Considering a Branson 5520H

[nkurz]

I've been trying to buy a Mahindra for the last six months, but am striking out. The first model I had on order (a 3650) was discontinued, and they've just told me that the one I have on order now (a 2660) has a "stop sale" due to unspecified issues that they won't even tell the dealer. So I've started researching alternatives that might actually get me a tractor for this summer. What I'm looking for is something sturdy, simple, strong, and stable. Right now, this Branson seem pretty appealing, and I've found someone that actually has it in stock. Does anyone here have one, or similar, or have opinions?

Some questions:

How is the 5520H different than the 5220H that Branson now lists on their website? If I trust the specs that I've found, I think they are both 55HP engines, but the 5220H puts a little more power to the PTO (47.5 vs 44 HP) while the 5520H has slightly beefier hydraulics (15.3 vs 10.4 GPM). Is there a reason the 5520H was replaced?

What's the wisdom of going with a Turbo in the Bransons as opposed to a naturally aspirated engine? Is it worth the extra ~$2000? Is it reliable? Does it increase or decrease the engine noise? How does it affect the fuel efficiency? In case it matters, I'll be using it about 2000' above sea level.

There look to be two backhoe options for this, the BH760 and BH860. Are there any real differences between these besides the digging depth? Visually, the BH860 looks stronger. Can the thumb be added later or is it a factory only option?

Is there any problem with having the bigger IND25 tires on this? It looks like the rim clearance is very small, and might not have enough room for chains. Other than that, bigger tires strike me as better in most other ways.

I'm in Vermont, and it seems like there are no 40-60HP Hydrostatic Bransons to be found anywhere in the Northeast. There are two dealers about an hour from me, but they say orders from the factory have been taking many months. The dealer I've found who has this one in stock is in Tennessee and is willing to ship. Am I foolish to even consider this approach? I thought I was going to have a tractor 3 months ago, and I've got a large backlog of projects I thought I was going to have done by now. Is my desperation impairing my thinking?

Any thoughts appreciated.

 

[K5lwq]

I can tell you that Branson makes a nice tractor and I looked at Mahindra very hard when I was looking. Branson had the simplest design of all the brands I researched.

I think the turbo would serve you well and I am not aware of any turbo problems with Branson.

The newer version Bransons with change in model numbers had a few changes. One is 4 different ranges for the HTS vs 3. They are also synchronized and much smoother than the 3 range. The other thing that is obvious is they added a manual regen button that helps clean the DPF.

Good luck with your search and whatever you decide keep us informed.

 

[ericm979]

I bought a used BH760 from my dealer a few years after I bought my 3725. They added the thumb at my request. It's a pretty simple item, so I imagine that you could probably get it later.

There is a hydraulic thumb kit but it's super expensive. I think a hydraulic thumb would be a lot more useful than the fixed mechanical one. A few people have done their own for the Branson BH. There's threads on that here.

Turbos decrease exhaust noise but sometimes add a higher pitched whine of their own. I would not hesitate to get a turbo if I needed the power. I have had a bunch of turbo cars and they have all been reliable, at power levels far beyond what a tractor puts out. At 2000' you'll be down about 6% from rated power at sea level.

 

[Texb]

I believe a turbo helps reduce power loss at higher altitudes? I have a 5220H I bought in 2019. Backhoe
Medium duty cutter, box blade pallet forks, fel.
Hay forks, post hole metal canopy. recently got a EA 60 grapple.
I like it . Don’t have much to compare it to.as far as using other tractors . was considerable cheaper and more power than the John Deere, Kubota and mahindra I looked at. Didn’t care for the LS I drive.
I liked the Kioti it was a few thousand more, dealer was another hour further, more electronics .

 

[Slowpoke Slim]

I looked at one when I bought my 3725. I decided I didn't need the 55 hp (we'll see, so far in 4 years, no). I also live at low elevation, so don't need the turbo to offset the thinner air of high elevation places.

If I needed the hp, or was at 4000-5000 feet or higher, I wouldn't have thought twice about it and got the 55 hp turbo.

 

[LouNY]

I just checked my local Branson dealers inventory it was pretty skimpy.
Inventory Search | JC Tractor Repair & Restoration
He is in Hoosick NY not to fat from SW Vermont.
My Branson has been decent for me, nothing spectacular but not a pile of junk either,
parts are high priced.

