5003 series John Deere

[floridahay]

I am looking at purchasing one of these in the near future. I would appreciate any experiences anyone has had with them or any opinions about them. Is there any appreciable difference in power in the 5202 over the 5103? I could get by with either but was just wondering about your experiences with them. I know that the 5303 would be much more powerful with the turbo and 55 rated pto horsepower.

 

[smgriffin]

I traded in a JD 5105 for a JD 5303 because I needed the increased HP and the additional weight. I use the JD 5303 for bush hogging, pulling hay trailers, hay tedders and hay rakes. It is a good riding tractor and just fun to drive. The only negative is the collar shift transmission(You must stop completely to change gears). If you are use to a sync transmission, you will grind the gears a time or two before you learn you better stop before you change gears. For this reason, any work you do that requires a lot of "stop and reverse" such as front end loader work with be aggravating. For the money, it is a good basic tractor.

 

[unreconstructed]

There's been quite a bit of discussion on TBN about the 5003 series. I can't remember anyone not liking their 03 but I think that the folks who have bought them know before hand that they did not want or need 4wd, or maybe were willing to forego it due to price, did not want bells and whistles, and were OK with the gear transmission. I have had mine for a year, a 5203, and love the thing. It is a simple piece of machinery--going back to pre high tech days, and has all the power I need.

Also, if you get a loader, its not a quick park/quick detach, or whatever you call it. Taking off the bucket is a snap--I have two buckets and can get the buckets changed out in a snap, but the loader as a whole would have to be unbolted.

I use the loader a lot and if I were using it commercially, would want a differnet tranny, but am willing to live with the inconvenience of the gear tranny for my personal use.

Seems to me for the price its hard to beat.

My 2 bits.

 

[Turkflyer]

If you want the most reliable vehicle, and the most power for the dollar, this is it. The only difference between the 5203 and the 5303 is the turbo. Both put out about 4hp more than rated, so you really get your monie's worth. The loader they say goes with these is a good loader, but not Quik-Tach. The regular 520 Quik-tach loader fits also, if you want that one. Most people never remove the loader.

 

[lgcivttu]

Have you heard about the 5403? Same as a 5303, but 74HP/64PTO.

 

[floridahay]

Yes, I have heard that the 5403 is supposed to go into production this month . I just purchased a 5203 yesterday and look forward to using it haying as soon as the weather cooperates. I think there will be a good demand for the 5403 because I have heard many people say they wish there was something slightly larger than the 5303. I would like to take this opportunity to thank TurkFlyer for his information that he has given to everyone in the past regarding Deere products. We are very fortunate to have someone with this vast knowledge of Deere products willing to share the information with us! Also thanks to everyone for their opinions!

 

[Turkflyer]

The 5403 is a new one since I departed the '03 series. I'll see what engine they're using. The transmission can handle it easily. We have that same transmission in tractors with up to 85 engine hp in Mexico and the Middle East (Turkey). Great, reliable tractors.

 

[ddivinia]

Wow, a 5403. The 03 series sure seems to be a deal. What other lines with Kubota, Mahindra, etc match up with the 03 series?

D.

 

[Turkflyer]

I just checked with the designers. The 5403 is the same tractor with only a hp bump to 74 engine hp. It uses the same 3029T engine, so it has the same wheelbase and turning radius. Properly ballasted, it should have some REAL "grunt"! I'd have to look at the competition to see what models line up with it.