Lets talk tractors...

[snide]

Originally Posted by WOEII

Can you at least provide a link to your forum?

[LATB]

Originally Posted by Sea Six

I have a JD 3025e for my 26 acre tree farm up in Escambia County. Hydrostatic drive is essential for some attachments like my 24” stump grinder. I wouldn’t go any other way to be honest. I have used the shit out of that thing since I’ve owned it. I repaired my seawall on my waterfront home myself and saved what the tractor plus every single implement cost me.

Not having do deal with the DEF and that problematic system was one reason I didn’t go with a larger system. Depending on your needs you may not have that luxury. I have a 60” Bush hog, the stump grinder and many other items and it works fine for me. The only thing I can’t do is pick up a full pallet of shingles or sod and move it across the yard.

@Sea Six
I may go with the 3025e.

For one the absence of the diesel exhaust filter etc. is a plus. And it’s probably plenty enough machine for my purposes.

Of course the near 30 grand in savings over the 4044r is a substantial budget bonus.

I checked one out today locally and did a test drive. I actually like it a lot. He has a couple in stock and will add the 3rd function for me if I buy.
All in with loader bucket, grapple (and 3rd function), pallet forks, box blade, rotary cutter, post hole auger, and nice trailer is less than the 4044 tractor only.

Pretty easy decision. Thanks

[Sea Six]

Here is a full list of all my implements, and my review of whether the 3025e is sufficient

42” Pallet forks
This is where my 3025e is most lacking. I can’t lift full pallets of shingles or sod, etc. At most I can lift about 1/4 to 1/3 of a full pallet of these items. Think long and hard about purchasing that 4044R if this is a big issue for you. When you mentioned having a front grapple and needing to clear a vast area of a post pine harvesting area, I was thinking, okay, maybe he needs the 4044R. The hydraulics are much improved over the 3025e. You will wind up having to cut those logs you will haul to the trailer quite a bit shorter to manage them with the 3025e. Multiply a single trip that is increased to two (or even three, depending on trunk thickness) for every log you’ll need to haul, and you’ve significantly increased your tractor ass-time to use the 3025e. For the grappling/clearing work alone you will find yourself saying very bad words for not buying the larger tractor.

For lifting pallets stored with my implements- no problem at all. 5/5 stars

Front loader 300e- it loads, carries and dumps about 1/3 of a cubic yard. I also use it for dragging / grading work. Works just fine. 5/5 stars

Brush hog 60”- it works just fine. 5/5 stars

Box blade 60”- works just fine. 5/5 stars

Backhoe with 12” bucket- works just fine. 5/5 stars

24” subsoiler plow- I break up large areas of roots and small trees with this implement. As long as you’re far enough away from the trunk of what you’re trying to bust up- 5/5 stars

24” stump grinder. Works just fine as long as you go slow enough. Which is the case with any 3 point hitch stump grinder. Extra horsepower would definitely speed things up. Do I care enough to spend the extra money to buy a larger hp tractor? Nope. 5/5 stars

Auger- no problem at all. 5/5 stars

[Sea Six]

3025e - with no diesel exhaust fluid and filter to deal with- this was the ultimate decision maker. I abhor these systems. They rob horsepower, are very problematic, and are expensive to repair. The only reason for an amateur farmer to go with a tractor that uses them is because you simply can’t live without the extra hydraulic power or the PTO power. Both of which I was able to justify. I can go a little slower and accomplish the same work, and I couldn’t care less.

Someone who needs to operate at maximum speed simply does not have that luxury, IMHO. Those folks should pony up and purchase the larger tractors. You alone have to decide if you are one of those people.

Bottom line… how much is your time worth? As a recent retiree, my answer is… not as much as a working man these days.

[Sea Six]

YouTube

[Sea Six]

Am I trying to convince you to buy the 3025e over the 4044R? Not at all. In fact you’ve made some very compelling statements in favor of the 4044R over the 3025e based on what you’ll use it for. I’m just trying to show you some real world opinions of the 3025e and how it performs, especially in light of the staggering difference in initial cost. If you can justify the 4044R, I highly encourage you to go that route.

[Rikki Z-06]

Originally Posted by Raazor

cliffs on the Farmer Lars thread?

He's buying a tractor

[LATB]

Absolutely excellent posts Sea Six, and much appreciated.

[Sea Six]

Originally Posted by LATB

Absolutely excellent posts Sea Six, and much appreciated.

I can hear the wheels spinning in your head over this decision.

I just thought I’d give you some food for thought, as someone who had a little bit of relevant experience in this area

[LATB]

Originally Posted by Sea Six

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=qO4bbv1pGVM

I actually watched that video earlier today. A pretty strong endorsement.

[Sea Six]

I’m confident you will make the right decision.

[LATB]

A note, the only downside you mentioned was moving logs. I won’t be doing that in any large capacity. The harvesting has been done and the big logs removed. It’s the crap left that I’ll be dealing with. Mostly limbs and brush.

I may look at the 3032 or 3038 for the higher PTO HP. But I’m not sure the loader lift capacity is any better with the higher HP in the 3-series.

I’m surely not a cheapskate but I’m not sure I can justify the cost of the 4-series rig.

