JD 3x20 cost v benefit comparison + street prices!

[454shooter]

Bart, I just cleared about a 1/2 acre of my property of trees. I started out by cutting down the tree and leaving an approx. 6' stump and then digging it out with the hoe. Then I progressed to backing up to it (if pine or less than 10" or so normal tree) with the backhoe and pushing it over with it. As I have become even more lazy ( I mean efficient) I just push the large pines over with the fel ( I have the 300CX w/73" HD with toothbar). The weight of the tree coming down is an excellent root removal system. Once it is down I just hook into it with the toothbar and lift. I started a large pile of trees to burn and the 3720 with 300CX had no trouble whatsoever in lifting any of them. I now am just backing into them and hooking a chain around the backhoe bucket and dragging them to another part of my property.
I highly recommend the 448 and 18" HD bucket. While I do wish it had even more power, it is my guess that John Deere has them set at a power that limits the chances of damaging something. I have found that you just can't hook a stump and remove it. You have to break the roots around the tree and work at it but they will come out.
As for any other projects - I have only had it since June but have used it a lot in place of a shovel.
Well gotta go - the wife wants to have a beer and get in the hot tub. I must obey.
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Shooter

 

[jcmseven]

Seasalt,

I have had both a 4310 and a 3720. I have used a 3120, 4410, and have "test driven" a 3320. There is no question to me that if it fits remotely into your budget a 3720 is the way to go. This is perhaps less so maybe in your case because you live in a flatter area, but my 4310 really struggled with the hills and loader/PTO work here in our area. It was a really nice machine, but where I live and what I was doing with it, I seemed to find its only weakness: power/weight ratio. When I traded, it lasted on my dealer's lot 3 days. I spoke with the new owner and he loves it. He does box blading, loader work and mows a fairgrounds with it and says no power problems. My dealer is also two hours from here and it is board flat there. You certainly want to make sure you have enough power for any job you wish to do. The 3720 I currently have will work circles around the 4310 I had and easily does everything I need it to do. It also to this point (78 hours) burns about 20-25% less fuel per hour than my 4310 and about the same as my 595 garden tractor! I also have the knowledge that if I find some property to buy or move, or wish to tackle a bigger project in the future, the likelihood is great the machine will do it. The other thought, I suppose, is to decide which transmission you want. I find the ehydro very handy here in the mountains, but in the flat you may be able to do just as well with the Power-reverser. The manual transmission is easy to operate and less expensive. It also gives you a little more PTO power for use and many users think it is more responsive. This means a tractor with less HP, say a 3320, would perform maybe a little closer to a 3520 in responsiveness and "power to the job" (It just does not have the turbo, which really helps lower end performance). As far as the backhoe goes, I do not have one, but those that do love them it seems. I have adopted the philosophy that one can rent a lot of compact excavator time for the cost of a backhoe, but it might not be a bad idea if you order your tractor, to get the hydraulics you need factory installed. It most of the time will save some money and time if you get one later. There is no way I could justify a backhoe for my personal use, no more than I could use it. But, as Jeff said, these are not merely utility machines for most of us, but rather recreational/utility machines, and having fun with a backhoe may be worth some extra ching.


John M