Comparison JD 3032E vs Branson 3520R

   / JD 3032E vs Branson 3520R #1  

Olympus

Platinum Member
Joined
May 24, 2012
Messages
763
Location
Cape Girardeau, MO
Tractor
LS R3039
Alright guys, I thought I had my mind made up to buy this extremely clean 2014 JD 3032E with only 90 hours and still under warranty. The tractor literally looks brand new and the owner has never even used the front bucket. The bucket was removed and doesn't have a single scratch on it. The tractor is incredibly clean and the owner is trading it back to the dealer for a larger size machine. It's 4wd and has the D160 loader and the dealer said they'd take $15k cash with no trade-in. Sounded like a perfect deal for me and for what I need. Brush hogging my 3 acres around the house, putting in 2 acres of food plots, and assorted other jobs.

That being said, there's an ad on Craigslist for a 2013 Branson 3520R with 307 hours and the list price is $15,600. The Branson has a shuttle shift and I think I'd prefer the hydro on the Deere 3032E. The Branson has the skid steer QA bucket and removable loader while the JD only has a removable bucket and it's not skid steer QA. Not sure how important removing the loader frame is though. I had a removable loader frame on my last tractor and it was more trouble than it was worth to remove it and reattach it. The Branson has telescoping lower arms and telescoping stabilizers where the Deere doesn't have telescoping arms and uses turnbuckles for stabilizers. The Branson has a suspension seat and canopy also, but the canopy would be more in the way probably for me so no real benefit there. Here's a link to the Branson. It looks pretty clean too. 213 BRANSON 352R W/ BL25R BRANSON LOADER 4X4 CANOPY - farm & garden - by dealer - sale

Looking at the spec sheets for both, it appears like the Branson is larger and heavier frame size than the JD, which would be a good thing. The Branson has a lot things going for it, but a few things I don't know if I would like. One being the shuttle shift tranny as opposed to the HST that I'm pretty sure I would prefer. My last tractor had the HST. No warranty on the Branson. And there is a Branson dealer about 40 miles away, but that's the closest dealer and the rest are several hours away. Whereas the Deere has factory warranty and I have to different Deere dealers within 20 to 30 miles that are both large conglomerate dealerships so I'd feel safe taking a tractor to either dealership for service and parts. The Deere has the Yanmar diesel which I absolutely love Yanmar engines. The Branson says it has a Kukje engine which I've heard/know absolutely nothing about.

Basically what I'm getting at is that I don't know if I should sacrifice what I know I like in the HST tranny and reputable dealer and brand with the Deere just to get a larger, heavier, and 3HP more machine but doesn't have the tranny I want and is a brand that doesn't have the dealer network in my area. What does everyone think about the two machines? Both have their pros and cons.
 
   / JD 3032E vs Branson 3520R #2  
I know there's guys out there that will strongly disagree with me, but there's no way I would buy a Branson, kioti or ls. Not that there's anything bad about them but the dealer support is sketchy at best...atleast by me. I have seen dealer after dealer come and go and there is no way I'm risking it. Also for that size machine, the hst is nice! I know you can get parts online but I would like to know the dealer won't be going anywhere

Brett
 
   / JD 3032E vs Branson 3520R
  • Thread Starter
#3  
I know there's guys out there that will strongly disagree with me, but there's no way I would buy a Branson, kioti or ls. Not that there's anything bad about them but the dealer support is sketchy at best...atleast by me. I have seen dealer after dealer come and go and there is no way I'm risking it. Also for that size machine, the hst is nice! I know you can get parts online but I would like to know the dealer won't be going anywhere

Brett

Thanks Rusty. I actually bought a brand new LS about 3 years ago and I could not be more pleased with the dealer support/network. There are a LOT of LS dealers in my area and I actually found that LS responds VERY quickly to messages on their Facebook page also. I've even had a factory rep return my call when I was trying to locate a specific tractor. My LS dealer was fantastic and has been in business for a long time. LS has treated me wonderfully, I just don't have the money to buy brand new this time and I refuse to finance anything. And Kioti has a VERY good dealer in my area also I would not hesitate to buy a Kioti from them either. They also sell Grasshopper mowers and I used to have a GH and used this dealer for parts and service and they were exceptional as well. But they don't keep a lot of used machines and new tractors are again out of my budget.

