3520 VS. 3720

[Snow Annihilation]

So I have seen this subject discussed here before and though I would thrown in my opinion on a JD 3520 vs. a JD 3720. I have owned both.
2 years ago I purchased a JD 3720 with a 300cx loader and lorenz front mount snow blower. At this time I looked a 3520 and 3720 and being my frist tractor threw the extra 3k for the 3720 being as my primary purpose is snow blowing and wanted to make sure I could thrown the snow as far as possible, we can get some nasty storms in Southern Oregon.

After 2 winters of freezing on an open station I traded the 3720 in for a 3520 with a cab. You may I ask why did not got for the 3720 with a cab....3k dollars, which is half the cost of the cab. So what do you get for 3k under the hood being the two tractors are otherwise identical. After parts research and talk with the mechanic at the local dealer. All you get with a 3720 over a 3520 is larger injectors, a different injection pump and different turbo and an intercooler. In terms of real world power a 3720 is 44 hp at the motor and 35 at the pto. A 3520 is 37 at the motor and 30 at the pto.

After driving and using both a 3520 is a better machine! Here is why:
The 3720 if it meets and resistance and you get on the hydrostat you will spin the tires 3 times sooner than on the 3520. The power to weight ratio is off. I have dug a hole with the tire in the 3720 in less than 30 seconds. The 3520 will spin the tires but with much more effort meaning that the power to weight ratio is where it should be and traction is applied. For snow blowing no difference has been noted and I am warm now.

The cost if you have the extra 3k to spend an want more tractor, step up to a 4000 series, you will get 4 cylinders over 3 cylinders and another 900 lbs of machine. In many instances there is no replacement for weight. I am not saying to not buy a 3720 it is a great machine and is like the high output v8 as opposed to the standard v8. Remember this is a tractor not a car. So my oppinion is to buy a 3520 or if you want more power step up to a 4000 series.

Hope this helps

 

[jenkinsph]

First let me welcome you to TBN!

Thanks for the write up on your experiences with the 3720 and 3520. While I don't have any first hand knowledge of either one the cab version does add 670 lbs to the base weight of the tractors. That is equivalent to my six 110lb. rear weights and attaching hardware on the 4520. I would think that a cab 3720 with weights added or Rim Guard should get good traction.

I agree though that both tractors have good usable power based on what I have read here. You really have to pay attention to wheel spin with R1 tires though, they can dig in real fast.

 

[beenthere]

Snow
Pretty good review but the fault that the 3720 spin-out is a negative, has to do with tractor weight. And your 3520 with cab doesn't make for a good comparison (apples/oranges thing). To fix the power/weight ration, add weight.

To step up to the larger framed 4000 series, means you get a larger tractor too, not just more HP.

Glad you are satisfied with the 3520, but sounds like you are trying to justify having fewer horses under the hood, and your decision to downsize.

But your argument doesn't disuade me from seriously looking to upgrade to the 3720

Welcome to the forum, and hope we hear more about your 3520.

 

[9973720wb19]

Six months ago, I Compared the 4720 to the 3720. Dealer priced up a 4720 with a FEL (my first choice not knowing any better). Being my first tractor I went back to the dealer on a Sunday to look around alone and did some additional research. Determined I could get a 3720 with (FEL,MMM ((don't think you can even put a MMM on a 4720)),Rotary Cutter and Chipper) for about the same price as the 4720 with just a FEL. I have a 26ac home site not a farm, so it's only finish mowing, some brush mowing and projects with the FEL. Thought the 4720 would look kind of silly mowing with it.

I have no regrets with the, now 60 hours on my 3720, the size is great, there is always power in reserve, and the cab is just great in the hot & cold.

 

[radman1]

You can get a mid mount mower with the 4x20 series. However, the 4x20 series with cab, would be really large for mowing the lawn around the house. I moved up from a 3720 to a 4520 both with cabs. On paper the 3x20 series doesn't seem much bigger but there is a noticeable difference in size and power. The 3720 had plenty of power, the 3520 should also have enough power for the size of CUT. I could smoke the belt of my rear finish mower with the 3720 and not even notice the engine pull down on the 3720. I needed more clearance of the 4x20 series and I changed from R4s to R1s for more traction.

 

[jenkinsph]

The 3520 and 3720 are both good choices for mowing and odd jobs. They have some other benefits as well. If it were me and I was maintaining 26 acres though I would consider a large mower around the house and the 4x20 tractor and rfm on the rest of the place. This assumes that you are cutting more frequently close to the house and intermittently clipping the fields.