[Sea Six]

Originally Posted by LATB

A note, the only downside you mentioned was moving logs. I won’t be doing that in any large capacity. The harvesting has been done and the big logs removed. It’s the crap left that I’ll be dealing with. Mostly limbs and brush.

I may look at the 3032 or 3038 for the higher PTO HP. But I’m not sure the loader lift capacity is any better with the higher HP in the 3-series.

I’m surely not a cheapskate but I’m not sure I can justify the cost of the 4-series rig.

When I last looked at the hydraulics of the 3025, the 3032 and the 3038 the hydraulics were identical. Literally the only difference was the PTO hp. You should check yourself but that’s what I’m recalling

Edit to add: the only difference with the 3032 and the 3038 is the higher PTO hp … and the diesel particulate filter… a strong negative in my opinion

[Sea Six]

If you don’t have the need for a high lift capacity on the front loader, in my mind the 4044R would now be off the table, unless you can come up with another reason to justify it. The cost is simply too much.

You mentioned the 4044R’s quick release advantage. The front loader and pallet forks are the only two devices I have for the front end of my 3025R. Swapping them is an absolute cakewalk… less than two minutes, probably one minute is all that’s required. You just have a couple of linchpins to remove, raise (or lower) the front loader, reattach the pins, and you’re there. I seem to recall some sort of quick release system you can buy for the 3025 but I’ve never found the need for it.

Look at it this way… these tractors really hold their value over time. If in the future you find the 3025e isn’t enough when your tractor usage changes, you can always trade it in.

[Sea Six]

And you can always drag a log that’s far heavier than you could ever lift with the 3025e. Get a few logging chains.

[LATB]

Originally Posted by Sea Six

When I last looked at the hydraulics of the 3025, the 3032 and the 3038 the hydraulics were identical. Literally the only difference was the PTO hp. You should check yourself but that’s what I’m recalling

Edit to add: the only difference with the 3032 and the 3038 is the higher PTO hp … and the diesel particulate filter… a strong negative in my opinion

I do hate the DPF but I am concerned with the PTO HP. Not so much for the rotary cutter but the auger and maybe a future stump grinder. Maybe this concern is overthinking for my use.

[LATB]

Originally Posted by Sea Six

If you don’t have the need for a high lift capacity on the front loader, in my mind the 4044R would now be off the table, unless you can come up with another reason to justify it. The cost is simply too much.

You mentioned the 4044R’s quick release advantage. The front loader and pallet forks are the only two devices I have for the front end of my 3025R. Swapping them is an absolute cakewalk… less than two minutes, probably one minute is all that’s required. You just have a couple of linchpins to remove, raise (or lower) the front loader, reattach the pins, and you’re there. I seem to recall some sort of quick release system you can buy for the 3025 but I’ve never found the need for it.

Look at it this way… these tractors really hold their value over time. If in the future you find the 3025e isn’t enough when your tractor usage changes, you can always trade it in.

Yes the 4044 is a budget buster. I was surprised to read that you posted the 300 loader on these 3-series machines wouldn't lift a pallet of sod. But I will live with that.

The R level on these allow the entire loader arms to dethatch from the tractor. I thought I'd like that but have conceded on that and will be fine with it permanently mounted.
Yes the JD bucket/forks/grapple quick detach is plenty suitable for me. The skid steer type quick detach is not something I need.

And you are correct on trade-in if I find the need. If the house was built and we were settled in I'd probably go for the mack-daddy 4044R. But right now that would not be a wise allocation of our funds.

Btw-thanks again for your posts. Very helpful.

[Sea Six]

The PTO is an issue you should put some more thought into.

I’m not sure at this point which way to advise you. With a stump grinder and I use the Woodland Mills WG-24, a 24 inch which is an absolute beast of an attachment… the more PTO power you have, the better for sure. I don’t grind a whole lot of stumps in a year probably 10 or less.If you’re grinding 10 a day you might need the extra horsepower. Mine works you just have to go slow.

[Sea Six]

Another alternative says to get a better stock grinder. This one only works in one dimension- forwards and backwards. In other words you can’t just park the tractor and sweep it back-and-forth over the stump like a standard stump grinder. You use the three point hitch to lift it up and down to set the depth and then you drive forward slowly. This is why you cannot use this attachment with anything but a hydrostatic Drive tractor.

If you’re grinding a lot of stumps, like hundred s, you might consider getting a standalone stump grinder versus a three point hitch. With my tractor being so small and the PTO being so low this was really the only option that I had so I didn’t research all the other alternatives really at all. I just don’t know what’s out there.

[LATB]

Originally Posted by Sea Six

The PTO is an issue you should put some more thought into.

I’m not sure at this point which way to advise you. With a stump grinder and I use the Woodland Mills WG-24, a 24 inch which is an absolute beast of an attachment… the more PTO power you have, the better for sure. I don’t grind a whole lot of stumps in a year probably 10 or less.If you’re grinding 10 a day you might need the extra horsepower. Mine works you just have to go slow.

I'm leaning heavy towards the 3025. The 3032 is 3 grand more and only provides the PTO additional 5HP. Not worth it IMO to have the diesel filter and the computer/sensors crap that goes along with it.