Which would you buy (4052, 4044R, or 4052R) - Round Two!

[sbj333]

Thanks for lots of excellent comments on an earlier post which has led me to downsize my tractor shopping.

OK as before - here's the mission. 16 acres in Western Tennessee (near Lexington) - mostly mowing and loader work - slight rolling hills - wife and mother will be using as well - so a hydro and CAB are musts.

1. 2011 Deere Cab 4520 -450 hours with a 2011 loader and new Frontier 2072 mower - 33,000. Nice unit - would put 20,000 down and finance 13,000 remainder through Deere at 4.9% for 60 months.

2. New 2015 Deere Cab 4044r - with a new h180 loader and a Frontier 2072 mower - 38,000. New tractor - would put 20,000 down and finance 18,000 through Deere at 0% for 60 months.

3. New 2015 Deere Cab 4052R - with a new h180 loader and a Frontier 2072 mower - 41,3000. New tractor - would put down 20,000 and finance 21,300 through Deere at 0% for Months.

Which do you think is the best deal.

I have concerns about the 4044r and the mower if I let the grass get to tall. Specifically, if I am mowing up say a 20 degree pitch - have the AC cranking and three foot grass - what's going to happen? Let's say I'm in B range - am I going to have to let off the peddle to keep it from bogging down - would the 4052 have noticeably more power in this situation?

I just don't think the price difference between the new tractors and the 4520 is as great as it should be - versus the new 4052r - its roughly only 8000 dollars for which you get a 4 year newer tractor - new warranty and zero financing - somebody advocate for the 4520 here - its hard not to buy the new tractor with these numbers. I think the market is really dogging the new tier 4 tractors and favoring the non tier 4 used equipment. I'm particularly concerned that when the market gets used to the tier 4 tractors - the used non tier 4 equipment is going to take a hit. I think their is a price bubble in the used non tier 4 Deere CUTs.

Lastly, I have some other property where I might use the tractor and I'm toying with the idea of buying a trailer for it. I've got a 05 Diesel Excursion that I think I can tow it with - was thinking either a 10K or 12K 20 foot trailer - will that be OK for any of the above tractors? Lastly, am I crazy to try and tow this thing - I've driven a 16 foot cargo trailer all over the country behind the Excursion - non issue - but it's never been more than 4000 pounds back there. Not sure what it's going to be like with 9 or 10K of trailer behind me. The hauling would not be huge distances and all interstate.

Have at it!

 

[boggen]

16 acres and going for a 40HP+ machine seems like a big tractor.

TractorData.com John Deere 4520 tractor information
TractorData.com John Deere 4044R tractor information
TractorData.com John Deere 4052R tractor information

what are your planned uses for the machine? i mean mowing 16 acres? is it finish mowing ? rotary cutting (lamen terms bush hog)? fail mower? pasture mowing? are you going for 2 or multi wing / bat wing mowers?

loader work? lifting small or large round bales? dirt work? gravel / dirt driveway? house building?

any trees you removing?

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your location shows "peoria, IL" vs Western Tennessee (near Lexington) a good distance between the 2. might suggest updating your profile.
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is there a reason why you have focus solo on John Deere stuff? or just something you have came across?

 

[sbj333]

Thanks Ryan-

Yeah - I'm in P town but the property is in TN (and I am a Tennesseen) - to quote the song - how I got to Peoria -damned if I know.

I do some work with higher level Deere folks occasionally - and I need to be able to tell them I run Deere stuff - I've also got an X300 mower and a Z920 and have been real happy with them.

I'm not sure what all the tractor may get used for - the property is part of my mother's family place - they gave her the 16 acres. We lost my father this Christmas and decided to bury him down there so upkeep on the property is obviously a necessity. The property is pretty much open - rolling - farm field. I'm between P town and Tennessee about every two weeks so I've got to be pretty productive when I'm there.

I've thought a lot about 3000 series Deere tractors but folks have gotten me skittish about stability issues in the cabbed 3 series tractors - if it weren't for that I'd probably be looking there.

As an aside - you're pretty close to me and the local Deere dealers are very nice but are significantly higher on prices than the dealers in TN. I guess that surprised me.

