# What model Compact Tractor



## Simpleprestige (Apr 20, 2007)

Hey, I'm new here,

We have a ten acre horse farm and I have decided that we cannot go much longer without a loader. I am comparing many different models, and want some user reviews. I want around 30 PTO hp or more. Hydrostatic. Here are the models I am looking at:

JD: 3520, 3720, 4120
Kubota: 3130, 3240
New Holland: TC35, TC34
Massey Ferguson: 1540, 1533
Challenger: MT275

I have looked at all of these brands and my original instinct was John Deere. I then saw the price tag and decided to look at my other options. I particularly like the Kubota and John Deere because of the innovative loadmatch system, but they are very expensive. I heard that the NH has a lousy front axle, and the Massey/ Challenger are both made by Agco. I would like some user reviews.

Kevin


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## Morgan (Oct 26, 2006)

Check out this link and view the videos, this is John Deere's web site and they are comparing the John Deere against a Kubota. 

http://www.deere.com/en_US/homeowne...twenty_series_video.html?tm=ho&link=enav_3000

I dont think that you would go wrong with either one. I personally would buy green but thats just my preference.


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## Simpleprestige (Apr 20, 2007)

The green was our first choice but I still have a hard time justifying $25000 to get into one. I don't know if all of the features are worth it. I also found That Finnermans JD dealer is not as easy to work with as Kubota of West Michigan.

Kevin


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## mongoose_1 (Apr 1, 2006)

Welcome to TF Simple! I myself just purchased a new Kubota L 3400 4wd w/ FEL, and could not be happier. I used an 8n to keep my 6 acre spread up. Until the new tractor, I never knew what I was missing. 

You may be more interested in the L4400, but you should go to the dealer and try both. Both should be available in Hydrostatic. 

The L3400 I purchased has 35 engine HP and 29.5 PTO. She is sweet. I paid $17K for tractor and loader- mounted ,fueled, washed and waxed! Dealer even give me a 20 minute class on the tractor before I left the yard.

Good Luck!


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## Simpleprestige (Apr 20, 2007)

Wow, you can't get one that cheap around here, Our dealer quoted us a new 3400 w/ loader for $20,300 and neither them nor the JD dealer will budge one bit. It is almost like they are not compelled to sell us a tractor. I just found a JD 4310 w/ loader and cab in Coldwater MI for $16995, Tell me what you think.

http://www.tractorhouse.com/listings/detail.aspx?OHID=5120359&guid=F634FD0A4A1E44E0BEA9C06388E17264


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## mongoose_1 (Apr 1, 2006)

I would say that the $20,300 is probably close as mine was not Hydrostatic.

The4310 w/cab looks great, but is it what you actually want? 

I am sure the cab is handy, considering your location, but would you have to spend extra for a loader bucket? Would the selling dealer be willing to trade the fork set-up for a bucket? If not is the extra cost for the bucket, thus pushing you close to the price of new, worth the 4 year difference in the age of the tractor?


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## Simpleprestige (Apr 20, 2007)

I emailed them and asked if they had a bucket to go with it. I haven't gotten a reply yet. We would probably buy an aftermarket bucket because I would like the forks too, I am sure they could come in handy for moving a pallet of fence posts or other "goodies". Does anyone know if you could take the sims cab off in the summertime if you really needed, or would it not be an issue. It would be nice in the wintertime for plowing a 1/2 mile long driveway.

The hydrostatic is an $800 option and I am not willing to get a tractor without it. I have been driving the old fashioned collarshift or whatever it is called and just got a new lawn tractor with twin touch hydrostatic. I don't know how I ever lived without it. It would especially come in handy for composting about 250 yds of manure that is sitting in a mountain out back of the barn.


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## Live Oak (Dec 22, 2003)

Let me add my welcome to Tractor as well Forum Kevin! You mentioned horse farm. Will you be using square or round bales for hay? I ask because this makes a BIG difference with respect to the size tractor you will need if handling round bales. 

