Little Machine, Big Heart... Right Size
Model Year: 2007
The JD 3520 has proven to be just the right tractor for me. I seriously considered Kubota and New Holland, and also looked at Montana, Mahindra, and Branson, but I opted for JD. Familiarity with JD was a big factor. I had many hours on a JD 790 and quite frequently borrowed a friend's JD 4610 in the year before I bought my own tractor. I gave up on used quite early in my search as pickings were sparse, prices were close to new, and I couldn't find anything close to what I wanted. After using the 4610, I thought about the 4020 series, but settled for the 3520 for both budget and size tradeoffs. The smaller 3520 was definitely a better fit for my teenage daughter to learn on (though she had experience on both the 790 and 4610). I am seldom limited by the smaller tractor (I did opt for a larger bucket - a decision I have been very pleased with - with hooks welded on the top), and it handles all the implements that belong to the 4610 owner as well. So far, the only real limitation is that it's harder to pull trucks out of snow filled ditches than with the bigger tractor. My primary tasks are mowing, working the compost/muck pile, dragging the fields and arena, and snow removal. It also gets top billing in driveway maintenance and landscaping chores. I've also used it to clear out a couple of beaver dams in tight areas - where I really appreciated the small size! Major implements are a 6' rear deck field mower, drag harrow, 6' spring harrow/groomer, 50 bushel manure spreader, 6' rear blade, 6' (3-pt.) snow blower. I hire out my hay cutting and baling, but the 3520 handles just about everything else on the property. My wife and daughter have both put a number of hours behind the wheel harrowing (both the arena and turning the hay field for reseeding), mowing and moving rocks. The hydrostatic transmission makes it easy to operate and teach newbies. To date, the biggest problem was when one of the hydraulic lines wore against a bracket and started leaking last summer. I was down for a couple of days, but my salesman dropped by with the repaired part and helped replace it. I believe a good dealership is as important as a good tractor! The dealership is about 70 miles away, but my salesman lives a few miles from me and delivers parts and will even haul my tractor back for service when necessary. The only other issue I've had was killing my battery trying to start a frozen tractor a couple of winters ago. Keeping the heater plugged in before trying to start on -10 degree mornings has prevented a repeat performance. With more experience behind me, there have been occasions where a larger tractor would have been nice, but I do appreciate the maneuverability of the 3520. I did not opt for the mid-PTO (no loss), but I sometimes worry that I might someday regret not getting rear hydraulics.
Pros: Solid build, power in a small package, easy to operate, cost to own/operate, maneuverability.
Cons: Not big/powerful enough for the really big jobs.
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