Choosing between used JD 4720 and 5075

[Bill Guenthner]

Another question: how likely am I to get a 5075E stuck in the woods?

Extremely likely. How will you pull it out. My UTV can pull my tractor. Guess how I know that and how useful that's been. Wait until you mangle a hydro line 500 feet into the trees.

 

[Joe2399]

Extremely likely. How will you pull it out.

I'd probably rent an excavator. After doing that a couple times, I'd consider buying one.

 

[CobyRupert]

You mention side hills and working in the woods.
Does the 4720 have adjustable width rims?
I bough my 5075E to clear trees… on a side hill. The factory width setting wasn’t too bad, until the uphill tire would find a stump to climb up on hidden under the winter snow. Actually, it was bad.

Widening the tires to the largest width was the best thing I did. 110% more confidence. I can pretty much set that tractor on its side and I’ll chicken out and slide off the seat way before the tractor would realistically tip over.

Weight is also your friend for traction and can help with stability. When pulling and yanking logs on a side hill, forces and things don’t always go as expected. I liked its loader lift capacity too.

 

[mo1]

I think mo1 did a good comparison. I owned a 5525M I think. Believe the R is the top model and mine was not. But a top-notch tractor. Had the power reverse and with front end loader worked very well. Sold it when I quit farming and looked heavy as the 4000 series JD. Don't forget the higher ground clearance is moving the weight higher make it more likely to tip sideways. Higher also means more climbing to the platform. You did not mention cabs but if you are looking at them I did not like the 4000 series cab and bought Kubota in that size for that reason.

Be sure you understand the letter in the model number and what all changes with the letter. Drive each model you are considering, the different letters in the model does change more on the tractor than I would have thought. mo1 mention difference in clutch and I think transmission, until you use both you will not realize the difference. I do not want a transmission that is not FULLY synchronized in all gears.

The 5525 was made before Deere changed the models to the numbers-and-a-letter setup they use today and the "what replaced what" in their model lines became very murky at about that time period. The 5225 and 5325 used the four-cylinder 5000 series chassis and the five-cylinder engine from their skid loader line, the 5425 and 5525 were very similar to the 5420 and 5520 (which themselves were very similar to the 5410 and 5510.) The 65 and 75 HP first-generation 5Ms did continue to use the five-cylinder engine used in 5225 and 5325 but they used a different chassis that was even longer than the 5x25s used. The 5x25 units were the high-end 5000 series units at the time, the 5x03 were the more basic units based off of the previous 5x00/5x10 three-cylinder chassis and the 5x05 were an even shorter wheelbase unit that was brought over from the Indian market. The 5x05 MFWDs were discontinued and the 2WD versions became the 5D, and then those were discontinued here in the U.S. in the early 2010s although they are still made for the Indian market. The 5x03 line and some of the 5x25 line became the 3 and 4 cylinder 5Es, and the 5M sort of replaced the rest. The 5R was a new chassis only introduced a few years ago.

Deere's current 5 series transmissions all have fully synchronized gear shifts after they discontinued the unsynchronized Collar Shift transmission about the time they did the Tier 4 Final redesign. Some have unsynchronized range shifts, but some versions even have synchros on some of the range shifts as well. The only current U.S. market Deere transmission I know of with unsynchronized gear shifts is in the 3D series.

 

[TimberFarm]

I've ruled out a cab because I figure it'll just get beat up real fast in the woods, and I imagine I will be hopping on and off a lot for the sorts of things I'll be doing. I don't have any large fields where I'll just be going back and forth with an implement or whatever. Most of my work will be either in the woods, or random stuff around the gardens & barns.

Actually that is why I want my next tractor to have a cab. I have a small JD 3203 and also a "beater" tractor Jinma 354. I used to have 5+ acres of woods and wet areas and I got tired of being smacked in the face/head by branches and having mud flung up on me.
Now, 54 acres of fast growing trees. Plan on building a house on it, and years ago when we first bought it, I had excavators cut a very rough driveway. My two little tractors won't cut it. They served me well on the 5 acres. The Jinma was my first tractor. Learned a lot due to having to work on it so much. Not running issues, but hydraulic issues. If I put that thing in low range 1st gear it would probably climb a tree.
But, time to get bigger (and more comfortable).
Looking at 75hp tractors.

