Why Branson over Others ?

[bigcut]

Branson Owners,
As I read over some of your posts, I noticed various comments about the quality of build and material in Branson Tractors, which peaked my interest. I had never heard of Branson before. My thinking was that Kioti and some others made some quality tractors. I asked myself how much of that is pure marketing. So I went to the Branson web site and looked over some of their units. In particular the 4225HC which is 42hp hydo, with cab. Very nice looking unit and as I read about the construction using cast iron and some of the other facets, I was impressed. Granted their marketing material isn't the slickest. However, going on data rather than glossies, I found it attractive.

So, I have a request to you Branson owners and I ask for your thoughts and comments regarding the strengths as well as potential weaknesses of the 4225HC compared to say a Kioti DKSE or NX4510. Or for that matter, JD or some of the other well known brands. How does their pricing compare ? Service ?

I'd like your insights as Branson owners about features, construction quality of materials, engineering aspects, capabilities, and options offered on the Branson product line. There's a dealer about 45 miles from me who looks like he has a 3 bay garage and lists his new inventory as 2017. So the dealer network maybe a little shakey, but, you tell me as Branson owners. I hold your opinion in higher regard than that of a salesman.

Thank you for reading the post and please provide both positive and negative input.
John

 

[LouNY]

less expensive, heavier, more features, less expensive.
I've had some problems with mine, but it's been a decent tractor.

 

[travlitt]

I have 2 Bransons, 8050 and 2400 that I run in my business. If I needed another tractor, it would be a Branson.

 

[ptsg]

If you have time, go to the Branson dealer, look at some of the tractors and I think you will quickly realize why us, Branson owners, keep saying that the tractors are really stronger and heavier. You will realize the castings are huge for such size of tractor. The axles, again, are huge and go all the way to the wheel. The build quality is really nice. You get a simple tractor without all the electronic stuff to give problems and even the DPF is really simple to remove if it will ever give problems.

Also sit in the tractor and maybe see if the dealer let you drive it for a bit to get a feel for it.

 

[ericm979]

The 3725 I bought cost less than the Kubota L3301 I was comparing it to and has many more features, such as independent PTO and linked throttle and HST. It's significantly quieter and smoother.

My Branson dealer ls a large one but they're 250 miles away. I do my own maintenance- it's no more difficult than doing it on a car or truck. My dealer's used to customers who are far away. They ship parts to me- so far just filters.

Negatives? The front axle filler/vent is on the right side by the wheel. If you stop on a side slope it'll leak oil. My land is all slope. My dealer sent me an extension tube which lessens the problem but does not completely fix it. Shifting transmission ranges can be a bit fiddly but it's easier than on the Kubotas I test drove. The diff lock pedal is on the wrong side on the open station 20/25 HST models. All of those are small things.

A tiny dealer would be a bit concerning though. Is there a larger one that's farther away?

 

[Texasmark]

Back in 2007 I decided it was time to downsize and retire. Sold off my green and was looking for a smaller tractor with cab and all the amenities. I work alone and mounting and dismounting implements were at the top of the list. Shopped all spring and really didn't see anything that rang my chimes. Fast forward....September and I'm driving down the road and see this line of red tractors at a trailer dealer. Takes me a couple of miles to decide to check it out. I did and the rest is history.

Besides having everything I could think of and more, Having had a Cummins 800 cu in. 400 hp Big Cam OTR truck engine I was impressed with Cummins engines of which Branson is a licensed international supplier.....that was another key ingredient.

The only reason I need a dealer is to purchase the tractor. After that it's the internet and UPS for support. I had a couple of minor issues initially with the AC pulley while in warranty. I contacted the Plainview site and wound up talking to the field rep, described my problem and in a few days I had not only the pulley, but a redesigned one, bracket and new V belt, free of charge no questions asked. Out of warranty anything I need I just call and in a few days UPS delivers.

One thing that impressed me was that I was mowing with my drum mower which rides out to the right side of the tractor. A rock hit my right door glass and it shattered. I contacted Plainview and within the week I had a new door via UPS.......they had 7 in stock there in Plainview. Not a warranty item since it was operator damage so I did pay for that.

