5103 or is there a better option?

[Ledgemere Farm]

The loader on the 5105 is a quick-park. The loader on the 5103 is not. Like Doc says, it comes off with a few bolts. The bucket attachments on both are quick detach. I am almost certain that both contain the same PowerTech naturally aspirated 50HP John Deere engine. the 05 is assembled in Georgia and the 03 comes from India. No big deal since Deere is a worldwide company. The biggest advantage of the 5105 is that it has a syncromesh transmission. The 5103 is collar shift, but has 9 forward gears as opposed to the 8 of the 5105. Sometimes, you really want that extra gear.

 

[Ledgemere Farm]

One lastthing: the 5103 is only available in 2WD whereas the 5105 is availble as either a 2WD or with MFWD.

 

[LittleBear]

Cowboydoc:

I noticed the 25 series (straddle mount) is not much more expensive than the 05 series. Comparing a 4WD 5205 with a 4WD 5325 (straddle mount, 9 speed basic trans), does the 5325 have anything significant beyond an extra 5 pto Hp and lifting and extra 400 lbs at the 3-point?

 

[Cityboyfarmer]

If you are going to be doing a lot of loader work the extra money for the 5105 or 5205 MFWD is money well spent IMO. Since you are in the hill country, you will likely wish you had FWD pretty quick. My brother in law has the 03 and is very happy with it, but his land is flat and he does not do a lot of loader work. My terrain is hilly and I was glad I bought the MFWD from day one when two wheel drive would not pull me up the hill from the creek bottom with a loader full of dirt. I would not be a happy camper with a 2WD tractor on my property. I think most folks on TBN would agree with the MFWD/loader issue.

I looked at a lot of tractors before I purchased my 5205 and concluded that it was the best value for my hard earned dollars based on my needs and wants. Which ever tractor you ultimately buy, you will get a quality product, but I'd go MFWD /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[timb]

Completely different machines, even with a 'base' (simpler, more straight-forward) 5225. Compared to a 5205, a 5225 is quite a bit bigger, heavier, less nimble, and has many differences, sometimes big, sometimes subtle. Then if you start checking things off on the option sheet on the 25's you start getting into far more complex electronic and electro-hydraulic systems than the simpler 05's have.

Some quick specs:

Wheelbase:
5205 76.8" (MFWD) vs. 5225 @ 85.7" (MFWD)

Overall Length:
5205 @ 128.4" vs. 5225 @ 141.6"

Height (to top of ROPS)
5205 @ 90.4" vs. 5225 @ 101.7"

Weight:
5205 @ 4275lb (MFWD) vs. 5225 @ 4931 lb.

Turning Radius (MFWD, without brakes)
5205 10.9 ft vs. 5225 @ 12.5 ft.

Engines, same displacement but:
5205 - traditional 3-cyl normally aspirated diesel w/wet liners (more readily rebuilt some day) vs. 5225 5-cyl turbo diesel (with no cylinder liners)

Hydraulics:
5205 - 6.5gpm steering + 10.5gpm implement (17.4 total) @ 2755 psi (implement pressure) vs. 5225 5.9gpm steering + 19.4gpm implement (19.4 total) @ 2828 psi implement.

Drawbar vertical load rating:
5205 1225 lb "regular position" vs. 5225 rated at 1675lb fully extended, 2470lb short position

the list goes on but as you'd guess from those numbers just eyeing them up side by side at the dealer would quickly give you a feel for the differences.

 

[LittleBear]

Thanks for the info TimB. I went to two Deere dealers, but no 05 or 25 open station tractors were on hand (cab models and smaller models). It sounds like I can order one, but I feel I have to actually sit in one before making a buying decision. I wonder if Deere is producing these tractors now, or have they shut the line down because the main buying season is over?

 

[unreconstructed]

Thanks for the insight Cityboy. My place in the Hill Country is on a ridgeline with a couple of 40 foot contour lines-one is about 200 meters and the other you really can't see unless you eyeball a topo. The ground is black and slicker than ice when soaked and I will probably do more loader work than anything. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[DmaxEter]

I just caught the whole 5000 series tractor finacing promo and have a few questions. Is the 05 a syncronized shuttle shift for loader work? And about how much would a 05 with loader and MFWD sell for average?? Thanks