With respect to the 4310, they are great machines for light use around the farm PROVIDED you do NOT use it as an ag tractor. The transmission casing and final drive casings for the rear axles on these machines are made from cast aluminum. They will NOT tolerate being used for plowing hard ground or hard use with a box blade. They WILL break. 

For light use brush cutting, FEL work, and use of basic impliments; it will do just fine. The 4310 is too small for handling round bales. 

I am very happy with my 4410. When I purchased it, I was living on a 26 acre place and primarily used for maintaining a 1/4 mile long drive way and keeping trails and pastures cut. I have since retired from the military and moved to a much larger ranch and have much more demanding applications that involve cutting large acreages and tree planting which requires pulling a subsoiler plow through VERY tough ground. Not an application for a light duty tractor with hydrostatic drive.


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## Simpleprestige (Apr 20, 2007)

We will be using round bales, but only the 6-800 lb ones, We have some really light feeders so we do not need to pick the round bales up very far. A 3 pt spear will work just fine. Aside from that, we will probably use it for loading manure and leveling out some areas in front of the gates. A light duty 6 ft brush hog will be used for knocking down weeds in the pastures so the grass can grow. We will also use a post hole digger and that is about it. We are figuring on about 30 pto hp. We do not need anything very big because of the need to turn sharp to get into our sawdust stall. The guy we buy hay from only has his bale settings at 600 lbs, but it can weigh more when wet (750lbs). We don't need them to come off the ground very far and we have been getting along just fine pushing them, except in the winter it gets tough. I figure the loader will compensate for that weight of the bale on the rear end. We also have concerns about the danger of loader spears, We know a guy who was crushed by a bale that fell on him.

One of our relatives bought a 1999 619 rotary cutter that will cut up 4" trees and fixed it up real nice. He didn't realize that you need 40 pto hp to run it. We will probably trade it in on an M6


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## Live Oak (Dec 22, 2003)

Kevin,

The 4310 eHydro makes about 25.5 pto hp. The MX6 requires a minimum 30 pto hp. The 4310 can turn it and cut very light vegetation but this is too much of a load hp and weight wise for the 4310 the MX6 weighs about 1053 lbs. according to Deere. 

The maximum size cutter the 4310 is rated for is the MX5 which requires 25 pto hp minimum to operate and weighs about 835 lbs. 

If you want a 6 ft. cutter for light duty use; take a look at the LX6. This cutter is requires 22 pto hp minimum to operate and weighs in at about 635 lbs. 

I recommend and prefer going the the heaviest duty cutter you can get and I went with a 4 ft. heavy duty cutter. It weighs about 662 lbs. At $600 new I could not resist the bargain. I would prefer a 5ft. cutter but this one does the job at a price I love. 

The MX5 is a great cutter but you will encounter sticker shock as these cutters are selling in the $2,000 and up price range. The LX6 is about $1400 and up. 

If you can get the 4310 to lift the 3 pt. hitch high enough to get the round bale off the ground, it should work well. 

The 4310 will make a real nice tractor for you provided you realize and operate it within its limitations.


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## Simpleprestige (Apr 20, 2007)

I got a reply from the dealer about the 4310. They said that it does have a bucket and it runs at about 29 pto hp. I don't know if there are different ratings or what. I will try to drive down and look at it, but it is about 2 hrs away and it is hard to get away during the week to go and look. Does anybody else know anything about this machine and/ or the cab. 

It amazes me just how difficult all of the dealers can be around here. They only will dicker about $500 from the list price and no further. They won't even fill the rear tires for me for free. If you ask a Kubota dealer why you should buy one over a John Deere if they are both the same price, they sit there and say that Kubota makes their own engines.


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## Live Oak (Dec 22, 2003)

Kevin,

The 25.5 pto hp rating I posted was obtained from the operator's manual. The saleman is mistaken.


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## Simpleprestige (Apr 20, 2007)

I looked at a manual online and it posted 27 pto hp for this model tractor hydro in 2004. It seems to me that it is in this area, does 3-5 pto hp really make a difference. I like your idea about the L6 mower because the weeds do not get very thick at all. It has been mowed with a lawn tractor for a while, but it takes about 4 hours for two acres( The pastures are not very smooth, you need some kind of suspension). I don't know if we will get much cash back for the 619 traded in on an L6 or if it will even break even. Does anyone know what the 619 retails for. I am going to check the build your own on Deere.com.

Thanks,

Kevin


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## Live Oak (Dec 22, 2003)

Is the cutter your relative bought a 609 or a 613? 

My reason for asking is that there is no 619 cutter that I am aware of. The 609 is a monster hause of a heavy duty cutter weight in at about nearly 1,200 lbs. 

The 613 is a light duty rotary cutter that would work just fine with the 4310. 

The 609 calls for 40 pto hp minimum so that sounds like the cutter your relative has. The 609 is one of the best cutters on the market in that size and sells new for around $3,000 to $3,500. 

The 4310 can run the 609 cutter but lifting it would be over taxing the 3 pt. hitch. It would not be an ideal match up and you wold have to be careful how you use it. As long as you are just pulling it around with the weight on the tail wheel and no heavy brush cutting. You would be fine. 

I would keep that one since it is already paid for and you will have a real heavy duty cutter to suit a larger tractor if you ever upgrade to one. 

Depending upon the condition the cutter is in, you could sell it for the better part of $2,500 and buy a cutter more suited to your 4310.


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## Simpleprestige (Apr 20, 2007)

I figure the cutter to be the 609. It is very heavy duty and although we bought it used, my grandfather sanded down the whole thing and then repainted it and put new decals on it along with sharpening the blades and completely overhauling the thing. He has alot of time on his hands. It is just way too much mower for any tractor that we would buy, Kubota or JD. We got a steal that we couldn't pass up at $900. It had some surface rust on it and the paint was peeling, but that was all.


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## Simpleprestige (Apr 20, 2007)

Well, I finally just said what the heck and bought a new JD 3520. For the 2.5 hrs I have put on it, it is wonderful. I find the hydro transmission very easy to operate and the only problem I have is that when you load manure and the drive away, The little poop rocks fling everywhere and make a huge mess of my lawn. I don't know if the industrial tires would do this or not. we got the deep lug turf tires. Now I just got to find a place to put all the manure. I have made a dent in the pile, but I am stuck now because it is at the loader lift height, 9ft and above. and I can't go any further. Anybody want it. Its free(I will load)


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## Simpleprestige (Apr 20, 2007)

Sorry, I just checked the spec sheet on the mower, I was wrong. It is a discontinued 616 model. I seem to think that it will work with our 3520, but I am not sure. Anyone know what the requirements and reviews on this are? Tractor already has 20 hrs on it, still going strong. will it work with iMatch.


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## Live Oak (Dec 22, 2003)

Sounds like you have a light duty 6 ft. cutter. It should work with the iMatch provided the driveshaft is long enough to reach the pto shaft. You have to try a test fit and see how it fits up.


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## Simpleprestige (Apr 20, 2007)

We can always get a longer pto shaft. my grandfather isn't bringing it over until Thursday and then I can see how it works. Does anyone have a specs sheet on this one. I would like to do a little more research.


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## Simpleprestige (Apr 20, 2007)

It does not work with the iMatch. YOu can take off the sway bar, but then, if you lift the mower or hit a slope, the whole mower will come off the ground as opposed to just the front. Now I have to fool with attaching it the old fashioned way and I really wish I had gotten the telescoping link arms. that would be nice. I was thinking about trying to attach a chain to the top link on the imatch and just use that instead of the sway bar. but how would you get the chain to stay inside of the hook. How do the newer mowers that are iMatch compatible work. Does someone have pictures of a newer rotary cutter.


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