JD 5045E, MF 2615 or CaseIH Farmall 45A?

   / JD 5045E, MF 2615 or CaseIH Farmall 45A? #1  

gharms

Silver Member
Joined
Jun 26, 2012
Messages
109
Location
Barneveld, Wisconsin
Tractor
MF 1648 12x12PS
I am currently looking for a utility tractor that is up for keeping up about 17 acres. It will be used for mowing, loading, snow removal and whatever may come it's way. What do you all know about the quality of the MF2615 4WD, JD 5045E, and the CaseIH Farmall 45A 4WD? I will need the tractor with loader, and am looking into a shuttle transmission. Price wise they are all a wash really.

Thanks for your input!

Gerda
 
   / JD 5045E, MF 2615 or CaseIH Farmall 45A? #2  
One vote for the JD 5045E. Little bit biased to the JD due to current ownership and previous experience. The 2.9L engine has been around for years and is found in many different current and previous models. I have been very pleased with my current JD 5303.
 
   / JD 5045E, MF 2615 or CaseIH Farmall 45A? #3  
it seems like more tractor than what you might need for only 17 acres. a 30 HP tractor would more likely do what you want and you could go with for bells and whistles. on a small HP tractor.

snow removal and having a cab. to keep the bloody wind off you, is a big one for me. more so when temps are 30F to -10F.

loader work, you might opt for a detachable tooth bar for the FEL (front end loader)

go with TNT (top and tilt) for 3pt hitch, top link instead of a turn buckle it would be a cylinder, and instead of a turn bunkle for one of the lift arms it would be a cylinder for tilt. TNT comes in pretty handy, with multi ground equipment. vs having to get off tractor and adjust things.

rear and front work lights that are mounted high up. really do come in handy, from sping to fall projects and finishing stuff up right near sun goes down. to getting off work and dealing with snow removal when it is dark.

a set of chains for rear tires as well.

you said mowing, but you did not mention how many acres or type of mowing. if rotatory cutting (bush hogging) or if, mowing the front lawn type of mowing. pending on type of mowing and amount you might get nailed with me and others of going with 2 tractors one just for mowing the front yard and the bigger tractor for everything else. so you can get different type of tire types and better setup for different things. i hate to say it, but finish mowing for the front yard takes a good amount of time, and having a tractor setup just for the mowing can really cut your mowing times down.

as far each different brand of model, find the exact tractor by calling local dealers, and physical set in them and test drive each one. some of them have some funky setups, more so location of go peddal / gas peddal / hst peddal. vs the brakes more so split brakes.

if ya buying new and stuck at the 45HP to 50HP tractor, you might look into getting a 3pt hitch backhoe with subframe for tractor at same time. the tractor the FEL for it, and then backhoe tend to be high dollar items. and if you can them all at same time, you might get a bigger discount.

other bells and whistles would be... bucket hooks for FEL, some sort of tool box or hooks to hang 5 gallon buckets or chains from, loaded rear tires (loaded rears and finishing mowing might not be wanted), some sort of grabbel for FEL bucket, or a thumb for a backhoe, to make it easier to pickup limbs, or pull brush / bushes out.
 
   / JD 5045E, MF 2615 or CaseIH Farmall 45A?
  • Thread Starter
#4  
The mowing task is definitely involving a rotary cutter. And that is about 8 acres of a rather rough terrain, and hilly. For the lawn I am entirely set with my little Simplicity Regent 16hp lawn tractor. For snow removal I am thinking of using a blade. The driveway is around 1000 feet long, and includes a slope. Another task for the tractor will be wood splitting for firewood, as we have a lot of dead trees to manage. The former owner just did not take care very well of the property.

I was originally looking into the 30 hp class, but for some reasons went over to the 40-50 hp tractors. I really think they will fit my bill better.

It is great to hear that the JD engine of the 5045E has been around for a long time; an important point for decisions!

