Kubota MX5000 4wd or JD 5103

[LeadPoison]

See if your Kubota dealer has any of last year's M4900 in 4WD. You will probably get one for a good price.

The difference in the MX5000 and the M series is worth the money.

I would not buy anything smaller than a JD 5105 or Kubota M4900 or 5040 in your case. I would also get 4WD in your case.

 

[PAexcavator]

Have you demoed a 4wd on your property? Most people wouldn't even consider going back to 2wd after using 4wd for hillside work for the safety factor alone, 4wd will effectively increase your braking too by linking front and rear axles together. 4wd also tends to let you do difficult things more slowly and carefully, again, this increases safety. After getting used to it you'll find yourself comfortably doing things that you would have thought were flat out insane or suicidal on a 2wd tractor.

Make sure you follow manufacturers recommendations on ballasting. I'm a firm believer in filling rear tires on any tractor used on hillsides (filled the rears on the last three tractors within one week of purchase). Filled tires make the tractor much more stable both front to rear (essential with FEL) and side to side. This is a great advantage when trees and other obstructions force you to do things you aren't supposed to do, like cross slopes at an angle with a load in the bucket. Proper ballasting in a tractor will let it easily out perform a larger tractor without it.

 

[Birdman]

From my experiences I would not want a FEL without also having 4wd. I live along a river and have a 800' gravel bar. I have tried to get gravel in 2wd but always end up getting stuck. I can free myself using the bucket, but then the bucket is empty and I have no gravel. In 4wd I have no trouble getting a bucket full. I know of several people who have traded in their 2wd tractors with FEL and gone to 4wd because they were tired of being limited by the 2wd. From your description of your land I would say get 4wd in whatever tractor you decide to get.

 

[Stackwood]

I did it: I bought a Kubota MX5000 with 4wd, LA852 loader and one hydraulic remote. I'm very happy. It should be ready by the end of next week. After a good shakedown I'll be sure to write a review on the Kubota board.

Thanks to everyone for all the input.

 

[ozzie tractor]

congratulations on the MX5000 purchase, welcome to the orange club. i am confident you will be very happy, the MX has an almost cult following around here. very reliable, simple and easy to drive and nice and low to the ground. PAexcavator mentioned better braking with 4WD. (go on, when you get your tractor try it. it makes a huge difference, just strap your self in first. it will stun you how much better they stop) this is even more pronounced with a bucket full of dirt, as it lifts weight off the back wheels. making them lock more easily.

 

[Soundguy]

Gosh... I like the 5103 except for the 2wd part, as it is for your pasture... The 4wd issue is almost a safety issue where you are concerned.. etc. Make sure that kubota can do 2 huge? 6x6 bales.. down here in florida.. most of our round costal bales are only about 800# dry...

soundguy

 

[Stackwood]

O.K., I just discovered the page tab and all the extra posts- (duh!)- I really appreciate all the extra input. I'd never even considered the extra braking potential in 4wd, but now it's obvious. I've been concerned about going downhill with a loaded FEL; with all that weight up front, rear wheel braking could skid to zero at any time, and dropping the load to stop doesn't sound like much fun. Actually, having reliable brakes of any sort will be marvelous. The old Massey's brakes aren't worth a ****. Braking with the transmission and clutch was bound to lead to disaster sooner or later. (Comeon baby, get in gear...GET IN GEAR...whew) The other big deal safetywise are the rops, of course. I'm not going to know how to act.

Birdman, I know what you mean about trying to load natural gravel and rock. Aint easy. I built a road years ago with an ancient backhoe and an equally decrepit 1 ton dump truck. I spent a lot of time spinning when trying to get a bucketful. I usually ended up scratching the gravel into a pile with the hoe first. I'm hopeful that a toothbar will make a big difference when digging. I'll definitely have filled tires in the back.

A good friend of mine said the difference between 4wd and 2wd is that if he could always accomplish what he thought he could with his 62 hp 4wd, whereas with the old 2wd plenty of things were impossible, especially with FEL work.

The tractor is coming from Watkins Lawn & Garden in Paris, TN. Nice people to work with, and great prices. I kept adding stuff due to those prices, toothbar, bale spear, rear remote. The caveate to this is that it's taken forever to get the order together. The latest report is that the tractor will arrive today. I CAN'T WAIT.

Cheers

Stackwood

 

[N80]

Stackwood, let us know how your MX5000 handles round bales. As Soundguy mentions I think the weight can vary a lot depending on humidity, recent rain, type of grass, etc. My B-I-L says his bales weight around 1000- 1200 pounds but he kicks them out of the baler before reaching the full capacity of the baler just to keep the weight down.

I'm very curious to hear how the MX5000 handles big bales like this. Also, if they are a little too big a lot of people aorund here make the smaller round bales which look much easier for smaller tractors to handle. That might be an option where you are too.

Congrats on the new tractor. I'm sure you'll be happy with it. I'm very jealous. I looked at the 5103 myself. It is a very substantial tractor, more like what I'd call a 'real' tractor. But I also wanted 4wd and ended up with an L4400 (budget issues). At that point 4wd was more of a want (it just _seems_ like a good thing to the average noob) but as time has passed it seems more like a necessity particularly in smaller, lighter tractors with FELs.

I'm in deep lust for a 5040. What made you go with the 5000 vs the 5040?

 

[Stackwood]

Part of the reason for my choice of MX5000 was the way I put it to one of the dealers I spoke with: I need the least tractor that will handle round bales. He showed me the MX5000. Not real scientific, perhaps, but I was having a very hard time pinning down the typical weight of a round bale. Based on what I know now I'd say they weigh anywhere from 800-2200 lbs, most commonly 1000-1500 lbs. Lots of weight, and good reason to have 4wd. I will most certainly report on its performance.

Why not bigger? The first is money, both in the initial purchase and the upkeep. Bigger tires cost more, etc. The second reason is more subjective. On our place size can be a problem due to rocks, trees, ravines, etc. being in the way. The new tractor will weigh slightly less than the old MF 165, but it's quite a bit shorter and should turn better. I'm hopeful that the smaller size will encourage my wife to use it.

The only reason I didn't go with an L4400 was the need for a quick attach bale spear, which isn't offered in that model. I assume that's because it's not quite heavy enough to safely pick up round bales. The 4400 is a great buy and should prove to be a very durable tractor. I prefer to stick to standard transmissions like it and the MX5000 have. I think it would be more durable over the long haul.

 

[N80]

Not real scientific, perhaps, but I was having a very hard time pinning down the typical weight of a round bale. Based on what I know now I'd say they weigh anywhere from 800-2200 lbs, most commonly 1000-1500 lbs.

The weight of bales seems to be a moving target.

Why not bigger? The first is money, both in the initial purchase and the upkeep.

Gotcha. Me too.

On our place size can be a problem due to rocks, trees, ravines, etc. being in the way.

Me too. My desire for a 5040 is totally illogical.....and will never happen.

I'm hopeful that the smaller size will encourage my wife to use it.

Uh, you lost me on that one. If someone else is on the tractor then I'm not, and I'm usually happy when I'm on the tractor.

The only reason I didn't go with an L4400 was the need for a quick attach bale spear, which isn't offered in that model. I assume that's because it's not quite heavy enough to safely pick up round bales.

The 5000 is about 500 pounds heavier than the 4400 and has a little higher capacity hydraulic pump and the LA 852 loader is rated at about 600 more pounds which make it more suitable for heavy lifting than the 4400 so you made the right choice there.

Keep us posted.