Buying Advice L, M, or MX series? Can you offer guidance?

[cmikewil]

When I was building my first rock pad for my wooden building, I was having the dump truck driver dump 7 ton each load and then go for another, It took him about 30 minutes to go and come back with each load, and by the time he got back I was waiting on him for the next load..That was with my old L3400HST.. Now granted I was just moving a small distance and smoothing it out, but heck 10 ton in 6 hours is not much, unless you are moving it in the bucket a couple of miles.. I moved a lot of rock and dirt and pulled over a lot of trees with the L3400, and it is NO toy. It is all relative of course, as compared to larger tractors, but it will do a heck of a lot of work. I would think that an operator with over 12000 hours on your previous Case tractor and your heavy machinery background, you should be able to do a little better than I can. I am just a weekend warrior. I push a mouse around all week at work, I am certainly no Pro Operator.

James K0UA

Right, it is all relative. I'm a perfect example of that, as both my BX & MF231 demonstrate.

Clearly, we have dozens of folks here doing similar work with varying sizes of tractors. The "right size" depends on the person, and of course, the jobs they intend to perform with it. Shouldn't forget to mention how much money that person has to spend either...

I really appreciate the examples above of work you've done with your tractors. I'm really curious to hear more comparisons of a gearbox vs hydrostatic. I visited a different dealer yesterday, and looked at both L, M, and MX frames/footprints/equipment. I'm just figuring out that the L models, while considered subcompacts (right?), certainly don't have a more compact price that the M/MX.

 

[Bluegill2]

BINGO:drink:

:drink:

hey ld1 i put 10s a thousands of hrs of tractors oper wat man maybe u and don ato come to my neck of the woods i ll show u wat i know

LD1, I am fairly fluent in alternative forms of English, and would like to try to translate for you.

"Hello Mr. Ld1, I have spent thousands of hours operating tractors, and perhaps if you and Don would come out to my location, I would show you that I am a proficient operator"

I took some literary license with the translation, but I believe that was the general idea he was trying to convey.

James K0UA

Now that makes sense.

 

[cmikewil]

My next question is one easily answered by a dealer, but it's 10pm here in SE Ohio! :licking:

When you add a loader to an L, M, or MX, I assume these model tractors already have the mid-mount remotes ready to hook up the FEL? The joystick comes with the FEL package I assume?

 

[k0ua]

Right, it is all relative. I'm a perfect example of that, as both my BX & MF231 demonstrate.

Clearly, we have dozens of folks here doing similar work with varying sizes of tractors. The "right size" depends on the person, and of course, the jobs they intend to perform with it. Shouldn't forget to mention how much money that person has to spend either...

I really appreciate the examples above of work you've done with your tractors. I'm really curious to hear more comparisons of a gearbox vs hydrostatic. I visited a different dealer yesterday, and looked at both L, M, and MX frames/footprints/equipment. I'm just figuring out that the L models, while considered subcompacts (right?), certainly don't have a more compact price that the M/MX.

Well I have been such a proponent of Hydrostat's that people are tired of hearing about it. But in the type of work I do with a tractor, with is primarily loader work, I have never found anything better. The big advantage is the rapidity and ease of changing directions. Lots of guys are very happy with gear tractors, or variations of gear tractors that make their operation easier, such as shuttles or Glide-shift etc. But I really enjoy operating hydro-stat tractors. 5 tractors so far, 2 gear and 3 hydro, gimme a hydro.

James K0UA

 

[94BULLITT]

Right, it is all relative. I'm a perfect example of that, as both my BX & MF231 demonstrate.

Clearly, we have dozens of folks here doing similar work with varying sizes of tractors. The "right size" depends on the person, and of course, the jobs they intend to perform with it. Shouldn't forget to mention how much money that person has to spend either...

I really appreciate the examples above of work you've done with your tractors. I'm really curious to hear more comparisons of a gearbox vs hydrostatic. I visited a different dealer yesterday, and looked at both L, M, and MX frames/footprints/equipment. I'm just figuring out that the L models, while considered subcompacts (right?), certainly don't have a more compact price that the M/MX.

The l's are a compact. The bx's are a sub compact. The l's that in 40 are a grand l. The small M's are a utility tractor and the larger ones are a ag tractor. As far a hydro vs gear take your bx for example, it is easy to go from forward to reverse. In each range you can go as fast or slow as you want. If you are mowing a smooth field you can be cruising along then if you hit a rough spot you can ease up on the pedal unlike a gear tractor you would have to downshift. A gear tractor is limited. At sometimes you may find one gear is to slow but the next gear is fast, that is where hydro is handy. Some gear tractors are not that easy to go from forward to reverse. If you have a shuttle that makes them easier to go from forward to reverse. I think a hydro makes a tractor more efficient.

