Buying Advice What tractor to buy for general utility work - <50 Acres??

[newbury]

What i don't get is why deere went the route they did... They went from making their own 4 family tractor to rebadging Yanmar tractors with different fenders and JD flare. Just take a look at the underpinnings of a yanmar tractor and the new 4 family identical. So it kills me to read checking out Chinese tractors when in fact JD is more Japanese these days than anything else.

I am too in the market for a 4x20 series over the next couple weeks and i can tell you i wont be buying an M or R series tractor and at a premium no less.

just upsetting

BUT John Deere is an AMERICAN company!

That's why I like Kubota, as far as I know it's all Kubota.

 

[FatTire]

Mahindra 5035, 3550 or Kubota MX5100 or 5200 or L4760. Any of these will work for you. Set in the seat, drive them, get the one that is the most comfortable for you. Get 2-3 rear remotes and loader 3rd function hydraulics on whatever unit you choose. You will need them before you are done.

Good luck

2 or 3 remotes and 3rd function remote is good advice. I got 2 remotes and couldn't imagine why I'd need more than that. Now I need a 3rd function for the FEL or at minimum a 3rd rear remote. Don't skimp on this one.

 

[WM75Guy]

Consider all the things you need to do, all the things you might want to do in the future, and set a realistic budget. I don't use engine HP to determine what size I need, I prefer to look at the implements and their PTO HP needs. Also consider what you want to lift with the front end loader. Moving dirt or rocks in the bucket will not task your loader. It's when you decide to use pallet forks to move that pallet of stuff that weights 2000 pounds or lift that 1200-1500 pound round bale with a hay spear to stack them two high and discover you can only lift 1200 pounds at the pins. You may need to get the next size up model with a few more HP to get that next size up loader or a few extra PTO HP to drive that baler, log splitter, etc.

The overall weight of the tractor is also important. The tires will usually spin because of not enough weight rather than not having enough power to pull the load. The transmission has already been discussed some. For pulling in a field gears are fine and don't rob HP. For loader work HST make it easier but a gear with power shuttle works pretty good too. A CVT is like a car, you have gas pedal, brake pedal, and a forward/reverse power shuttle. You will probably end up compromising on one feature or another as there is not a perfect tractor for all situations.

 

[TSO]

What i don't get is why deere went the route they did... They went from making their own 4 family tractor to rebadging Yanmar tractors with different fenders and JD flare. Just take a look at the underpinnings of a yanmar tractor and the new 4 family identical. So it kills me to read checking out Chinese tractors when in fact JD is more Japanese these days than anything else.

I am too in the market for a 4x20 series over the next couple weeks and i can tell you i wont be buying an M or R series tractor and at a premium no less.

just upsetting

I wouldn't worry too much about that. Japan usually builds some good tractors. Sounds like JD has been affiliated with Yanmar for quite awhile.

Shibaura is Japanese and built for New Holland, Iseki is Japanese and builds my Massey, Kubota is obviously Japanese, and they make decent tractors.

S Korea builds good tractors too ... but like many say on here, sounds best to stay away from Chinese brands.

 

[ljohnson778]

No, I illustrated that clutch life is dependent upon the type of use. I illustrated the idea one one end with my first truck that went 200,000 miles before needing its first clutch, and on the other end, a racing clutch that needed to be replaced every third weekend. The intent of the illustration is to demonstrate that clutch life is always determined by the type of use. In other words, say a guy has a 4000 series John Deere crop row tractor that weights 10,000-13,000 pounds and has 95 PTO hp and all the owner has used it for is mowing his lawn. The clutch life on such a machine is likely to be way up there because the tractor's driveline is never taxed. Yet the illustration of a high hour crop row tractor is not a good illustration of expected clutch life because the equipment is underutilized and not used to its designed capability. That was my point. I'll say it again for clarity: my racing clutch was simply an illustration how short a life of clutch can be on one extreme end of a range of expected life.

Isn't that kinda like saying don't use goodyear tires on your honda civic, because they only last a couple hundred miles on a NASCAR vehicle?

 

[MinnesotaEric]

Isn't that kinda like saying don't use goodyear tires on your honda civic, because they only last a couple hundred miles on a NASCAR vehicle?

No, it is like saying tire life is dependent upon the type of use.

 

[arlen4720]

What i don't get is why deere went the route they did... They went from making their own 4 family tractor to rebadging Yanmar tractors with different fenders and JD flare. Just take a look at the underpinnings of a yanmar tractor and the new 4 family identical. So it kills me to read checking out Chinese tractors when in fact JD is more Japanese these days than anything else.

I am too in the market for a 4x20 series over the next couple weeks and i can tell you i wont be buying an M or R series tractor and at a premium no less.

just upsetting

The 4 series are not made by Yanmar. Deere just quit using their own John Deere Powertech engines in them and switched to Yanmar engines in them. The reason was tier 4. John Deere will be focusing on engines 75 hp and larger, and using Yanmars for the smaller ones. They started puting Yanmar engines in their skid loaders this year too. They are still building the smaller Powertech engines for stationary power equipment.
I was sorry to see the JD engine go too, but the Yanmars are good engines of course. The only JD CUT's that are made by Yanmar are the 2 series, but they all have a Yanmar engine in them now.

 

[SPYDERLK]

My 4020 has 9500+ hours with the original clutch. When the time comes to overhaul the engine, the clutch will be swapped out as well.

Ill guess that it is not a loader tractor, you are very sparing of clutch use, and your rivets are touching.
larry

 

[adirondackmtnman]

The 4 series are not made by Yanmar. Deere just quit using their own John Deere Powertech engines in them and switched to Yanmar engines in them. The reason was tier 4. John Deere will be focusing on engines 75 hp and larger, and using Yanmars for the smaller ones. They started puting Yanmar engines in their skid loaders this year too. They are still building the smaller Powertech engines for stationary power equipment.
I was sorry to see the JD engine go too, but the Yanmars are good engines of course. The only JD CUT's that are made by Yanmar are the 2 series, but they all have a Yanmar engine in them now.

Does that apply to the 50xx series as well? Darn shame to see those smaller powertechs go if so.

Sent from my LGL35G using TractorByNet

 

[gbarrett38363]

Thanks for all the info here guys..... We'll be looking at different tractors in the next few weeks and I will let you know what were narrowing it down to... I will shout if I have more questions! You flks have a great weekend!