JD 3720 or Toolcat

[DocD]

I am bringing my discussion here for information from those on "the other side of the fence". I really appreciate the knowledge that is aquired from these boards and the general TBN site. Here is my dilemma:

I have purchased 9 acres of land that I will be building a house and shed in the next few years. I will maintain about 5 acres of irrigated lawn with quite a few trees to mow around and will maintain about 1/4 mile of paved driveway. I initially thought that I would get a CUT and looked at the JD 3720 Cab with a 72" MMM, a CX300 FEL, and a front mounted/3pt. snowblower (leaning more toward the 3pt. with the versitility of the bucket). I was all excited about ordering this up when someone pointed out a "neat machine" called the Toolcat. There was one in town here so I looked it over and the dealer told me to demo it on the property with the 72" front mounted mower. WOW! this machine was nice. If you don't know what I am referring to check out the bobcat site and look at the specs or look at the forum here on TBN forums/toolcat. My dilema is now that I am having a hard time deciding which one to go with.

The positives to the Toolcat is the cab which seats 2 people VERY comfortably (would be nice to have my little girl/boy with me when I work around the yard-have wonderful memories of riding on the tractor with Dad when I was a young man). It also has 4 wheel independent suspension which gives an increadibly nice ride in comparison to the tractor (although I have not felt the air-ride seat of the cab 3720 - only the mechanical seat of the 3320). The mower on the toolcat would be the 90" front mounted (bigger than the 72" MMM) which is very manouverable around trees (wondering how the cab tractor will be with trees when they get older). The JD although will have a nicer cut as the blade speed is higher that that of the hydraulically driven blades of the toolcat. The toolcat also has a hydraulic dump box which looks to be very handy for yardwork/dirtwork/hauling etc.

The positives of the JD is that well..... it's a JD.... and that in and of itself means alot - Very dependable and very well built - most likely will be a lot less to maintain and repair in the long run. The cab is very close in confort (I have sat in the cab with the tractor running and it IS increadibly quiet! - More quiet than the toolcat but they are very close in comparison. The big positive for the JD is the 3 pt. attachment. CURRENTLY, the toolcat does not have a 3pt. hitch (coming this fall supposedly) and there is a ton of attachment (much cheaper) for 3pt. vs. the price of bobcat attachments. The other positive for the JD is the price... it is about $10,000 to the dollar cheaper for both machines loaded up (including mowers, snowblowers, and buckets on both). Both are shooting me increadible prices on both machines trying to beat each other out, but I am really torn on which one to get.

Sorry for the long post, but seems like other posts show the more information you all have, the better advice you all give (and I enjoy reading it all).

Thanks in advance.

DW

 

[radman1]

You have almost the same problem as me. I own a JD 3720 cab and am considering the 3 pt Toolcat. The 3720 with air suspension seat is great and does nearly everything I want, except lacks the higher flow of the Toolcat and cargo ability of the Toolcat. For 9 acres, both are probably overkill. For now, the Toolcat lacks the 3 pt which is why I bought the JD a year ago. I also have many skid steer attachments which can't be run as well on the JD due to the lower flow rate. If you want all around versatility, then I would wait for the Toolcat 3 pt, if price is not a huge consideration. The 3pt toolcat with rear pto may add another 5-6K to the price and is getting quite expensive.
There is no easy choice. The 3720 is probably the more logical choice but it will really depend on your needs/wants and wallet.

 

[Woody71]

The Toolcat looks like an amazing machine for maintaining a sizable acreage. If you have the budget, it looks to be capable of anything you would want a of a tractor. Considering you plan to use it for mowing, the main concern I see is the Toolcat is 5490 lbs which is nearly 2000 pounds heavier than the JD 3720 Cab on smaller and seemingly narrower tires. You mentioned that your lawn is irrigated so it may leave depressions on your lawn, especially if you mow within a day or two of a sizable rainfall.

 

[Kyle_in_Tex]

The toolcat seems to be an awesome idea. If only they could build it cheaper. I haven't had the opportunity to view one in person. Hummm. A 4WD A/C cab version of a Powertrac on steroids if you will.

Not trying to knock the toolcat in anyway, but if they made a few more, maybe the price could come down???

If Kubota can build the RTV1100 with an A/C cab, how long till they add a bigger motor and beef it up to support a front mount mower which could more easily be PTO driven. I'm kind of dreaming here but also suggesting to Bobcat that the scale of this thing could be offered at a much lower price.

 

[radman1]

The Toolcat looks like an amazing machine for maintaining a sizable acreage. If you have the budget, it looks to be capable of anything you would want a of a tractor. Considering you plan to use it for mowing, the main concern I see is the Toolcat is 5490 lbs which is nearly 2000 pounds heavier than the JD 3720 Cab on smaller and seemingly narrower tires. You mentioned that your lawn is irrigated so it may leave depressions on your lawn, especially if you mow within a day or two of a sizable rainfall.

