My 2025R Thread

[jeepcoma]

Hi all, I picked up a new 2025R this summer and thought I'd create a thread of my own to post updates about what I'm doing with the tractor, modifications, projects, etc. First, I gained a lot of information from various internet sources, posts, videos, etc and it has helped me a lot, so I hope that by writing about my own experiences I might be able to help out someone else. Second, it's a good way for me to document what I've done and to be able to look back over the years and see progress. As TTWT pointed out in a video, property maintence is a long term job, and it's important to celebrate the accomplishments. This is very true because I'm always thinking about what I need to do next, and it's easy to overlook all the things I have done.

So first, some background about why I chose the 2025R. I live in rural NH on 21 acres. It's split roughly in half by a brook. On the north side is a steep hill, about 10 acres. On the south side it's mostly flat (for NH) about 8 arces, then a smaller 2 acre elevated hill. The "hill" has our house, garage, and barn. The 8 acres contains our yard, paddock, and pasture. Oh, and it's all in a floodplain. This ground is very soft. Based on experience from driving trucks and other vehicles on the property, a weight of about 3,000-4,000 lbs is relatively safe, while much higher results in leaving deep tracks and getting stuck in the mud. That effectively limited my search to the subcompacts.

In my area, the options are Kubota, Kioti, Mahindra, and JD. I had done a bit of research into tractors (and ultimately bought the Grillo) when I purchased the property so had some knowledge of the JD 1 series as well as Mahindra, as well as some (favorable) past experience with JD. I liked the mechanical simplicity of the basic Mahindra units, but neighbor has a Mahindra and complains about how long it takes to swap implements (and my goal is to always have the minimum amount of weight on it, so that's important). An eMax was a good deal more expensive than either JD or Kubota options. A visit to the Kubota dealer was a neutral experience. I stopped at the JD dealer and the 2025R seemed like the Goldilocks tractor - a bit more ground clearance than the 1025R, a bit bigger (better ground clearance for the woods matters to me), slightly more weight, slightly more cost. The removal and attachment of the loader, backhoe, and mower deck looked very well thought out and easy and quick to do. That narrowed down my selection to the 1 and 2 series. Let's look at the weights of the 1025R and the 2025R:

Unit	1025R weight	2025R weight
Tractor	1,556	1,872
Loader (120R, frame + bucket)	808	808
Backhoe (260B)	610	610
Mower (54" for 1025R, 60" for 2025R)	197	258

That puts the "max transport weight" of the 1025R at 3,171 lbs and 3,548 for the 2025R, a 12% difference. Both of these are in the sweet spot for me.

Price wise was even less of a difference. Going from the 1025R with 54" mower deck to the 2025R with 60" mower deck was a 5% increase. For me, the slight additional capability was worth the slight additional charge.

Comparing the 2025R to the 2032R/2038R was about 50% more in both weight and price in just the base tractor (plus all the bigger implements are heavier and more expensive). And, the most taxing work HP wise I'll be doing is mowing, so there were a lot of downsides for my application without any significant benefit.

If I'm being completely honest, a part of my decision also came down to how each unit felt. Compared to the Kubotas, the Deere's just "felt" better to me, ergonomically and visually. The 2025R had a bit more of a "big tractor" feel compared to the 1025R. When you're going to spend a lot of money on something and keep it for a long time, it's important that you like it, and that helps avoid buyer's remorse and regrets. So for me, I liked the 2025R best out of all my options, and it checked off the right boxes for what I needed it to do.

June 14th, 2023 I took delivery of a brand new 2025R TLB, hydraulic thumb, 60" MMM, and BB2048 box blade! It occurred to me that the only big equipment purchases that I have bought new have been my 2-wheel tractor and now my 4-wheel. I've never had a new car or truck!

Hope you will enjoy following along as I modify the tractor and get some work done!

 

[dodge man]

First off I can’t see your picture. Second, I’ve been a happy 2025r owner for about 4 1/2 years and have about 400 hours on mine.

