!"
The JD manual is online, but I can't find Implement Limitations in the manual and I can't find the NH manual online. Does anyone out there have the manufacturers implement limits for the JD 4320 and the NH TC45DA?

Regards to all
mike..

 

[Z-Michigan]

I don't think JD puts implement limitations in its manuals. I don't remember seeing any in my JD manual.

The gearbox hp is not significant as long as it is significantly more than your PTO hp, as it would be for any of those combinations.

I agree that those are similar tractors and I would put a heavy emphasis on dealer quality. Yes, in my experience most tractor dealers close at 12 or 1pm on Saturday, which is a bit of a pain. My locaL JD dealer stays open later on Saturdays in May and June, maybe July. The nearest Kubota/NH dealer is always open til 4pm Saturday, but he's really the one exception in my area, and he's never very busy Sat afternoons.

If you like the JD - and unfortunately I suspect it will be the priciest of those three - they have a new version of iMatch that hooks up the PTO for you as well, not only the 3pt linkage. Really, really trick. Sometimes the PTO hookup is as much or more work than the 3pt hook up.

 

[R_Walter]

I have the Kubota L4240 w/ the 854 loader. It pulls a 6 foot BushHog through sage with no problem.

I've been working on building a ranch pond with it the last two weeks off and on. This involves building an earthern dam in a narrow spot about 40 feet wide in an arroyo on my property. It's been performing great!

 

[elgin4420]

Well,
We started out looking at the JD3720, but now we are up to the JD4320 eHydro Cab with 400cx FEL and the quoted prices are about the same as for the K L4240HSTC with LA854 FEL. Even the NH TC45DA is coming in lower than the Kubota. I guess the Kubota dealers around here are selling too many tractors?

K dealer was also letting us know that the I-Match is NOT a good thing (if it was, Kubota would have been selling them already), but if we absolutley wanted something like that, he would sell us a similar attachment from another MFG.

So far, we have not been impressed with the K dealers we have spoken with or been to in this area.

Thanks for the reply on the shredder gearboxes.

By the way, is it commonplace for owners to ballast the rear tires with liquid (water and ethylene glycol). We read a post where a K owner found that liquid ballast of tires on his model with a cab was not allowed by Manufacturer or it would void the warranty?

 

[Z-Michigan]

Dealers vary both one to another and regionally. Sounds like you should avoid Kubota in your area. In other areas it might be a top pick. IMHO dealers are important with tractors because you are likely to keep them so long and the initial dealer setup is important to have everything work right.

JD 4320 cab with 400CX is a really, really nice setup, I don't think you would go wrong with that!

JD iMatch system works fine and several companies make similar setups (possibly better and cheaper). I get along fine without a quick hitch, but many swear by them. Most important point is if you want one, its disadvantages are pretty small, other than the initial cost of the hitch itself.

It is extremely common to ballast the rear tires to counterbalance the front-end loader. I've never heard of it voiding a tractor warranty. Water and ethylene glycol is one option, water and calcium chloride is another (used to be most common), "windshield washer solution" is another, and my personal favorite is Rimguard, which is totally nontoxic/noncorrosive but may be hard to find in Texas. (It's made here in Michigan.) You will need some kind of ballast for your FEL - it doesn't have to be in the tires; other options are wheel weights and a ballast box that mounts on the 3pt. For any option, check the FEL owner's manual to see how much weight is required. I'll bet that 1000lbs is below recommendations. On my setup I'm supposed to have filled tires + something like 1000lbs additional weight on the 3pt, and that's on a utility tractor! I do have those tires filled (1500lbs worth) and I also use some weight on the 3pt when doing heavy FEL work. I'm never lifting to the maximum capacity, which is what the ballast requirements are written for.

 

[Kyle_in_Tex]

I think these tractors are similar enough that it will come down to price/dealer in the end. We are getting quotes from other dealers in the area (within 60 miles) to see how they compare.
..

Mike, walk thru the dealerships and take note on the service and parts departments. After the sale, this is where the salesman will steer you for your needs. Trust me, you'll do yourself a favor "buying into a dealership".

I don't want to start any brand wars(I'd be happy with anyone of them) but I'll state one thing in favor of JD.

Online Parts- You can look up diagrams, get pricing and availability for parts. If your dealer doesn't have it in stock, its usually next day for most items around here. My dealer will leave the parts out beside the building so you can pick up and pay later if they are closed. As far as I know, no one else lists parts, prices, or inventory online that you can lookup at home, late, in front of the computer, sitting in your scivies with your favorite dessert or beverage at hand. If not in stock, you can order it from YOUR HOUSE, or even check neighboring dealers stock.

Its Natural for everyone to brag about their machines and I think your headed in the right direction with the models you're comparing. But, when you bring your decision home, and the warranty runs out, its your problem getting it fixed. So, pick your dealer and brand well...Good luck!