5510 or 6210

Vernon · Jun 22, 2000

I've got about 60 acres of land I hay and about 200 acres of woodlot. I need a new loader tractor for my small beef and forestry opperation. I have the 6300 2wd with the cab and have had great luck with it. I'm trading a 2355 4wd with the 245 loader for my new tractor. What I want in my new tractor is 4wd, a cab, and a loader. I know the 6210 is heavier and has a bigger loader but the 5510 is smaller and more manuverable. I don't know what would be better sized for using my Farmi winch and hauling my Patu log trailer in the woods.
The chance just came up for me to expand my herd and hay land so I'm thinking about getting a 5410 2wd with the cab too. I need it for doing light utility work. I was thinking about the 6110 2wd open station with the canopy, but it would probably be more than I need.
Any help would be great.

Anonymous Poster · Jun 22, 2000

I would trade for a 350 or 450 JD with a winch for a forestry machine. I have a 2640 with a 245 loader and forks, it will log but I would never take a cab tractor into the woods, I just can't see what I am doing from the cab of the 6200 I have used. It is great for haying and bush-hogging in hot weather but limited for logging.

ejb · Jun 23, 2000

Vernon, never driven the 6210, but you might be able to save a little money with the 5510, it is a quite capable machine....I have a 5410, and maintain 175 acres with it (about 30 acres fields, rest woods). I don't hay with it, I bush hog), but I know it has plenty of power to handle square or round balers (and the 5510 has 10 more HP than my 5410). I also do small scale logging, for personal use, with my 5410 4wd, and have never felt like the need for more power lifting or pulling even very big logs. Manuverability in the woods is an important concern as well.

Good luck w/your decision.

Vernon · Jun 23, 2000

ejb, I think you are right about the 5510. It's probably the right tractor for me. I'm thinking about getting the open station with the canopy now,but were I live we have cold winters and I need it to move snow with so I want the cab too. Does your 5410 have the cab on it. If so what do you think. The cab on the 5010 series John Deeres doesn't have a flat floor does it? I think it's got a hump in it. Do you find that a nuisance? or does it not affect you at all?
Any one tried driving one of the M8200 Kubotas. I had a demo here but it seemed like it didn't have the power it should for around a 75 PTO horsepower tractor. The loader didn't seem to have enough strength. I was digging into my gravel pile and it just wouldn't lift from the bottom of the pile. I had to dig around the middle so it would work right.

ejb · Jun 23, 2000

I don't have a cab, and since I don't use my tractor to make a living, but instead sit behind a computer for a good chunk of every day, I enjoy being out in the elements when I am using it. I get cold winters and a lot of snow where I live, and I have a pretty long driveway, but I defintely would not want a cab (like I said if, I drove a tractor for a living I may change my tune fast). I also don't like not being able to hear what is going on outside the tractor (i.e. if I am bush-hogging my fields, I want to hear that I hit a rock as soon as possible).

I agree with you about the larger Kubotas, I know at least a few people on this forum are going to disagree with me strongly (to say the least), and no offense intended to anyone, but for me, I felt like their was no comparison between the larger deeres and the larger Kubotas...the deeres just felt more capable/powerful/heavier/sturdier to me...maybe its just a personal preference, I don't know. I went out to buy a Kubota 5400/6800, and ended up with a Deere 5410...I know others have gone out to buy a Deere 5410 (wen) and came home with a Kubota M6800 instead. Both of us are very happy with our machines.

Good luck with your decision.

Vernon · Jun 23, 2000

ejb, I know someone that had an M8200 just like the one I tried. Before they even bought it oil was coming out of the exhaust and was all over the engine because the dealer didn't take a plug out of a hose or something like that(it was to keep dirt out). This happened just about 10 hours after the got it. Then after that got fixed something else broke and the had to fix the turbo. Then a bolt that keeps the tire from hitting the frame went missing and the tire started to rub and wear the paint off the loader frame. If I had known this before i had my demo I wouldn't even have bothered. The only reason I did have it was because this dealer is closer than the Deere Dealer(the Deere dealer is about 75 minutes away, but I've only heard great things about them.

ejb · Jun 23, 2000

I had similiar situation, Kubota dealer 5 miles away, and really wanted to buy one, but ended up at the Deere place an hour away, partly because I liked the Deere better, but also cause I liked the deere dealer better.

