branson tractors

[kzehr75]

see alot of these around here and would like a little information about them. are they something to stay away from, parts accessible, durability, good motors,etc. for those who have one, would you bu another? thanks

 

[ericm979]

There's a brand-specific forum for Branson if you scroll down past the Kubota and Deere ones.

I'm liking mine but it's only a few months old so I have no input on long term durabilty. The motors are Cummins licensed and approved. I've never heard of a problem with the motors except one guy on youtube who kept running his with the radiator clogged with chaff on a 100+ degree day. I had been considering the Kubota L3301/3901. The 20/25 series Bransons have a lot of nice features over the L 01s. I especially like the electric independent PTO that lets me turn the PTO chipper on and off while standing next to the tractor instead of getting on the seat, or turn off the mower while moving (I throttle down to idle to turn it on). Another feature that I use a lot is the super tight turning circle.

There's different size wheels and tires available on the Bransons. I chose the smallest IND-10 wheels to get a lower center of gravity for stability on hills.

 

[Kentuckyfarmer]

There's a brand-specific forum for Branson if you scroll down past the Kubota and Deere ones.

I'm liking mine but it's only a few months old so I have no input on long term durabilty. The motors are Cummins licensed and approved. I've never heard of a problem with the motors except one guy on youtube who kept running his with the radiator clogged with chaff on a 100+ degree day. I had been considering the Kubota L3301/3901. The 20/25 series Bransons have a lot of nice features over the L 01s. I especially like the electric independent PTO that lets me turn the PTO chipper on and off while standing next to the tractor instead of getting on the seat, or turn off the mower while moving (I throttle down to idle to turn it on). Another feature that I use a lot is the super tight turning circle.

There's different size wheels and tires available on the Bransons. I chose the smallest IND-10 wheels to get a lower center of gravity for stability on hills.

I seen that YouTube video. It was also inside some sort of greenhouse. The dust was so thick you couldn't hardly see. I bush hog about 18 to 20 acres 4 to 5 times a year. When the grass and weeds have gone to seed I had troubles with radiator getting lots of seeds and chaf covering it. A lot of the problem was the exhaust pointing down in front of the tractor blowing the crap up. Last fall I removed the soot cooker and installed exhaust up to the top of the cab level. I hogged the fields down once this year and never had to clean the radiator. Was almost as clean as when I started. What a difference it was. Was also getting lots of grass and chaf getting thrown all over the back of the tractor from the bush hog and bought a 5 inch round baler belt from tsc and bolted in on the front of the hog and now the back of the tractor stays lots cleaner. As far as the tractor goes it's not a John Deere or Kubota nor did it cost as much either but it does the jobs I do with it just as good and haven't had any problems except for the exhaust blowing crap to be sucked in the radiator. I have a Kubota and John Deere dealer not 2 miles from me across the street from one another and both wanted more money than I had and first born for their tractors. The Branson I got was heavier and more horse power for lots cheaper. I would recommend Branson. Just have to remember it's a tractor not a bulldozer. You beat on it it's like anything else it won't last.

 

[Slowpoke Slim]

My sentiments are about equal to Kentucky's. I've also only had mine a few months. I was not brand loyal at all when I started searching. Honestly, the main reason I bought Branson was the dealer was the only one that gave me the time of day (have 4 others in town that know zero about customer service). The only other dealer that even took the time to speak to me at all was the JD dealer, and he didn't have anything remotely close to what I was looking for sitting on his lot, and made zero effort of any kind to get one in so I could look at it. So he wanted me to drop 50K on a tractor sight unseen, by basically looking at a brochure and a picture on the JD website. My Branson came in 20K cheaper, and so far, has done anything I've asked of it.

My 2 cents worth would be to pick the dealer, not the brand. A good dealer means everything. Try to play with as many models as you can, to check features, transmission styles, controls, etc. HP is great, but so is tractor weight. I like the weight on the Bransons, heavy for their HP, mine weighs just over 6K (estimated, haven't scaled it yet) with the FEL, box blade and filled rear tires. Also, don't forget about attachments, as important as the tractor. A tractor without attachments is like buying a shop air compressor without any air tools. Sure you can run it around, but it's the tools that do the work.

 

[Texasmark]

My story: In 2007 I was 2 years retired and tired of old, open station, antiquated controlled, ancient designed tractors. I started shopping the local colors which included old reliables plus some new players. This started in about March and concluded in around May. Conclusion: So much for that.

In September of that year I was driving down the interstate and saw a row of pretty red-orange tractors up against a fence in a nice row. In short, it looked good enough to make a u turn and investigate.

I bought my 6530C for these reasons, if I can remember them all:
1. Cab. I was going to have one on my new tractor and this one was just right for my 6'5" 250 (at the time) frame. It had a a high back seat with arm rests and an air compressor. That I didn't find on any of the spring shopped units....not that it wasn't available, it just wasn't sitting there for me to sit in and realize what it was worth to me.

