Looking at MX5400 for my 80 Acres-good choice?

[choctawroseranch]

Hello. looking at a tractor to put on the ranch. have 80 acres-relatively flat and rolling terrain. about half is pasture that I have someone cut and bail hay. Main uses for the tractor will be brush/grass cutting, moving fallen trees w bucket/grappler, some dirt and grading work and general purpose tasks around the ranch. Will the 5400 be enough tractor? I don't want to wish down the road I would have gone bigger. I may decide to get into the hail bailing business when retired but unlikely. thanks for the feedback!

 

[tradosaurus]

MX5400 would be my minimum level to work your property. Going bigger means doing your job a little quicker. How many hours you planning on spending on your tractor each month?
What state are you located?

I went from a L3301 to an MX5400 for abuse I put my tractor through going in and out my woods. I have 40 acres of woods with 45 acres total.

 

[sea2summit]

MX5400 would be my minimum level to work your property. Going bigger means doing your job a little quicker. How many hours you planning on spending on your tractor each month?
What state are you located?

Nail---->on---->head.

OP, if you've never operated a tractor you'll also start seeing all kinds of jobs you need it to do you may not be thinking about now. The MX is an awesome tractor and I plan to never let go of mine but brush hoggging 80 acres...or 20...is going to be a pretty long slow process with a 6'-8' brush hog which is probably as much as it will really handle.

If you are even considering hay I would say it's not close to big enough. I do hay with my M4 and 5800, I wish I had an M5 and I'm not doing crazy high production. I do all my squares with the 5800 and some raking but it's not big enough for a disc mower, not even close.

Lastly just want to retouch on "doing your job a little quicker". Tire size has way more to do with how quickly you'll move across your land more than engine size. The MX is really uncomfortable to drive at any kind of traveling speed even on dirt roads, put a round bale on the FEL and you'll be getting shaken up even more. I do have R4s so they are rougher on you but there isn't room to put a tire large enough on an MX to make it comfortable for traveling above say 5-7 mph (for reference it's gonna take you about 7-10 minutes to drive accross 80 acres at that speed).

 

[jyoutz]

If you do get a Mx, you may as well get a 6000 for a few thousand more dollars. 50 pto hp will make a difference on attachments you can operate.

 

[5030]

My ongoing philosophy on tractors is... Always buy the most pto power you can afford. Don't have to be physically larger but power at the stub is everything.

Of course I'd never buy a T4 final unit anyway but no need to go down that rat hole on this thread.

 

[5030]

If you are even considering hay I would say it's not close to big enough. I do hay with my M4 and 5800, I wish I had an M5 and I'm not doing crazy high production. I do all my squares with the 5800 and some raking but it's not big enough for a disc mower, not even close

I have to ask what is the pto power of an M4 or a 5800. Reason I ask is either of my M9's will run my center pivot disc mower conditioner with no issue in any crop conditions.

 

[sea2summit]

I have to ask what is the pto power of an M4 or a 5800. Reason I ask is either of my M9's will run my center pivot disc mower conditioner with no issue in any crop conditions.

~74hp/63pto and ~57hp/50pto. M4 runs my 9.5 disc no problem but I've got to shift down for any inclines, I'd rather have the juice maintain more ground speed.

 

[tradosaurus]

One other piece of information I forgot to include is I have only put 25 hrs on my MX5400 in about 8 months. So speed is not my concern.

 

[Code54]

I have the MX5100 (order model) - great tractor but really too small for any real hay work. I use it in the woods and to brush hog (6') some farm fields and trails through the woods. It is great for that but where I work anything bigger than a 6' brush hog would be too large and may cause me some issues on the steep hills and off camber slopes.
General use you will like it, if you go into hay or want to mow large areas quickly (8' plus mower) then it is really too small in my opinion.

 

[choctawroseranch]

MX5400 would be my minimum level to work your property. Going bigger means doing your job a little quicker. How many hours you planning on spending on your tractor each month?
What state are you located?

I went from a L3301 to an MX5400 for abuse I put my tractor through going in and out my woods. I have 40 acres of woods with 45 acres total.

I am in SE Oklahoma. I am thinking maybe 8-12/mo for starters. That will increase as I spend more time on the property. The 6000 is only a couple grand more so may lean towards that.