I don't know the specs on those particular models of JD, but the 5205 looks an awful lot like the 5105. You might not be getting much more tractor for your extra $1,000. A 6 hp increase might look good on paper, but it really doesn't look like you are getting any more tractor. They both weigh the same, and it looks like they lift the same weight at the three point hitch (not sure about that though). From what I can see on John Deere’s website, you aren’t going to get much, if any, more work out of the 5205 then the 5105.
I would be more inclined to stick with the 5105 or move to a 5303 or a 5320. Not long ago, I was looking at a
M4900. After carefully considering everything I needed the tractor to do, I thought I would be right at the limit of the tractor’s capabilities. I didn’t want to outgrow another tractor in a couple years, so I bit the bullet and moved to a
M6800.
The
M5700 is essentially the same tractor as the
M4900 (much like the 5105 and the 5205). The
M5700 costs about $1,000 more then the
M4900 and has more horsepower, but in reality it wouldn’t do any more work then the
M4900.
It is helpful to write down what your immediate plans and future plans are for the tractor. The more detail you can provide the better. Once you know where you are going, you can start looking at the equipment you need. The work and the equipment you are going to use will really decide which sized tractor is best for you.
