Buying Advice LS 3038 buying advice

[AustinOX]

New member here looking for a first (and hopefully last) tractor. I have 12 acres of neglected land in Central FL. It's divided into three sections (not including the average-ish front and backyard). Two are overgrown pastures with scattered trees, and the third is relatively natural Florida woods. The natural area floods regularly thanks to a nearby creek, and most of it stays soft year round. There are a couple dozen down trees and logs, with plenty more that likely should come down. Long term plans are to have the pastures maintained for livestock and eventually a horse or two. The pastures are low, and soft during rainy season. Some grading and filling will need to be done before we get any large animals. There are some big oaks that desperately need to be trimmed. I'll keep the third section pretty natural, but I want to clean it up. The other frequent tractor job will be maintaining a long gravel driveway that is built up on clay and currently full of potholes.

I've never owned, or even driven a tractor. From what I've read I definitely need 4wd, and would prefer hydro for loader work. I'm only considering tractors with at least 25 pto hp.

My neighbor has bush-hogged my property with a late model JD 3032E and a 6' cutter. I talked to him the other day and he said he wouldn't get the JD if he was to do it over. He's not happy with the lift capacity and lack of rear remotes. So far the 3032E is the best priced package that meets my minimum requirements at $18,300 with loader and 5' frontier cutter (at 0%), but I'm a buy once, cry once kind of guy these days. Just adding two rear remotes and going to the 6' cutter is another $3k on that JD, and upgrading to the 3038 is $3k more.

Yesterday I drove to an LS dealer that told me he had a few pre tier 4 g series tractors in stock. When I arrived the hydros were gone, and only two g3033 with shuttle and FEL models were in stock. He wanted $16,800 for them. I wasn't crazy about my experience there. When I expressed concern about getting an LS serviced he told me there was another LS dealer close to where I live, so I visited that store. They were out of pre tier 4 models, but promised to see if they could get one. Everyone I dealt with was very pleasant, and the salesman is the owner's son. While I was there I saw a G3038 with a front grapple on the lot. The salesman told me that an older man purchased it from the other dealership, put 69 hours on it, then decided to sell. He had a bad experience at the other place, so he brought it to this store. They hadn't worked out the details for consignment yet, and the salesman wasn't sure how financing and warranty transfer were going to work. He believed it is a 2014, but is confirming that for me.

The tractor is 4wd, hydro, includes a front grapple that runs off of the two rear remotes, includes the bucket, and has a metal canopy installed. Condition is phenomenal. The seller wants $19,000. This will be significantly more than the JD because there is no 0% option and I'll have to buy the bush hog out of pocket, but holy cow does the idea of having a grapple sound good for cleaning up this property- and I suppose I could sell it after the bulk of the clean up is done. I also know that I want more horsepower than the 3032E and rear remotes- I just don't know that I necessarily NEED them.

Finally, if he can get me a new pre tier 4 g series (big if) the g3033 with hydro and FEL would be $17k, and the g3038 $19k. I'd essentially be getting the grapple, remotes, and canopy for free on the used tractor- along with whatever upgrades I missed.

I'd be interested in hearing some opinions about the deal.

Thanks,
Austin

 

[George2615]

Welcome to TBN.............................

I've had my XR series tractor almost 2 years now. It's a tier 4 but no problems so far. The XR premium series comes with more options standard (like rear remotes) than the basic G or XG series. I think you should be able to get an XR3037H or maybe an XR3135H for not much more than the G3038H.

 

[Fallon]

A grapple is around $1k & you are looking at $500-1k to plumb in the hydraulics for one. They aren't hard or insanely expensive to add.

Just make sure you have a SSQA on the loader, makes it trivial to swap implements. Pretty sure the LSes have em & the base economy John Deere does NOT.

 

[billythekid]

I chose and XR3037H over the 3039r deere. I suggest you get the 3037h if you can justify the additional cost. not only the remotes but things such as the rubber floor mat and seat are worth it.

I was qouted around $22k for a xr3135 if i bought it during that order.

 

[nickmags]

I just bought my first, and at 65 years old, most likely last tractor a little over a month ago. It is a 2015 XG3032. Paid $18,000 and change for a package deal that included a 16 dual axel trailer, woods bush hog and king kutter back blade. Tractor has 25 hours on it now. I did a lot of looking, Compact Green tractors here were running anywhere from $2,500 to $3,000 more for comparable tractor. Orange dealer here could not seem to grasp the idea that anyone else even makes a compact tractor let alone have the audacity to try and sell one in his area. His prices were even more than JD. Mahindra and Kioti just did not grab my fancy. I'm sure all the brands are good machines, but for the money, LS gave me the most bang for the buck. I am retired, living on a fixed income so I have to look at things like that -

I looked at the 38 horse - basically exact same tractor as 32 - just slightly larger engine. Figured for my simple needs, the marginally smaller engine would use less fuel, and be less likely to break something engine/drivetrain related. Remember, the 32 and 38 horse models are exactly the same, other than horsepower. As to HST vs their shuttle shift - I have mixed feelings still. Mine is a shuttle - I do a lot of work hauling cut trees up rocky Ozark hills - I felt HST would be a disadvantage there. So far my little blue mule has performed every task I've put it to.

Did have a hydraulic loader valve go out the third day of owning it, but my local dealer came and got the tractor, fixed it and returned it in just over a day. The suggestion I would make here is look close at the dealership - not just price and salesmen. Go to the parts counter, check out the mechanics area - the warranty offered is only as good as the local dealer. Will they be there in three years and have the part you need? If you have to haul the broken beasty 150 or more miles one way that could get to be an expensive, time consuming mess.

As to the tier4 boogaboo - I'm sure there will be a zillion folks that say I don't buy one - get an older tier3 ect - just remember these same folks thought thought the world was going to end in 2000 - that somehow magically some stone age indians who had not invented the wheel could see into the future. Farmers are conservative, by nature. They bet everything they own on a single payday once a year. Hence any change is bad - it creates another variable in mix. Tier4 is here - it works.