Vernon · Jun 24, 2000

Great news. I called my Deere dealer today and they have both tractors. The 5510 with cab,4wd,and loader and the 6210 with cab,4wd,and loader. I'm going up on monday to check them out.
ejb, is your loader the 540 or the newer 541 mechanicl self leveling one. That's what my dealer has and that's just what I want. If you have either one, what do you think of it? You get more lift height, more lift capacity, and a greater breakout force do you not?

ejb · Jun 25, 2000

I have the 541, self-leveling. But don't be confused, the 541 is not a self-leveling version of the 540, it is an entirely new design. Both the 540 and the 541 are available with or without self-leveling (although I don't think the 540 is made anymore). In particular, the brackets where the loader mounts to the tractor are completed redesigned for the 541...I was talking to a Deere mechanic about the redesign, and he kind of joked that the rest of the guys at the shop was wondering how well those new brakcets were going to hold up. They are more streamlined than the 540 version, and leave less on the tractor if you remove the loader (better visibility)...because they are smaller and thinner, I think he was questioning their ability to hold up in the long haul...I am not particulalry worried about it, but try sitting on one of the machines a picture what would happen to the operator should one of those brackets fail while lifting a heavy load...pretty scarey..again, he offered no evidence whatsoever that there was a problem, just concerned that it was an unproven design.

The self -leveling loaders do give you more lift, but I am not sure why...I wasn't going to get the self-level model, but glad I did...makes it easy to use.

I have no complaints about my 541 self-leveling loader...no matter which one you get, have the dealer weld on a piece of steel (about 4 inches wide, 6 feet long and about 1/2 inch thick along the top of the bucket, and then have him weld on 3 big hooks, hooks pointing back towards the tractor....with those hooks and a few sets of chains, you'd be suprised how handy they are...my dealer threw that in for the asking...and even painted it up nice and shiny green for me.

MChalkley · Jun 25, 2000

ejb - I've had occasions where the self-leveling feature would sure have been nice.

And the hooks are very handy, too - I'll have to second that. When I got my pallet forks, it came with three hooks for the rod to fit in. The hooks are at least as useful as the forks.

Mark

Bird · Jun 25, 2000

You mean there's someone who doesn't have chain hooks on his loader bucket?/w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif I drilled some holes and bolted the hooks onto mine the first day I had it.

Bird

MChalkley · Jun 25, 2000

Bird, did you have to back it with a plate or were you able to just bolt them to the bucket?

Mark

Bird · Jun 26, 2000

Just used a couple of pretty big flat washers for a backing plate.

Bird

Vernon · Jun 26, 2000

ejb, I knew the 540 and the 541 loaders were different models and that the 541 was quite a new design. I just wasn't sure what you might have on your tractor.
I was at my dealer today and checked out my tractor situation. When I got up there the 6210 had the 640 non MSL loader, but he did have a 6310 exactly with what I wanted in the 6210 but with the 640 MSL loader. I also checked out the 5510 while I was there and it looks like one of the best tractors I have ever seen.
Both tractors are great looking and I spent most of the day there checking them over. I've arranged for a demonstration of the 6310 on wednesday. I chose to start with the 6310 because it is the largest and if it doesn't work in the space I need it to, then I will have a demonstration and most likely go with the 5510. Another reason I started with the 6310 is because I need this tractor for haying and the opption of expanding my beef herd and hay acreage is coming up so I don't want to get a tractor and then have to turn around and get a bigger one. I also aranged for them to bring a 709 brush cutter with my tractor. Right now all I have to use is an old sicklebar mower. It cuts the grass but not the bushes. Some of the bushes that are growing are around 2" thick. Anyone have or tried the 709 brush cutter. It's the 7' heavy duty model which sounds like what I need.

ejb · Jun 26, 2000

...as it just so happens, I also have a 709 cutter. No complaints, but in hindsight, instead of the medium duty cutter, if I had to do it again I may have gone with the heavy duty version (not sure of the price differential).

