OP
CloverKnollFarms
Elite Member
We have clay loam… it can get hard, and we will be opening some new ground. With cruise control and days and days to play with, I think I’ll be in heaven.
TYM 494 or Branson 4820
- Thread starter CloverKnollFarms
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jyoutz
Super Member
I recommend using a plow or subsoiler to break up the clay before tilling. And clay is the worst for needing to be at the right moisture for tillage. Too dry and it’s a brick, too wet and it’s a compactable mud bog. Just right conditions till pretty well. Don’t make the mistake that I did just last year. I used an all purpose plow to break up the ground, but didn’t rototill until the next day. By then, the clods had become bricks. Don’t plow more that you can till the same day.
OP
CloverKnollFarms
Elite Member
So the LS dealer sent me a quote for $1k less, for the tractor/tiller combo. Now... it’s not the cost that makes a big difference. It’s the fact that LS makes tractors for a brand like New Holland…
Fit and finish on the LS is very nice. The platform is well designed too. It comes with draft control, which I may or may not use. Dealer number and proximity is the same. No linked pedal on the LS.
Now, TYM has the A series diesel. Non ECM. Also, I have easy access to a “diagnostic muffler” for the 4820… which would make it essentially a pre-emission tractor if I liked.
Weight and size are similar, as well as capacities. The main difference being lift height, as the LS is 10” less.
Its so easy when you have months to make a decision, but more difficult when you are on the verge of ordering.
I will use the unit perhaps 50 hour per year. It’s a luxury. Help.
Fit and finish on the LS is very nice. The platform is well designed too. It comes with draft control, which I may or may not use. Dealer number and proximity is the same. No linked pedal on the LS.
Now, TYM has the A series diesel. Non ECM. Also, I have easy access to a “diagnostic muffler” for the 4820… which would make it essentially a pre-emission tractor if I liked.
Weight and size are similar, as well as capacities. The main difference being lift height, as the LS is 10” less.
Its so easy when you have months to make a decision, but more difficult when you are on the verge of ordering.
I will use the unit perhaps 50 hour per year. It’s a luxury. Help.
jyoutz
Super Member
$1000 is a negligible difference and so is 10” of lift. Go sit on and operate both machines. Both are good options. From my observations, the LS has the edge because of product and dealer stability. The Branson is an awesome tractor, but the TYM buyout has me wondering about how much support there will be in the future or if they will eventually just be all TYM models and support. But as many have said on this forum, local dealer support is a huge consideration. Consider local service, dealer stability and commitment. Does one dealer sell tractors from a lot behind the feed store while the other has a full service shop and parts counter?
Torvy
Super Member
The $1000 may not be much, but 10" matters for some. The loft in my garage is too high for the LS, but well within TYM range.
LS has some fine machines, but there would be a lot of variables for me. In general, once I decide I will stick with my decision. Rushed decisions are often poor decisions.
Which LS model are they equating to the 4820?
As for the merger, I have the opposite opinion of Mr. Youtz. I think it improves both brands.
Also, which tiller are you getting? In my case, I am looking at some Rotary Cutters that push the T494/4820 specs. (Like Ironcraft 306) I like to avoid being at the edge of specs.
LS has some fine machines, but there would be a lot of variables for me. In general, once I decide I will stick with my decision. Rushed decisions are often poor decisions.
Which LS model are they equating to the 4820?
As for the merger, I have the opposite opinion of Mr. Youtz. I think it improves both brands.
Also, which tiller are you getting? In my case, I am looking at some Rotary Cutters that push the T494/4820 specs. (Like Ironcraft 306) I like to avoid being at the edge of specs.
3gunr
Veteran Member
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- mahindra 2538 mahindra 2810 cub cadet 7260 massey 255
My neighbor has an Ls xr4140 and it is a very nice tractor and he loves it.
OP
CloverKnollFarms
Elite Member
Im comparing the LS MT347H to the 4820H. The tillers are both UM72 from Ironcraft, formerly Titan.
I think I’m more hung up on the DPF and ECM engine in the LS honestly
tacticalturnip
Elite Member
LS has excellent fit and finish, and make a great tractor; that said, it seems that LS more electrical gremlins than other brands.
Obviously the majority of LS tractors sold are excellent machines, they wouldn't have the fanbase they have otherwise.
Obviously the majority of LS tractors sold are excellent machines, they wouldn't have the fanbase they have otherwise.
jyoutz
Super Member
You may be correct that TYM supports both brands 10 years into the future. I hope so for the sake of Branson owners. I’m leery after seeing what happened to my neighbor. He has a Montana tractor, which seems to be a nice machine. But he was also assured that parts would continue to be available through LS. He’s finding out that this is only true for some parts. For others, he has to search online for obscure dealer inventories and used parts. Last winter I plowed his road because his machine was down and he was searching for a water pump that he finally found after a few months.
Torvy
Super Member
There is a significant difference. Montana was J.B. Hunt's brand and he bought tractors from various OEMs (mostly LS). Branson has always been wholly owned by Kukje until TYM bought them. The manufacturer owns the brand and makes the tractors. Montana was more like the 'store' brands that buy what they can and move on. LS has little to gain by continuing support of the Montana brand, it was not theirs. TYM has everything to gain by continuing support of Branson because it is them.