Do you have ballast? Do you have fluid in your tires? You can use your box blade as counterweight but that probably not enough unless your carrying light loads. The backhoe is obviously enough counterweight. In your case weight is a double edged sword, it helps with traction and stability with the end loader but will make it sink more in soft ground.

Get good at taking the backhoe, end loader and mower deck off and on. I don’t have a backhoe but I always take the end loader and any rear implements off when mowing.

When removing and installing the mower deck make sure your pto is set to rear only. It lets the pto hook up go easier. There are a lot of people, myself included that have bent the front drag link on the mower deck. The loader stand is very close to it and can hook it and bend it back. I ALWAYS take my loader off when taking the mower deck off and on.

Last but not least, enjoy it. It’s a great toy tool. A recent picture of mine.

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[jeepcoma]

Well you beat me to it, one of the things I was going to write up was how I broke my mower deck attaching it the first time!

I had a very difficult time removing the deck. The right side released OK, but I could not for the life of me get the left side off. I ended up having to use a 2x4 for leverage under the deck, and a crowbar to force the locking pin far enough away from the bar it locks into to flip it up.

When I attached the deck next, I'm not sure exactly what got hung up where but I was having trouble getting the deck to attach. Lots of forwards and backwards and repositioning. Well, one time while backing off the deck, I hear a "pop". Expensive mistake.

I later came across Adjusting The Auto Connect Deck Deere 1025R/1023E and leaned that the front adjustment was too tight. There's supposed to be 2-3mm of play and I had zero! It was tight up against the end of the link. After adjusting the deck properly, it's now very easy to put on and off. I question what the "setup fee" was for from the dealer...

 

[2manyrocks]

Sorry in advance for the bad humor, but the dealer set you up (IMPO).

FWIW, I don't think my Kubota dealer checked the fluid level in the front axle because I had to add quite a bit to get it where the manual said it is supposed to be.

 

[jeepcoma]

I do not have any ballast in addition to the weight of the backhoe (or box blade, which is about 350 lbs). For the type of work I'm using the FEL for, I have maxed the capacity of the loader and not felt a need for additional ballast. I might consider weights for the box blade to get some more weight for digging, but I doubt it would end up weighing more than the backhoe.

Removing all the implements is very very easy, I can't believe how quickly I can go from mowing to working:

1. Remove the mower deck
2. Attach the FEL
3. Remove the bucket
4. Hook the mower to the loader with the "load and go" system (which is GREAT)
5. Drop the deck off in storage
6. Reattach the bucket
7. Attach the backhoe

I can do all of the above steps in under 10 minutes. If I did it more often, I could probably get it down to 5 minutes, it's that easy.

I have much more trouble getting the box blade hooked into the 3-point hitch. It's very challenging to wiggle that around and get all three points attached. I usually end up loosening the turnbuckles all the way to give more room, but then I spend even more time readjusting the blade. I am considering a quick connect, but man it's pricey. I have another implement in mind that will require it, so I might take advantage of a 10% deal Deere has and just be done with it. I know there are cheaper options, but I want a USA made unit.

 

[dodge man]

I can see your first picture now. You’re a little younger than I expected. I’ll share a picture of my bent bracket, I’ve done it more than once. I actually tied surveyors ribbon around those two pins you pull out to make sure the loader is off when I remove the deck. It definitely is hooking the loader stand. I’d ask for free parts to fix it. Did they warn you? Believe it or not you can still install the mower deck the way it is bent.

Another issue I’ve had is forgetting to lower the rollbar. I’ve hit the area above my garage door more than once. I drag some 5 gallon buckets on front of the door way now to remind to lower the rops.

Another warning. The rops has three position, up, halfway down, and all the way down. If it’s all the way down it’s hanging straight down and if you have an implement on the three point and raise it up all the way you can bend the top link.

 

[2manyrocks]

Get yourself a long pry bar like a rock bar to move the implement around when connecting to your 3pt. It also helps to change implements on a level surface.

