Buying Advice M5640SU

Notforhire · Feb 21, 2013

I presently have a L3240 w/la724 loader. I would like to go up in FEL capacity to over 2000#. Limited funds reduce the choices quite a bit. I would like a utility size tractor rather than a CUT. I'm thinking about a 2WD M5640SU. I was wondering if anyone had one of these tractors with a loader, and would comment.

Thanks, Bill

dbaer78 · Feb 21, 2013

I looked deeply into getting the 5640 myself. If it were me I would stay away from the 2wd myself. The 5640 isn't much heavier than my 5100 and even with rim guard in the tires and two sets of wheel weights with my skidding winch on the back it's still pretty useless in 2wd when the loader is on. I think the 5640 would be a dandy tractor though. I would have one now if it was offered with a hydraulic shuttle tranny.

Grandad4 · Feb 22, 2013

You have serious loader work. Get the 4wd... makes a huge difference when there's a lot of weight on the FEL. You'll still need weight in the back, though.

TripleR · Feb 22, 2013

Check this thread: Thanks for all the info folks

Notforhire · Feb 22, 2013

Grandad4 said:
You have serious loader work. Get the 4wd... makes a huge difference when there's a lot of weight on the FEL. You'll still need weight in the back, though.

A counterweight isn't a problem, I use one all the time on my 3240 unless I'm just moving real light stuff.
I have found that on that small tractor 4wd is necessary. Before adding wheel weights, I could barely back up a slight slope on loose gravel with an empty bucket, and yes, the tires are loaded. With the counterweight on I leave it in 2wd with no issues, even with a loaded bucket.

The 4wd on the 5640 only presents one problem. Paying for it.
Adding 4wd just puts the price beyond my reach. I would love to have 4wd. I think it's one of the best features of modern tractors, but unlike the US Govt. I can't just print more money. Even at 0% they still want you to pay them back

.

I would be nice if I could get by with a 2wd. I'm mostly moving objects/ pallets, round bales, ect, rather than digging, or grappling logs in the woods. Most of my area is flat or just slightly sloping.

I was supprised to see that there is only 451 lbs difference between these two tractors (with out loading the tires.) The M has a much heaver rear differential, and I expect that a good chunk of the weight is there. If the rear tires of both tractors are loaded with rim guard the difference in weight increses by another 492 lbs, because of the much larger tires on the 5640, making the total difference 943# .

Bill

TripleR · Feb 22, 2013

We have an M8540 with loaded tires and it still needs 4WD to effectively use the FEL; yes, on flat land with sufficient ballast on the back a person can get by, farmers did it here for many, many years and I have driven them. Many compensated by adding dual wheels, as mentioned, workable, but far from optimal.

Notforhire · Feb 22, 2013

TripleR said:
We have an M8540 with loaded tires and it still needs 4WD to effectively use the FEL; yes, on flat land with sufficient ballast on the back a person can get by, farmers did it here for many, many years and I have driven them. Many compensated by adding dual wheels, as mentioned, workable, but far from optimal.

Thank you for passing on your experence.
About 25-30 years ago I had a Farmall 504 2wd with loader, and it worked fairly well. That tractor was only about 40hp but it weighed almost twice as much the 5640. As I'm sure you know optimal costs about 25% more than workable. I thought about used VS new, but with 0% it would need to be a real good deal for used to be worthwhile. Most deals like that only show up about two weeks after I buy something.
I know that sometimes I end up spending more money while trying to save some. If I had purchased the 5640 instead of the L3240 the 4wd would have been more affordable. Now I'll have to suffer about a 3k hit, that would have been 3/5 the cost of 4wd on the 5640.

I need to look at my options some more. I would rather continue with what I have, which is workable, than spend more on something that isn't.

Worry, worry, worry, trouble, trouble, trouble........:laughing:

I do think you need a wider barn!

Thanks, Bill

Grandad4 · Feb 22, 2013

Notforhire said:
The 4wd on the 5640 only presents one problem. Paying for it.
Adding 4wd just puts the price beyond my reach. I would love to have 4wd. I think it's one of the best features of modern tractors, but unlike the US Govt. I can't just print more money. Even at 0% they still want you to pay them back.

I would be nice if I could get by with a 2wd. I'm mostly moving objects/ pallets, round bales, ect, rather than digging, or grappling logs in the woods. Most of my area is flat or just slightly sloping.

I was supprised to see that there is only 451 lbs difference between these two tractors (with out loading the tires.) The M has a much heaver rear differential, and I expect that a good chunk of the weight is there. If the rear tires of both tractors are loaded with rim guard the difference in weight increses by another 492 lbs, because of the much larger tires on the 5640, making the total difference 943# .

