Tractor shopping and don't know what I need (mainly for lifting 2000 lbs)

[raykour]

I have been tractor shopping for over a year and can't get a straight shot from dealers or really anyone else on what a tractor/loader can lift.
I need to lift 2000 lbs. 1600-1800 on a hay spear and 1 ton on a pallet with forks. Really, I'd love to just get a forklift but I can't afford 2 machines and we have plowing, mowing, and several other chores that aren't workable with the skid.
I do not need to lift 1600-1800 lb. bales any higher than necessary to move them for any length of time, but I made need to unload a semi or flat-bed stacked 2 high.

So, I am just asking the basic question of what tractor and loader do I need? I don't always want to be operating right at capacity.
As I said, main use is going to be moving large bales of hay. 4WD or MFWD is necessary.

I am looking at the JD 5055E. Would this fit the bill?

 

[k0ua]

I have been tractor shopping for over a year and can't get a straight shot from dealers or really anyone else on what a tractor/loader can lift.
I need to lift 2000 lbs. 1600-1800 on a hay spear and 1 ton on a pallet with forks. Really, I'd love to just get a forklift but I can't afford 2 machines and we have plowing, mowing, and several other chores that aren't workable with the skid.
I do not need to lift 1600-1800 lb. bales any higher than necessary to move them for any length of time, but I made need to unload a semi or flat-bed stacked 2 high.

So, I am just asking the basic question of what tractor and loader do I need? I don't always want to be operating right at capacity.
As I said, main use is going to be moving large bales of hay. 4WD or MFWD is necessary.

I am looking at the JD 5055E. Would this fit the bill?

It looks to me like it would. Another tractor to look at might be a Kioti DK40se with lift capacity at full height 2760 lbs the JD is 3133 according to tractor Data with the 533 loader.

TractorData.com John Deere 5055E tractor attachments information

James K0UA

 

[LD1]

Tractor manufactures mostly insist on listing lift specs @ the pin. Which is about useless as the load is always much farther out front making capacity even less. And one of the biggest hurdles I see is needing the height to unload 1800# off the truck. It wont take a very big tractor to move the bale or pallet down low. Heck, if I take my bucket off and had pin-on forks, I think my little ole L3400 would move the 2k pallet around using the lift then curl trick. But no way would it do it at max height.

I think what you need is a loader rated for 2700-2800+ at the pins. and that is IF you plan on using a pin-on forks and spear and NOT the ones that just clamp on the bucket. Because those move the load a good 20" farther forward and it would that an even larger tractor to do what you want. Also take note on the loaders lift height. The kioti's DK40 and DK45, while they do have super-strong loaders, only lift to 107 and 114" in height. Is that going to be enough to get that top bale off the trailer???

I think the deere you mention would certainly fit the bill, with 3100# of lift to a height of 122".
A kubota M5040 or M6040 would also probabally work, but dont have as much loader capacity as the deere. It has two settings, ~2300# to a 132" height and 2500# to a 117" height.
There are probabally several mahindras that would fit the bill as well. A competent dealer should know wether the tractors they sell will safely handle a 1800# bale or not. And if in doubt, a good dealer would let you take the tractor home and play with some bales to get a good feel.

 

[tcartwri]

..... but I made need to unload a semi or flat-bed stacked 2 high.

......I am looking at the JD 5055E. Would this fit the bill?

That would be the size of machine I would suggest. 50HP min, and 5~6000lbs weight. If you want a ton of lifting force that's out on a pallet, you pretty much have to take the manufacturers rating at the pins and double it.

 

[Gary Fowler]

That would be the size of machine I would suggest. 50HP min, and 5~6000lbs weight. If you want a ton of lifting force that's out on a pallet, you pretty much have to take the manufacturers rating at the pins and double it.

I think you mean divide by 2 or use half the rating of the mfg. at the pins.

 

[tcartwri]

I think you mean divide by 2 or use half the rating of the mfg. at the pins.

Yup...

 

[Martian]

I think the 5055e sized machine is exactly what you would want. When I got my 5410 vs a compact one of the reasons was I was going to be unloading large square bales from a flat bed semi stacked 3 high. Some of the larger CUT's would be able to lift that size of a bale, but they don't have the height to unload the top bales. I'd go for the 5055e or similar.

 

[MahindraDon]

I have been tractor shopping for over a year and can't get a straight shot from dealers or really anyone else on what a tractor/loader can lift.
I need to lift 2000 lbs. 1600-1800 on a hay spear and 1 ton on a pallet with forks. Really, I'd love to just get a forklift but I can't afford 2 machines and we have plowing, mowing, and several other chores that aren't workable with the skid.
I do not need to lift 1600-1800 lb. bales any higher than necessary to move them for any length of time, but I made need to unload a semi or flat-bed stacked 2 high.

So, I am just asking the basic question of what tractor and loader do I need? I don't always want to be operating right at capacity.
As I said, main use is going to be moving large bales of hay. 4WD or MFWD is necessary.

I am looking at the JD 5055E. Would this fit the bill?

I'm not as familiar with what a Deere or Kioti can do but we have used a Mahindra 4025 with quick attach pallet forks to lift 2 trailers at a time off the top of a 18 wheeler flatbed. Wish I had the camera out when we were doing it. Each equipment trailer was a tandem 3500 lb axle 18 foot with dovetail. I think they each weigh close to 2000 lbs but the tires weren't installed so maybe a little lighter. They were stacked 6 high so we were at full lift height on that first pull. The back wheels were full of fluid so that helped but I'm telling you what, them pallet forks were flexing pretty good. LOL. The loader sits in pretty tight so that helps with the load balancing. The 4025 4wd loader specs say it will lift 2,866 lbs to full height. It is a 41 hp tractor. The 5530 4wd loader lift capacity is listed at 3,150 lbs and it has 55 hp so I think it would be more comparable to that JD. It will do great plowing and mowing too, its full 55 hp comes on at only 2,100 rpms so it is quiet and fuel efficient. You might want to check one out if you have a dealer close by.

 

[raykour]

I can't thank you all enough for all of this EXCELLENT information. Now if a dealer, the people you would think should know, could only give you this much information when you walk in.
What a great resource you all are.

We do have a Mahindra dealer in the next city, so I will check them out. I had never in fact even heard of these machines.

 

[raykour]

James,
You unlocked the door I have been looking for. I had never been able to find on the tractor data site where it gave the lifting information. I suppose I overlooked the attachments tab.
Thanks!