The toolcat is available with 12" wide turf tires. The 5490# toolcat also includes the weight of the bucket. Add the mid mount mower and FEL to the JD and the weight is getting closer to the toolcat. Both are on the heavy side for regular yard mowing.

 

[Z-Michigan]

Both very nice machines at very high prices. If you're getting one or the other I would probably go with the Toolcat. BUT.... if your tasks are basically mowing and moving snow, I think they're big overkill. I think a Kubota B3030 would handle those chores just fine and is still available with a cab (note - I am a happy JD owner, just mentioning the B3030 because JD doesn't have something directly comparable). If you don't need a cab (and they are nice) I would consider a power-trac as an excellent machine for those tasks, or virtually any CUT with HST. I think the versatility of a 3pt would be useful for any tasks other than your two initial tasks, particularly including driveway work. Tough call. If you want a cab and want your kid to ride with you, see if you can get an "instructor seat" on the cab for a 3720 or perhaps a 4x20 cab model.

 

[DocD]

The 3pt toolcat with rear pto may add another 5-6K to the price and is getting quite expensive.
There is no easy choice. The 3720 is probably the more logical choice but it will really depend on your needs/wants and wallet.

I'm not sure it will add that much to the price as the rear dump box will be deleted so it may be fairly close with the deletion of the box. I think that bobcat realizes that if they make them any more expensive, they will price themselves out of anyone's market.

This unfortunately adds the plus of the 3pt hitch and deletes the plus of the dump box for convenience. AGAIN - doesn't help in the overall plus/minus categories.

If you want a cab and want your kid to ride with you, see if you can get an "instructor seat" on the cab for a 3720 or perhaps a 4x20 cab model.

I looked into it and there are no options for a seat in the 3720 cab - really isn't hardly enough room for me (at 6'6").

Thanks for the advice - it helps (kind of)

DW

 

[radman1]

DocD
The last info I had on the Toolcat, was they were planning to leave the dump box on. I saw a prototype that didn't have a dump box in March of this year. The feedback from potential users was to leave the dump box on. I at least wanted some kind of cargo box, even if it didn't dump. It was a large waste of space between the cab and the 3 point with only the radiator and plastic coverings. The last I heard, they were working on solutions to leave the hydraulic dump box in place and yet get it to work with the 3 point. I don't know if a fixed cargo box is feasible because of service and maintenance issues that require the box to be moved/tilted out of the way.
IMHO, if the dump box remains, and they add the 3 point, 2-3 rear hydraulics, and rear pto, the price will climb 5k.
I wonder how many toolcats they sell. My dealer has had 3 on order since March. Still can't get retail units because presold units come first. Before the sale of Bobcat by IR, the company had scaled back production of all skid steers and sitting inventory/parts to make the company seem very lean and profitable. There was a backlog of 4-5K units for production in the company. IR did the same thing with other companies it had sold off. If there is an overall shortage of manufactued units for the demand, the price will stay up.

By the way, the cab for the 3x20 and 4x20 series are the same. No difference in the interior space.

I feel your pain. I own a large Bobcat 873 skid steer, and 2 CUTs. If you can hold out, wait for the 3 point version of the toolcat and then decide. IMHO, it should be a good blend of both. The Toolcat for me would become my tractor/skid steer/RTV combination. It can turn tightly, has the hydraulic ability of a skid and numerous attachments available, the 3 point of a tractor, the cargo box and utility of an RTV and the muscle/lift of a skid or CUT. I don't know where you live, but the Toolcat is probably the premium unit for snow removal. It just needs BETTER TIRES for traction in the mud.

 

[DocD]

Well, the JD dealer is really trying to get my business. This is unfortunately not my local dealer as I was quickly turned off to them when they tried to CHARGE me for demoing their USED 3520 that they had on the lot-$175/day to demo - this was after he quoted me a price on the 3720 which was $5000 higher than the dealer that I am working with currently.
The dealer that I am working with currently is trying very hard to get my business. I think that the quote - $33865 for the cab 3720 with air-ride seat, r-3 turf tires, dual mid and single rear SVC, 300CX loader, 72" 7-iron MM mower, and a 60" Farm King 3pt. snowblower with hydraulic spout is a fair deal - or is it not?

DW

 

[jcmseven]

DocD,

I have been following this post. I like the Toolcat a lot, and would like to have one. But, it is really tough to pass up a 3720 tractor. I have had two and have been extremely happy with them. They have a lot of power and are really nice machines. It sounds like now you have gotten with a dealer that wants your business and is willing to work with you on the purchase. I think you have gotten a solid deal. I have seen better but this is right in there on price. I would go for the John Deere I think on this one.

John M