 

[ericm979]

At 2000' you'll be down about 6% from rated power at sea level.

Sorry, I wasn't clear. That's without a turbo. The higher you go the lower the air pressure. So there's less pressure pushing air into the engine and fewer oxygen molecules available to combine with fuel to produce heat. It's about 3% less per 1000ft. It affects people the same amount which you notice if you travel to altitude.

The turbo mostly makes up for it, at least until you get to much higher altitudes or reach the practical limits of the turbo itself.

Diesels run cooler than gas engines and tolerate a wide range in air:fuel ratio, which makes turbos an even better deal than with gas engines.

 

[sobeit]

There is a Mahindra 2660 shuttle at Tatum Motors in Anderson Missouri. I almost bought it but opted for a 5835R because for the same price I got the tractor, box blade, forks and a six foot brush hog.

 

[Boswell]

Hello everyone, first post, I purchased a 5520R about a month ago. I looked at nearly every brand of tractor including Mahindra. We as consumers have some very good tractors to choose from today however the biggest reason for my decision to go with Branson is the lack of an ECM and or a common rail injection system. The simplicity of the emissions system and ability to remove the DOC and DPF was important. With only 32 hours on the tractor very pleased at this point. As a side note I do not hear the turbo nor does longevity concern me.

 

[nkurz]

At 2000' you'll be down about 6% from rated power at sea level [without a turbo].

Thanks, that's very helpful to have a number to put on it.

How is the 5520H different than the 5220H that Branson now lists on their website? If I trust the specs that I've found, I think they are both 55HP engines, but the 5220H puts a little more power to the PTO (47.5 vs 44 HP) while the 5520H has slightly beefier hydraulics (15.3 vs 10.4 GPM). Is there a reason the 5520H was replaced?

I now realize that I had the order reversed: despite not being on the current Branson website, the 5520H is newer than the 5220H. It's hard to understand why a company wouldn't find it worthwhile to update their website when they release a new model! A little more disturbingly, I think I've also learned that their brochure is also wrong, and the 5520H actually has the same 10.4 GPM hydraulics as the 5220H. The 15.3 listed in the brochure seems to be a mistake, and is the combined output of the steering and main rather than what just the main as it claims. This makes it less clear why the PTO power dropped.

I just checked my local Branson dealers inventory it was pretty skimpy.
Inventory Search | JC Tractor Repair & Restoration
He is in Hoosick NY not to fat from SW Vermont.

Yes, they are only a little over an hour from me. I went over last week, and had a nice talk with John. While they don't have anything for sale that matches my needs, they did have an already sold 4820H passing through that I was able to look over and drive around the lot. My amateur impression was that it's nicely solid, and very similar to the Mahindra 3650 that I was looking at first. Separately, they also carry Zetor, who is a Czech brand that I knew nothing about. I was favorably impressed by them, although they don't make an open-station HST in the size range I want.

I decided I didn't need the 55 hp (we'll see, so far in 4 years, no).

I'm not sure if I need the extra HP, but I think there are few places I'll probably benefit from it. I've got a wood chipper that says it wants a minimum of 40HP PTO, but usually I'll be making firewood out of anything that would require full power. I'll be some mowing with a brush hog, and it would be good to comfortably run a 6' mower. And I'll probably get some sort of plow and try to reconvert some small amount (.5 acre?) of long overgrown pasture to use for vegetables.

My thought right now is that I'll probably go ahead with the Branson 5520H next week. The New Hampshire dealer I was talking to has given up on finding one, but JC Tractor in nearby New York is still trying to beat the bushes a bit more and see if he can find one within a days driving radius. If he fails, I'll probably order from the Tennessee dealer: https://www.cherryandsonsales.com/i...&accountcrmid=14747583&settingscrmid=14747583.

Are there any dealer installed options that I should be asking about? If I go with the one in TN, it already has rear dual remotes and front third function diverter. I'd be ordering with a backhoe, so presumably it would be plumbed for that as well. Is there anything else that is best done while it's still in the dealers hands? I'll probably want the tires loaded, but maybe that would be better to do after it's been shipped?