Branson 2810/3510

[Anonymous Poster]

Hiya guys,

My first post here! Just wanted a little info to help me clear some things up... I'm looking at purchasing a Branson 2810/3510 w/ FEL, 5' BB, & 5' BH. I can get the 2810 with everything for $13,790 or the 3510 for $15,590. The catch is, I have about 1.8 acres that I will be mainly mowing (85% of the time) but I do help out the friends and family when needed (moving brush, digging ditches etc) so I want something strong enough to help but not so big I look stupid mowing a yard with a $13k lawn mower! /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

I live in a pretty rural section of North Carolina with the nearest Branson dealer about 7 miles away. I like the Branson's look and stance. I have did my homework (for about 2 months now) and found that the Branson has the best bang for the buck. I have other dealers close to me also (Kioti, NH, MF etc.) They are all in-line but usually $500 to $2500 higher and most of the units don't look as sturdy as the Branson does.
The only other question I have is: Is hydrostatic better than Synchromesh in terms of reliability or does it even matter?

Thanks guys! I enjoy reading the forums here, they help me tremendously.
PS. Give Branson/Century their own thread!!

 

[19th_VA]

Welcome, Dave. You may start WWIII again with the hydro vs. gear debate. Personally, I prefer the simplicity and the power you get from a gear driven tractor. Can't speak much to reliability but it certainly would cost more to fix a hydro. I presume you know that Branson does not make a hydrostatic transmission at this time.

I do have a question for you. The prices you gave include everything (backhoe, fel, and bb? Seems impossible. And I wouldn't worry about looking stupid--assuming you do any work around the house at all, the tractor will make everything easier, and you'll make more friends who won't want to say you look stupid because they'll want to use the tractor! The Bransons are big and heavy no doubt about it.

 

[Pacesetter300]

I echo the welcome. As for the gear/hydro, I don't think there's much difference in reliability. You will have to replace the clutch at some point on the gear. The hydro might need a rebuild if you keep it long enough, that would be expensive.
Seems to me like the 2810 would be fine for what you have in mind. I would go for the R3, turf tires as the others might do a number on the lawn. I would start with a 60" RFM and adjust up or down depending on your conditions. I would be surprised if the Back Hoe were included in that price. Seems like you have an excellent deal - Enjoy!
Pacesetter

 

[Chipperman]

Hello Guys
Since the post says "<font color="blue"> 5' BH.</font>" And I have yet to see a 5' backhoe I think he ment "brush hog"
Chipperman

 

[Chipperman]

Dave71
On closer inspection even assuming you mean "brush hog" if you think he is a good honest dealer I wood stop what I am doing jump in your car, run down their and buy the 2810. I sounds to good to be true. Even with out the <font color="blue"> "5' BB, & 5' BH"</font> it sounds like a very good deal.
Chipperman

 

[markie61]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I am doing jump in your car, run down their and buy the 2810)</font>

A bid red<font color="red"> AMEN!!!! </font> to that!

Mark

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Haha, as you guys can see I'm a little green with the lingo but, here is exactly what I meant:

2810
5' Clipper Brush Cutter (AKA: BH)
5' Box Blade (AKA: BB)
Front End Loader (AKA: FEL)

I could get the 3510 for $800 more.

No Backhoe (I wished for $13k!! I would not have even posted! hehe).

I'm gonna probably swap the bush hog for a finishing mower with a few $$$ to boot i bet. Maybe $200 - $400 extra for 60".

I was looking at the R4 tires vs. the Turf tires but i fear that if i get the turf and i end up in a field I'll get stuck! But, i don't wanna destory the yard either :/

I have read multiple posts in here about R4 vs. Turf but I guess that I need a little reassurance /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Thanks for the welcome and thanks for the help!! <font color="red"> </font>

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Welcome Dave, sounds like you are making a good choice. For what you want to do, the 2810 should do fine. I have the R4s on my 3520. I agonized long and hard in deciding whether to go with R1s or R4s. In the end, I'm sure I made the right decision. I never entertained the idea of Turfs for the very reason you mentioned.

Regarding the hydro versus shuttle shift controversy, I would like to point out something that often gets left out of the arguments. Because of the hydro's losses, you need a bigger engine driving the hydro to get the same PTO HP as the shuttle shift. This means a hydro costs more twice over--extra $$$ for the hydro and extra $$$ for a bigger engine.

So, if you are considering getting a hydro versus a shuttle shift, make sure you compare the PTO horsepower of the candidates, not the engine horsepower. The 2810 has 24 PTO HP, according to the Branson service manual. Moving up to the 3510 should get you 33 PTO HP. BTW, that's a significant difference--percentagewise--for only $800.

You might also want to take a good look at that box blade the dealer is offering. There are some real light weight cheapies out there (check a few threads here). You will be much better off with a heavy substantial box, if that's not what he's offering you.

If you measure the thickness of the end plates, you can get an idea of its quality. Look for plates at least 3/8 of an inch thick. 1/2 inch is better. A lot of light weight boxes have only 1/4 inch plates. When I bought my tractor, I told the dealer I wanted a HD box blade, after looking at the one he proposed I get. Moving up to a heavier unit only cost an extra $15. I still got an off-brand, as many of them are, but at least it's a heavier off-brand.

Again, welcome and good luck with whatever you choose.

SnowRidge

 

[19th_VA]

Snowridge brings up a good point. Why do we spend so much time finding the perfect tractor and then just get whatever implements the dealer has? I know not everyone does this but from my experience it does happen a lot. The implement, it seems to me, does just as much work as the tractor and should be of sufficient quality to do what we want. I suspect people get caught up in the package deal mentality but implements are not all that expensive compared to the tractor.

 

[Pacesetter300]

Thanks Chipperman, Sometimes I get the BH mixed up with some of the BS.
/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Pacesetter