But Branson is a brand that is not well represented in my area, so that's why I'm asking.
 
   / JD 3032E vs Branson 3520R #4  
I am starting to look into a smaller tractor to augment my 55 hp Rhino and looked into the JD 3032E also

The things that I didn't like:

Aluminum rear axle housing- I could see forgetting to lift a box blade or even a disc when turning and breaking the aluminum housing
repair cost if not under warranty is $$
That makes it a non starter for me...

The steel connector backbone housing - Edit... it is heavy cast steel: should be plenty strong and may make unit servicing easier


1600lb front axle weight rating??, some reports of leaking front axle ends,

the loader itself is non (easily) removable

The bucket attach system locks you into deere front attachments, back dragging may bend the locking pin

Spec wise i would go with the Branson for those reasons...

But have read Branson is not well supported in some areas- and I would also want to know that if something did break that i could get the parts needed without a hassle or long wait.

Jd will definitely be around- and the vast majority of You tube vids by owners seem to be very happy with performance and reliability

Branson- hope they continue to grow but the dealer network seems limited
 
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   / JD 3032E vs Branson 3520R #5  
Kukje makes Branson (and Century before that). Their engine is the Cummins A series. Kukje and Cummins have a partnership since 2002 to make the A series.
 
   / JD 3032E vs Branson 3520R
  • Thread Starter
#6  
Deere offers a parking stand kit so you can remove the loader. It's an additional cost, but makes the loader removable if needed. There are also skid steer QA adapters to convert the Deere to a SSQA mount instead, but aside from pallets forks, I don't anticipate the need for any other front bucket attachments. 1600 front axle weight is more than the loader is rated to lift, so that should be fine. But I do see the point of the aluminum rear end.
 
   / JD 3032E vs Branson 3520R #7  
I think I would normally lean towards the heavier tractor. Except in this case that means you get a transmission you don't want. You'll be stuck with that transmission every time you use it. If you need to buy a unit soon, I think I'd surprise you and say buy the Deere. If you can wait for something else, maybe wait for a larger, heavier tractor to come up that has an HST.

Are you buying for long term, or is resale value going to be a concern? Where does the Deere come in compared to it's "book value"?

I'm happy with my Branson (with HST), but I wouldn't recommend getting a tractor with a transmission you know you don't want.
 
   / JD 3032E vs Branson 3520R #8  
I know nothing about Branson or LS or some other brands as they not in my area I am aware of. By no means think I am a tractor expert. I am one who holds the dealer is important, maybe as much as the brand. I think you have to look at the dealer and then what happens if they were to close for they do, all brands have it to happen regardless how big or old or if large corp or family owned. So who would is the next dealer or even the next one. All will need parts and support sooner or later but then maybe another brand will be able to do the work.

One thing did not notice you mentioning was how you like them from the seat. First tractor I ever bought was going between Massey and Case till I sat on the Massey. For me totally did not care for it. Had nothing to do with quality or dealership.
 
   / JD 3032E vs Branson 3520R
  • Thread Starter
#9  
I think you're right in terms of buying the dealer/brand and not just the actual tractor. Deere being one of the largest brands and dealer networks here in the US, I have no fears or concerns about parts/service or the future of the brand.

Branson on the other hand I can't be so confident about. Small dealer network, small brand, and from some of the posts I've read people are unhappy with lack of corporate involvement/support.
 
   / JD 3032E vs Branson 3520R #10  
I almost bought the JD one that you are discussing until I test drove it and just felt it was too light for what I wanted to do. A buddy of mine has one and we mounted a bug hog and a disc on the back on it and it almost felt like it was picking it up in the front. On the same farm there is a 40hp branson that has 3000 hours. It weighs a lot more but has gone through 4 clutches courtesy of the operator riding it all the time. Outside of the clutches it has been a great tractor. I think Bransons are pretty good. The JD felt great, I liked their PTO but couldn't get over how light the thing was but I did really like it. I have found out that pulling a heavy disc for food plots takes some HP and weight to do it right. If your implements are small I think the DEERE would be fine. I opted for a larger Kioti and have enjoyed it with no issues
 

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