Looking at MX5400 for my 80 Acres-good choice?

[mx1alex]

They all shrink when you get them to the farm and you'll wish you had something bigger. I wish mine had more power at times but I didn't want a tractor any larger in physical size than the MX. I also wanted a geared tractor and they don't offer the MX6000 with a geared transmission.

 

[riptides]

The MX5800/6000 series would be the minimum tractor I'd be looking at.

Figure out what you are doing now, as in today, and if it meets your specs (and any other operator) they are solid tractors. I use my SO's tractor for pasture maintenance, brush clearing, grading, moving round bales around and some fire wood collection. Basically harry-homeowner stuff on a large lot.

For complete haying, I'd go bigger.

And she has a cab, BEST decision ever.

 

[5030]

Obviously the Ms are a better choice for haying, but the MX6000 with 51 pto hp will handle a small baler.

Dang small and certainly not a sileage round bailer with chopper knives. It will handle any size small square bailer, even an inline like a new Hesston or a Massey. Problem with running a small square bailer with a light tractor isn't the pto output power as it don't take a lot as most operate on flywheel inertia but the pounding you'll take from the reciprocating mass of the bale packing piston and connecting rod, especially when turning at the end of a windrow. Even my M9's will rock when making a turn back at the end of a windrow when the unit is running at rated stroke. The lighter the tractor, the more violent the rocking is. I remember pulling a square bailer with my long gone ancient gas Farmall. You had to be hanging on tight to the steering wheel to be not tossed off.

 

[5030]

I've had HST's in the past and prefer a gear drive with a hydraulic shuttle due to the simplicity of them and the more efficient transmission of power. All HST suffer from parasitic power loss, just like the trans in your buggy does. Best thing a bout a hydraulic shuttle is, there is no dry clutch to wear out. The travelling clutch (at least in a Kubota) is a wet, multi plate clutch constantly running and cooled by gearbox oil and there is nothing in the bellhousing but a damper plate. All dry clutches eventually expire and require replacement and that always requires a split.

If I ever replaced the M's I own it would be with a CVT transmission.

 

[dh206]

Nail---->on---->head.

OP, if you've never operated a tractor you'll also start seeing all kinds of jobs you need it to do you may not be thinking about now. The MX is an awesome tractor and I plan to never let go of mine but brush hoggging 80 acres...or 20...is going to be a pretty long slow process with a 6'-8' brush hog which is probably as much as it will really handle.

If you are even considering hay I would say it's not close to big enough. I do hay with my M4 and 5800, I wish I had an M5 and I'm not doing crazy high production. I do all my squares with the 5800 and some raking but it's not big enough for a disc mower, not even close.

Lastly just want to retouch on "doing your job a little quicker". Tire size has way more to do with how quickly you'll move across your land more than engine size. The MX is really uncomfortable to drive at any kind of traveling speed even on dirt roads, put a round bale on the FEL and you'll be getting shaken up even more. I do have R4s so they are rougher on you but there isn't room to put a tire large enough on an MX to make it comfortable for traveling above say 5-7 mph (for reference it's gonna take you about 7-10 minutes to drive accross 80 acres at that speed).

I wonder if an air-ride seat would make this much more tolerable? It's a pricey upgrade ($1400), but heck, not on an expensive tractor that you expect to be riding for 8 hours across rough terrain.

 

[jeff9366]

I'd never buy a T4 final unit.....

I do not understand this sentence.

 

[jyoutz]

Dang small and certainly not a sileage round bailer with chopper knives. It will handle any size small square bailer, even an inline like a new Hesston or a Massey. Problem with running a small square bailer with a light tractor isn't the pto output power as it don't take a lot as most operate on flywheel inertia but the pounding you'll take from the reciprocating mass of the bale packing piston and connecting rod, especially when turning at the end of a windrow. Even my M9's will rock when making a turn back at the end of a windrow when the unit is running at rated stroke. The lighter the tractor, the more violent the rocking is. I remember pulling a square bailer with my long gone ancient gas Farmall. You had to be hanging on tight to the steering wheel to be not tossed off.

Yes, if the OP intends to do regular hay baling, they need to look at a heavier tractor than a MX, otherwise the MX will work well for the tasks mentioned.

 

[LD1]

I do not understand this sentence.

He did also say "no need to go down that rabbit hole"

But gotta ask.....was it the sentence that you don't understand? Or the "why"?

 

[kyryder]

Hello. looking at a tractor to put on the ranch. have 80 acres-relatively flat and rolling terrain. about half is pasture that I have someone cut and bail hay. Main uses for the tractor will be brush/grass cutting, moving fallen trees w bucket/grappler, some dirt and grading work and general purpose tasks around the ranch. Will the 5400 be enough tractor? I don't want to wish down the road I would have gone bigger. I may decide to get into the hail bailing business when retired but unlikely. thanks for the feedback!

If you don't have to consider frequent transport or limited storage space, get the BIGGEST tractor you can afford. No one ever says I wish I had gone smaller but a lot of users wish they had gone bigger.

 

[choctawroseranch]

The MX5800/6000 series would be the minimum tractor I'd be looking at.

Figure out what you are doing now, as in today, and if it meets your specs (and any other operator) they are solid tractors. I use my SO's tractor for pasture maintenance, brush clearing, grading, moving round bales around and some fire wood collection. Basically harry-homeowner stuff on a large lot.

For complete haying, I'd go bigger.

And she has a cab, BEST decision ever.

sounds good. I will be doing about the same as you mention. probably no bale moving.