 

[Joe2399]

Well, I chose. 5075E arriving next week. Unfortunately I couldn't find what I wanted in the used market for anything but a pretty small discount to new, so I went with a new machine.

Reasons I chose this over a 4720/4066:

- Larger frame and heavier....I'm hoping this, plus filled tires, and moving wheels out as wide as they'll go, will make for a more stable platform than wide+filled wheels on a 4-series (though maybe each properly configured would be equivalent)

- Clearance: 5 series has more clearance than 4, steering components on the 4 are pretty low. I'll be beating this thing up in my rocky woods.

- Cat 2 vs Cat 1 hitch. I'm gonna use a backhoe attachment occasionally; the stronger hitch and mounting hardware gives me the option to do this in 3pt variety (ie, without installing a backhoe subframe...which I might do anyway, but dealer assures me it'll be fine on the 3pt)

- More power (and traction) for hauling logs out of the woods uphill.

- Ultimately just more operational options with the bigger machine. I realized the 4-series is probably too big for around my house/barns anyways, so may as well go a level up since work in narrower spaces is ruled out for me to begin with. So more power for fields and woods.

Anyway, we'll see. Maybe in a year or two I'll wish I had the smaller tractor, but I suspect if I'm not happy with the 5075E, my conclusion will be that I should go more specialized and buy a skid-steer & and a mini-ex or something. Seems some people start with a utility tractor and end up with that conclusion. We'll see - looking forward to the tractor right now though.

 

[CobyRupert]

As a 5075 owner…cheers!

Everybody here warns with a vengeance not to use 3 point mounted backhoe as they claim it will overpower and bust the tractor’s rear end.
I suppose they work fine right up to that point.

 

[Joe2399]

As a 5075 owner…cheers!

Everybody here warns with a vengeance not to use 3 point mounted backhoe as they claim it will overpower and bust the tractor’s rear end.
I suppose they work fine right up to that point.

Yeah. I talked to the dealer about that. I plan to do a Woods BH80-x on the 3pt of the 5075E. The dealer assured me that'd be fine...minimal risk. That backhoe (which is all I need) is normally on much smaller tractors. Dealer noted that the issue of castings and whatnot breaking from 3pt backhoes is something he's seen on subcompacts, not full size tractors.

So we'll see. I'm still gonna be careful with it.

 

[WVH1977]

Well, I chose. 5075E arriving next week. Unfortunately I couldn't find what I wanted in the used market for anything but a pretty small discount to new, so I went with a new machine.

Reasons I chose this over a 4720/4066:

- Larger frame and heavier....I'm hoping this, plus filled tires, and moving wheels out as wide as they'll go, will make for a more stable platform than wide+filled wheels on a 4-series (though maybe each properly configured would be equivalent)

- Clearance: 5 series has more clearance than 4, steering components on the 4 are pretty low. I'll be beating this thing up in my rocky woods.

- Cat 2 vs Cat 1 hitch. I'm gonna use a backhoe attachment occasionally; the stronger hitch and mounting hardware gives me the option to do this in 3pt variety (ie, without installing a backhoe subframe...which I might do anyway, but dealer assures me it'll be fine on the 3pt)

- More power (and traction) for hauling logs out of the woods uphill.

- Ultimately just more operational options with the bigger machine. I realized the 4-series is probably too big for around my house/barns anyways, so may as well go a level up since work in narrower spaces is ruled out for me to begin with. So more power for fields and woods.

Anyway, we'll see. Maybe in a year or two I'll wish I had the smaller tractor, but I suspect if I'm not happy with the 5075E, my conclusion will be that I should go more specialized and buy a skid-steer & and a mini-ex or something. Seems some people start with a utility tractor and end up with that conclusion. We'll see - looking forward to the tractor right now though.

You will be happy with this tractor. Congrats. Maybe in a couple of years you will come back looking for a bigger tractor with more power.

 

[Joe2399]

You will be happy with this tractor. Congrats. Maybe in a couple of years you will come back looking for a bigger tractor with more power.

Haha, yeah