My Turn to Buy

[southernboy]

I have read with interest everyone's new tractor threads, especially Zmichigan's. His follow up comments were very interesting. I currently have a ford 2110 40hp tractor with a ford 776b bucket. It is shot and the wife sez its time to replace not fix! I have 40 acres in middle Georgia. 4 in orchards and lawn cut by a JD 737 zero turn, 20 in pasture and the rest in woods. I am a hobbiest. 2 horses, no haying. I plant food plots for deer, lightly clear the woods and maintain the pastures and 2 gravel driveways. I use a 5 foot hog,harrows,small drag, spring plows and a boxblade. I use the FEL alot on gravel,clay soil, manure and misc. and the 2110 was adequete for most work although I have scared myself a few times with too big of loads. The wife uses it as much as I do. Money IS a factor. We have tested the MF MX5000,NH TC40A ,JD3520,and a MF L3430. I liked the NH best but found the shifting strange (for now) the wife liked the L3430 best but agreed it was to small. She likes the hydro shift. All were priced at 21000+/- with appropiate FEL. We are kind of thinking the NH TC40d at a few more bucks. I think for everything but the FEL 35-40 hp is enough. Between the MX5000 and the TC40 A what is more valuable the extra 10 horses or the 12 spd vs 8? Comments? This is my first tractor hunt in 15 years and the products have sure changed!

 

[wolc123]

Take a look at the JD 4120. I got one for the same price I could get a NH TD40 when the quick attach bucket was added (standard on the JD). This JD has significantly greater hydraulic capacity than the NH and as long as you are not putting it on a trailer or mowing your lawn, the added size and weight are an advantage.

 

[AndyMA]

The 2110 is the size of a NH TC 48/55 so the TC 40 is quite a bit smaller with much less lift capacity. Simply a smaller framed tractor.

Andy

 

[Z-Michigan]

I like the NH TC40; I nearly bought a TC45DA, but my wife didn't like its hydro pedals. I also agree to look at a JD 4120. Can you explain why you think you may need more hp for the FEL work? FEL work really requires hydraulic capacity and counterweight, and that's about it. Those usually follow hp, but they don't require it.

At the moment I'm feeling pretty good about my 5105. We just bought a 6.5ft disc and after learning how to use it (with some help here) I just worked on the new hayfield, which I'm hoping to get in within a week (always within a week... ). The power and traction of the 5105 continue to impress me, and it's stingy on fuel too.

I do think HST would be nice if you're doing a lot of FEL work and mowing, which is what it sounds like. If you have a Kioti dealer nearby, look at the DK45SE with HST. I got a quote for $23k with the FEL and it seemed really nice. Another option, if you don't want/need 4wd, would be a JD 5103 with the 512 loader. This is a pretty basic tractor, but you would be into a true utility (heavier duty than the MX5000) for what I think is $21k or less. Another one to look at would be the Kubota K4400, which is a nice basic tractor at an in-between size - definitely a large CUT, but enough hp to do most tasks while small enough to get into the woods and other tight areas. Unfortunately no HST option on either the 5103 or L4400. If you get a gear transmission, more gears are always nice to have! I personally would choose 12spd in the TC40 over 10 extra hp in the MX5000, since it doesn't sound like you need the extra hp. I find the MX5000 a bit of an odd duck because it's marketed as a utility but it's based on a prior L-series chassis; the 50 horses are at a fairly high rpm and the chassis is a bit light if you're going to be using all of them. I think the L4400 is a better deal, and if you need all 50 horses I think the M5040 is worth the $3k extra for so many nicer features and a much heavier duty design.

 

[Glowplug]

and if you need all 50 horses I think the M5040 is worth the $3k extra for so many nicer features and a much heavier duty design.

I'm grinnin' from ear to ear!

 

[southernboy]

Thanks guys, As was pointed out my old 2110 is bigger than what I am considering. Most of the heavy work on my place is done. BUT the soil is clay based and when plowing can hang things up. We do need to upgrade the fields in a few years.The 4wd made a huge difference. Z-Michigan, as one poster pointed out my old 2110 is a heavier frame than the tractors I am considering. With the gravel or clay loads occationally I bogged down the tires (to big of load for tire capacity)and felt like the frame was unstable. These CUTs seem much smaller and lighter, As you said alot is counterweighting. My wife really likes the hydros ( especially Kubota) and the bigger units (TC55) don't have it. She is cabable of shifting however. The other factor is we run our stuff til dead and would like this decision to be right for years to come. Better half insists on big 4 name brand . I like the CUT manueverablity and trailerability but some posts suggest that a utility frame with equal power is a smarter move. Oh by the way poster name is wife's idea, I am from Wisconsin.

 

[Z-Michigan]

The other factor is we run our stuff til dead and would like this decision to be right for years to come. Better half insists on big 4 name brand . I like the CUT manueverablity and trailerability but some posts suggest that a utility frame with equal power is a smarter move.

Based on what you just said - especially keeping stuff forever - I will highly recommend Deere. Yes, I'm biased, but I know around here it has something like 90% of the farmer market, whether new or old. The two farmers near me are using as front-line equipment Deere tractors that are 30-45 years old. I don't think these guys are unable to buy newer, either (each of them also has at least one Deere tractor that is less than 20 years old - they appear to be conventional rowcrop tractors in the 200hp range, cab models). The design and general stoutness was a major reason I selected the 5105. My second choice on longevity would probably be New Holland, based on what I see and on my forecast of parts availability. Kubota makes good stuff but they change models frequently and I've heard too many stories about problems getting parts which have to be sent from Japan on the slow boat. I see a decent number of big AGCO tractors in use but I haven't been able to see any of the Massey models locally; AGCO Allis would be on my list but will mostly have stuff too big for your uses.

I guess I would forget Korean, Chinese and Indian tractors (other than the Deere 5103 which is made in India but is fully supported like any other Deere) for longevity. I'm sure some of those manufacturers will be around in 30+ years, but I can't predict which ones.

I also found that 50hp utility tractors were in the same price range as 40 to 50hp CUTs. I wouldn't automatically go bigger, but if the size won't be a hindrance for anything (tight spaces, precision mowing) then I would think about it. This applies across all major brands, in my view.