heehaw,
I was considering a Bush Hog FEL when I bought my tractor. A fellow who had a
M4700 in the upper midwest had gone with a Bush Hog loader. He had no problems.
I asked this board for advice as to which FEL was best, the overwhelming answer was a Kubota FEL. Why? First, because it was made specifically for a Kubota, so no adaptor kit. Second, because the Kubota FEL was of great quality. There were several other reasons that I don't remember.
I liked the Bush Hog loader because it had a higher lift capacity and breakout force. Plus, I really like the quality of Bush Hog products. Most of my 3 pt attachments are Bush Hog.
I ended up buying a '99 4x4 5400 with 60 hours on it. There was a Kubota FEL already attached. I paid $23,750. I bought it a year ago this December.
I have not had one problem from the FEL...or anything else for that matter.
I've talked to several who went with the Bush Hog FEL and they've not mentioned any problems or regrets.
I would advise you to go with a 4x4 instead of 2 wheel drive. It makes a huge difference in operation. My neighbor has a 2wd Massey. He called me the other day to come help him move a debris pile. Seems his big Massey couldn't do the job. My 5400 couldn't either....until I activated the 4 wheel drive, then no more problems.
I'll never own another tractor that is not 4x4...especially when I'm doing loader work.
Bill Cook