JD 3032E Second Thoughts

Folio · May 28, 2012

I'm in my third season with my 3032e, coming up on 300 hours. I'm a rookie to modern tractors and bought it new without the benefit of the good advice on this site. My decision was influenced solely by the helpfulness and honesty of the JD dealer I bought it from compared to brief visits to other dealers in my area. I'm NOT a mechanic, so dealer service was my first priority, but I'm so new at all this that I didn't even ask anyone to allow me a test drive! So dumb!

At first, I was thrilled by the machine. It did everything I asked of it. I live on 30 acres of neglected, flat, dry land pasture bordered by a seasonal creek lined with heavy-duty oaks and mountains of dead fall. There was over 10 years of manure and straw to clean from several loafing sheds and hundreds of yards of fence line to replace. Old garden beds needed to be renovated and re-tilled. The driveway--a third of a mile long--needed to be re-conditioned. I've run into problems, to be sure, but I can't always tell how much is operator error and how much is machine limitation.

The more I worked this little workhorse, the more I've come to appreciate its advantages and hate its weaknesses. I'd love to have a grapple in front and a TNT on the back. No dice. I wasn't smart enough to ask for additional hydraulics in the original deal. I can't unload the FEL when I occasionally would like to. The ROPS doesn't fold down when working inside the loafing sheds or under low lying tree limbs. Its short wheel base makes working a box blade a time-consuming nightmare.

So I've recently found myself looking for alternatives. More horsepower? Additional hydraulics? A different color? A bigger bucket? A wider stance? A cab, even? More weight?

More I look around, though, the more satisfied I am with what I have. It's not perfect--could be much better than it is--but it's what I have and what I can live with.

Seems to me there's grace in compromise.

kebo · May 28, 2012

Don't feel alone! Not everyone thinks the tractor they have is perfect for them, that's why some folks have more than one. You can always second guess a decision, but it sounds like you picked one that can do 90% of what you need to do with it, and do it fairly well. I would say you did pretty good considering how little you knew about them when you made the purchase. A little more experience with tractors in general would probably have given you a better understanding of what to look for, and all the features you would have liked to have with it now (that you know better). The good news is TNT and a front grapple can always be added to it, at cost of course. So, those are options that you can decide if the need justifies the expense. As for the rops, I wonder if there is a folding rops on another tractor that would interchange with yours? Wouldn't hurt to talk to the JD dealer about it. Good luck.

kiotiken · May 28, 2012

Well, I agree, it's easy enough to add a grapple with 3rd function valve or run it off a remote. You can add extra remotes for the TnT, I did for my Kioti CK30 and it was $500.

If your tires aren't loaded, I'd highly recommend loading them, that JD is very light and will benefit from the extra weight.

I just traded my CK30 back to my dealer and upgraded to a DK45. My trade was 14 months old with 158hrs on it and my dealer gave me 94% of what I paid. Ask your dealer what he'd do for you, there's no cost or obligation.

Although nobody, IMHO, builds a cab tractor like JD, my Kioti cab is one of the nicest cabs I've ever seen. The tractor is FAR more than I'll ever need, has just about every luxury feature you've ever heard of an was price well under other colors. If you do consider trading, sit on every color tractor you can find and compare them all.

charleyfarmall · May 28, 2012

You probably need to go up in size and capacity based on what you are doing. In the Deere range, you need a 4120 or 4320 most likely. In a Kioti you need a DK40/45. There are several Kubota's that would fit.

You have had 300 very good hours with the 3032 but I would look at selling it ( don't trade it in you will lose a lot) and moving up. The JD 4000 series has more weight, a wider stance, more capacity, and retains almost the same maneuverability.

It's not uncommon to need to upgrade to more capacity.

nikdfish · May 28, 2012

+1 on loading the rear tires if it hasn't already been done!

If you really want to remove more than just the bucket (which is a quick attach already), you could get the "Parking Stand Kit" for the 305 loader (part # BW15872) for less than $400. It allows everything except the rearmost mast to be easily removed & replaced.