 

[jeepcoma]

Initial Equipment

I had some money saved for implements and upgrades and so put it to use right from the start. Since I plan to have this tractor for many years, it makes sense to get as much as I will use as early as possible, to get the most benefit from it right from the start. Here's what I got and why.

• Loader and backhoe

This was the main reason for the purchase. I get a lot done with my two wheel tractor, but digging is not something it's good at. I converted an old trailer to hook up to it and it's great for moving hay from the barn out to the pasture and other yard stuff, but digging dirt and rocks to put on it and move it around sucks (and is very time consuming, which I value more as I get older and have kids). So the loader was a no-brainer, but the backhoe was a bit more of a decision given the price. But, I had a few projects in mind to put it to use, and everyone I've talked to or read says that if you can afford it, it's worth it to be able to do projects on your own time vs renting. With 0% financing, I decided to go for it.

• Hydraulic thumb

I knew if I ever ended up getting a backhoe, it would need a thumb. I actually had to pressure the dealer on this, they did not do a good job upselling. I said I wanted a thumb and they put the mechanical thumb on the order. I thought that was the only option for these smaller units, and the idea of climbing on and off to adjust it just wasn't that appealing. Fortunately I stumbled across the hydraulic option and immediately had them change the order. I don't know why they didn't try to sell me what I wanted in the first place! (more on the dealer later...)

• Box Blade

I have a lot of landscaping that I need to do, leveling, etc. that this seemed ideal. Lots of people love them and find them to be more useful than expected. I got the BB2048 (non-L version) and I've come to realize was a mistake. Not terrible, but I would trade it for BB2048L, BB5048L, or perhaps the BB5060L. I didn't know enough about the options available and the dealer didn't really tell me much, I said I wanted a box blade and that's what I got. The only reason I don't like it is that it's too tall/doesn't lift high enough for the limited lift height of the 2025R. For flat ground it's not a problem, but once you get into even a small hill it's easy to get it hitting the ground when you don't want it to be. I also frequently have to lift the box and reverse to get the materials to come out in one spot - it doesn't lift high enough to dump the contents in one spot. I imagine this is even worse for the 1025R.

• Hydraulic top and tilt kit

I've watched enough videos of using the box blade to know that this is almost essential to get the most out of it. Similar to the mechanical thumb, constantly getting on and off to make adjustments is not appealing. I have enough landscaping work to do with it that this will be worthwhile, as well as extend the functionality of the tractor for the future. Placed an order with FitRite Hydraulics and am still waiting for these to arrive. Will be a nice winter project. I will almost certainly be ordering the four spool (3 rear, 1 mid) kit from Summit Hydraulics.

• Upgraded hydraulic flow

I wanted the HydrosPlus Stage 3 kit even before I ordered the tractor. Seeing the increased functionality was impressive, and the idea of being able to have more flow at idle than stock WOT was very appealing. I knew I would end up getting this, so I figured it'd be best to have it right from the start. I had the kit at my door before the tractor was delivered and I installed this with 0.2 hours on the clock!

• Load and go

The 60" deck weighs a lot. Being able to pick it up and easily move it or maintain it was a no brainer. It's a great feature.

And that's everything I got from day one! More stuff to come later!

 

[dodge man]

You might take a look at Pats Easy Change. They are hooks that attach to the end of your 3 point arms. It makes hooking up the 3 point easier. They cost a lot less than a JD quick hitch. There are also off brand name quick hitch’s.

 

[dodge man]

I’m surprised about your box blade. I have a brush hog that the 3 point doesn’t lift it as high as I want and I have a rear blade that the lift is barely adequate. I just got a box blade used a few months ago, an off brand one, and my lift is plenty high.

 

[jeepcoma]

June 15, 2023

First job I had for the tractor was mowing. I typically participate in "no-mow may" as we have a ton of wildflowers through the yard and neighbors have honey bees. The first mow is usually pretty heavy. I have been tackling it with the flail mower on my Grillo and it does a great job but it takes a long time. I had a mechanical issue and fell even further behind this year than normal, so I didn't mow until June 15th (day after delivery). Tractor was delivered with the mower attached so all I had to do was remove the FEL and BH and off I went.