 

[Nuru]

You can get a mid mount mower with the 4x20 series. However, the 4x20 series with cab, would be really large for mowing the lawn around the house.

radman1; Oh i dunno, If i good get the CFO to go for it, I might have bought one

BTW, I also did not buy the 3720 because of the minute power difference for my applications, as it probably would not make a difference, except in very extreme situations. My slopes range from 19 - 26 degree inclines, but I have had no issues with running the 72" MMM, AC, and hauling the loader and the rear dirt scoop all around on hot days. I was advised by multiple people on this forum and multiple local dealers that I might have an issue with the same configuration on a 3320 tough.

 

[Wesdor]

Welcome to the forum! I have a 3520 and looked strongly at the 3720 when I bought it. The cab sure would be comfortable in this winter weather, but to me the difference was the hydro transmission.
I'm from the old school and just don't can't make the switch to the hyrdo. For what you describe your use, it sounds like the hydro is a better choice for you. I don't believe a person can purchase a cab on those two unless you have the hydro drive. If that isn't correct, I hope someone will set me straight.

Again, welcome to the forum and thanks for some good logical posting.

 

[Spudland_Dave]

Welcome to the forum! I have a 3520 and looked strongly at the 3720 when I bought it. The cab sure would be comfortable in this winter weather, but to me the difference was the hydro transmission.
I'm from the old school and just don't can't make the switch to the hyrdo. For what you describe your use, it sounds like the hydro is a better choice for you. I don't believe a person can purchase a cab on those two unless you have the hydro drive. If that isn't correct, I hope someone will set me straight.

You are 100% Correct...Cab = eHydro Only...

I was like you in my thought process...but I can say after having my 3520/eHydro for as long as I have, I'd never go back to an "old fashioned" gear tranny...
What made the decision for me was the CAB was a necessity...I figured I'd live with the hydro....But I instead became a believer.

I would think that a cab 3720 with weights added or Rim Guard should get good traction.

Yeah, I've got 2 - 55's in each wheel (220 lbs total) plus the weight of the cab on my 3520 and I'd say its weighted OK...I've been thinking about adding another 55 on each wheel, but I dunno...it works nicely right now.

 

[jenkinsph]

Wesdor,

All of us who are older grew up on gear tractors, most of us were glad to have them. Getting use to an ehydro is easy, you buy one and drive it around a little and your sold on it. I used my 820 a couple of weeks ago to move implements off the trailer at the ranch and was really suprised how much more difficult it was to manuever than the 4520.

I had planned to trade this 820 tractor in on a 6000 series later this year but I am having second thoughts, I would like to see them come out with the ehydro in them first. Depending on the cost though I may have to settle for a PR transmission as I already know the IVT is pricey.

 

[Johndeere3720]

Yeah, There are two different worlds sepperating my Yanmar from my Gandpa's JohnDeere 2210. It seems once I get used to on type of tranny I have to go use the other. Sometimes I look for the clutch on the 2210 and look for the hydro pedal on my Yanmar. It takes some getting used to. Anyway, my Dad has a 3720. I can admit that It has spun its tires a few times but I do my best to keep weight in the back. I am not to fond of the R4 tires in the fields and on the hills but it is a nice little tractor. Now ive never driven a 3520, I almost did once but drove a skidsteer instead. It seems that when my Dad has his CT322 track skidsteer at home, that is the machine of choice over the 3720 as it is way more stable on the hillsides, has 22 more hp, and it can lift more. All in all though, I can say gear tranny has more torque to it but the 3720 has been a good tractor for my dad.

 

[chevyman29]

i would love to drive one of those 6000 series tractors they look totally cool

 

[jcmseven]

I have had two 3720 tractors, and have been pretty happy with both of them. Both were the open station machines as I do not have an indoor place to store a cab tractor. I have previously been a "get the biggest or most powerful machine" in a given class, but have matured a bit from that. I also have more experience in these machines and have found similar findings to those initially noted. The 3720 is a nice tractor, but it really will not outwork a 3520. I can think of no instance where the extra power of a 3720 really makes a difference except in all day super high load PTO work, which really none of us do that much--if at all. John Deere, being a smart company, has marketed these high horsepower machines as being a smaller alternative to the next larger series and people have gone for it. When I bought my first 3720, I priced it quite close to a 4120, but still went with the higher HP 3720. After I had owned a 4520 and used a 4120, I realized the 4000 series are certainly more capable and really should have been my choice previously at the time. The same applies IMO with the 2020 to 3020 jump. The more powerful 2020 machines approach the price of the lower 3000 series machines, but are not as heavy duty. The short of this is that if one is looking for the best deal possible, it is often better to look one model below the flagship in each of the JD lines. These machines often are quite a bit less pricey, opening up saving money v. getting an extra attachment or some extra features and the actual real world performance is essentially nil. My personal example of this is the first 3720 I had v the 4310 I had prior. In pulling a 72" RFM mowing a large field I found the 3720 to have no trouble mowing very deep, thick grass. It would, in fact, pull the mower so well one could smell the belt burning. The RPM's never changed. The 4310, pulling the same mower but with 10 less PTO HP (same physical size) would do----the exact same thing. No bog, belt smell, whole thing....This attuned me to the fact that extra power is helpful, but frequently more is a bragging right than a true performance enhancer, especially when the numbers are close and especially when dealing with turbocharged machines such as the 3520 and 3720.