 

[cmikewil]

The l's are a compact. The bx's are a sub compact. The l's that in 40 are a grand l. The small M's are a utility tractor and the larger ones are a ag tractor.
Got ya. I called the L subcompact, and was actually thinking of my existing BX. I think either a compact or utility would do the job for me. Both have advantages; it's simply a question of which features I feel will be more worthwhile.

As far a hydro vs gear take your bx for example, it is easy to go from forward to reverse. In each range you can go as fast or slow as you want. If you are mowing a smooth field you can be cruising along then if you hit a rough spot you can ease up on the pedal unlike a gear tractor you would have to downshift. A gear tractor is limited. At sometimes you may find one gear is to slow but the next gear is fast, that is where hydro is handy. Some gear tractors are not that easy to go from forward to reverse. If you have a shuttle that makes them easier to go from forward to reverse. I think a hydro makes a tractor more efficient.

That is exactly what intrigues me about the hydro. The fields I mow are anything but smooth going. I have hilly, sometimes steep ground. I'm back and forth between 2 gears on my MF231, all the while wishing I had a gear or more in between. I know the hydro eats a couple of horsepower, but I can't see that being an issue as long as I choose the correct engine size. It seems like this would be like moving from a 30 year old gear driven lawn mower to my more recently manufactured hydrostatic lawn tractor.

 

[k0ua]

My next question is one easily answered by a dealer, but it's 10pm here in SE Ohio! :licking:

When you add a loader to an L, M, or MX, I assume these model tractors already have the mid-mount remotes ready to hook up the FEL? The joystick comes with the FEL package I assume?

I can speak at least to the standard L and the Mx the control valve/joystick is mounted and shipped with the loader. The remote connectors are on the control valve. The hydraulic block is there under the right floorboard of the tractor, but the hoses that go up to and return from the control valve will not be installed. All of this will be a part of the loader package, and if you have the dealer install the package, all of this will be done for you. So no, if you order a tractor without a loader, it will not have any of that installed. I hope I answered what I think you asked.

James K0UA

 

[94BULLITT]

That is exactly what intrigues me about the hydro. The fields I mow are anything but smooth going. I have hilly, sometimes steep ground. I'm back and forth between 2 gears on my MF231, all the while wishing I had a gear or more in between. I know the hydro eats a couple of horsepower, but I can't see that being an issue as long as I choose the correct engine size. It seems like this would be like moving from a 30 year old gear driven lawn mower to my more recently manufactured hydrostatic lawn tractor.

The hydro does take a couple of hp but like you said if you chose the right size tractor you will be fine. The lawn mower comparison is good. The other day I had a customers craftsman mower I was working on. It was a gear drive. I took it out mowed with it a little in a smaller area but it took forever because I was in forward then reverse. I could have been do with the bx way faster because it is a hydro.

 

[k0ua]

That is exactly what intrigues me about the hydro. The fields I mow are anything but smooth going. I have hilly, sometimes steep ground. I'm back and forth between 2 gears on my MF231, all the while wishing I had a gear or more in between. I know the hydro eats a couple of horsepower, but I can't see that being an issue as long as I choose the correct engine size. It seems like this would be like moving from a 30 year old gear driven lawn mower to my more recently manufactured hydrostatic lawn tractor.

Yes that is exactly what it is like. You can keep your engine RPM's on the 540 mark for an efficient cut, and adjust your ground speed to any speed you want. If you want to go 1.00052 mph then you can do just that with a hydro. If you run in to a thick area or around an obstacle, just back off of the pedal, and then speed up just as easily. When you are grading or smoothing with the bucket, you can go as fast or as slow as you need to without constant clutching or gear swaps. Did I mention I am passionate about operating a hydrostatic drive tractor?

 

[Bluegill2]

The L3200, L3800 and L4600 are the basic L series and will be the least expensive. All are available in HST and gear drive. But the L4600 has the new full syncro gear trans and I hear it is nice. I like gear and do not want HST, but most folks will want HST.

The Grand L's are more money and have more features, they are Nice!.

The MX is a basic utility. I believe built on a Grand L frame, but less features. Large and tough for their price/size.

M series are true Ag tractor and available in larger sizes.

Just pick your price point and get the largest model, or features in you price range.