Recommendations please

[jenkinsph]

I just read through the thread and am a bit perplexed with some of the dialogue, as I am also looking at another tractor and have used a few different criteria. .... I need a tractor capable of handling significant weight with the front end loader, but since I keep up 41 acres, I also need to heavily consider the hp out the rear to shred the pastures. I currently use an old 57 hp tractor with 52hp out the pto to shred with, and am constantly wishing for more hp or a multi gearbox shredder. (My 6 ft shredder does not develop the blade tip speed necessary to effectively shred thick bahia mid summer at a decent ground speed.) ....I plan to solve this with a 15 ft batwing of specific choice(high blade tip speed) and an upgrade to a smaller 4WD tractor/FEL with as much hp running out the back as possible.

....Taking this all into consideration, I have settled on the Mahindra 5035 for the tractor of choice. There will still be times that it is a bit undersized, but the versatility of the smaller frame will make up for it when using the FEL. ...I considered others, and looked at the HST options quite closely, but felt the loss of PTO hp would definitely drop mowing performance to unacceptable levels. (Sizing this closely can mean the difference between 'crawling' around a pasture with a couple less hp, or just mowing on through.) ...Weight is another issue when working with a FEL or any ground work, and the Mahindra is hard to match in the price vs. weight arena. ....And last but not least, the dealer is 10 miles away, and selling that specific batwing cutter I want.

An all around tractor is a VERY complex choice, and something that often leaves one with specific regrets. ....I hope you find exactly what you need for your situation!

Looks like you are moving down in pto hp while moving up dramatically in cutter size from 6' to 15'. My experience with Bahia grass is that it is tough to cut and hard to chew (wears the cows teeth down).

Seems you are in a tough spot, need a tractor large enough to operate a 15' cutter and at the same time need a compact for fel work. Nothing wrong with Mahindra 5035 except it is small for the mowing work and not as good as a hydro for fel work.

If I had a lot of fel work to do I would consider the 4720 hydro as it still has more pto hp than the Mahindra 5035. Would also consider a larger Mahindra too if you go with the 15' cutter. I think a 4720 with an 8' two spindle cutter would be able to cut faster than the lower hp tractor and either mower. Lots of tractor brands to consider but I am more familiar with the Deere stuff.

 

[LAWALLSTRACTOR]

In most of your mowing situations a Mahindra 5035 will run an 8 or 10' twin spindle schredder just fine. Once in a blue moon you may come upon some very heavy grass and have to slow down a gear, but I think you would find it a rare accurance. Some times mower manufacturers put the HP needed up, because some of the tractors in a certain HP range may not be heavy enough to lift that large a mower. That was told to me by Howse Implement.

 

[jenkinsph]

In most of your mowing situations a Mahindra 5035 will run an 8 or 10' twin spindle schredder just fine. Once in a blue moon you may come upon some very heavy grass and have to slow down a gear, but I think you would find it a rare accurance. Some times mower manufacturers put the HP needed up, because some of the tractors in a certain HP range may not be heavy enough to lift that large a mower. That was told to me by Howse Implement.

That rare occurance would be Bahia grass, I think it is related to wire rope.

 

[hyperrust]

Personally, I wouldn't go with the 4105 unless you have good deal on one. The 4105 has the same loader as the 3x20 series, so it isn't as strong as a different 4000 series in those terms. I'd either look at a 3720 or a 4120. Without baling though I don't think you would need anything more than a 3x20 series. A cab would be nice too:thumbsup:

I did end up buying a used 4105 with only 128 hrs. It is in great shape and it came with an older but usable rotary cutter. It passed a basic inspection at the JD dealer before the sale went through, but it was purchased from a private seller. I did want to get something with a stronger loader, but this came along, was a good deal, and frankly I was tired of looking and over analyzing every tractor I saw! We decided not to use round bales so I didn't need something to handle that. Also, I have a tendency to over- buy for my needs, and I tried not to do that for once! I believe the JD website says this model is for "lifestyle farmers." I think there may be a lot of us who tend more toward this categorization than we'd like to admit.

I haven't put many hours on it yet so I can't give an adequate review yet. I do love the hydro, and it seems just as easy as my lawn mower to drive. I wish it had the heavy duty bucket, but I have plans to reinforce the standard bucket on this one and add some hooks. I hadn't considered John Deere tractors before because of the perceived higher cost I had in my mind. I've been told JD tractors have good resale values, so I suppose if this isn't working for me I can trade it in the future. I think it will be fine though, and I am looking forward to more seat time when all this rain stops. I've read that it is not as easy as some other tractors to add remotes for grapples, etc., but that is still part of my plan. I'm sure there is a workaround.

Thanks to all for the many suggestions. I will try to update in the future about how it is working out for me.

 

[hyperrust]

Pics!

Arrival day.
Trying it out for the first time at our place ( nice to finally have after 1.5years here without one!)
Three very curious horses, wondering if this big green thing is friend or foe. ( They have since decided that it is OK.)