Thanks for taking the time to explain the different FEL specs. That saved me a ton of time reading thru numerous posts trying to figure it out on my own. I appreciate it.
To answer your question above, the last time I was serious about purchasing a tractor, almost 3 years ago, while visiting my home town I met with a dealer (who I trust would give me good advise) and he recommended a
B7800 as the smallest for my needs or the L series; "no bigger than an
L4400". I spent an hour driving a
B7800 and an
L3400 around his lot and liked both of them. On the drive home I stopped at another dealer and sat (did not drive) on a M (don't remember the exact model) and liked the larger frame. Then the econony took the dump and I eventually bought a (very) used JD 2630 (58HP) which leaks fluid like a sieve, performs properly only when it feels like it and has a misaligned (bent) FEL. The 2630 is too big for my needs.
Now I've decided to treat myself to a brand new rig so I'm catching up on what's new over the past 3 years. A week ago I started a thread titled "Seeking Advice On Which Model To Buy". The consensus of those who replied ranges from the
L3800 thru MX5100. You commented in that thread "if it were me, I'd favor the larger size machines, either the
L4400 or the MX".
That brings me to today; if I decide on the smaller end I'll get an L3800HST, on the larger end I'll get an MX4700HST (which pushes the high end of my budget); both new product lines. In-between is the time proven
L4400 but I'm leaning toward the new product lines.
I still need to get by a dealer but everyday when the sun comes up my priority is building our house so I'm doing my research online in the early mornings. When I finally do go to a dealer I want to be as prepared and educated as I can be to make the trip as productive as possible.
If I understand it correctly, with the elimination of the
L4400 next fall there won't be anything between the
L3800 and MX4700.
Thanks for listening,
Greg