What to buy? Looked at MF1533, TC30, L3400, etc

[JCS_in_KY]

George, Thanks for the info on the L4400. I looked at the specs on them and the price but I think unfortunately it's just a little out of our price range. Originally we were looking to spend around $14,000.00 max if possible but it looks like we can spend a few thousand more and that's about it. That leaves us with the MF1533 at the top of our price range. One option I thought of was to buy a more expensive tractor now (L4400 etc.) and add a FEL in a year or so but I've got work to do here that requires it immediately, so I don't think that's an option.

Here are the prices I've been quoted locally:
Kubota L3400 with factory FEL and gear drive:$15,200.00
New Holland TC30 with factory FEL and gear drive:$15,000.00
Massey Ferguson with Bushhog FEL and 8x8 syncro:$17,600.00 (the price on the MF includes a grill guard which I don't think was included with the others).

How do those prices sound? Also is it a big advantage to have the mid-mount FEL on the MF compared to the front mount on the other tractors? It seems like it would be easier to work on the engine with the mid and the dealer says it's much better but I don't know much about either one so I need some advice on that.
John

 

[SWB]

I think those prices sound reasonable. You appear to have a good dealer to work with. However, you never mentioned how you like driving each tractor and how comfortable each was for you to drive. If you are going to be spending any time operating one, and it sounds as if you are, then ergonomics should be a big factor in your tractor buying decision.

 

[N80]

I'm not sure about the prices. All I can tell you is that I paid about $18,500 for my L4400 and FEL. I'm not sure what you mean by "front mount" on the FEL. On my 4400 it mounts just forward of the drivers position with frames that run back to the rear axle housing. I'm 99% sure the 3400 is the same. This, to me, seems like the best and strongest arrangement. Also, the brush guard comes with the FEL on the 4400, and again, I'm pretty sure it does with the 3400 as well.

I think, if your budget won't extend to the L4400 or the JD 990, then I'd go with the dealer that I felt the best about. I'm sure the L3400 is nearly what the 4400 is, but if I didn't have a good feeling about the dealer I'd look somewhere else.

 

[JCS_in_KY]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( However, you never mentioned how you like driving each tractor and how comfortable each was for you to drive. If you are going to be spending any time operating one, and it sounds as if you are, then ergonomics should be a big factor in your tractor buying decision. )</font>

We haven't driven any of them yet, each time we've gone to the dealers it's been late in the day just before closing and we've only had time to look at the tractors and sit on them to try each one on. Tomorrow I've got a full day set aside to go to each of the dealers and drive all of them. Hopefully after that I can eliminate one or two of them from my list.

In regards to the question about the mid-mount FEL the dealer told me the Bushhog 246 is a mid-mount design which would make the FEL stronger and also it would be easier to work on the tractor because when the FEL is raised there will be no FEL structure around the front of the tractor like there would be with a "front mount FEL". Is there any truth to this?
John

 

[JerryG]

On a mid mount there is no wrap around frame going around the front of the tractor. The MF loader for the 1500 series is also a mid mount. The independent pto works great on the 1533s, be sure to check it out when you go over the tractor.

 

[JCS_in_KY]

I went and drove a few tractors today. The two that I liked best were the MF 1533 and Kubota L3130. I think I've decided against the L3400 and TC30 because I'd like something with more FEL capacity and a little heavier tractor. I went to another MF dealer because they were supposed to have one in stock with the MF loader rather than the Bushhog one that my local dealer has. I was anxious to try it but unfortunately as soon as I arrived the salesman told me it had been sold and was waiting on a truck to be delivered so all I could do was look it over. I was able to drive a 1533 with 12x12 trans but it had no loader so I couldn't try that out. I drove the L3130 but it was kind of hard to compare the two since it was a HST model. To me they both feel about the same handling wise and comfort wise. The MF feels just slightly better to me but I can't really pinpoint the reason why it does. I definetly prefer the lower gear ranges with the MF over the 3130 but I'm assuming the GST would give me more lower range choices than I can get with the HST. The only thing mechanically I saw that bothered me on the MF 1533 was the exposed power steering hoses down below the frame but I suppose the chance of catching them on something is slim and if necessary I could fabricate some type of shroud to cover them. Some here seem to think the L3130 is underpowered but unfortunately it was hard for me to tell just running it around the dealer lot. John

 

[N80]

What kind of price are you looking at for the 3130? I'd suspect it would be significantly more than a gear drive 3400.

 

[rk246]

I don't know about the 3130 being underpowered, I have been using one from the dealer around my place that they let me try out, It has done everything I asked of it, that being said I did decide to go up to the 3830 for the extra hp, it was a great amount more, same size tractor, just more hp.....

 

[JCS_in_KY]

The price they were asking on the L3130, GST with 723 loader / quick attach with 66" bucket was $18,650.00. I think the HST was about $900 more. The MF1533 with 12x12 trans, 1525 loader, quick attach and 66" bucket was $18,900.00. The other dealer had the MF1533 with 8x8, and the Bushhog 246 loader for $17,600.00. I'm going to call them tomorrow and see what kind of price they can give me with the 12x12 and factory loader, they might be a little less than the place I went today.
Given the choice between the MF1530 and the L3130 which would you choose?
John

 

[JerryG]

<font color="blue"> Given the choice between the MF1530 and the L3130 which would you choose? </font> /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif