Tractor Sizing Is Tractor Weight Important?

[New2NC]

Trying to decide on two tractors and the weight is a big question for me. Practically and operationally speaking, how big a difference does almost 600 lbs. make when using a 37 HP tractor with a FEL? Main uses would be brush cutting rough 15 acres, moving logs, gravel road maintenance, large garden management.

 

[MtnViewRanch]

If you had the same exact tractor and one had 600 lbs of weight added to it, say in the tires, the one with the extra 600lbs would pull better. Yes weight makes a difference and it sounds to me that what you are going to be doing that the extra weight will be beneficial to you.

Just my :2cents:

 

[namesray]

Trying to decide on two tractors and the weight is a big question for me. Practically and operationally speaking, how big a difference does almost 600 lbs. make when using a 37 HP tractor with a FEL? Main uses would be brush cutting rough 15 acres, moving logs, gravel road maintenance, large garden management.

if the weight is in the rear tires as wheel weights or fluid filled or 3ph ballast= A HUGE DIFFERENCE. i am assuming you mean getting the tires filled? it will make the tractor A LOT LESS tippy when doing front loader work when you have weight in the bucket. as far as just comparing doing those tasks with a tractor that is 600 lbs heavier in general than a tractor that is 600 lbs less, weight is still beneficial. better traction. weight is almost always a good thing on a tractor.

 

[J Coop]

Weight is important. When your using FEL ideally your weight should be in the rear. When pulling your logs weight equals traction.

 

[pjbci]

If you are gonna be moving logs around with your loader, an extra 600lbs can come in very handy @ times. I would go with the heavier machine if everything else was equal.

 

[Martian]

There's some competitive makes/models that very greatly in weight, and some that are nearly exactly the same. Kubota is known to be lighter than most other tractors, some see it as a good thing, some see it as a bad. If your doing a lot of lawn work, you'll want that weight off a lot of times. If your just doing work in the fields/woods the extra weight can be a good thing. If the difference was a couple thousand pounds I would be more concerned, but 600lbs can easily be added with some tire weights, rim guard or even easier a ballast box. 600lbs wouldn't be a game changer for one tractor vs another for me, I would consider that a non factor. Now what are you comparing between?

 

[New2NC]

Comparing the JD3038E (2087 lbs) to Kubota L3800 (2668 lbs.) Since I can add fluid to the wheels on both, I am not factoring it into the equation at this point.
Thanks!

 

[foggy1111]

A better comparison would be the JD3520 to the kubota. The weights will be closer and the features more similar.

I had two tractors with similar HP and about 1000 lbs difference in weight. No comparison for pulling power....the heavier tractor is hands down better. Both run PTO implements equally....but agian the heavier tractor can lift more at both the loader and 3 point due to more ballast (and bigger hydraulic pump too).

 

[Mickey_Fx]

Weight is one componient in getting power to the ground. If it were me, I'd be focusing on gross weight of both machines and not the 600#. Are we talking 2 or 4 wheel drive?

 

[New2NC]

Looking at the 4WD model.

 

[Martian]

A better comparison would be the JD3520 to the kubota. The weights will be closer and the features more similar.

I had two tractors with similar HP and about 1000 lbs difference in weight. No comparison for pulling power....the heavier tractor is hands down better. Both run PTO implements equally....but agian the heavier tractor can lift more at both the loader and 3 point due to more ballast (and bigger hydraulic pump too).

The 3520 would spec more similarly, but it's a comfort tractor, and the price will be much higher than a std. L. Personally, price aside, the std L series is much nicer than the 303xe series tractors. If you can afford the extra thousand or two the L usually cost, than it would be the way to go.

 

[Don87]

Comparing the JD3038E (2087 lbs) to Kubota L3800 (2668 lbs.) Since I can add fluid to the wheels on both, I am not factoring it into the equation at this point.
Thanks!

A little off your subject, but, the Kubota Lxx00 series sometimes has a 'jerky' 3 pt. hitch problem. Since you are planning what appears to be extensive 3pt. use, this could become an issue for you.


http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/showthread.php?p=2683097#post2683097


http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/kubota-owning-operating/231542-l3800-jerky-hitch-fixed.html

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/kubota-owning-operating/230432-jerky-hitch-fixed.html

 

[Martian]

A little off your subject, but, the Kubota Lxx00 series sometimes has a 'jerky' 3 pt. hitch problem. Since you are planning what appears to be extensive 3pt. use, this could become an issue for you.

Not a Kubota wiz, but I do believe if you nag your dealer enough they are obligated to fix it for you. It is a very big deal though, you don't want one that has it.

 

[schweizer]

Weight made a big difference to me when I bought almost 4 years ago. My Kioti DK45SE was 3924 lbs, while an equivalent Kubota L4400 is 3307 lbs. Almost 20% difference. Besides, the Kioti was a bunch cheaper. I wanted the extra weight on my steep land. And I added tire weight (fluid) + 700 lbs of backhoe. I figure w/ the FEL, the total weight is 6500-7000 lbs. Of course, I have to stay away from grass/turf w/ that kind of weight.

Marcus

 

[troutsqueezer]

After reading the question as posed by the title of the thread, my immediate response was (without reading further)....are you kidding me? Weight is, IMO, the single-most important aspect of any tractor. Without it, the tractor doesn't work. All the horsepower in the world is useless if there is no weight to work it against.

 

[Don87]

Not a Kubota wiz, but I do believe if you nag your dealer enough they are obligated to fix it for you. It is a very big deal though, you don't want one that has it.

Some people apparently nagged a lot, and got it fixed under warranty. Others weren't so fortunate. Some of the cases are in the links I posted.

Just something for a potential buyer to be aware of, just in case the dealer tries to blow them off.

 

[MtnViewRanch]

Comparing the JD3038E (2087 lbs) to Kubota L3800 (2668 lbs.) Since I can add fluid to the wheels on both, I am not factoring it into the equation at this point.
Thanks!

The Kubota is almost 28% heavier than the Deere, that is a lot. And finally a person that acknowledges that weight can be added to both tractors so that the heavier tractor will always be the heavier tractor. :thumbsup:

 

[wolc123]

If everything else is equal, then the amount of drawbar pull a tractor can develop is directly proportional to it's weight. For your uses however, I think you would be better served by the lighter tractor. For moving logs, I like a lighter tractor because it does less damage to the woods in wet conditions which predominate on my farm. Same thing for rough-cutting acreage, the lighter tractor is going to do less damage to the ground in wet conditions. If you have very well drained soils and never need to worry about wet conditions, then the extra weight wont hurt you so bad. Obviously, that extra weight will hurt your fuel economy, not only of the tractor itself, but also on the tow-vehicle when and if you need to trailer.

 

[Martian]

Some people apparently nagged a lot, and got it fixed under warranty. Others weren't so fortunate. Some of the cases are in the links I posted.

Just something for a potential buyer to be aware of, just in case the dealer tries to blow them off.

In that case, I wouldn't buy one unless it was off the dealers lot or my dealer signed something that said I will work on this thing till its right. I would not accept a tractor that jerked like some of them do.

 

[schweizer]

For moving logs, I like a lighter tractor because it does less damage to the woods in wet conditions which predominate on my farm.

I was pulling logs out of my forest with a friend who wanted some firewood a few days ago. Cable, pulley, choker system. His Toyota Tacoma 4x4 just spun its tires, but my tractor w/ 2x the weight pulled them out w/ ease. Weight wins out in that case.