Comparison Help me compare these 4 tractors!

[George2615]

I took the time to research the BARE TRACTOR weights on TractorData.com. YOU DID NOT.
If you do not have hard data, do not question mine.

The Branson 3520R weight of 4053lbs. in question includes the loader. The loader comes with the tractor and it is not bare tractor weight. The hard data is here. The others listed were bare tractor weight.
Big Tex Tractor | Branson 3520R

Info on tractordata is not always 100% accurate.

Here's another showing the 3520R with loader showing a weight of 3609 lbs.
352R Branson Tractor with Loader | CSTK Custom Trailers

3520R with loader and backhoe weighs 5393 lbs. according to the site below listing a package deal so if Jeff is correct the bare weight is 4053 lbs. the loader, bucket and backhoe only weigh 1340 lbs. combined. I find that hard to believe.
217 Branson Tractors 352R Backhoe Package Stock: PKB35TLB2 | Big Red's Equipment

 

[jeff9366]

I carefully inspected the Big Tex link you provided. I saw nothing to indicate FEL was integral to the Branson 3520R model, rather than an option.

Here is Branson's web page for the Model 3725, presumably the Tier iV successor to 3520R.
Bare tractor weight: 4,195 pounds.

LINK: Branson Tractors - 3725CH

 

[George2615]

On Davestractor site (a member here) his ad states the 3520R comes with the loader. The ad does say bare tractor weight is 4053lb. but since it comes with the loader I don't know if that is included as bare tractor weight so I guess I'll have to wait for Dave to clarify. I've been known to be wrong before. If I am wrong I apologize to Jeff and anyone else I may have confused trying to sort this out.
Dave's Tractor, Inc


Dave's Tractor, Inc


I've sent Dave a PM . hopefully he can supply the proper weight of the 3520R.

 

[sd455dan]

This vid 3520R -to a workmaster 35 seems to support Jeff on the weight question assuming the H and R models weights are close The Branson loader appears much stouter for sure

Branson Tractor vs New Holland Workmaster - YouTube

Edit: Also found an old brochure for the 3510H which (looks) like the predecessor
shows tractor without FEL and lists base weight as 3478 lbs.

Also have a brochure for the 4720h which shows a bare weight of 4116 lbs. so only about 600 lbs. for a jump from their 35 hp tractor to a 47 hp??



From what I can find would guess on about about 700lb. difference between the LS and Branson base weight without loaders being considered

The LS out of the group listed -(all things considered) sure looks tempting but 1 size larger would be nice

 

[WilliamBos]

I would stay with Kubota or JD - Parts, service, warranty and support is why.

I put Kubota as the first, KTAC is why, and theur top notch quality.

 

[LD1]

Wonder where they put the extra ~1500 pounds at on that branson?

I would think there would be a noticable size difference physically. Like a whole step up on frame size. That bare weight is a typical weight for a 50-60HP platform tractor.

My MX is ~3800# and my old L3400 was about 2600#. There is a HUGH difference in size, width, feel, etc.

To the question at had as to which tractor is best for you.....

Given the tasks you describe with the implements you have.....I dont think weight is gonna gain you much. Weight isnt gonna help you run a 5' bushhog or 5' tiller. If you were wanting to pull a plow, large disc, or skid some big logs.....sure go for weight.

And you didnt mention the tow vehicle. If the branson weight is indeed to be believed.......it may make a difference between a 7k trailer and 1/2 ton truck....and a 10k trailer and 3/4 ton truck. (or at least a newer 1/2 ton with 10k tow rating).

All that said, for mowing and woods type work like you describe, getting a HST would be near the top of my list. You can add remotes to a HST tractor in the future (but none of your needs you have mentioned require remotes.) You can also add SSQA in the future. But again, none of your needs mention using anything other than a bucket.

But, you cannot take a shuttle tractor and make it a HST.

 

[Olympus]

That's a good point about the trailer/truck. And I do have a 1/2 ton truck with a trailer using a 7K pound torsion axle.

The LS tractors do sit lower to the ground and don't look as tall as the Branson. But they do look wider, at least in the rear end. The loader lift capacity for the two are almost identical with the LS at 2250lbs and the Branson at 2200lbs.

