Looking at 3038, 3000 series, or 4000 series - your thoughts?

[andrewj]

I almost considered the other thread, but I'd like info from an owning operating perspective.

The work I need to do is bush hogging with a 6 foot medium duty cutter, some finish mowing with a 7 foot mower that I will aquire, and moving heavy clay with the loader. Every now and then dragging logs.

My last tractor was a much larger 5105 that did everything I needed.

So my concerns with all but the 4000 series is loader lifting capacity - Just want to make sure they all can move a heaping load of wet clay.

With the 3038, no cruse control so mowing would be tough right? Really attracted to this tractor for the price.

With the 3000 series in general I seem to see owning/operating problems come up more than others.

Any thoughts on my choice?

[sunnyside360]

I currently have both a 3720 and a 4320. Nothing against the 3x20 but the 4x20 would be better suited for the tasks you have. I use my 4320 mostly for the type of work you described, ie, FEL work, cutting with 6 ft rotary cutter, rototilling with 5 ft rototiller, some plowing with 2 bottom plow, some harrowing and etc. My 3720 has lots of power but it is much lighter for that sort of use.

[CinderSchnauzer]

Not sure how much heavy clay you want to lift at one time. Around here you can purchase "black soil" from the landscape places in One Cubic Yard bags with four lifting handles. my 3320 with pallet forks can usually lift one of those, without problem, at least high enough to set on a trailer. I have refilled some of the bags with a mixture of dirt / rocks and if slightly overfilled the FEL will barely lift. I have no bush hog experience or 7' mower - mine is 6' - but I suspect, in the long run you would be happier with 4x20 series.

[charleyfarmall]

The 3000 will lift around 1600 lbs and the 4000 lifts 2200 lbs, sometimes a little more. The 4000 is wider, heavier, and a little longer so it's more stable for heavy lifting. Even with 1000 lbs on the back and carrying a ton of wet lime on a pallet down near the ground I've had a rear wheel lift. 90% of the time the 4520 is the perfect tractor but sometimes I need the loader from the 5 series. If I get my crawler repaired I'll be all set...

The 4000 is almost as nimble as the 3000 and I would never go back.