Upgrading from XJ2025 to XR3037?

Cramblit26 · Feb 12, 2018

I've had my XJ2025 for about a year now and have 100 hours on it.
I've done numerous projects, including excavating about a 120 yards of dirt for a home addition project at my cousins house. Along with that, I also regularly brush hog about 5 acres a few times a month in the summer, hopefully soon to finish mow instead. But with all the hours and the projects I've done, I can't help but think that I would feel more secure, safe and more efficient with all I have to do with an upgrade to the XR3037. I was thinking between the high lift capacities both FEL and 3pt, the wider stance, heavier and more gear selections (not a fan of hydrostatic) that I could accomplish all the above and still not be in the "over-kill zone".

Thoughts? Advice?

George2615 · Feb 12, 2018

I have the XR3037HC. Bought new 4 years ago. Not one problem with it. I got the cab model to have heat for snow plowing and A/C for summer.
If you're looking at a 3037 is it new old stock or used? I believe the 3037 model (3000 and 4000 series) have been discontinued and replaced with the XR3135 (3100 and 4100 series with LS engines). Basically they are the same tractor. The 3037 has the Shibaura engine and the 3135 has an LS engine.
I was also not a fan of HST until 14 years ago when I bought my first one. Now I prefer HST. Much faster and easier for doing loader work for dirt, gravel, snow etc. than gear model.
XR series comes with dual rear remotes, cruise control, and other features.
I'm very happy with mine.

jdom84 · Feb 12, 2018

Cramblit26 said:
I've had my XJ2025 for about a year now and have 100 hours on it.
I've done numerous projects, including excavating about a 120 yards of dirt for a home addition project at my cousins house. Along with that, I also regularly brush hog about 5 acres a few times a month in the summer, hopefully soon to finish mow instead. But with all the hours and the projects I've done, I can't help but think that I would feel more secure, safe and more efficient with all I have to do with an upgrade to the XR3037. I was thinking between the high lift capacities both FEL and 3pt, the wider stance, heavier and more gear selections (not a fan of hydrostatic) that I could accomplish all the above and still not be in the "over-kill zone".

Thoughts? Advice?

It sounds like you have gotten a bunch of work done with your machine in a short amount of hours. These tractors are actually considered subcompact tractors in the rest of the world, but LS markets them as "Small" compact tractor for the US market. I think they are great for homeowner/very small hobby farm use. But because they were also designed for mowing, they are very light which limits what they are capable of.

You can get wheels spacers and load the tires to make it feel safer and add weight to the machine. Tomplum recently got wheelspacers from FEEbay at an incredible price. http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/ls-tractor-owning-operating/391374-xj2025h-wheel-spacers.html. Filling the tires with WWF adds about 300 lbs to the rears, making the tractor weigh just over 2000lbs. Do you have the Backhoe also? the tractor seems to be at its best at around 2500lbs

If you are having lift cap issues, you can turn up the relief pressure a bit but you wont get anywhere near the lift of the XR series.

George2615 said:
I was also not a fan of HST until 14 years ago when I bought my first one. Now I prefer HST. Much faster and easier for doing loader work for dirt, gravel, snow etc. than gear model.

The xj2025 is only a 2 range. low is very usable and works great. IMO High range is way to high, Its top speed is even higher then the gear drive version. I can plow snow in high gear but the tractor doesn't sound like it likes it at all. Using the FEL to move dirt has to be in low though, which means you have to stop and put it in high to drive the dirt you just scooped to its new location. Really wish these tractors came with a 3 range. I think Kubota got it right with their b series.

If you can afford the upgrade and its going to be more useful to you, then go for it. You only have so much time in life, which is why I would rather buy the tools to do the job then destroy my body doing it by hand...

tomplum · Feb 12, 2018

I dunno, they would look good parked side by side! I like our XJ and it was the right size for where the misses works it. I definitely get what you're saying though. Even 1 notch up the pole you get more tractor with out a lot more dinero.

jdom84 · Feb 12, 2018

tomplum said:
I dunno, they would look good parked side by side! I like our XJ and it was the right size for where the misses works it. I definitely get what you're saying though. Even 1 notch up the pole you get more tractor with out a lot more dinero.

:thumbsup:

I sure wouldn't mind having a small tractor and a big tractor!

gersus · Feb 12, 2018

A XR4140 would look GREAT next to the XJ!

jeff9366 · Feb 12, 2018

Heavier tractors have more tractive power pulling ground contact implements. Greater mass of heavy-chassis tractors increases tractor stability when transporting loads in the FEL bucket, the most rollover prone of routine tractor tasks. Heavier tractors have larger wheels and tires better able to bridge holes, ruts and downed tree limbs, yielding a smoother, less disturbing passage over rough ground.

Hillside work demands more tractor weight than flat land work. Heavier tractors have wider wheel spreads making them less laterally unstable. Rear wheel spreads are variable for width.

It takes a 50% increase in tractor weight before you notice a significant tractor capability increase.
It takes a 100% increase in tractor weight to elicit MY-OH-MY!

Selling a used tractor is easy. Selling light implements in order to buy heavier, wider, implements for a heavier tractor you take a hit in depreciation. Dealing with multiple browsers is a pain.
((Ask me how I know.))

BUY ENOUGH TRACTOR

3Lfarms · Feb 12, 2018

Also be aware, a larger tractor means you’ll also want bigger implements. If you upgrade, make sure you aren’t going to want an even bigger tractor three years down the road. Implements are expensive. Buy once and cry once, then drive it till it croaks.

PJSprog · Feb 12, 2018

We've had our XR3135HC for about a year-and-a-half now, and it's turned out to be perfect for us. I was originally looking at the XJ2025H, but we wanted a cab, so we had to go up a size. No regrets at all doing that. I think you probably wouldn't regret it either.

As others have noted, it certainly would be nice to have both. We simply don't need two tractors for our 5 acres (although, our Husqvarna rider is mostly used as a small tractor these days ... hmmm). If you can keep the XJ and get the larger XR in addition, that would be great. If not, it seems no one ever regrets buying a bigger tractor.