It does a fine job of cutting, but I do feel like I am beating the living heck out of it some-times (too many hidden rocks on my property). I guess once I have mowed the entire place for several seasons, I'll have cleaned out the rocks I can and clearly mark those that I can't.

The 5410 handles it no problem, so I am sure either your 5510 or 6310 will as well.

Vernon · Jun 27, 2000

That's good that you like the 709 mower too. I wasn't sure if I was making a right choice. I can't wait to get my tractor tomorrow and give it a really good working. I'm going to take it on all the roads I have trough the woods to see if it can do it. I'm sure it will.
My brother is getting new equipment for his horse Ranch he is building up on the land next to mine. He just sold his old ranch and the equipment too, because he needed to expand he was doing so well. He's thinking about getting a skid steer, a small tractor and a larger tractor to help with the haying. He and I will be working together on the haying since I have all the haying equipment. The larger tractor he's thinking about is the 5310 or 5410. I was telling him how you like it so much and that really seemed to get him thinking about it. Any advice for him would be great.

ejb · Jun 27, 2000

There is a big difference between the 5310 and the 5410...have your brother try riding both of them and getting a feel for how they handle. The 5410 is physically bigger, has a completely different 4cyl engine and even sounds a whole lot bigger...I was originally leaning towards the 5310, but ended up with the 5410.

Lets us know how it all turns out.

Vernon · Jun 28, 2000

ejb. I have just one thing to say about the 6310 John Deere.AWESOME! It fit all my woods roads great. Had more power than I imagined. I think John Deere under rates there tractors horsepower. The loader lifted things easier and faster than my 2355 w/245 loader. It moves a lot faster around my farm too. The cab is spacious and has more room than you need. I hooked it up to my winch to do some skidding and I could see everything I needed to and a little more. I think that the 6310 is the tractor for me.
My brother is going up to the Deere dealer tomorrow to check out the tractors. He's also thinking about the 4475 and the 5575 John deere skid steers. What have you heard about the 5005 advantage series JD tractors.
He needs something for mowing his and my lawn. He had the 1070 JD tractor before with the loader, canopy, rear mower, tiller, and rear blade. He's thinking about the JD 4000 series, but a smaller horsepower tractor. He was up to the Kubota dealer today and was looking at the B series and the Grand L series I think he said. He liked the cab on the L4310 but not the HST transmission. Can you get cabs for the JD 4000 series tractors? Since he's going to be getting a larger tractor too, he doesn't want to get to large of a yard and other work tractor. Can you help him out?

Bird · Jun 28, 2000

Vernon, since I like the HST so much, I gotta ask, "Did you brother say why he didn't like it?"

Bird

ejb · Jun 29, 2000

Sorry, no firsthand knowledge of the JD4000 series or the "05" series. I heard on this forum that a lot of the early 4000 series tractors had some sort of front axle problem that was causing scuffing on the lawn (Deere has addressed this problem and offered to fix ones already sold) but besides that don't know much about them. When I went looking for a tractor there weren't even any 4000 series on the lot so I didn't get to try any of them.

As for the "05" series, I beleive they are more or less watered down versions of the 10 series, economy versions with a few less bells and whistles, but then again, haven't heard much about them...

Lets us know what you/your brother find out.

BTW: Whats the 6310 going for? Sounds like a nice machine, I sat one once and sure felt a lot more substantial than the 5410 I have (but was a lot more than I needed).

Good luck.