I figure a few hours of mowing would be a good break-in. Dealer didn't mention anything specific for a break-in and I didn't see anything in the manual either, so 3200 RPM it was.

The grass in the picture is probably the thinnest part that I had to cut. There was a lot of thicker stuff elsewhere but I guess watching me mow quickly became uninteresting so no pics!

I was pleased with the cut, but it naturally left a lot of materials behind. The flail mower does do a better job, but easily would have taken twice the time. There were also a few spots I avoided - some of the wetter areas where I was afraid of getting stuck, and along the road where the pitch gets pretty steep and the pucker factor kicked in.

The hydro is so nice for mowing compared to the gears on the 2-wheel. There are many times I want to keep the engine at a certain RPM to keep the implement spinning, but need to slow down. Mowing with the flail was always somewhat awkward. 2nd gear at full RPM was a touch too slow, but 3rd gear is pretty tall so I'd either be a half throttle or running.

Adding the mower was a luxury rather than a necessity, but after the first mow I'm not complaining. I'm glad I went with the 60" over the 54", it's particularly useful having that bit of extra width when mowing under the fence line and tight up against obstacles. The load-and-go is a fantastic add-on and makes moving and storage a piece of cake. As mentioned above, once I followed the adjustment guide, taking the deck on and off is breeze as well.

Overall: expensive implement, but happy with the result. No ruts in the yard. Scalped in the usual places I do with the flail mower. Used 21" push mower to hit the areas I avoided with the 2025R.

 

[jeepcoma]

July 8th, 2023

2nd big job was improving the footing on our run-in shelter in the big paddock. 23 tons of rock was dumped

and moved.

I had already set up a wood frame and filled it with dirt, but it had been packed down, rained on, and heavily trodden on over a year or so. It turned into big step-downs and mud.

Those big clumps you see are actually big stumps, they washed into the paddock during the spring flood. I picked those up with the loader and put them back at the wood pile. Nice!

I think it took me about 3 hours to move all the stone, make the grade, smoothing things out, and then scoop all the poop out of the shelter and put it in the low spots. Very happy with the Hydros Plus kit - kept RPMs around 2300 to balance flow rate, ground speed, and noise and it was really nice to be able to reverse, operate the steering wheel, lift, and curl the bucket, all at the same time. I was also happy with the size of the 2025R because I could drive right into the shelter and fill up the bucket with manure without having to touch the ROPS.

(Near) final result:

The ground here is REALLY soft, and I was really happy that with the full weight of the TLB and a bucket full of stone that I didn't leave any permanent depressions. I felt like I made a good choice on the size of the tractor not being too heavy.

Sure beats a shovel!!

 

[jeepcoma]

June 28th, 2023 - Double Trouble

OK, happy with the tractor, but not everything has been perfect. Let's take a step back from the mowing and provide some background...

When I ordered the tractor, the dealer was very backed up. Despite sitting on and demo-ing the tractor that was eventually delivered to me, it "needed setup" and yadda yadda. I turn wrenches and have no problem doing setup, and said so, in order to expedite the delivery. I really needed to mow! Dealer ended up doing their setup on the tractor and mower, and delivering the the hydraulic thumb in a box for me to install. No problem. I read the directions, Tractor Time with Tim has an install video, and it all went smoothly.

I'm up on the backhoe was digging up some rocks and using the thumb to grip a rock aaaaaaand... no pressure. I see a stream of fluid coming down the BH so quickly reach back and kill the motor. 1 hour on the backhoe and thumb (I installed the thumb before I used the BH for the first time). Was operating at 2000 RPM so not even at max pressure.

Yep, that's a burst hose.

Right in the middle of the hose too, no kinks, no severe bends, no damage to the protective casing. A bit hard to see in the pic but the wetness is starting right at the top crinkle on the sheath. Seems like a clear cut warranty replacement, so I call the dealer hoping I can drive in to pick up a replacement today, or have one shipped to my house.