2. Next it had the Cummins B 3.3 NA 4 cylinder naturally aspired 4 cyl. engine. I have run Cummins engines before and know their worth, however I didn't like the turbo and being at 900 ft elevation, didn't want it nor need it. Other engines shopped in spring were unknown to me....not knocking them, just unknown to me.

3. It had pin and socket adjustable arms on the 3 pt which I didn't find before....not that they didn't exist or were available, just didn't have them on the ones I viewed.

4. The lift arms had the adjustable ends which were a must. Don't remember on the others having or not.

5. What I didn't find in the spring and hit home immediately, was a little lever I could move, standing at the 3 pt to move the arms up and down. That sold me. I work alone and hooking up 3 pt implements were always a PIA and here this unknown mfgr. put all these conveniences here for me to help my hook up by myself with minimum trouble....said it all.

6. I have 3 PTO speeds and can select between Ind. or Live....both electrical controlled, only difference is that in Live the clutch can interrupt the PTO like when doing fence post holes...perfect.

7. There is a switch to operate my 3 pt whereby once I set it up, to raise and lower to the preset positions, at the end of a row, all I do is hit the switch, execute my turn and hit it again...back in business.

8. The steering is hydro like most so that was a no brainer but what I did like was the steering wheel not only raised and lowered, which I didn't find, it was also tilting so that if your seat was close to it you could tilt it out of the way to get in and out.

9. Had 24 gears: 4 gears per range, 3 ranges, plus a creep that cut all the ranges in half all available in F and R. With that was the shuttle sifter, clutch assisted, that I found extremely useful.

10. Fuel fill was at waist level like most.

11. Tractor was built like a tank. I don't know how much the loader weighs, but the tractor is heavy witnessed by the thickness of the metals used and the weight spec'd in Tractor Data (for the basic unit) I guess.

12. Loader was joystick controlled like most but unlike my old tractors with the conventional 2 handles.

13. FEL had the skid steer dimensioned QD so rather than 4 points to make and break (on my old JD 157 (I think) which was a nightmare) two levers and you are in and out. This made swapping implements a breeze when working cows in the winter.


Price with FEL, 6' HD bucket. Hay spike, and med. duty 6' cutter was $37k. Not cheap. However, this dealer did what no others offered to do: He took in 3 tractors in trade, bought the buyer by the house before the sale, had him test them and gave me a hard ball price before the purchase. Tractors were aJD 4010D with loader, MF 35D, and Ford 3000D recently redone engine and paint.

Problems over the years:

1. Seat wiring wasn't done correctly which I corrected. AC and seat were on the same circuit and if AC was on and you punched the seat power button the fuse would blow. No biggie, just found another fuse slot and wired to that.

2. Must have been the early days of that tractor or the AC cab or whatever, but I prematurely wore out the pulley on the AC tensioner arm. The roaming service rep fixed me up in short order with a new belt, pulley, and pulley arm with a redesigned unit that hasn't had a problem in over 10 years.

3. I was mowing pasture one day and hit a rock with my drum mower and blew out the right cab door. Had a replacement in about 3 days, not a warranty item, was after the warranty anyway.

That's it. Sooooo last Jan. I decided I wanted a little chore tractor to do jobs around the farm and bought a 2400. Didn't look at anything else, just went to the dealer, bought it and had to wait several days for the next truch as he was temporarily sold out. Guess I liked the 6530. Grin

 

[Kentuckyfarmer]

Texasmark----a testament that Branson is a decent tractor. Nice write up!! Retired in 2010 and in my years of farming on my grandmothers and uncles farm and having my own little place all the dust, chaf and bugs from open station tractors I figured and wouldn't settle for anything without a cab with air and heat. I enjoy farming and animals and what years I have left I wanted to enjoy the time in the tractor seat as much as possible. We had cabs on a couple tractors but nothing with heat and air. Just kept the cold wind off a person in the winter and rain from soaking a body. But in the summer doors were off and most windows were removed so dust, bugs was still a bother.

 

[Texasmark]

Texasmark----a testament that Branson is a decent tractor. Nice write up!! Retired in 2010 and in my years of farming on my grandmothers and uncles farm and having my own little place all the dust, chaf and bugs from open station tractors I figured and wouldn't settle for anything without a cab with air and heat. I enjoy farming and animals and what years I have left I wanted to enjoy the time in the tractor seat as much as possible. We had cabs on a couple tractors but nothing with heat and air. Just kept the cold wind off a person in the winter and rain from soaking a body. But in the summer doors were off and most windows were removed so dust, bugs was still a bother.

Thank you sir. Just wanted to inform folks asking that there is another model out there (besides all the popularly discussed badges) that bears their thoughts. What's in it for me? May be their best purchase and parts down the road for me when and if I need them from a company still in business because people buy their products.

 

[rydfree]

My 3520 has been great . 910 hrs so far clearing 8 acres to build a homestead and 1/2 acre pond . No complaints whatsoever

Before after - YouTube

Branson clearing land - YouTube