Comparison LS R3039 vs MF 1529

[fezragnus]

New member but been researching on this forum for a while now. I would have been lost trying to buy a tractor without this forum. So my dilemma is one I am sure has been answered many times, but here goes. Wife and I just purchased 10 acres, 8 wooded, 2 open. We are looking to clear possibly 1 to 2 more. The tractor would be used to gather firewood in the woods, clear the woods, mow, take care of the driveway( 350'), garden, move soil mulch etc.. I have looked at every color and liked the JD 3320 the best but being 13k more, that was ruled out pretty quickly. I originally was looking towards a slightly larger tractor ie DK40se/R4047 but thought maneuverability would be decreased so started looking at something slightly smaller. The MF dealer is 5 miles away and seems to be pretty reputable. I like the MF tractors but the inventory they have right now is appalling. The 1635 was my first choice for both size, power, weight etc, but dealer is having trouble finding one and they have a 1529 in stock.. Price is 16,300. The LS dealer is about 30 miles away and has been there for a while but has bounced b/w tractor companies and started selling LS about a year ago. The R3039 is about the same size frame as the 1529 but has more power, rear remotes, larger and QA bucket, considerably more lifting capacity etc. The R3039 is selling for 17,500( seems like a pretty good price) So I guess my question is 3 fold..... 1. Will something like the 1529 be sufficient for my needs?( 1200lb lifting capacity, no remotes, no quick attach, etc) 2. Is dealer support that much of a factor to be worth buying a tractor that has less features/capability? 3. With the MMM for these being close to 4k is it worth looking at a zero turn?

Thanks in advance for any assistance direction you can provide.
Ezra

 

[rmorey]

:welcome: to TBN!

I think you will become disillusioned with the 1200# lift really quickly. You plan to do a lot of wood and wood can be heavy. You pick up a maple/oak stump 18" - 24" and you can overwhelm that size of loader easily. The DK40/R4047 size machine has double that capacity and it's very unlikely that you will exceed that. I honestly don't think you will notice the difference in maneuverability. My :2cents:

 

[Tompet]

I think you are doing your due diligence and have a good take on your tractor size minimums. The MF 1635's do look pretty nice. I believe the 1529 is available with qa skid steer type FEL bucket. I'm sure other members will answer with some LS info. I think the 1529 would do the work but on the face of it the LS sounds like it is nicely set up.

Anyway, I did notice your comment/question on cost of MMM vs z-turn and my suggestion is get the z-turn. With your acerage mowing is a chore I would keep separate from all of the other uses you outlined for the tractor.

 

[jaydee325]

I'm not familiar with MF since the closest dealer was too far away. I also liked the JD 3320, but price was out of range.

I just took delivery of an LS R3039H. The LS dealer was 20 miles away and was the closest of any.

I've put about 14 hours on the tractor and I am impressed with the work it can do.

Considering your acreage, and needs described, My opinion is you will be happier with the extra horse power and loader capability of the LS.

My $0.02 worth.

Bob

 

[Gary Fowler]

I would go with the 4047 with hydrostatic drive. It isn't that much more money than the 3039 and has a lot more features and comfort items. As far as maneuverability, after a bit of driving, that shouldn't be a problem with that size tractor vs a smaller frame sized one. Check the specs, there isn't that much difference in size regarding wheelbase and width between the two to be an issue of handling.

 

[GManBart]

I agree with pretty much everything that's been said so far. I spent much of this past winter clearing trees from my property (very thick woods) and the 4047H wasn't too big. In fact, many of the trees I needed to move were at the limits of it's ability, or even beyond. Several had to be cut into sections just so that I could move them to where I was limbing, and bucking down to splitting size. Even a 3039 would have caused me to spend more time, and it's got a pretty stout loader for it's size. I did notice that the LS website is wrong on the 4041 and 4047 loader specs....it says 2,500lbs to max height at the pins, and the actual loader manual says 2,640lbs at the pins to max height...either way, it's pretty strong for this size/weight tractor.

I just passed 100hrs, and all I've done is the 50hr service, and put skate tape on the hydro pedals in place of the rubber covers. I was chatting with the service manager at my dealer when I picked up the filters for the 50hr service, and he said he feels like the Maytag repairman....they go over each new LS that arrives, they get sold, and they never see them again. They've been selling LS for almost as long as they've been available in the U.S., so that's a decent history to go off. I guess I'll see, but I haven't seen any huge red flags coming up in people's reviews of them.

 

[WilliamBos]

Get a rear finish mower, leave the ZTM at the dealer. The savings in fuel and maintenance alone will be worth it. They are a breeze to hook up, and cheaper than a mmm, and a new ztr for the same money will be box store garbage.

With the money you are spending, you want it working. If they can find a 1635, either dealer trade, or order, get it. Well worth the wait.

 

[murphy1244]

Welcome to TBN. Find a Kioti dealer and check out a DK-40