Bill

I hear you regarding paying for it, Bill. Can't tell you what to do, but just noted something else you might consider... the MX4700/5100 models. Considerably upgraded loader vs. your 3240 and the basic tractor might save you enough to go with the 4wd. Looks to me from the Kubota website that a 4wd MX4700 with loader will price out within about $2k of the the 2wd M5640 with loader. There have been several owners here on TBN who said their MX models handle large round bales nicely.

case245 · Feb 22, 2013

the mx4700 5100 dont have a strong enough fel cap my 1153 on my 7040 maxed out at 1800ibs at 800mm

TripleR · Feb 22, 2013

Notforhire said:
Thank you for passing on your experience.
About 25-30 years ago I had a Farmall 504 2wd with loader, and it worked fairly well. That tractor was only about 40hp but it weighed almost twice as much the 5640. As I'm sure you know optimal costs about 25% more than workable. I thought about used VS new, but with 0% it would need to be a real good deal for used to be worthwhile. Most deals like that only show up about two weeks after I buy something.
I know that sometimes I end up spending more money while trying to save some. If I had purchased the 5640 instead of the L3240 the 4wd would have been more affordable. Now I'll have to suffer about a 3k hit, that would have been 3/5 the cost of 4wd on the 5640.

I need to look at my options some more. I would rather continue with what I have, which is workable, than spend more on something that isn't.

Worry, worry, worry, trouble, trouble, trouble........:laughing:

I do think you need a wider barn!

Thanks, Bill

We seem to have the same luck, really good used units came available a month or so after I bought my last two new tractors. I pay cash, so the savings would have been significant; story of my life I suppose. I have found after my 60+ years on this earth, about every time I try to buy less to save money, I lose in the end as I buy twice.

Exactly right on the "workable v optimal", I spent most of my life living with the "workable", buying used with my brother and fixing them up, he is a really good mechanic and I, well I worked as supervisor, so I am pretty good at watching.:laughing:

Yeah our barn is well over a 100 years old and no one was using tractors much back then. Our renters use most of it to store their tractors and equipment while I use a couple of bays for my tractors and camper. They have gone over to all John Deere 7000 and 8000 Series tractors, but kept a couple of old IH for sentimental reasons. They use to use that tractor to mow our pond levies, but we reforested a lot of our land and there aren't many places it will fit on. I don't know what they do with it on their farm if anything.

Notforhire · Feb 22, 2013

TripleR said:
Yeah our barn is well over a 100 years old and no one was using tractors much back then. .

Yeah I hear you there! Our horse is pretty wide but nothing like that tractor.:laughing:

TripleR · Feb 22, 2013

Notforhire said:
Yeah I hear you there! Our horse is pretty wide but nothing like that tractor.:laughing:

It has been reconfigured several times over the years including when we decided to build our house here as the entryways would have emptied out into our yard and as much as I like tractors, I didn't want them in my front yard. I wish I had some pictures of it when it was in its original condition. My wife's uncle is in his 90's and remembers playing in it when it belonged to the original owners, there was a steam thresher in another building just across the road. My father in law grew up not too far from here and he and his brother broke horses for local farmers, they talked about looking for freshly plowed fields so it wouldn't hurt so much when they got thrown off.

Grandad4 · Feb 22, 2013

case245 said:
the mx4700 5100 dont have a strong enough fel cap my 1153 on my 7040 maxed out at 1800ibs at 800mm

The 1153 is more loader, for sure. Was just trying to make a suggestion for how to get a stronger loader and a 4wd tractor in about the same budget range as the 2wd 5640. Lots of people have and like the MX series equipment. Bill seems like a pretty sensible guy, so I expect he'll figure out what is best for his situation.

TripleR · Feb 22, 2013

Grandad4 said:
The 1153 is more loader, for sure. Was just trying to make a suggestion for how to get a stronger loader and a 4wd tractor in about the same budget range as the 2wd 5640. Lots of people have and like the MX series equipment. Bill seems like a pretty sensible guy, so I expect he'll figure out what is best for his situation.

I believe bigbull338 uses an MX5100 for haying and he really likes it.

Notforhire · Feb 22, 2013

Grandad4 said:
Can't tell you what to do .

And why not?:laughing::laughing:

Grandad4 · Feb 22, 2013

Notforhire said:
And why not?:laughing::laughing:

It's always fun handing out orders, but what's that old saying? If you ever get to thinking you're a person of some influence, try ordering someone else's dog around. All joking aside, best wishes on the tractor shopping. Ordinarily you might find a good buy on a close-out model, but the upcoming models have all that Tier 4 emission stuff, so it wouldn't surprise me if the earlier models are hard to find right now.

By the way, it looks like you're not too far north of us. Don't know who your dealers are, but there are some decent ones in this area if you want to shop around. PM me if you want and I'll tell you what I can.

foreman Etexas · Feb 22, 2013

I had the Kubota M5040 with 4wd if just handling round bales and pallets it was fine in 2wd. Needs weight in rear and the loader is good for around 2400lbs.

Notforhire · Feb 22, 2013

foreman Etexas said:
I had the Kubota M5040 with 4wd if just handling round bales and pallets it was fine in 2wd. Needs weight in rear and the loader is good for around 2400lbs.

How much rear ballast did you require when lifting 2400#?

dbaer78 · Feb 22, 2013

I just wanted to add that pretty much any Kubota is gonna make a fine tractor 4wd or not. I doesn't sound like you need 4wd like I do so I think the 5640 2wd would do well for you. That's why Kubota offers both.