The flip side to removing bucket or bucket + arms is you lose a lot of weight on the front end if you don't add some suitcase weights. Steering can get dicey if you have even a moderate weight implement on the back and don't have some front end ballast. Taking off just the bucket loses around 200 lb., with the parking kit I think you'd be losing somewhere between 400 and 500 lb. I know my 3038e can sometimes feel light at the front when I have a 690 lb. tiller on the rear even with the loader still mounted...

Regarding the driveway maintenance, you might want to looking into something like a land plane. It might do a better job with gravel than the box blade.

Nick

DKCDKC · May 28, 2012

I bought a JD 3038e, same as the 3032e but with a bit more HP. I also find it does most of what I want better than I expected. I do miss the weight and power of my old JD 2030 with 68 hp, but I need that weight and power rarely. I have found that, when I hit tasks where my JD CUT is too small, I can call a neighbor with a bigger tractor... Usually get his help for nothing... Or maybe a free meal out. And this way I got my new tractor for well under $18,000. It would have cost me at least $6,000 to go a size up. You can rent a tractor a number of times - or buy a lot of thank-you meals - for $6,000.

Wnc3 · May 28, 2012

Well....the E stands for economy.
I am purchasing a 3520 and it cost a lot more for basically the same size tractor, but comes standard with a lot of options you wish you had.
You really have to appreciate the options to justify the up charge. The dealer lots are around here are full of "e's" to compete with other brands. I had to order mine...

kiotiken · May 29, 2012

Wnc3 said:
Well....the E stands for economy.
I am purchasing a 3520 and it cost a lot more for basically the same size tractor, but comes standard with a lot of options you wish you had.
You really have to appreciate the options to justify the up charge. The dealer lots are around here are full of "e's" to compete with other brands. I had to order mine...

This is the problem I had with JD. The "e's" are there to compete against the other brands, but based on price only. The tractors I looked at Kioti/Bobcat, Landini (when it was made by LS) etc, may have been in the same price range as the JD "e's" but weighed in at almost twice as much and had every luxury feature you can imagine. Kubotas standard L series is the same, it's designed to compete on price, but doesn't have the features and leaves you asking "where's the beef".

I like JD, don't get me wrong, my first tractor was a JD 955 that I bought used from a Kubota dealer. I'd still have it if it hadn't of been neglected before I got it, I was just spending too much time fixing small issues.

You will notice a huge change if you add weight to your tractor, and not just for loader work, load those tires. If you really want luxury features, look at ALL the options and ask dealers what they'll do for your trade.

Folio · May 29, 2012

Thanks everyone for your helpful responses. After hearing your experiences and advice, it sounds like filling the tires would go a long way in addressing my dissatisfaction. The ground I have to work is very rough and after even just a few hours in the seat, I feel like I'm in the middle of a bar brawl.

I'm reluctant to start shopping around for a different ride; I know how I get when I start looking at anything better than what I have. I'd quickly lose all my self control and before you can say "TBN" there'd be a new machine in the shed. On second thought . . . :licking:

kiotiken · May 29, 2012

Folio said:
Thanks everyone for your helpful responses. After hearing your experiences and advice, it sounds like filling the tires would go a long way in addressing my dissatisfaction. The ground I have to work is very rough and after even just a few hours in the seat, I feel like I'm in the middle of a bar brawl.

I'm reluctant to start shopping around for a different ride; I know how I get when I start looking at anything better than what I have. I'd quickly lose all my self control and before you can say "TBN" there'd be a new machine in the shed. On second thought . . . :licking:

I'm afraid loading the tires won't get you out of any brawls, but still something you NEED to do, I'd say with any tractor, but especially a lighter tractor.

If you know you're not going to get something new in the near future, you could always start pimpn' your ride. A really nice suspension seat might be just what the dr ordered. Fill the tires, get a deluxe seat and you'll think you did get a new tractor :thumbsup: