New 5075M is at the dealer's!

[bigbull338]

maybe i can address the issue of making silage bales.you need 2 things todo so,1 is a baler that can bale green damp forage.2 a bale wrapper to wrapp the bales asap after baling.an you can cut in the morning an start baling after lunch.

 

[Bigfoot62]

Island Farmer,
I bought a 5085M just over a year ago. Best tractor I've ever owned. :thumbsup:

As far as hp requirements go, here's a pic of it with the 8-shank Hay-King renovator plow. I would have to remove a chisel (or two) if I had any less hp. (or plow much more slowly) With the 5085M, I can plow about 3-4 acres per hour.
No problem with a JD 457 round baler. (4'x5') It will run a Rhino 7' brush-hog and can work it in the 540E setting.

I didn't even consider the 75M. I wanted the higher capacity hydraulics and more hp. (I was replacing a 100hp tractor) My decision was between the 85 and the 95. What made the choice a little easier was a local dealer that had the 85 in stock, with all the options that I wanted and a price I could live with.

I really have no regrets with the 85. 10 more hp would have been nice, I guess, but not really needed. Plus, the 95 would have been about $3000 more, and would presumably burn a little more fuel.

 

[AKfish]

More on the loader tractor combo: so what you are saying is that you have two 96 lb. weights per rear wheel, and you are recommending that I go a step further and add RimGuard for even more rear ballast?

I see that you have a ballast box. I would think that using that with your rear weights should be enough, or an implement hanging off the back -- but no still not enough?

The last questions I can think of right now would be: Do you really think that you needed the front spacers? And, how do you like the front fenders? I've never had front fenders, and none of my friends tractors have front fenders.

And just in response to your comment about the possibility of silage bales. My cows absolutely love them. The upside seems to be that in your climate and mine, there're a little easier to make. The down side is all of the plastic. I guess, if they could find a way to make that stuff recyclable, I might at least consider it. It's not that I'm against using plastic, but I have fed a fair amount of that stuff in the past and I have friends that feed a lot of it, and there just gets to be a hella of a lot of that plastic to deal with.

Island Farmer

Island Farmer,

I haven't been using the ballast box at all. Just the 8' rear blade hanging off the Quick hitch. Lifting some construction materials (steel) and digging a few loads of wet sand... well, the rear end of the tractor was alot lighter than I'd have ever expected!

Depends on how you might use the tractor, I guess. If I could have easily filled the tires (shipping and dealer access to RimGard) - I think it would have been a good idea.

Now that I've had the front wheel spacers and used them... Nah, I wouldn't recommend them. Wouldn't buy 'em again if I could do it over again. They're spaced out so far that they're prone to rubbing the inside edge of the fenders.

Like the fenders, though. Keeps those little mud balls from collecting on the bottom half of the doors. But, it's wet up here and really wet in the fall and the spring. So, slogging around the place and every now and then running down the road a bit - great chance I'm gonna have a splattered cab. And, I'm not interested in washing the tractor every 3 days.

The silage bales would be for sale, mostly. Keep a few for a handful of cows. But, that would be a few years down the road.

AKfish

 

[jenkinsph]

I knew the 5085M had a wet sleeved engine and assumed that most of the 5xxx series tractors were the same. I was not expecting the 5075M to have a parent bore engine. I would definately prefer the wet sleeve engine, alot easier to rebuild imo, makes it something I could do if necessary.

 

[Island Farmer]

Island Farmer,
I bought a 5085M just over a year ago. Best tractor I've ever owned. :thumbsup:

As far as hp requirements go, here's a pic of it with the 8-shank Hay-King renovator plow. I would have to remove a chisel (or two) if I had any less hp. (or plow much more slowly) With the 5085M, I can plow about 3-4 acres per hour.
No problem with a JD 457 round baler. (4'x5') It will run a Rhino 7' brush-hog and can work it in the 540E setting.

I didn't even consider the 75M. I wanted the higher capacity hydraulics and more hp. (I was replacing a 100hp tractor) My decision was between the 85 and the 95. What made the choice a little easier was a local dealer that had the 85 in stock, with all the options that I wanted and a price I could live with.

I really have no regrets with the 85. 10 more hp would have been nice, I guess, but not really needed. Plus, the 95 would have been about $3000 more, and would presumably burn a little more fuel.

Bigfoot62,

Thanks for your information. Your tractor sounds great. In my case, I am still struggling to make the decision between the 5075M and 5085M, here is why:

I want to balance the need for completely adequate horsepower (if I err I would like to give myself a little extra for engine longevity) with my desire to have as fuel efficient a machine as possible. Let my describe my intended use, which I believe is less challenging than yours.

I will be tilling no more than two acres, and possibly less than an acre.

Between my fields and my brother's nearby farm, I will be maintaining around 60 plus acres of pasture. Clean up mowing after rotating the cows on to the next pasture. Also, I mow along the fence line in forested areas, of both of the farms, somewhere between 5000' and 6000' feet of fence line.

Between our fields and some nearby that are available to me, I could be making hay from up to 75 acres of fields, but that would be the outer limits. Much more likely I would be making hay from between 30 and 60 acres of fields.

With the exception of tilling the garden areas, I do not plow, there are just too many rocks where I am.

After reading your post I have a couple of questions:

First, you said that you run a 7' Brush Hog pretty easily in the 540e setting. That really sounds good to me. I currently have a heavy duty Woods 6' rotary mower, which I will probably keep and then add a heavy duty flail mower no wider than 8'. It would be great to use those with the 540e setting.

AKfish, If you are reading this, any comment you might make about your tractor and its capacity to handle an 8' flail mower in 540e pto setting would be appreciated.

Second question for you Bigfoot62, you said that you didn't consider the 5075M because of its smaller hydraulic capacity -- what are you using the greater capacity of your machine for?

Thank you for your input.

Island Farmer

 

[Island Farmer]

I knew the 5085M had a wet sleeved engine and assumed that most of the 5xxx series tractors were the same. I was not expecting the 5075M to have a parent bore engine. I would definately prefer the wet sleeve engine, alot easier to rebuild imo, makes it something I could do if necessary.

jenkinsph, In general I agree with you, but because of the other equipment I have on my farm, especially a Bobcat A300, I will not be using this tractor more than 300 hours per year and could be less. In this case the tractor could outlive me, and still be well under the 8000 hrs. MTBF that AKfish said that the 5075M is rated for. On top of that I am a very careful operator, and a stickler for maintenance.

After reading your signature, I have a question for you, if you don't mind.

It seems that you have a JD L130 lawn tractor.

I have a Simplicity lawn tractor that I bought new 23 years ago. It has a 36" deck, hydrostatic trans. and an IC Briggs single cylinder 12.5 hp motor. I have taken really good care of it, and it has not cost me much at all in repairs. I think though that it is getting to the point of needing to be replaced. I have read all about how you need to spend $6000 to $8000 to get a good lawn tractor that will last, but I think that maybe if you are only using it, as I do, for lawn mowing and nothing else, maybe that just isn't true. I have about 1.5 acres that I mow. It is around barns and in my apple orchard.

Finally, here's the question: how do you like your L130? Do you think that model might do what I need it to do? If not, any other suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks for you input.

Island Farmer

 

[Island Farmer]

Island Farmer,

I haven't been using the ballast box at all. Just the 8' rear blade hanging off the Quick hitch. Lifting some construction materials (steel) and digging a few loads of wet sand... well, the rear end of the tractor was alot lighter than I'd have ever expected!

Depends on how you might use the tractor, I guess. If I could have easily filled the tires (shipping and dealer access to RimGard) - I think it would have been a good idea.

Now that I've had the front wheel spacers and used them... Nah, I wouldn't recommend them. Wouldn't buy 'em again if I could do it over again. They're spaced out so far that they're prone to rubbing the inside edge of the fenders.

Like the fenders, though. Keeps those little mud balls from collecting on the bottom half of the doors. But, it's wet up here and really wet in the fall and the spring. So, slogging around the place and every now and then running down the road a bit - great chance I'm gonna have a splattered cab. And, I'm not interested in washing the tractor every 3 days.

The silage bales would be for sale, mostly. Keep a few for a handful of cows. But, that would be a few years down the road.

AKfish

Thanks again AKfish, I am putting together the specific features that I want on my tractor. By tomorrow I will have the list together and I will post it. I was wondering though, what wheels and tires you have on your tractor? Maybe you posted that information before and I missed it.

I believe that the non option size is:

Front: 11.2-24 8PR R1
Rear: 16.9-30 6PR R1

And what about the Quick Hitch, I haven't used one, do you like it?


Bigfoot62, if you are reading this, I'm sorry that I forgot to ask you about your wheel and tire recommendation. If you have one for me, I am all ears.

Thanks,

Island Farmer

 

[Bigfoot62]

Bigfoot62, . . .

I want to balance the need for completely adequate horsepower (if I err I would like to give myself a little extra for engine longevity) with my desire to have as fuel efficient a machine as possible.

. . . I could be making hay from up to 75 acres of fields . . .

After reading your post I have a couple of questions:

First, you said that you run a 7' Brush Hog pretty easily in the 540e setting. That really sounds good to me. I currently have a heavy duty Woods 6' rotary mower, which I will probably keep and then add a heavy duty flail mower no wider than 8'. It would be great to use those with the 540e setting.

Second question for you Bigfoot62, you said that you didn't consider the 5075M because of its smaller hydraulic capacity -- what are you using the greater capacity of your machine for?

If you're really after engine longevity, go for the 5085M with the wet-sleeve engine. :thumbsup: As for effeciency, the 85M burns between 1.5 and 2 gallons per hour, depending on how hard I work it. As I said earlier, the renovator plow is the hardest pull, followed by the hay baler and 12' disc. My 85M replaced a 100hp NH open station tractor. It was MFWD with a FEL. Great tractor, but it burned about twice as much fuel. (and it didn't have air conditioning)

I do about 55 acres of hay for myself, and also 35 acres for a neighbor. Just my opinion, but I wouldn't want to do that much hay in 4x5 rolls with less hp.

1. I can brush-hog grass and weeds that are waist high in the 540E setting. My 'hog is a 7' single spindle. It's a LOT more of a load than a 6'. I would think that you would have no problems, even with the 75M.
BTW, I also have a twin spindle 10' cutter that runs easily in the 540E setting. But, it's not as hard to turn as the 7' single spindle. Also, the 8' hay mowers will work fine in 540E. The only pto powered equipment that has to have full hp at the pto is the baler.

2. IIRC, the difference between the two is about 4 gpm. That's a 20% increase. I do a lot of loader work. That kind of difference adds up. For instance, I recently started building a barn. I loaded a tractor/trailer dump truck with my 85M. Moved about 350 yards of dirt. I really wouldn't want to do that 20% slower. Also, when I apply ag lime to my hay meadows, it's just dumped, in bulk, on the ground. I load it onto the spreader truck with my tractor. Last winter, that was 62 tons of lime.
Plus, just doing everyday chores with the loader, like moving rolls of hay, is much faster with the greater hydraulic capacity.

I really hope that helps. Good luck with your decision.

 

[Bigfoot62]

Bigfoot62, if you are reading this, I'm sorry that I forgot to ask you about your wheel and tire recommendation. If you have one for me, I am all ears.

Radials. They're worth it. :thumbsup: 18.4R30 rear, and 12.4R24 front.
Larger footprint = less ground pressure, and better traction.
Radial sidewalls flex = better ride.

 

[AKfish]

I've been looking at the MX-8 rotary mower for a while, now. Double spindle, easier startup than the MX-7. For maintainence type mowing - I wouldn't be concerned with running the MX-8 in e540.

IIRC - a flail mower is even easier to startup than a rotary mower. Of course, it's also considered to be a safer alternative around buildings, roadways, etc.. If that's what your planning to do; clean up the road ditches, mow the fencelines - I don't think using the 8' flail mower would be a whole lot more work than the 6' rotary. Either one would be used @ e540 - which is very close to the peak torque output for the 5 cylinder in the 5075M.

I stayed with the 16.9-30's. Of course, the radials are the better option... However, I don't have many options in Alaska to buy replacement tires. I'd guess that if I needed an emergency replacement - radials would be on order; and back ordered, most likely. I would have much better odds finding a set of 16.9-30's.

I do like the Quick hitch. It fits the rear blade like a glove and my roto-tiller is also setup for the QH. Back - up, lift and slide the pto shaft on - ready to work!

Regarding the engine block type. The only real advantage - IMO - to having a wet sleeved engine and DIY overhaul is if you do an "in-frame" rebuild. Clearly, that is easier than splitting the tractor and replacing the engine. How much... well, that would depend upon whether you turned the crankshaft down or not - or replaced it with a new crankshaft. That's more time. And if you decided to replace the clutch, resurface/replace the flywheel, new pressure plate, throwout bearing --- well, you've just spit the tractor.....

Time comes - I'm gonna buy a warrantied, Reman from Deere (long block) and redo the clutch, etc. at the same time.

It all comes out a wash - IMO.

AKfish