What JD Tractor For Slopy 10 acres? {Pictures}

[xRUSTYx]

Hey Guys ...

I was originally looking in to strictly finishing mowers ~ but I think my slope may be "mild" enough, that I can use a tractor with bush hog/finishing mower.

Here are some pictures. Grade is probably 15-20%. Was thinking about a cabbed JD 3000/4000 series tractor.

Tractor I Want Needs To Accomplish:
1) Mowing 10 acres + bi weekly
2) Fence install/repair
3) Maintain 1/2 Mile gravel driveway
4) Some light front end loading

If the JD 3000/4000 is overkill, by all means, please let me know. My #1 goal is getting a tractor that can handle these slopes. If anyone with a JD series 3000/4000 has some decent slopes they work, I'm all ears If you guys have any other suggestions, please let me know. I've also been considering a Ventrac ~ although it wouldn't have all the capabilities a JD would have ~ its certainly good on slopes

Here are come pictures:

 

[jeffster]

Just my experience. I have a 3520 on a gentle sloping property and it can get scary. My neighbor has a 4320 that feels a lot more stable. If you get R1s on the widest setting (or wheel spacers) that may help. I love my tractor, but I really wish I would have went with the 4000 series. However, that said, I have no other real complaints about my tractor. Does everything I ask it to and more.

 

[xRUSTYx]

Thanks jeffster! do you know what the grade of your slope is or pictures by chance?

I have a feeling if I head to the JD dealership and say this is what I'm after ~ they'll bend me over backwards. I'd like to go the best prepared I can Hoping they allow me to demo some units, although, not sure if they allow demoing with a rotary/bush hog attachment.

 

[jeffster]

Sure, here is a pic of one part of the property. The area below the coop I till with a Deere 665 tiller on my 3520 and while I can go side to side just fine, I wouldn't want any more slope than that. The picture is probably a little misleading with the slope though, so sorry about that. I can tell you for this 5 acres it is a 30 foot drop over 600 feet. I also operate on other property that is more steep that I won't even attempt to go on with my tractor.

 

[xRUSTYx]

Great picture jeffster! Just what I was after, thanks for sharing! My slopes are quite a bit worse than that. I have a feeling a Ventrac is in my near future

 

[jeffster]

Yeah I know some people are braver than I am, so take that into consideration as well. I have almost flipped the tractor twice in my 5 years of having it, and I grew up on tractors so I am a pretty skilled operator. Needless to say both of those instances reminded me that this isn't an old heavy large frame tractor I can just do whatever I want on.

 

[debushau]

Having owned both a 3520 and a 4720, I can say without hesitation that the 4*20 tractors are much more stable for sloped ground. You can put a 4*20 out really wide with 7 position wheels and weigh it down with wheel weights.

The ultimate sloped ground tractor would be a Carraro, they are quite neat if you don't need to use a front loader and have a lot of money to spend.

 

[arlen4720]

A 4x20 is 8" wider than a 3x20, and about 1000lbs heavier. Plus you can ballast them up more. Those slopes don't look too bad to me...but pictures can lie. Open station I think would have a lower CG than a cab, and filling the tires would have a lower CG than iron.
I have 220 lbs or iron on each wheel, and that made my 4720 allot more stable....At least it feels more stable. I would think a big heavy rotary cutter (mine is 1000lbs) helps also when it's on the ground.

 

[DKCDKC]

I love my 3038, but it is tough on slopes. I'm going to look into wheel extenders as an option. It's just nerve-wracking in areas of my farm where there are slopes. My problem isn't with simple slopes. You can feel when the tractor is tilted about as far as it should. The problem is that, when you're running close to your limit, your downhill wheel hits a depression, a groundhog hole, or something - or the upper wheel hits a rock. I've actually had an uphill tire come off the ground a bit. I can handle it if I'm going really slowly - by just backing out or turning the wheels or something. But it is nerve wracking. Most of the farm is fine, but some areas I have to mow or work going only up and down.
I consider it a real flaw in all CUTs.

 

[BigMike50]

I handle worse slopes than that with my 3520. I just don't understand people feeling tippy on slopes with 3x20 machines. I have yet to see where one rolled over. Maybe It's just me because I hang on the side of slopes all day in a bulldozer and used to it. These machines handle more grade thn people think