Kubota MX5400, thoughts?

[farmall70]

I am looking at purchasing a new 2wd Kubota MX5400 (47 pto hp). It would be the gear shift transmission, which is all that is available with 2wd.

The tractor will basically be used as a giant lawn mower. I have about 16 acres I mow with a 6 foot rotary cutter. It was previously used as a hay field so it can be pretty thick in the spring, up to 3 to 4 feet tall before it is dry enough for me to not tear up the ground. That’s all I plan to use it for. Would like to be able to run in third gear which would be 3.6 mph.

Currently, I am using a 4wd tractor with 62 pto hp. I have never bogged the tractor down and travel around 4.5 mph. I have also never needed to use the 4wd and have not gotten stuck.

Thoughts on this tractor for my application? Any other tractors you would recommend? My top priority is reliability. Looking to stay in the low to mid 20’s in terms of price.

 

[Bullwinkle123]

I have the MX5400 HST and love it. I pull a 6' rotary cutter but in my case it's difficult hilly terrain and it's only annually, at which point the field is full of 4-6' saplings that take hold every year. Sometimes it's slow going but not for any lack of power. There's only so much you can ask a cutter to do (quickly) in my environment.

Anyway, based on my experience I'm sure any MX5400 will pull your 6' cutter through grass without problems, but I'm no expert, this is my first tractor.

 

[sea2summit]

Shouldn't have any problems, my MX5800 HST doesn't even know there's a 6' cutter behind me and with gears you have a significant advantage in power.

 

[jeff9366]

Unless things have changed on the latest MX iterations, the wheel spread on 2-WD MX series can be adjusted at both front and rear. Front adjustment for row crop cultivation.

(4-WD MX series have fixed front wheel spread, adjustable rears. )

Will make a very stable mowing rig.

Adjusting the front wheels wide moderately increases turning radius.

 

[Steppenwolfe]

You are good to go... I will be pulling a 12ft Land Pride with mine. BTW, I just saw the same tractor used with I think 600 hours at the Lynchburg VA Kubota dealer. Not sure what the price is.

 

[5030]

I am looking at purchasing a new 2wd Kubota MX5400 (47 pto hp). It would be the gear shift transmission, which is all that is available with 2wd.

The tractor will basically be used as a giant lawn mower. I have about 16 acres I mow with a 6 foot rotary cutter. It was previously used as a hay field so it can be pretty thick in the spring, up to 3 to 4 feet tall before it is dry enough for me to not tear up the ground. That’s all I plan to use it for. Would like to be able to run in third gear which would be 3.6 mph.

Currently, I am using a 4wd tractor with 62 pto hp. I have never bogged the tractor down and travel around 4.5 mph. I have also never needed to use the 4wd and have not gotten stuck.

Thoughts on this tractor for my application? Any other tractors you would recommend? My top priority is reliability. Looking to stay in the low to mid 20’s in terms of price.

Keep in mind that at trade in / resale time, FWA units bring more than a 2wd unit and 2wd units are a harder resell too.

I rarely use my front wheel assist but both my M9's have it.

Most potential buyers will pass over a 2wd unit versus a FWA unit when buying used.

 

[Bullwinkle123]

About the only time I'm _not_ using my 4WD is when I'm driving on the lawn. Hills, snow, mud, you name, it, I rarely bother to turn off the 4wd now. Also hopefully reduces rutting by decreasing the amount of rear wheel spinning when I'm pushing the bucket into gravel or ditches.

 

[tradosaurus]

No reason not have 4wd.

 

[5030]

About the only time I'm _not_ using my 4WD is when I'm driving on the lawn. Hills, snow, mud, you name, it, I rarely bother to turn off the 4wd now. Also hopefully reduces rutting by decreasing the amount of rear wheel spinning when I'm pushing the bucket into gravel or ditches.

Don't know if you have a Kubota or not but Kubota uses a splined coupler between the front pinion shaft and the intermediate front drive shaft to transfer power to the front differential and it's a wear point. Both shafts are hardened but the spline coupling isn't. If you run in FWA constantly, especially on dry pavement, the spline coupler will wear out and need replaced. It's a 50 buck part but it does require some disassembly of the front drive to access it and running in FWA when not needed also wears your front tires excessively. Just a little FYI for you. I've replaced a few in the past.

 

[Bullwinkle123]

Good to know. The only hard surface my tractor sees is pulling straight in/out of the garage.

 

[tradosaurus]

So as long as I'm on dirt and grass its OK to leave my tractor in 4wd?

 

[3gunr]

I use 4 wheel drive a lot but only when i am digging or am in a wet or muddy area. rarely ever when mowing or brush hogging.

 

[farmall70]

So it sounds like the MX would be good for my application and have plenty of hp to run through the tall grass at a decent speed.

I get the 4wd comments in terms of demand and resale but that is a $6k price jump for something I would not use. If it is reliable I would keep it probably for 20+ years. At that point I would not be concerned with resale value. I only put about 40 to 50 hours on a tractor annually.

 

[oosik]

I would certainly rethink getting a 2WD. A 2WD tractor on my 80 acres would be a late summer/early fall rig only. No spring cultivating or grapple use - no winter snow plowing. I don't use 4WD often but there are a couple times & areas on my property where it is required.

JFYI - a 2WD tractor from most any dealer in this area would be a special order item.

 

[Bullwinkle123]

So as long as I'm on dirt and grass its OK to leave my tractor in 4wd?

Unfortunately I don't have a link for you, but somewhere in this forum is a long thread on issues, or lack thereof, of using 4WD all the time.

 

[Bullwinkle123]

So it sounds like the MX would be good for my application and have plenty of hp to run through the tall grass at a decent speed.

I get the 4wd comments in terms of demand and resale but that is a $6k price jump for something I would not use. If it is reliable I would keep it probably for 20+ years. At that point I would not be concerned with resale value. I only put about 40 to 50 hours on a tractor annually.

$6k for 4wd doesn't sound right to me. I thought the major cost difference was HST ($2-3K more) vs non-HST. I never heard of a $6k price difference for having 4WD. Got any Kubota calculator links on this? I'm not arguing against it, but it just doesn't sound right. Anybody got some hard numbers on model pricing? Or is farmall70 getting fleeced in the quotes?

 

[big bubba]

yes to 4 wd also, will you have a FEL? same comment to that as well. both will help resale value. highly recommend

 

[Bullwinkle123]

If the OP is, as he said, just doing a large scale lawn mowing, and the ground is flat and generally dry, then 2WD would be fine. If he's skipping the FEL then that suggests, again, that 2WD might be fine. So perhaps we have the rare application here where the tractor really is just a one trick pony instead of having to be a jack of all trades like on my property. Still wondering about that $6k 4WD cost though, that just doesn't sound right. (Waits for Jeff to wade in with numbers and put it to rest! ;-) )

[Update: I just tried the Build My Kubota site, but after multiple resets I can't seem to get it to work, it's just totally broken in my browser. Weird since I've used it plenty before.]

 

[farmall70]

I was purely going off MSRP because I assume similar rebates/discounts.

2wd MX5400 = $23,571
4wd MX5400 = $29,008
4wd MX5400 w/loader = $34,209

All the above prices are with R1 tires and gear shift trans.

A dealer relatively close has a new 2wd MX5200. Since it is an old model and 2wd thinking I could probably get a pretty good deal.

 

[Bullwinkle123]

From the Build Your Kubota site, speccing only the base MX5400, Foldable rops, and transmission/4wd options,

2WD DT TRACTOR W/FOLDABLE ROPS - $23,571.00, not including a $1000 cash incentive.
4WD TRACTOR W/FOLDABLE ROPS - $29,008, not including a $1000 cash incentive.

So I learned somethiung, you're right, that's a big premium for 4WD. Sorry to doubt you, and I see you just posted the same numbers. If I was only going to mow flat grass fields, I'd definitely consider 2WD too.