Pulling the trigger on a JD need some advice from the brain trust/hive mind

[JCB]

Robert,

I've got a similar setup: 20 acres, light farming, JD 4400. 10 years difference aside, I think the 4400 is identical to the 3520. It fits the bill for my uses and If I wanted to start doing serious tillage, for around $5k I'd pick up a used JD 3020 and have all the tractor I needed for heavy work too.

That's how I talked myself into a 35hp tractor.

A disk is pretty versatile and cheap. It can be a primary tillage tool. A tiller works like magic and can go from sod to seedbed in a single pass but is sloooow (imagine doing five acres at a crawl). I've got a 4' tiller on my 2210, that I like for small areas, but I'm not interested in getting a larger tiller so I can rototill acreage with the 4400.

I've got a 4' brushhog on the 2210 and it's handled everything I've thrown its way (including some trips into the woods). I certainly have the temptation to get an mx5 for the 4400, but honestly don't think I really need anything that heavy and don't see how I could wear out a standard duty model.

Plotmaster...I haven't used one. I do know my uncle was complaining about his off brand model (not a brillon) because the mixer in the seed hopper had a bar instead of a brush and it had too big of a gap between the mixer bar and sidewalls to mix fine seed like grasses.

 

[jenkinsph]

JCB,
While a tiller is slow with a forward speed of 1.5 to 2.0 mph, one pass will accomplish about the same as three passes with a disk running 4.5 to 6.0 mph. Overall the disk may be slightly faster but not by much when used with the smaller compact tractors. The 673 tiller is a good match for a 3520 or 3720 (better)and will till about 7" deep. The 681 tiller is a good match for the 4520 and will till about 8" deep.



Just an opinion but most people prefer to ride everything at a faster pace and percieve that the tiller is very slow. To disk to a depth of 8" uniformly with a disk requires a good quality unit with at least 22" blades and some weight. This translates into a heavier tractor to deal with the disk too. By the time you make three passes with the disk you haven't saved much time but you did get to drive your tractor across the field alot more.

For the high hp yet lightweight compact tractors the tiller is a good match. Using the pto to transfer more power to the ground while requiring minimal tractive force is where this method differs. To do a good job quickly with a tiller you need to buy the larger diameter rotors though, these allow faster forward speeds and till deeper too. It seems to me that most people thinking of tillers only consider the small garden variety units with small rotors which are alot slower in forward speed and these are very slow.

 

[JCB]

Yup Steve,

All your points are really good and I didn't really realize that my tiller probably does have equal or better penetration than my disk.

JCB,
Just an opinion but most people prefer to ride everything at a faster pace and percieve that the tiller is very slow.

This is probably the main reason I don't want a big tiller. The thought of inching through the field with a tiller is like being stuck in traffic. With a disk I'm shifting gears and changing lanes. That's where the fun is!

 

[joes_427_vette]

There is a mix for everyone. I enjoy the 55 hp NH compact 4x4. Its nimble, light, a pleasure to operate, and certainly not for sale. I'm glad the bigger series has a following and owners to appreciate them. Once you have a 4x4 with a loader there is no turning back. Big, clumbsy, and heavy cast iron have no useful purpose for my work. Just my situation and 4 cents.

 

[MBDiagMan]

All things to consider. Everyone's needs are different. :thumbsup:

Well put, that's why they make so many different sizes and models.

Were it not for upcoming haying duties, I would probably have a smaller tractor like most of the rest of you.

 

[Robertesq1]

JCB,
While a tiller is slow with a forward speed of 1.5 to 2.0 mph, one pass will accomplish about the same as three passes with a disk running 4.5 to 6.0 mph. Overall the disk may be slightly faster but not by much when used with the smaller compact tractors. The 673 tiller is a good match for a 3520 or 3720 (better)and will till about 7" deep. The 681 tiller is a good match for the 4520 and will till about 8" deep.



Just an opinion but most people prefer to ride everything at a faster pace and percieve that the tiller is very slow. To disk to a depth of 8" uniformly with a disk requires a good quality unit with at least 22" blades and some weight. This translates into a heavier tractor to deal with the disk too. By the time you make three passes with the disk you haven't saved much time but you did get to drive your tractor across the field alot more.

For the high hp yet lightweight compact tractors the tiller is a good match. Using the pto to transfer more power to the ground while requiring minimal tractive force is where this method differs. To do a good job quickly with a tiller you need to buy the larger diameter rotors though, these allow faster forward speeds and till deeper too. It seems to me that most people thinking of tillers only consider the small garden variety units with small rotors which are alot slower in forward speed and these are very slow.

More and more horse power? I just don't know. Considering I want the Ehydro maybe the 3720 is worth the 3K difference will the HP make a difference??? Not sure I understand how one tiller is faster than the other?? is the JD 673 what you mean??

 

[jenkinsph]

Robert,
I have a 4520 with the 673 tiller which has a larger rotor diameter and six tines per rotor. When compared to a smaller tiller with four tines and smaller diameter rotor it makes two differences, it can till deeper and can have a higher ground speed.

I have a Howard rotavator 4 tine tiller that is in like new condition and at pto speed the fastest I can run it is about 1 to 1.2 mph. The 673 can run about 50% faster and almost twice as deep.

While the 673 tiller has been a good performer for me if I had it to do over again I would opt for the 681 as it would be a better match for the 4520. Likewise I think a 3720 and a 673 would be a good match.

Tillers are a good way to harness the power on these compact tractors without having to add alot of excess weight. The tiller is actually pushing on the tractor when engaged so there isn't a need for lots of ballast to make them work. Driving a tractor across a plowed field uses a lot of the power it produces so why do it three extra times?

 

[jenkinsph]

Robert,
I should mention that it is very likely that a 3720 can run the 673 tiller at the same ground speed as the 4520 or close to it. The power to operate the tiller with the 4520 isn't the limiting factor rather keeping the tiller in the ground is. If you go too fast the tiller won't run deep enough.

 

[Robertesq1]

Robert,
I should that it is very likely that a 3720 can run the 673 tiller at the same ground speed as the 4520 or close to it. The power to operate the tiller with the 4520 isn't the limiting factor rather keeping the tiller in the ground is. If you go too fast the tiller won't run deep enough.

So then I probably wouldn't need a disc

 

[jenkinsph]

Robert,
I think you could get by with the tiller and a harrow to dress it up. Here is one I built last year for about $250 and is Imatch ready too. This is an 8' wide 3pt and should be easily pulled with a 3z20 series tractor.