Well, I guess that's not the way Deere works. The dealer wouldn't warranty it. Why? Because I did the install, not them. An item that can be "field installed" apparently means the dealer can install it on a customer application, but not the customer himself. A lengthy conversation ensued.

The dealer did agree however to transport the tractor to their shop to validate my install and cover any future warranty work, all at their expense. I agreed to this, and took the hose to a parts shop and the built me a new hose of the same length for ~$100. Not very happy about the out-of-pocket expense, but at least I could get back to work.

While the BH was out of action, two days later I had the "event" with breaking the mower deck. I had planned on ordering the parts and fixing myself, but since it was already heading to the dealer for the BH, I paid to have them fix the deck as well. I would have had to drive to the dealer anyway to pick up the parts, since apparently I can't have them shipped to me? Do not like.

They inspected my work, validated the install and agreed to cover any future warranty on the hydraulic thumb, and fixed the mower. Personally (and this is a lot of hindsight now months after the fact), but I think they should have done more to help me. At the time, I didn't seem to have any leverage. They set up the mower deck, I didn't intentionally try to break anything. I admit I might have done something wrong, it was my first attempt to install it, but I got no support. Regarding the hydraulic hose, that 100% was a faulty hose. Working pressure is supposed to be around 3000 PSI and burst pressure twice that, so my operating under 2000 should not have caused a failure. They absolutely should have covered that under warranty. I even supplied them with the burst hose and they didn't look at it or provide a replacement, after they verified my install.

Overall, happy with the equipment but not happy with the dealer. I realize that "stuff breaks, then you fix it" and I am prepared to pay for my mistakes. In this case, I don't think I made a mistake, and certainly wasn't abusing the equipment. With less than 10 hours on a brand new machine, I was not happy with my dealer.

 

[dodge man]

As I recall the parts to fix the mower are a little over $50. Your dealer might not ship parts to you but other places will. Green Tractor Parts is one plus Amazon.

 

[jeepcoma]

July 8, 2023 - Fighting the Knotweed

We have a section of land, about 1/3 acre, right up against the river that has a Japanese Knotweed infestation. It's an invasive species up here and very hard to eradicate. Its stalks are similar to bamboo, it grows quickly, tall (8'+), is thick, and has a vast underground root system. I've finally been making some progress on destroying it and reclaiming the land. Because it grows so densely, one of the problems I've been having is mowing into obstacles. In addition to the usual rocks that wreck my blades, past owners of the property have cut down trees (and left them), wind and weather have downed some large branches that are hidden, there are thick bushes such as ironwood that are difficult to get at, oh and some past owners used to dump garbage there so I've found metal rods, gas tanks, wire, and other nasty stuff.

There is a very short window in the spring, after mud season ends but before there is too much growth to see what you are doing, to tackle this sort of project. In the fall, you mostly have to wait until the first frost kills the leaves of the knotweed, and hope it doesn't snow. This means there might be just a couple of weekends in an entire year that are ideal conditions to make progress. I finally started making progress last year, and was able to keep it up again. This year, I started early with my 21" push mower to cut the knotweed down and was able to keep at it every few weeks during the summer, not to kill it but to control it enough that I could get in there and work.

Today's goal was to dig out those few rocks I keep scalping so that I can get in there and aggressively mow with the flail mower, or ever the tractor, without risk of damage.

This turned into a bigger project than I expected. (surprise!) Here I am positioning the backhoe for removing rock #1.

During this project, I spent some time "playing" with the backhoe and trying out some more "advanced" techniques. To work on using all the controls with a light touch, I practiced keeping the teeth parallel to and right at ground level (just scraping the top without digging into it), while at the same time retracting the boom arm, which also means operating the dipper stick and curling the bucket to keep it level. The goal is to be able to go from full extension to full retraction and back while keeping those teeth right even with the soil without digging in. I think the HydrosPlus pump made this possible. I also think a small amount of practice every now and then makes me a better backhoe operator (and saves time in the long run). Plus, it's fun!