In another instance I was working over some hard clay and was in a hurry. I had the FEL full of gravel since the plow I was using was heavy and front ballast kept the tractor level when the plow was in the transport mode. In all the bouncing around, and I mean I couldn't stay in the seat (air compressor operated deluxe seat with high back and armrests at that....standard), I messed up some bearings and spacers in the front drive assembly. Got out the service manual, identified the parts, called Plainview and was back up in a week with me working alone, doing all the work, on both sides of the front end.

 

[bigcut]

less expensive, heavier, more features, less expensive.
I've had some problems with mine, but it's been a decent tractor.

Lou, Can you share more specifically what kind of probems ? If you had to do over, would you have bought Branson?

 

[bigcut]

Tex, Thanks for the interesting response....not all of us have the mechanical talents that you have. I would especially want to rely on the Dealer thru the warranty period.

Glad to hear you can get parts so quickly.
John

 

[LouNY]

The main problem that I had was getting the tractor started the first winter,
the 8050 doesn't have a conventional clutch, it is a power shuttle with forward and reverse wet multi-disk clutches,
in low teens to sub zero the starter would only turn the tractor over about two revolutions and then stop,
it did not matter what battery was in it, booster packs, jumper cables it would not turn over.
My dealer was more then willing to take it to his shop to work on it but I needed the loader whenever it stormed
for loading the sander as well as moving the snow. I used to have to tarpit over and run a salamander heater on it to start.
I changed out the hydraulic fluid to Cen-Pe-Co multi-purpose which has a much better multi viscosity rating then convention
hytrans. The starter is just not strong enough for the drag from the hydraulic pumps, transmission I presume.
Problem solved, one other issue was the dealer had put in a lower radiator hose heater which didn't work very well,
I installed a block heater which works very well, but also shuts off the manifold heater to soon when the air is cold, so it requires several
key cycles to get the manifold to temp in zero or below, it will start now in well below zero. I do need to get another temp sensor and mount it away from the warm engine for cold starts.
I got quite disgusted with Branson USA as they couldn't be bothered to reply to questions from an individual and they were not real good answering the dealer.
That said I would quite likely buy again except for the fact that now there are quite a few 90-125 hp 4wds coming up because of the farm economy,
so yes if buying new I would because of the almost $20,000 difference.

 

[52wej]

Bigcut, I have had one for >14 years, simple, very strongly made, other than replacing a fuel pump and some glow plugs along with the regular filter and fluid changes, I have had few problems which I have discussed elsewhere in this forum. Best thing to do is what you have already been told, go to a dealer and test drive one. For what it is worth, I have the shuttle transmission in mine. W Jones

 

[LouNY]

Also, the power shuttle is only in the 7845 and 8050.
The others are hydros or mechanical shuttles.
Lou

 

[Slowpoke Slim]

I'll be honest, I'd never heard of Branson before I bought mine. I bought my dealer.

I went to each brand's local dealer in the town I live in (Bismarck, ND). All the major brands are represented here in town with respective dealers. New Holland, John Deere, Kubota, Case/MF, Bobcat-Kioti (same dealer), and Branson (no Mahindra btw). All but 2 dealers completely ignored me when I was on their property. I mean literally, completely. ignored me. I went to some of these dealers multiple times over a week. Same treatment. Literally wouldn't even say "Hello", or make eye contact, when I was standing in their showroom. Well, on one visit, the New Holland salesman did say he'd call me back. Never did.

The John Deere dealer actually had someone who spoke to me (I was shocked), but they didn't have any models on hand that were even remotely close to what I was looking for. Their only solution was to tell me there was a tractor down at Aberdeen, SD (200 miles away), that was pretty close to what I wanted, and I could drive down there and look at it if I wanted to. Or, I could just buy one, sight unseen, from looking at the glossy brochure (for $55K), and hope for the best.

I needed a tractor. I needed it that weekend. I was ready to sign that day. None of them cared.

I then found the local Branson dealer, (and he's kinda small compared to size of the others in town), and went to look at his tractors. Not only did he have the sizes I was looking for in stock, he actually waited on me, and treated me like a customer. Came out to his row of tractors with a fist full of keys, and let me climb over/in any tractor I wanted. I narrowed it down to the one I thought would work best, and he tossed me the keys and said "Go play", pointing to the open field next door. Said to come in when I was done and he'd answer any questions I had.

