No Longer Blue - Brought home the new 4520

[wolfpack2]

Hello;

Golly, I sure hope I didn't screw up. My trade in 3320 had turfs. The new 3320 cab unit has R-4. With the turfs in snow one revolution and the tread would be packed with snow and from then on it was like driving with slicks. To clean the turfs I would need to get on clear, plowed driveway and put some turns on the shaft.

thanks, nicholas

I hope you are right for you conditions. I had R4s and turfs for the old tractor. The R4 worked great until I angled the blade. They have no lateral traction. The blade would just push the tractor sideways. I left the turfs on one year due to a bad back and found that they worked much better. I was able to plow similar snow amounts in 2 WD that would have required being in 4WD with the R4s and the tractor tracked much straighter with the blade angled. It is like comparing mud tires to modern snow tires. The turfs have a lot more 澱iting edges compared to the R4 just like the snow tires have all the sipes and groves to aid in griping the slippery surface. I have seen a couple of threads on here about people grooving their R4s to try and increase the winter traction with some success. For me, I am just going to stick with the turf tires.

 

[Sledge]

When you are mowing your field, do the turf tires provide a better ride quality than the R4s?

 

[wolfpack2]

The turfs are smoother ridding when the gound gets hard and dry. They also leave smaller ruts when it is wet which leads to fewer hard ridges for the mower to bounce over when the ground dries and bakes in July.

 

[Agent Blue]

Re trade off blue for green;
I had a TC 45 DA for a couple years. Nice unit, had its share of minor problems. Disliked the power the HST took to operate and the whinning noise that went with it. Looked at Deere which I felt was way out of the ball park for price / value and purchased a NH 55 with HSS. Have less than 25k in the machine with two remotes, loader, r-4s, and a full service repair manual. I have 55 hp and the 4520 is rated at five more. You have the cab but my machine is half the price of the Deere. I would find a cab a hinderance in the woods so an open station suits my needs.
I could not justify the cost difference between the two. As far as quality I feel there is little difference between them. When I update in five or so years the ratio of value loss will be interesting.

 

[wolfpack2]

This is the wonderful thing about the CUT market at this time. There are several great tractors that are competitively priced. Each has its advantages and disadvantages. It all depends on the needs of the buyer and the dealers they wish to work with. When I started shopping for a new tractor, a cab was a must. I also wanted more HP to run my tiller (the TC40D was at it limits) and more lifting capacity for the FEL. A self-leveling loader was a high want as I use forks on a regular basis. I use the tractor as my primary lawn mower and feel a hydrostat is a must for mowing and I prefer it for loader work as well. Deere was the only manufacturer that has a self-leveling loader on a CUT. Deere and Kubota were the only locally available brands that had cab, hydrostat and over 50HP. They were within a few hundred dollars, so the self-leveling loader was the deciding factor. Time will tell if I have chosen wisely or just traded colors.

 

[Red Horse]

Good point about R-4's being unable to handle an angle plow. My 3320 had turfs-with chains-and never had an issue plowing snow. When I bought my 4720, it had turfs-and they were "wide"! I got the tractor just about a year ago before the ground really froze and they were helpless in mud. Plus I'm in the woods a lot and I worried about the sidewall weakness I'm told R-3's have-so got a great deal on a brand new set of R-4 take-offs-mounted! We shall see maybe in the next week if we get any big time snow.

 

[JordanFTW]

Nice tractor! Trailer too!

 

[daveinnh]

Agree - nice tractor. Does it come std. with the exhaust stack thru the hood? Sometimes I wish my Kubota had that feature to reduce fuming out.

 

[charleyfarmall]

Deere is the only company to offer a self leveling loader in this class in the US so it makes it he only option if an SEL is important. That said, it's one of the best small tractors available so it's hardly a compromise.

I have R1's on my 4520 and turfs on my 2720. I have also had R4's and I would not get them again. If I didn't need Ag's I would choose turf tires but that's just me. It really depends on your mission and where your point of compromise is.

 

[charleyfarmall]

Agree - nice tractor. Does it come std. with the exhaust stack thru the hood? Sometimes I wish my Kubota had that feature to reduce fuming out.

It doesn't come standard but it is an option