The other thing I practiced was moving the tractor with the backhoe. I didn't have any trouble pushing or pulling myself forward and back by manipulating the arms and curl on the bucket, or (aside from some slight puckering) lifting the rear of the tractor and pivoting using the side-to-side swing. I'm not sure if that's a machine-to-machine variation that some have the pressure set higher, or a capability of the 2025R over the 1025R (it shouldn't be according to the specs) but some comments I've seem imply that it's not possible with the 1025R. The pump kit should have nothing to do with it because I have not touched any of the pressure settings. Curious of others' experiences trying to move around with the backhoe?

 

[jeepcoma]

July 22, 2023 - A Sticky Situation

Day after the above work, I ordered the toothbar from Heavy Hitch. There was a great Tractor Toothbar Torture Test - Who Makes the Best Cutting Edge? comparison video as well as some others I watched. I went with the Heavy Hitch because:

1) it looked better for lifting logs
2) it looked better for lifting rocks
3) it looked better for digging into hardpack earth (where you don't care about preserving the top sod)

After putting it on, I liked it straight away. I like how it sticks out just far enough that I can often seen the end of the bucket. This helps with picking up large rocks because I can get the angle and position just right to scoop under the rock instead of pushing it along with the edge. And, it's been really useful in the woods too (unexpectedly) as I can pierce small saplings and smash them down, or the little bit of extra extension lets me bash down a pine branch so I don't hit it with the ROPS. Some logs can be picked up simply by skewering them and the stick right on the end. Anyway, I had that installed as I headed out into the woods.

Last year I did some brush hogging along our river with the 2-wheel tractor to start making some paths. There's two acres that are very wet and very overgrown with scrub. I wanted to clear a path out to 1) let us walk along the river and 2) make a small trail the kids can ride ponies through. Eventually I'd like to build a bridge so we can get to the other side of the river and clear more trails there.

Last season's brush hogging went well but it left a lot of small 0.5" - 1.5" stumps in a few different sections. I decided to do two things at once - put the mower deck on to mow down those small woody bits, and boxblade to start improving the trails.

There's one spot that's right at water level, it goes down, and then up a short but steep hill (couple feet wide, couple feet elevation gain). I went over this twice with no problem. I was done for the day, heading home for dinner, when I got myself stuck.

Third time over the same spot softened that group up just enough. And those R14s aren't the best in these conditions. With 4wd and the rear diff locked, it took about one second flat before the mower deck was high-centered and I was good and stuck.

What happened was one of the ripper shanks snagged on a tree root. Didn't hit it the other times, but the ground softened just enough for it to kiss it, and the shape dragged the rear end down. As soon as it hit the end of the shank, forward progress ended and those tires churned right into the mud. I didn't try to go forward any more (this is hardly the first time I've been stuck in the mud, so I've learned a thing or two), but I couldn't even go backwards (as now both the mower deck and the BB2048 (non-L!!) box were on the ground), and that dug me in more.

At the time I wasn't sure the problem, so I contemplated removing the rear blade. Clearly it was a problem. Also the mower deck, but that looks mighty hard to remove in the current circumstances. I kicked the tires, had a beer, and noticed one of the ripper shanks was tight. I couldn't wiggle it, or pull it out. Ah ha! Grabbed a saw and started sawing, and cut through a nice big 4" root.

By this time it was dark, so I called it a day, and left the tractor in the woods. I judged myself to be "moderately stuck, but nothing to worry about" and that turned out to be a fair assessment.

Next morning, with the box blade rippers free, I had a plan. Using a shovel, I dug out an inch or two behind each wheel. Using the loader and bucket, I was able to dig in and push myself backwards those few inches (those Heavy Hitch teeth are really nice for digging in).

The cheerleading squad didn't last long.

Then, I lifted the front of the tractor with the loader and had enough room to shove some ramps underneath the wheels and over the top of the ruts that I had created (not the final position as pictured below). Free!