The stats he listed (FEL capacity, 3 pt lift capacity, tractor weight, 4 cyl Cummins all-iron casting engine) for the 25 series were better in every way than the other brands in the same size/hp range, and the 25 series came with all the "extras" as standard. Cab mounted work lights, A/C as well as heat in cab, cruise control, linked hydro pedal, independent pto, 2 rear remotes, both lower link arms were adjustable (and true link arms, not turn buckles), both 540 and 540E pto settings, rear diff lock, and a true "standard" SSQA FEL.

A whole lot of features that you either had to buy extra, or go up to a higher level unit to get with some of the competition's models. Plus, it came in $20K cheaper than the one the JD salesman (the only one who spoke to me) was trying to get me to buy sight unseen. It comes with a great warranty, that so far I've not needed. And it's done everything I've asked it to (so far), including picking up, moving and feeding large round bales for my neighbor. I mostly use mine for mowing with a 3pt brush hog (6'), and clearing snow in winter (FEL/bucket so far, but 7' blower hopefully this winter). Also some basic yard cleanup, tree clearing, etc as needed.

The biggest features to me (on the 25 series) are:

Tractor weight. One of the most ignored, and probably most important stats, is how much the tractor weighs. Almost always, more weight is better. The cabbed 25 series lists 4200 lbs for a bare tractor, that's no FEL, and no attachments. I had my dealer fill my rear tires with Rimguard (can't recommend enough), and with my FEL & bucket, and 6' box blade on rear, my tractor weighs 7100 lbs. That's actual weight, as weighed by me, on a certified CAT scale.

FEL lift capacity. Have to be careful here, as some manufacturers get "tricky" on how they rate this. Branson rates theirs to 2100 lbs to FULL HEIGHT, but they don't say if it's "at the pins", or distance from pins. I'm assuming it's "at the pins". Other brands list it as only "X" distance off ground.

FEL lift height. Branson lists max height as 103", and 97" with "attachment level", which I assume means with bucket sitting level, but raised to max height.

3 pt hitch lift. 3637 lbs of lift at the link arms.

Hydraulics. 11.1 gallon per minute pump. Also has separate power steering pump for steering the tractor, so you're not running out of steering if you've got your hydraulics maxed out lifting something big and trying to move it.

Comes with big features, it's well built, and comes with a small (comparatively) price tag.

What's not to love?

 

[bigcut]

Bigcut, I have had one for >14 years, simple, very strongly made, other than replacing a fuel pump and some glow plugs along with the regular filter and fluid changes, I have had few problems which I have discussed elsewhere in this forum. Best thing to do is what you have already been told, go to a dealer and test drive one. For what it is worth, I have the shuttle transmission in mine. W Jones

Thanks 52, How does your experience compare with your Kubota......What's the dealer service like for both brands ?

 

[Aquamoose]

Bought my 3520h w/ backhoe from Dave’s tractor in CA about 3 years ago.

I didn’t know much about Branson until I’ve seen comments here and started to see them at a local dealer. When the time came, the Branson won out primarily for 3 reasons, engine, gross weight, and FEL lifting capability of 2100 lbs. the nice touches are the fuel tank filler at step height, telescoping 3ph links, tilt steering, fender mounted joystick, comfortable full-ride & adjustable seat, electronic PTO & cruise control. All those features are standard for the Branson but are only options for other brands. I opted for dual rear remotes and a 3rd function (looks factory installed!) for only $1,200 more to my total price. I got my Branson at a special price offered by Dave and I took it.

Only issue I had was the seat broke at the adjustment handle. They gave me an entire kit to replace with as I opted to fix it myself and ended up not using the parts from the kit (needed just one measly roller pin) but opted to use a cut piece from an extra hardened Allen wrench as a pin. It has been trouble-free since and I’m approaching 350 hrs.

The owners manual could have been better but I’m able to get fast support from here, Dave’s, and my local Branson dealer. Jotted down a few notes to put in the manual (maintenance) and I’m golden.

 

[bigcut]

Bought my 3520h w/ backhoe from Dave’s tractor in CA about 3 years ago.