 

[jenkinsph]

The 4520 has shown in Nebraska tests to put out 55 pto hp, so it has quite a few more ponies under the hood. From what you listed that is what I would go with. When I was buying mine I considered the 4320 and tried both with ac running pulling up a hill, the 4520 was a lot faster.

 

[TSO]

The 4520 has shown in Nebraska tests to put out 55 pto hp, so it has quite a few more ponies under the hood. From what you listed that is what I would go with. When I was buying mine I considered the 4320 and tried both with ac running pulling up a hill, the 4520 was a lot faster.

I thought the 4520 was around 47 PTO HP?

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I like the idea of tier 3 emissions in the 4520, but the new models offer a few changes too, most notably the rear 3pt controls and HST creep features (to assist with hooking up implements).

Also, if you will be doing a good amount of loader work, try to get the self leveling version. It's a stronger loader by a pretty good amount.

 

[jenkinsph]

I thought the 4520 was around 47 PTO HP?

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I like the idea of tier 3 emissions in the 4520, but the new models offer a few changes too, most notably the rear 3pt controls and HST creep features (to assist with hooking up implements).

Also, if you will be doing a good amount of loader work, try to get the self leveling version. It's a stronger loader by a pretty good amount.

For the 2009 model year the 4520 was increased to 60 hp and the 4720 was increased to 66hp. The 4520 pto hp was increased to a claimed 52 hp but tested to have 55.94 hp. The 4720 pto was tested to have 59.16 hp.

The creep to reposition controls are a nice feature if a backhoe may be added later on. On my 4520 with both telescopic links and I Match I seldom have to leave the seat to hookup. I figured out early on that the telescopic links were important to have when hooking up a heavy box blade. When I ordered the 4520 I included two sets of these and put one set on my 110tlb. I should note that AKfish pointed this out to me before the purchase of the tractor. Telescopic lower links at that time were about $330 per set list and the tractor is shipped to the dealer with the standard link arms. That leaves me with a spare set of the standard arms for each of my tractors, haven't needed them but you never know.

 

[sbj333]

For the 2009 model year the 4520 was increased to 60 hp and the 4720 was increased to 66hp. The 4520 pto hp was increased to a claimed 52 hp but tested to have 55.94 hp. The 4720 pto was tested to have 59.16 hp.

The creep to reposition controls are a nice feature if a backhoe may be added later on. On my 4520 with both telescopic links and I Match I seldom have to leave the seat to hookup. I figured out early on that the telescopic links were important to have when hooking up a heavy box blade. When I ordered the 4520 I included two sets of these and put one set on my 110tlb. I should note that AKfish pointed this out to me before the purchase of the tractor. Telescopic lower links at that time were about $330 per set list and the tractor is shipped to the dealer with the standard link arms. That leaves me with a spare set of the standard arms for each of my tractors, haven't needed them but you never know.

See now - I've just learned something - it seems the 4052R is not an exact replacement for the 4520 in terms of power - it looks like the 4052 is actually somewhere between the old 4320 and 4520 in terms of power - so is the 4044R as powerful or less powerful than the earlier 4320?

I don't think they've done the Nebraska tests yet on the 4r series tractors.

 

[TJP89]

If I was financing a tractor, I'd prefer it be a new tractor. The 4R series has a lot of nice goodies. On the 44 or the 52, I don't know. I do know that I have a 72" mid mower on my Farmall H, with about 25HP of power at the PTO. I can cut 6in grass, about the tallest I'd use a finish mower on, with only a little bogging down. As the only difference is the HP, It's really up to you to decide whether 8HP is worth $3300.

 

[guardrail22]

You have learned something I discovered as well. These tractors don't depreciate nearly as much as a car or truck. That said, first observation, if you buy new, put 《=10% down and float as much as possible at zero percent. Why tie up your funds? The 4520 will NOT have tier four emissions, meaning no dpf. Particulate filters come on units above 25 hp , except the 2032R JR is buying credits for because they can't fit the dpf under the hood. The new 4R will have it but it's warranted so the operational aspect is all you have to deal with.