I learned a lot from this experience

• Do one thing at a time. Mowing and landscaping don't mix, because you need the group clearance. Plus, the mower deck is an expensive dangly bit to be whacking into things.
• Don't be shy using the FEL to lift the tractor. In hindsight and with more experience today, I think I probably could have gotten myself out right from the start with the loader
• When I snag something with a ripper shank and stop moving, the first thing I do now is raise the 3-point. For smaller roots, this breaks them right up, and I can put the box back down and continue without on my way
  • If the 3-point can't break free, just an inch of rearward travel is usually enough. Then, move forward an inch, put the box back down, and continue like nothing happened.

I've probably got a 1/4 mile length of trails in there, and since that incident have had no problems using the techniques I learned. And, with a 48" blade clearing a 8' wide path, that's a lot of passes...

This is a current winter pic from a couple days ago which hides most of the lower ferns and leaf cover (makes it seem less thick than it really is), but I've turned this

into this

Awesome!

 

[dodge man]

I also take my mower deck off unless I’m doing just light end loader work. You can also get your box blade higher by shortening your top link all the way. It would probably create the wrong angle for using it but would help for transport. One of your 3 point links has is adjustable you can buy one of those for the other side and shorten them up as much as possible to get things higher.

 

[jeepcoma]

You can also get your box blade higher by shortening your top link all the way.

Yes great point, I forgot to mention that I did shorten the top link as much as possible (looks like I had done it by the time I took that pic because the blade doesn't seem to be planted in the ground).

The hydraulic top-link will make this adjustment much easier to accomplish, but I still think it's a band-aid solution and not a real fix for "not enough height". Today I was bringing some deck furniture down (those teeth on the Heavy Hitch Toothbar make great hangers) and here backing down the blade is contacting the ground. This is by no means a steep hill, but the geometry is just right. It doesn't take much. It's hard to tell from the picture so I drew a line to approximate the grade. You can see this it actually the second time I scraped here. At max lift there's not a lot of clearance so it doesn't take much of a bump to cause clearance issues.

I wish JD did a better job here with product descriptions. It's unfortunate that they list the L-series in the catalog as "economy duty" or whatever, implying that it's sub-par, when in fact it's not (as far as I can tell) - it's simply shorter. At this smallest width, you can choose from the 2048, 2048L, 5048, 5048L. If you want to go 60", there's the 2060, 5060, or 5060L. Yikes! And, the price difference between all seven models is only like $200 or so cheapest to most expensive. It's not surprising dealers are confused too.

Ultimately I think I'm going to be looking to trade in the 2048 for the 5060L (anyone want to trade?). It would be nice to match the width of my mower deck, and I would likely use it while mowing the paddocks to help spread manure and even out lumps, bumps in the yard from frost heaves, etc. And, when I end up leveling the 3.5 acers of horse pasture, the extra foot will save some time.

 

[jeepcoma]

You might take a look at Pats Easy Change.

Thanks for the recommendation, they look like a nice unit, and simple! Plus Pat's doesn't require a set of pins for each implement. One thing appealing of the quick hitch is that I would be able to keep the hitch, arms, and cylinders as one single unit together when I remove it to put the backhoe on. I'm not sure if that is a good idea, or simply seems like a good idea. The Pat's system wouldn't change the way I remove and attach the 3-point hitch. How big a deal is it that the top mount is not part of the quick system? Seems like a con, but getting 2/3rds of attachment quickly hooked up is a big improvement over not...

Pat's says there will be some black friday sales going on so I will probably wait until then and see my best price for Pats vs JD. And I have some time to do my homework on the pros and cons of each system.

Current pricing is $205 (with $10 coupon) for Pat's shipped, or $410.85 (with 10% + free shipping coupon) for the JD "LVB25976: iMatch™ Quick Hitch Coupler, Category 1"

 

[dodge man]

The top link is easy to hook up, it’s just a matter of getting it the right length a slipping the pin in.

I can’t remember what I paid for my Pats but I think it was quite a bit less but that was over 4 years ago too.

Im sure a different box blade will lift higher for you. My 4 foot lifts much higher. I found mine used for $350. I’d been keeping my eyes open for a deal for years. I think a 4 1/2 foot wide woukd be ideal but not very common.