I didn’t know much about Branson until I’ve seen comments here and started to see them at a local dealer. When the time came, the Branson won out primarily for 3 reasons, engine, gross weight, and FEL lifting capability of 2100 lbs. the nice touches are the fuel tank filler at step height, telescoping 3ph links, tilt steering, fender mounted joystick, comfortable full-ride & adjustable seat, electronic PTO & cruise control. All those features are standard for the Branson but are only options for other brands. I opted for dual rear remotes and a 3rd function (looks factory installed!) for only $1,200 more to my total price. I got my Branson at a special price offered by Dave and I took it.

Only issue I had was the seat broke at the adjustment handle. They gave me an entire kit to replace with as I opted to fix it myself and ended up not using the parts from the kit (needed just one measly roller pin) but opted to use a cut piece from an extra hardened Allen wrench as a pin. It has been trouble-free since and I’m approaching 350 hrs.

The owners manual could have been better but I’m able to get fast support from here, Dave’s, and my local Branson dealer. Jotted down a few notes to put in the manual (maintenance) and I’m golden.

Aqua, how do you iike the backfhoe ? Was it worth the investment ? Which model backhoe ?
Would buy Branson all over again ? How adaptable is Branson using other manufacturers implements ?
JD has contrived things, making ti difficult to use other brands. So you have to buy JD.
Your thoughts.
John

 

[ericm979]

The SSQA on my Branson loader mates well with the two SSQA front implements I've bought (pallet forks and a grapple). Cat 1 three point implements are pretty generic, I can't imagine any modern cat 1 tractor having a problem with any relatively recent cat 1 implement.

I don't think there are any non Branson backhoes that have subframes for Bransons but it's worth checking if you want one of those instead of a Branson backhoe for some reason. The prices I have seen for Branson backhoes seem reasonable for a backhoe that's engineered to fit on the tractor. The Branson backhoe subframe ties in around the loader mount even though there's already reinforcing bars from the rear axle to the loader mount on non backhoe Bransons.

 

[TomIre]

"The front axle filler/vent is on the right side by the wheel. If you stop on a side slope it'll leak oil. My land is all slope. My dealer sent me an extension tube which lessens the problem but does not completely fix it."

So that's why it always looks a little wet there. Any chance you've got a part number for that or a photo?

 

[TomIre]

Can't add a lot to what's been said except that I didn't know much about Branson until I was in the market. Very happy with mine. A little more tractor for a little less money.

 

[Aquamoose]

Aqua, how do you iike the backfhoe ? Was it worth the investment ? Which model backhoe ?
Would buy Branson all over again ? How adaptable is Branson using other manufacturers implements ?
JD has contrived things, making ti difficult to use other brands. So you have to buy JD.
Your thoughts.
John

My backhoe is a BH76. It’s worthwhile for me for my needs and it does perform quite well. Dig out some rocks, tree stumps, etc. I do plan to get a ripper from Michigan Iron Equipment and convert my mechanical thumb to hydraulic this winter.

I would buy Branson all over again. It’s been an excellent value.

Like many other tractors with Skid Steer Quick Attach (SSQA) capability, it’s compatible so using other brands is not an issue. Stick with a tractor with SSQA capability and you’ll have access to far more implements than you could dream of.

My final thoughts, tractors should not be viewed as a vehicle that wears out after 10-15 years. Properly cared for, they can outlast your lifetime so with that in mind, I researched carefully and decided on my Branson.

 

[bigcut]

The 3725 I bought cost less than the Kubota L3301 I was comparing it to and has many more features, such as independent PTO and linked throttle and HST. It's significantly quieter and smoother.

My Branson dealer ls a large one but they're 250 miles away. I do my own maintenance- it's no more difficult than doing it on a car or truck. My dealer's used to customers who are far away. They ship parts to me- so far just filters.

Negatives? The front axle filler/vent is on the right side by the wheel. If you stop on a side slope it'll leak oil. My land is all slope. My dealer sent me an extension tube which lessens the problem but does not completely fix it. Shifting transmission ranges can be a bit fiddly but it's easier than on the Kubotas I test drove. The diff lock pedal is on the wrong side on the open station 20/25 HST models. All of those are small things.

A tiny dealer would be a bit concerning though. Is there a larger one that's farther away?

Eric, The front axle leak at the filter vent, is that a problem on all Branson tractors or just your particular model ? I wouldn't be happy about that issue.

Maybe some of the others can comment on this issue. Does anyone else have the same problem ?
John