test drove my first branson today

[deer assassin]

I have been looking at ls and kioto and thought today i would go and look at a branson

i drove a

4520 c

4720 h

and a 5220 r


i have to admit i was impressed they ran smooth as butter of course my tractor at home is a 67 oliver 550

I also drove a kioti dk4510 and there was no comparison IMO I liked the branson better

I just did not care for the hydrostatic drive i guess i could get used to it but the shuttle syncro seemed fine to me

i liked the fact there is no regen on the motor

i could see one at the house soon.

 

[Kentuckyfarmer]

I have been looking at ls and kioto and thought today i would go and look at a branson

i drove a

4520 c

4720 h

and a 5220 r


i have to admit i was impressed they ran smooth as butter of course my tractor at home is a 67 oliver 550

I also drove a kioti dk4510 and there was no comparison IMO I liked the branson better

I just did not care for the hydrostatic drive i guess i could get used to it but the shuttle syncro seemed fine to me

i liked the fact there is no regen on the motor

i could see one at the house soon.

I am pleased with the one I have. I had a John Deere track loader or highlift what ever you like to call them that had a direction reverser that I ran for close to ten years. It worked the same as a shuttle shift and my first hydro was the bx23 Kubota. Was Leary of it but after having it I really like it and that's the reason I got the Branson with a hydro. I made a few changes like extend the three point control leaver so I didn't have to bend down to pick up implement or put it down. It's at a comfortable height now. And moved the cruise control and pto buttons over by the rear hydro controls also so I didn't have to bend over to set cruise or turn on pto. They are also mechanical injection pumps and not a common rail. No computer control, no limp mode. If the dpf get plugged it's an easy fix not to have that problem with out hacking a computer or reprogramming it. Other than those few changes for comfort the tractor has been flawless. Getting close to 500 hours.

 

[ericm979]

The dual counterbalancers in the four cylinder motors make them smooth. HST is nice if you need to reverse or change speed often while running a pto implement like a mower. My land's steep and I only mow small sections at the moment so it's rare to go the same direction and speed for long. If you're mowing more open fields or roadsides its not so much of an issue.

 

[madpuma13]

I am pleased with the one I have. I had a John Deere track loader or highlift what ever you like to call them that had a direction reverser that I ran for close to ten years. It worked the same as a shuttle shift and my first hydro was the bx23 Kubota. Was Leary of it but after having it I really like it and that's the reason I got the Branson with a hydro. I made a few changes like extend the three point control leaver so I didn't have to bend down to pick up implement or put it down. It's at a comfortable height now. And moved the cruise control and pto buttons over by the rear hydro controls also so I didn't have to bend over to set cruise or turn on pto. They are also mechanical injection pumps and not a common rail. No computer control, no limp mode. If the dpf get plugged it's an easy fix not to have that problem with out hacking a computer or reprogramming it. Other than those few changes for comfort the tractor has been flawless. Getting close to 500 hours.

Could you take a picture of your modified 3pt handle and where you moved your buttons to.

Planning on doing the same and getting ideas. Would you do anything different?

 

[madpuma13]

I have been looking at ls and kioto and thought today i would go and look at a branson

i drove a

4520 c

4720 h

and a 5220 r


i have to admit i was impressed they ran smooth as butter of course my tractor at home is a 67 oliver 550

I also drove a kioti dk4510 and there was no comparison IMO I liked the branson better

I just did not care for the hydrostatic drive i guess i could get used to it but the shuttle syncro seemed fine to me

i liked the fact there is no regen on the motor

i could see one at the house soon.

I have a 4720ch (same as the 4720h just had a cab) and love it. It is a beast!

Edit: thought I'd provide a better review.

I went through and looked at Kubota, JD, Massey ferg and Branson.

Massey was a new dealer in the area and wanted jd, Kubota prices. Nothing really special to me and not knowing if the dealer would hang around, I didn't spend much time here.

Both Kubota and JD had nice tractors and were more refined than Branson. For the equivalent tractor they wanted close to 45k. Both dealers have been around and I expect them to stay but the price... Just ****.

The Branson dealer had been established for over 2 decades. Owned by a wonderful couple who say they have no intention of leaving. I debated between the cabbed version or not. And decided that even if I got the non cab version of the Kubota or JD I'd be paying more for those if they had the same capability as the Branson. So I got the cab.

The tractor had 2 rear remotes and the dealer threw in a front 3rd function. Gave me a great price imo.

All in all, the Branson ended up being the perfect decision for me. The Branson was very capable and had the weight to back it up. And the dealer was fantastic. In fact he was the ONLY dealer I spoke with that didn't say one word, positive or negative, about the other brands.

Good luck with your decision! If you have any questions feel free to post them.

 

[deer assassin]

i appreciate any and all input

I drove a few LS tractors today this is just my opinion

i liked the ls hydrostat drive on the ls way better than branson
i like branson shuttle shift 12 way better than the ls 16 the ls was hard to shift

i like the simplicity of bransons engine vs the ls

i think the branson is a better built tractor i like their pto lever better than flimsy electric switch for the pto on the ls

the entry into the ls cab was better than branson

I really want a cab tractor but cant justify the $$$

most of my work will be in the woods and not a large amount of bushogging

next weekend I will look at some kioti and kubota

i am really digging the branson

the branson dealer i like better than the ls dealer branson dealer was smaller but more knowledgeable just got a better vibe

 

[Kentuckyfarmer]

Could you take a picture of your modified 3pt handle and where you moved your buttons to.

Planning on doing the same and getting ideas. Would you do anything different?

Here you go. Would I do anything different. No it's pretty handy where I moved them and much easier not having to look down and bend down to do things.

 

[madpuma13]

That pto handle is perfect ! What did you use for it?

Did you use anything to cover up the area under the steering wheel since you moved the entire switch plate?

 

[Kentuckyfarmer]

That pto handle is perfect ! What did you use for it?

Did you use anything to cover up the area under the steering wheel since you moved the entire switch plate?

I just had a piece of scrap metal. Removed the three point handle completely and cut where the handle attached and welded a piece between. Welded at a small angle toward the front at the bottom otherwise it would be to far back. As far as a cover.

 

[Slowpoke Slim]

Kentucky,

Looks like you put the switches up where they normally sit on the 25 series. I like the location up there, except I have to mind that I don't press the hazard light button while moving around and working the FEL. Lol. I do wish my 3 pt lever was higher like you modded yours. That was a good idea and looks handy. Do you think you might snag it if wearing a big jacket or something?

Deer,

Just curious as to what about the LS HST you liked better than the Branson? Only thing I can think to say on the Branson HST is sometimes it doesn't want to go into or change gear ranges, and by just nudging the reverse pedal, it usually drops right in.