What turned me off about the Branson was the lack of dealer support and a lot of the posts I've read about people having to pay $40 shipping for parts through Branson. The dealer I went to had a shop smaller than my personal shop at my house. A two bay building with a small office inside. The one 3520R they had for sale was out of commission because the dealer robbed some loader valves off to put on another customer's tractor. He said they had new parts coming though. Left a bad taste in my mouth because a local Grasshopper mower dealer did the same thing for me one time on a deck wheel. Didn't have one in stock so he just robbed a wheel off a new mower from the showroom and sold it to me. Just doesn't sit well with me.

The Branson dealer also had a 3520H that I was able to drive. For some reason he had the dash unplugged so nothing worked when I drove it, which again left me feeling less than impressed. I got the feeling the hydro unit had bee for sale a long time. The decals were all faded and starting to peel and the caps on top of the levers and steering cap were all faded and cracked from sitting out in the sun. Dealer said he had new decals and lever knobs on order also. The Branson machine just struck me as "low tech". Dealer said the DPF on the machines was basically an "add-on" so Branson could still sell their tractors, but he said there were no electronics that monitored soot levels and basically a guy could unhook the DPF and completely remove it without any problems. While that sounded like somewhat of a positive, it also makes me think that Branson corporate just slapped a bandaid fix on their same old tractors just to take them Tier 4 compliant. And the mechanical injection pump also feels "low tech" to me. So all these things didn't give me that warm fuzzy feeling I like to have, whether it be about the brand in general or the dealer. The dealership is a younger guy and his dad. No employees, just two guys doing sales and service both.

 

[ericm979]

Lower and wider is good for stability on slopes.

The mechanical injection is a known quantity. The Bosch VE injection pump that Branson uses is a very common part, used on a lot of small diesels. It'll be easy to get it fixed from any diesel pump shop should it ever need it. Electronic injection ECU and programming is manufacturer specific, so you can only get parts & service on that from dealers. (unlike many cars and trucks there's no consumer level ECU programmers for CUTs). Mechanical injection is not high tech but it gets the job done. There is a data logger that monitors DPF temperature and differential pressure though I've yet to figure out how to get data off it.

But the size of your Branson dealer would concern me. I skipped LS because the closest dealer looked too small. My Branson dealer's three hours away but they sell a lot of tractors, will ship me parts and they answer emails. I'm confident they'll be around if I ever need them. I like my Branson and my dealer but in your situation I'd go with the LS. Unless you want HST.

 

[DavesTractor]

On Davestractor site (a member here) his ad states the 3520R comes with the loader. The ad does say bare tractor weight is 4053lb. but since it comes with the loader I don't know if that is included as bare tractor weight so I guess I'll have to wait for Dave to clarify. I've been known to be wrong before. If I am wrong I apologize to Jeff and anyone else I may have confused trying to sort this out.
Dave's Tractor, Inc


Dave's Tractor, Inc


I've sent Dave a PM . hopefully he can supply the proper weight of the 3520R.

3520 weighs 4053, loader weighs 1161. Tractor with loader weighs approx. 5200 lbs. 25 series is about 100 lbs more.

I've not read this entire thread, but if you are comparing a Branson with a Kubota, look at the Grand L to get into a similar class tractor.

Also, some brands use "operating weight". They add 180 lbs plus a full tank of fuel to the specs. Branson's weight is just the tractor with fluids, but no operator.

As to the comment about a small dealer network for Branson, that is true. But there are a number of substantial Branson dealers. We have been a Branson dealer since 2002 and are in the top 5 nationwide for Branson. Not all Branson dealers are here and gone and small mom and pop stores.

Weight isn't everything, and in fact in some circumstances is a hindrance. But for ground engaging activities or FEL work, it sure helps. Anyone that hasn't test driven a 3520 hydro-max or even better the 3725 hydro-max ought to do so if you have a dealer nearby. It is a really deluxe tractor. And most often I see it compared to the basic models for the competition.

I do agree that the dealer is important for most folks and if you have a fantastic LS dealer nearby and no Branson dealer in sight, maybe that should sway your decision.

 

[Olympus]

Dealers are definitely a very regional thing I've learned. Brands popular in one part of the country are scarce in another. I've been fortunate with LS in my area. All three different dealers are fairly large, well established dealers. If one folds, I still have two more close by. My closest dealer is like 4 miles away and they stock probably 30 LS tractors, a dozen Gehl skid steers, and 8-10 Yanmar mini excavators. They also sell Scag mowers. LS Tractors — Greg Abbott Equipment Sales

But I know LS isn't that well represented in other parts of the country. They are very strong where I'm at though.