John M

 

[jenkinsph]

John M,

I agree with most of this and would add that in most cases that attempting to run at maximum power sustained is more difficult than it would appear. To get the engine in most vehicles to maximum power without putting it in overload and maintaining the proper rpm's for any durattion is very difficult.

Likewise small horsepower differences are hard to translate into real differences in tractor performance. For instance I am not sure if I could tell the difference between a 4520 and 4720 right away, and am sure the 3520 and 3720 comparison is similar.

 

[slaveToHorses]

It is true that the power needs to be matched with the traction. That is why I have all 4 tires filled on my 3720. I also live in Oregon and don't have bad problems with the slick clay mud, even though I have R4s. Unless I go into middle of a wet field, then I would be stuck for certain, but any tractor would be stuck there. I find the power delivery to be very controlled. I also almost never run it without the loader and either the backhoe or a filled ballast box so that probably makes a large difference as well.

I thought about a 4x20 but I already have a 2355, which has equivalent power to a 4520 but with a bigger, heavier frame. I wanted this tractor for around the farm utility work and getting into the wooded areas. The 3720 turned out to be a perfect match for my needs and has enough power to run some ground implements, the backhoe and be a backup unit for my 8" chipper (which I usually have on the 2355).

I do like the sound of the 4x20 and my 2355 MUCH better than the 3x20. The bigger 4 cylinders have a much more pleasant throatier roar to them.

 

[Snow Annihilation]

Thanks for all of the responses. I should have noted that the 3720 had calcium filled r-1 ag tires and I always had a box blade or straight on the back also which added 400 lbs. The comparison may not be apples to apples with the weight of the cab on the 3520. Though the point I was trying to make is John Deere really giving you an extra 3K $ of HP on the 3720?
I think not... it is a phenomenal machine but a 3520 will do all of the same work and that 3k could be put elsewhere. I really wanted a 4000 series but could not afford it and the cab, but they are definetely more machine than a 3000 series.

Has any one crankep up the IP and turbo on a 3520 and added an intercooler therefore making it equal to a 3720?

 

[slaveToHorses]

...the point I was trying to make is John Deere really giving you an extra 3K $ of HP on the 3720?

Has any one crankep up the IP and turbo on a 3520 and added an intercooler therefore making it equal to a 3720?

I suspect that if you purchased the parts from Deere, you would come close to the difference in initial purchase price.
By the way, when I purchased mine, the difference between the 3520 and 3720 was only about 2k, at final price.

I mainly went with the 3720 because I wanted to use it to run my 8" hydraulic feed chipper. In that application, the extra power is quite useful.

 

[jsboening]

I have never owned anything and said to myself "This thing needs less power".

 

[Doug Archer]

I have the 3720 with a number of implements. Forks,front end loader, backhoe 7 foot box scrapper. All of which I believe any of the 3000 series units would run just fine. But I also have a water pump, 19 KW generator, and a wood chipper. Because of the size of these three units I did need the extra PTO power back there to run these units. When I bought the tractor I divided the cost of the machine by the HP of each 3000 series machine. Interesting turned out I got more HP for a little bit less money per horse power money spent. I guess it all depends on our needs. Mostly when doing snow removal and most dirt or stone loading I do not run this machine much over 1800 but when using the PTO I am full throttle. The water pump I can run at less but will not pump the 150 gallons per minute the pump is capable of. The 19 kw generator needs all the power as there is only 1 or 2 horse power in reserve to turn the unit if it is putting out its full potential. Wood chipper is much the same I run the machine at full throttle when chipping with the unit I am using. It all comes down to what you use your machine for. So the good reason the manufacture turns out so many different machines. We all have our needs in mind when buying so hopefully we do it right the first time. My only mistake, I bought open station first time around, then traded 1100 hours later for a full cab. Both machines excellent for my needs and likely will never have to buy another if it lasts as well as the machines of the past.

 

[GreatWhitehunter]

This is a 5 year old thread.

Matt