JD4720 vs.Kubota M5040 vs. NH TC55DA

[Z-Michigan]

I guess for occasional loader use I would be more inclined to put your ballast on the 3ph and not fill the tires. Check the manual, but I suspect you will need at least 1500lbs on the 3ph, maybe more, if your tires have just air in them. That takes a fairly big ballast box. Another option would be to get a heavy duty (e.g. Woods or Landpride heavy duty) box scraper and put some suitcase weights on it to get the combo into the 1500lb range.

 

[boatermark]

Well.......today I pulled the trigger and bought a new JD 4520.

Congrats Tact! Just received my 4320 on Friday after waiting for a month. Only have been able to spend 30 minutes on it so far and am looking forward to the weekend.

For ballast I've got the rear tires filled (R1's) giving 460 lbs each I think. Also, right now I have a Farmi winch on the back.

PM me if you ever want updates on how things are going on my end.

 

[john_bud]

I'll primarily use the tractor on my hunting land for food plots and clearing. Occasionally, I'll use it on the job site for moving pallets of sod or a pallet of stone, but it will be rarely. I just wanted a tractor with a loader capable of lifting those capacities because sometimes it needs to be done by me, but not often.
I can't wait to get this beast home to put a coat of wax on it.

I think it was Roto that said it depends on your use, how you weight your tractor. That's excellent advice.

When you are working up your food plots, are you going to be just pulling a cutter and maybe a rototiller? If so, you don't need much weight. On the other hand, if you are going to be pulling a 3 bottom plow, 2 gang disc or middle buster you will be best served with filled tires and maybe wheel weights.

For the land clearing, if you are again just pulling a cutter and pushing brush into burn piles, you probably don't need to fill. But, if you are going to be recontouring the land with a box blade, dragging trees, stacking trees to cut for lumber / boards, or stacking trees for ground cover at the edges of the food plots. (Makes great staging areas for the deer - "U" shaped cut in the woods 20'x50' planted with clover with the brush pile separating it from the main plot) . You will be better with filled tires.

If you have a trailer, you can try it unfilled then trailer it to the tire store for fill if you decide you want to go that way.


You heard my personal preference earlier. But think it over and do what feels best. It's an easy thing to add fluid later.

jb

 

[Roto]

Just read my manual for first time for the TC55D with 270TL loader and it says 1700#s of 3pt hitch weight with no loaded tires is sufficient for full load on bucket. If you load tires you will still need 700# of weight on back to have the same impact. thats 1600# in tires plus 700# on the back is 2300# to have same effect of 1700# behind the tractor. NH sells a ballest box for the tc55 that will equal 2200#s when full and that would be sufficent to do anything you need. The manual also says "Adding more weight than is needed results in unnecessary soil compaction, increased rolling resistance, and higher fuel cosumption." So keep that in mind when somone is doing anything other than loader work and they are carrying that extra weight(1600#'s) when they dont need to. This is just for general knowledge for whoever is reading and not pointing to any idividual and again, it depends on the use of your tractor. My main point is think about the situation before you just load the tires because everyone says to load them.

Mike

 

[Tact]

Thanks Roto for you advise. I think I'm not going to fill the tires. I'm getting a ballat box from JD and I'm going to fill it with concrete. I'll try to determine the weight with that. Then if I still need more weight I'll probably add the wheel weights as needed.

 

[IH3444]

I got the rear 3PH ballast box, and loaded it with #1100, along with loaded tires. I have no problem with a full loaded bucket, and the so called steering problem very rarely rears it's ulgy head, and then it's just a matter of muving a few inches, and wamm, the steerings back to normal. This only occurs when the bucket is overly heaped, and the loader lift cylinders can't pick it up pass about 4ft into the air. A really big load.....

 

[MessickFarmEqu]

If this is at all an issue, I'd be concerned about abnormal wear on your front tires. A balast box is alot cheaper than new rubber.

 

[Turkeyman]

I have 4720 with 320 hrs on it with R4 tires, fill all 4 tires. You need the weight for the FEL and with filled tires the weight is low. You will love the tractor perfect for a hunt club. Enjoy!