Gerda
 
   / JD 5045E, MF 2615 or CaseIH Farmall 45A? #5  
with statement of dealing with trees, i am going to assume dealing with stumps as well, still going to press towards ya getting a backhoe at same time as tractor purchase. though there are some weekend warriors here on the forum. that will save a bunch of projects up. and then rent a mini excavator and try to get as many projects done in a couple days. to note it, there are some other 3rd party manufacturer 3pt backhoes with sub frames out there. as well.

bells and whistles for a backhoe, = a seat you can pull a lever and do 180 turn to operate the backhoe vs getting off of tractor, and getting on the backhoe seat. other bells and whistle is either a mechanical thumb or hyd thumb for backhoe. not all tractors are easiest to use when it comes to 3pt backhoes. more so when it comes to seat turning 180.

pending if on stumps / trees size and amount of stumps left. some folks have created A frames out some metal and been able to pull stumps out easier with a chain. others leave a few feet of stump sticking up out the ground so they can use the length of stump sticking up like a lever to pull stump up out of the ground, by pushing on the higher portion. other folks have made or bought a stump back for FEL, others have used a single tooth ripper to help break roots around stump to make it easier to get stumps out.

loaded rear tires, i am most like going to advised, due to statement of hilly terrain. along with R1 / AG tires. to get a better bite in the mud.

3pt implements might be...
--3pt box blade, to help smooth out the yard / area were a stump was dug out. or to deal with dirt / gravel driveway / path through property.
--3pt rear blade, snow removal, grading of dirt / gravel driveway
--some sort of grabbel for either FEL front bucket or thumb for backhoe to make it easier to just grab a bunch of piled up limbs from a tree and move to a central area to burn or bury.
--3pt weight box, or rear tires filled with a liquid and perhaps still some extra weight on 3pt hitch for use of using the FEL. a box blade, backhoe, rear blade, weight box, all can work for rear weight for FEL work.
--rotatory cutter (bush hog), or fail mower for dealing with tall weeds and trees up to 2" thick.
--"i forget name" but most likely some heavy duty chain and a gab hook for skidding trees out of the wood area to a central spot to make it easier to cut them up.
--backhoe, dealing with tree stump removal, perhaps digging hole to deal with branchs and stumps to bury them, if backhoe has thumb, grabing a hold of trees and lifting them up so ya not hunched over with chain saw to cut the trees up. trenches. loading/unloading stuff from trucks
--3pt post hole digger, for any fence work or deck posts or like.

you might look at (Temporarily blocked due to reports of company closure) to get a general overview of various implements / attachments, for a tractor. they have videos of use of many of the implements as well.

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still all honesty i think 30 HP would do what you need to do, about only thing that would really tax your tractor might be trying to skid out a large size tree out of the wooded area. ya dealing with dirt roads on property or a gravel driveway or putting in ditches would be next big thing that would tax a tractor. but amount of property, and little extra time a 30HP tractor could still do it. granted i have no idea how you are along with your property is. but just saying.
 
   / JD 5045E, MF 2615 or CaseIH Farmall 45A?
  • Thread Starter
#6  
I still have ways to go on the property, and certainly there are a number of large trees that need to come out. I definitely don't want to go past 40something hp, as everything gets more expensive in upkeeping. But for the tasks I need the tractor for I fear that 30 hp is on the low end. Now I read a review about the 5045E that it has tough time to start at temperatures in the 20s, which scares me a little bit since I need a reliable tractor in the winter. Do you find the same trouble with the JD 5045E? Apparently the trouble of not starting at cold temperatures has something to do with that the tractor is build in India, where people don't need to worry about cold temperatures, and starting aids for cold temperatures are not installed. I hear the JD 4000 series is US made and starting up well in winter. Maybe I should add the 4120 or 4320 into the decision mix instead of the 5045E, but then it gets more pricey. Does anybody know how the Massey and the Case-IH fare at winter temperatures?
 
