3520 Turbo Issues

dirtworksequip · Mar 9, 2007

Bob, if the seat height is an issue it wouldn't take much to get a custom bracket to raise it to the height you need.

NoMo · Mar 9, 2007

The seat bracket is probably a good idea. Would allow you to increase the height and maintain the full shock-dampening of the suspension.

As for the turbo, others have noted that many brands and models of on & off-road equipment have turbo-charged diesel engines with no problems. The turbo has never been a concern for me. I also feel that the turbo helps in the hot summer air... not just at altitude.

jcmseven · Mar 9, 2007

Bob,

The 3320 will do everything you want of it. If you are being 100 percent practical, there is really no need to go with the 3520. All the tasks you mention are well-served by a 3320. That said, my personal experience is that you would notice a pretty large difference in performance between the two machines. I have owned a 4310 (which is the predecessor of the 3320) which I sold and purchased a 3720. The difference in power between the machines is huge!!! While the 3520 is not so different, it still produces 10 lb. ft. more torque and likely will have a slightly broader torque range than the naturally-aspirated machine. I know that when pulling a box blade up some of my steep grades, the 4310 would slow down a bog some (even with LoadMatch ON) to the point it would lose momentum and traction. I would either have to lift the box blade or stop and back up, resuming with a smaller amount of material. When hauling a bucket full of rock, I would note that the 4310 would slow up the paved drive to my house from 9MPH or so to 4-5 MPH. My 3720 will run circles around the 4310 pulling a box blade, and will maintain 8-9 MPH hauling full buckets of rock, etc. Nothing really slows it down, even though it weighes roughly the same. This does not even speak to the increased attachment performance that would result from more PTO HP. While I nor most of the rest of us really have to have this extra power, if one can afford it, it is really nice, particularly if the terrain you work on is not flat. Where I live, one can really tell the difference immediately between a lower hp machine and a higher one, particularly in heavier compacts like these. If I were buying one, I would go turbo all the way, BUT where you live and with the tasks you mention, it simply might not be worth the money. My dealer says the 3520 is not a really good seller for him, as most people either go 3320 to get a nice reasonably powered mid frame, or they go full bore with a 3720. The best thing to do is to see if your dealer or another one would let you run each machine on your property to see if you can tell a difference. Most dealers would do this if you are planning seriously to buy a pricey piece of equipment such as this. Also, see if they would let you hook a BB or some other attachment to each machine to see if you can tell any difference. If not, go 3320. If so, maybe 3520 is the better choice. I think you will note a difference.

John M

NYBOB · Mar 10, 2007

I did forget to mention that my terrain is fairly hilly and my driveway is at an incline.

I think I can afford the 3520 if I really needed it. Not sure on the 3720, even though it sounds like it would be the ulitmate for me.

Thanks

jcmseven · Mar 11, 2007

Bob,

You really do not need the 3520 over the 3320. Neither do I nor most of those that have them. I will say though that I have never regretted having the additional power of the 3720 and the 3520 would be similar. I "suffer" through good natured ribbing by my posting buddies on TBN for my history of trading tractors. Fact is, I have a really good dealer and he works with me and likes me trying different machines so I can give him feedback for his other customers also. Having sold several machines over the past two-three years, I can say from a resale perspective the higher horsepower machines tend to move a little better, at least in my area. My dealer says the 3320 is a relatively good seller for him, but the turbo machines sell better--and they seem harder to get. This is something important to consider if you are not 100% sure what machine you need. If you are fairly assured of the size you need, but not of the power, going with a little extra guarantees your happiness in most cases, and would also guarantee a little larger clientele for resale. My local dealer has a 3320 with a Powerreverser tranny and I have driven it around just for kicks with a loader. The power on that machine is OK and it seems strong with the gear drive tranny. My 4310, which had the ehydro, which was its equivalent hp predecessor was a dog on my property. It really felt its own mass and labored up climbs. Most of the time, I could not use the transport, or "C" range, even when running small things in the bucket up and down my service road--the engine just could not do it. But, if where you live is fairly flat, or you have no need for speed, the 3320 would do great even with the hydro. I am reluctant to say though that it is the equivalent of the 3520 because it is not. This is an instance where the numbers truly do miss a component of the story. I would say the 3520 is your better choice, but only you can decide whether the additional power would make some difference for your jobs and on your terrain. This topic came up a while back when someone was asking about a 3120 for his needs. I mentioned I recommend people locally who ask me go with at least a 3320 machine as the price is not that much extra for the additional power one gets. Matt3120 took justifiable exception with this as he has had good luck with his 3120. Matt uses his machine a lot for hydraulic and stationary work and for him, a 3120 is perfect. There really is little to no advantage in going with more engine power as the hydraulic power for implements is unchanged. But it sounds as if you are going to not be doing much if any stationary implement work yourself so I would go with the additional power if I could in your case.

John M

jmt1271 · Mar 11, 2007

My thinking is this- The price difference is small considering all the added benefits, including resale value. If I recall, there was around $1500 between the 3320 and the 3520.

Steadite · Mar 11, 2007

I believe Deere uses Honeywell turbos....those are good ones (same as Detroit Diesel, Cat, International, etc.). Usually, what "does-in" turbos is lot's of RPM cycles...not something you'd likely have to worry about on a tractor. Other thing you have to be religious about is oil and air filter maintenance.

On-highway trucks generally run a million miles on an original turbo.

Nuru · Mar 11, 2007

Also i would imagine that the turbo is on at certain RPMs, like in cars and trucks, not all the time, but I could be wrong on a tractor?

om21braz · Mar 11, 2007

One item I did'nt see mentioned is the fact that the turbo diesel machines are cleaner burning than their normally aspirated counterparts. Considering the environmental concerns this day and time, I would imagine that is some of the reason Deere went turbo further down the hp range than they were previously.