m8200

[Anonymous Poster]

Hello,this is my first post and I am interested in hearing from m8200 owners or similar h.p. rated tractors.I am considering a J.D.5510 or a N.H.TL90. A neighbor said before I buy I should look at a Kubota.I will be using the tractor to cut,rake,and bale alfalfa hay on approximately 30 acres.I plan to put up small squares using a set of Hoelscher forks on the front loader.I also will be pulling a accumulator behind the baler.I intend to buy a MFWD and would like a cab although it seems to be pushing the price pretty high.I am looking to hear from owners about reliability,parts availability,and ease of servicability.Also,wanting to hear from owners about the cycle times with the loader,do you feel there is enough gpm's? thanks,Tom

 

[W5FL]

There are several M Series owners so maybe you will get several answers. I started to buy the JD 5410 or the Kubota M8200 and decided on the M6800SD. Kubota makes a cab for all of their tractors. The M8200 was a little longer WB than what I wanted and with a 4WD, I could pull most any implement that a 100 HP would normally handle in a 2WD system. Search on M6800, M8200, and M9000 on this board and in the archives and you will find quite a bit written about these tractors.

I found prices kinda hard to compare as Kubota comes with nearly all options installed (except the quick connect bucket or 2nd SCV), but I had to search a little harder to get the right sized tires, transmissions, SCV were used up by the loader, etc. on some of the other manufacturers.

The loader for M8200 is a heavier duty loader and uses a 7 ft bucket holding a tad over a yard. It is a 4 Bar level loader with a fast cycle time. Kubota has good hydraulics. I did my own 50 hour maintenance and don't expect any problems from Kubota, but they seem to have a good parts supply system and service departments. The M6800 comes with two midmounted sets of valves for the loader and one external set on the rear. You will need another one for sure. The CAB is not unreasonably priced. There are some prices at http://www.carverequipment.com including the cab models.

I could never find as much tractor for the money with JD, but there are at least two people here with the larger JD and NH as well as Kubota. The M6800 runs about $27K with 4WD and loader and quick connect bucket in ROPS or $32K in CAB. The M8200 with 4WD and loader in ROPS is about $29K in ROPS or $35K in CAB.

My M6800 with tires loaded and loader is less than 8000# and the WB is more maneuverable with enough HP for most Utility tractor applications. Average fuel consumption is about 1 gallon/hour which is about the same as my last 40 HP Massey tractor got. The M8200 was only about $1500 more when I bought mine, so there is not much cost difference. The CABS are really nice, and with 102 degrees here today, I still wish I had bought one. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif Both should be good haying machines and a lot more.

 

[Vernon]

tom b. - I was looking at the Jd 5510 w/cab and the 541Sl loader. it is a very capable machine. I also bale hay on around 60 acres of hay in small round bales. I already had a 6300 and my final decission was the 6310 4wd w/cab and 640Sl loader. I liked the larger tractor and the small amount of more horsepower I got and also the larger loader. The cycle times on my loader are very good.I had some Idea what to expect with my choice but it suprised me with the amount of power it has.
I think you are making a good choice of looking at the 5010 series JD's. I tried the M8200 and didn't like it. The NH tractors look like great machines. i never tried one. Next purchase I make NH will be a consideration. I would definately get the cab.It makes haying a much more comfortable job.

 

[Bird]

Tom, I just have a little B2710, but I know of one guy in this area who is baling hay with a B6800 and the only problem so far was when he let it get filthy and a lot of grass, seed, etc. built up on the front of the radiator and grill guard and his air-conditioner quit cooling. The problem was solved, and fixed, by washing the debris off the front end.

Bird

 

[SSG]

Tom,
I recently went through the NH/JD search and asked at this forum for some suggestions... ended up with a Kubota M9000, so watch out! I love the machine. The M9000 has a higher capacity hydraulic system, and an intercooler for the turbo compared to the M8200. This should reduce engine stress and hence improve engine life. No problems other than a punctured tire so far. The loader cycles very quickly, even at lower rpms, so much so that I rarely use the cylinder wide open. The joystick is well designed and easily allows control of the cycle speed. In 4WD the tractor will easily knock over a 4 inch tree (probably bigger, but I haven't tried yet), and the loader/bucket is rigid and strong enough to drag as big a pile of sapplings as you can get behind the bucket. The tractor with the loader, and cast iron rear wheels and antifreeze in the tires feels stable. Although I am novice, so I don't have a great comparison. Before I had the loader added, the tractor, and the rotary cutter alone seemed a little rear heavy when on the road. Now with the loader, no bucket, and the cutter in place on the 3pt hitch, I feel more secure on the road. Like you, my goal was square bales on 50-90 acres. I was warned by my neighbor that if you need to move hay quickly, or get tired of storing and trying to sell one square bale at a time, round bales are easier, so little extra power to pull a round baler would be nice. Here is where the M8200 will out do the JD/NH machines in price and capability. The M9000 with Cab (90 gross/ 80 pto HP), and a very heavy duty front end loader with quick-release bucket, 7 ft. Hardee Willimams rotary cutter came in at less money than a JD 5410 with a Cab but no loader or cutter. I spoke to brand associated and non-associated users and mechanics. No one had negative experiences with Kubota, most all had similar good luck with the Deere. One mechanic did mention that he saw more engine problems with NH than Deere- no experience with Kubota for that fellow. Truck mechanics told me that all the really big engines use the wet sleeve technology that JD uses not the dry sleeve engine used by the Fiat/NH. The Kubota parent bore technology is apparently the same as the old Ford tractors which some say "take a licking but keep on ticking!" For me, dealer support was a big issue, and the Kubota dealer in Lexington, NC, Sink Farm Equipment was tops.
I can't stress enough how much easier the job is when you breathe air-conditioned, or heated, filtered air in a tinted, quiet cab. Charcoal filters are available for spraying as well. If the budget allows for a cab you'll only give up the fresh air on a cool spring or fall day- so take a break and breathe, then get back to work. (Oh, you'll also give up skin cancer, emphysema, and hearing loss.)
Good luck,
Steve.

 

[trb]

Just an update,if anyone cares to read.Went to the JD dealer and found out the 5000 series was to small.I found a Kubota dealer about 100 miles away and drove a m8200.The tractor was nice,very easy to operate,and looked pretty simple to maintain.I still had questions about servicability,hydraulics,and resale.
Found a JD dealer that had a 6410 mfwd with loader with only 140 hrs,stopped by their dealership,test drove it,had all the features I wanted,and bought it.
I would like to thank all the posters on this board for their thoughts and comments.Thanks,Tom