   / JD 5045E, MF 2615 or CaseIH Farmall 45A? #7  
I previously owned a JD 5105 with the 2.9L engine, but was not turbo. The same 2.9L engine, but with turbo, is used in my current JD 5303. I have noticed the current 5303 idles a little rougher in cold weather for the first 10-15 seconds. The 5303 has an intake heater and by holding the key in for 10-15 seconds eliminates most all of the initial rough idle. I wouldn't consider it to be to a fault worth causing me to not consider the tractor again if replacing.
 
   / JD 5045E, MF 2615 or CaseIH Farmall 45A? #8  
cold start options can differ from make and model. but for most part all fairly easy to install.

glow plug, goes into the intake manifold. and warms air/gas/diesel before it goes into the injectors. warmer fuel/air mixture, better chance of starting in cold weather. gong to assume there is a nut/bolt in the intake manifold, that can be undone and glow plug inserted.

either, is in a sense more explosive, and when a squirt is used, can help start things up easier in winter. never had to mess with them so do not know.

block heaters, heats the antifreeze/water mix in the engine. and causes water to flow through engine and through radiator. by way of convection heating or rather hot water rises, and result slowly moves the water through the system. warming things to making things easier to start. there is most likely some sort of "nock out" on the engine block. that comes out or screws out, and the block heater fits into.

oil pan heater. or transmission heater. is more about keeping oil warm. so the oil is more easier flowing vs thick molasses, when tractor is first started. tend to see these installed after one of the above are already installed. as a way to help protect the engine and transmission better in cold weather start ups. not everyone needs an oil pan or transmission heater.

battery blankets. the colder the battery, the less power it has. this is for pretty much all batteries out there. battery blankets help keep the battery warmer, so the battery keeps a higher charge and in that has more power to keep the starter going and crank the engine over. for me on 555c TLB. this is a requirement, when temps get down to -10F and a snow storm just went through. not everyone needs them.

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everything gets harder to start in cold temperatures, from regular cars and trucks to tractors. tractors may not come with a cold start option, but most should already be setup to have a cold start option kit installed fairly easy.

there are some exceptions, and you may be required to get a third party block heater / radiator heater. that plugs into the hoses between engine block and radiator. most kits i have seen normally come with everything, (heater, hose clamps, wye adapter, and short hose) some times you may need to by some radiator hose pending on kit. and may want to get some zip ties to hold the extra kits in place.
 
   / JD 5045E, MF 2615 or CaseIH Farmall 45A? #9  
I have one vote for JD5045E. I just got mine delivered last Friday and absolutely love it. I looked at all brands as I have a dealer for all tractor brands in the area. One thing I loved about the 5045E is the weight of it. It is super heavy and feels very sturdy with a great 553 front end loader. I move round bales and that was a big factor for me. Please let me know if you have any questions on the 5045E. Good luck with your purchase!
 
   / JD 5045E, MF 2615 or CaseIH Farmall 45A? #10  
gharms said:
I still have ways to go on the property, and certainly there are a number of large trees that need to come out. I definitely don't want to go past 40something hp, as everything gets more expensive in upkeeping. But for the tasks I need the tractor for I fear that 30 hp is on the low end. Now I read a review about the 5045E that it has tough time to start at temperatures in the 20s, which scares me a little bit since I need a reliable tractor in the winter. Do you find the same trouble with the JD 5045E? Apparently the trouble of not starting at cold temperatures has something to do with that the tractor is build in India, where people don't need to worry about cold temperatures, and starting aids for cold temperatures are not installed. I hear the JD 4000 series is US made and starting up well in winter. Maybe I should add the 4120 or 4320 into the decision mix instead of the 5045E, but then it gets more pricey. Does anybody know how the Massey and the Case-IH fare at winter temperatures?

Gerda: my dealer installed a block heater for free. Starting in cold weather is important for me as well.
 
 
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