3032e / 3038e opinions

[cowpatty]

Hey guys,

I need some opinions on the John Deere 3032E and 3038E tractors. I am considering one of these model tractors. It will be used for brush hogging w/ a 5' mower, boxblading a long drive, and general loader work. I would like a grapple in the future.

My main concern with this machine is the weight. It weighs less than its competitors by 300-500 pounds on average. How is the traction on one of these machines. I plan on filling the tires but am curious how it does with loader work. Are the owners of these machines happy with the traction.

Thanks

 

[cowpatty]

Anybody??

 

[nikdfish]

There are times when I spin the wheels (R4's) even while in 4WD & with the back tires loaded, it depends on ground conditions. This has typically been while pulling to uproot small trees, or with the middlebuster sunk to the max... You just learn to deal with it. I haven't ever spun the tires when just using the FEL to scoop & carry.

If you are going to do a grapple, or top & tilt, I'd recommend getting the rear scv kit installation included in the financed package (assuming you are buying new). The kit runs about $800 & installation takes 1.5 hours. I can't complain about how loader operations run, the HST makes handling a breeze. The joystick is a bit touchy & it takes a while to learn to use a light touch in working it. I use a set of chained on forks for moving wood & brush quite a bit. Those, or some other form of pallet forks are a good idea & really increase the utility of the FEL.

Ours has been a very nice little workhorse, small enough to work between trees & stout enough to get things done with plenty of PTO power for mowing or tilling.

Nick

 

[cowpatty]

Nick thanks for your response. I do plan on getting the rear hydro kit. I can imagine doing alot with that. Did you buy yours new? How receptive was your Deere dealer to dealing? Or did they negotiate at all

 

[nikdfish]

We purchased it new in Oct. 2010. Since it was near the end of a sales cycle they were motivated to move it. We got the 3038e w/ 305 loader, a Frontier RC2060 rotary cutter & Frontier BB2060 box blade for a delivered price of about $21K & change with 60 month 0% financing (10% down). In hindsight, I wish I had bundled in the rear SCV kit. The tractor portion was $17,500 (before tax) and that included the mounted 305 loader & filling the rear tires.

Nick

 

[RoyJackson]

Both 3032e and 3038e weigh in about the same as my old 790 (2000 lbs or a bit more for the tractor...add for a loader).
Rear ballast on the 3PH will be essential for loader work, so plan on a ballast box as well.

One thing I do not like about either of these machines is lack of an off-seat PTO operation. There are guys who disable the seat switch or put sufficient weight on the seat to mimic an operator's weight. However, I don't understand why Deere cut out a relatively low cost function that is, to me, an important feature.
So, if you want to use the tractor as a stationary power unit for a chipper or generator, neither may be the best choice.

 

[retiredmgn]

Hey guys,

I need some opinions on the John Deere 3032E and 3038E tractors. I am considering one of these model tractors. It will be used for brush hogging w/ a 5' mower, boxblading a long drive, and general loader work. I would like a grapple in the future.

My main concern with this machine is the weight. It weighs less than its competitors by 300-500 pounds on average. How is the traction on one of these machines. I plan on filling the tires but am curious how it does with loader work. Are the owners of these machines happy with the traction.

Thanks

I've had a 3038 for a year now. Loaded AG's and chains. When I was logging out my firewood last fall I got hung up on another tree and the rears did not spin. I had a conversation with the dealer and he explained, "That's a lot of grip". So I take that as traction exceeded the relief valves.
For me, I didn't want a heavier tractor because I also want to use it around the house - rocks, tree triming, removing the air conditioner from the livingroom window.
The loader works like any other. The joystick is rather twitchy. Micro movements require bracing my forearm on my leg to insure control. With the loaded rears I haven't had a problem with overloading the bucket.
However concerning traction and bucket lift it must be said, I don't push it. I'm more interested in longevity of the machine than, "Let's see what this baby can do".
Mowing the orchard with a rotary mower is like a Sunday drive.

 

[kiotiken]

I looked at them, but like you said, they're a very light tractor. Just going from memory, the FEL had the lowest lifting capacity of all tractors I looked at, and there's no backhoe for these tractors, and they provided the lowest hydraulic flow rate etc.

Since I was replacing my JD 955, I was really excited to go shopping for something new at the JD dealer, but was disapointed when I did (the dealer played an equal role in that).

My impression was that JD was trying to offer a tractor at a price point that was competitive with many of the other lesser known imports, but they cut way too much in order to do it and the tractors just didn't stand up next to the competition feature to feature, spec to spec.

All of that said, this may be a great option for you, it just depends on what you want to do. If it's cutting grass and blowing snow, either may work out just fine. If it's mostly loader work, you might look elsewhere and if a BH is even in the back of your mind, it isn't for you.

 

[BethesdaEC]

The "e" in the JD model indicates that the tractor is an economy model. That means the bean counters have beaten the tractor within an inch of its life. If the tractor does what you need and you don't ever plan on a backhoe then you are good.

 

[Chilly807]

I looked at them when I bought my Kubota L3400, and looked again recently just to compare after owning the Kubota for a couple of years.

Be careful which loader is bundled with the tractor... the ones my JD dealer had were not only not quick detach bucket, the loader itself wasn't quick detach. While you probably won't be removing it daily, being able to easily remove the loader is a huge feature in my opinion.

The lack of a PTO that enables you to operate it while off the seat baffles me too. It pretty much eliminates using a chipper, a water pump, generator or logging winch without modifying the safety systems.

I don't like the aluminum transmission case... why they build them from aluminum is another mystery to me.

The L3400 with loader is about 3700 lbs, 2600 lbs for the bare tractor. The L3800 and L3200 (current models) are the same or very close. I've never had traction problems that you wouldn't expect, which is to say that if the tires are spinning it's digging deep holes in a hurry. I have ags (R1) and run ice chains on the rears in the winter.

The only real pitfall to the Kubota L series is the jerky 3 point hitch, they're a nice compact tractor otherwise.

Compare all the stats, then test drive everything you're considering buying, that's the real test. Fact sheets and numbers fade to the background once you're in the seat. Then look over the numbers again and see if the one you like the best will do everything you want it to.

Sean