Fixin' to buy a new tractor

N5922S

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N5922S
John Deere 4105. Any comments?
 
John Deere 4105. Any comments?

It's been a long time since I bought a tractor, but the 90-125hp units were typically a better deal than the 35-75hp ones.

I don't like John Deere engines, they are the least fuel efficient of all the marine propulsion/generator/tractor engines I have operated, and it's a pretty large margin. I've run them in most ratings between 33kW and 375hp and they Haley's come in with terrible fuel specifics. Look at a Case or a Kubota.
 
I like my little John Deere. Dad had good service from his 850 D.
 
I don't know the specidfics of the 4105, but it appears similar to my 4100, which I love. It's a 2001 and has never had a mechanical issue. What are you wanting to do with it?

Since my 4100 is 20hp, I have trouble with a mower larger than 5' if it's long grass, like a field. With the 40hp on the -05, I bet you could pull an 8' brush mower pretty well and 10'+ with a finish mower.

I'm also (barely) able to pull a 4' disc through soft dirt, so it's pretty inefficient for dissing much more than a couple acres. (I do about 10 over a few days.)

I've got a 64" 410 front-loader which is great for scooping gravel, dirt, logs/firewood, ect.

The small size makes it great for navigating through the woods to haul logs and other material.

The only thing I've come across which my 4100 couldn't do is pull stumps. But I'm OK with that; Good excuse to play with some binary explosives, diesel, and the .308...
 
One of the things I don't like about the green is you pay for it. Its really no better than another in my eyes. Any other dealers around you? Look into LS, New Holland, Mahindra...Same features (some times more), less price. John deere, kubotoa, Massey=$$$$$
 
One of the things I don't like about the green is you pay for it. Its really no better than another in my eyes. Any other dealers around you? Look into LS, New Holland, Mahindra...Same features (some times more), less price. John deere, kubotoa, Massey=$$$$$

Kobotoa is not cheap. It's real quality and the engines are almost bullet proof if given decent maintenance. I helped out at an airport that had one. Great machine and pretty old when I used it. Owner swore by it as have several others. John Deere probably uses someone elses engine. Their excavator is made by hatachi , simply painted green rather than orange.
 
Deere is fairly dominant in W Texas.
I've had a 5205 for about ten years and couldn't be happier.
Great for ranch work!
 
Deere is fairly dominant in W Texas.
I've had a 5205 for about ten years and couldn't be happier.
Great for ranch work!

Yep. I have a 5200 (45 HP) and could not be happier. It can load on a trailer and I can take it anywhere. Hard working machine.
 
Kobotoa is not cheap. It's real quality and the engines are almost bullet proof if given decent maintenance. I helped out at an airport that had one. Great machine and pretty old when I used it. Owner swore by it as have several others. John Deere probably uses someone elses engine. Their excavator is made by hatachi , simply painted green rather than orange.

I didn't say they were cheap. I said them as well as deere, and massey were $$$$$$=expensive.

I bought my Mahindra because my father in law has had his for about 10 years and never a problem. So based of his recommendation I went that route. Never a problem with mine. My only beef is I wish I got a higher HP so I can turn a 15ft batwing. Brand new with a front loader I paid right at 12k.
 
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I bought a Mahindra 3535 last year. So far so good, no complaints.
 
I'm thinking Jimmy is trying to say Kubota ;) Big plant a few miles from me and they turn out a lot of tractors.
 
It really comes down to what kind of work your going to do with it. For the occasional home owner type of work, you would most likely have no issue with any of the lower end less expensive brands.

If your talking about serious everyday farming, my choice is deere. Yes they do cost more, but you get what you pay for.
 
Kobotoa is not cheap. It's real quality and the engines are almost bullet proof if given decent maintenance.

Dad's Kubota tractor was 25yrs old when he passed and I still got decent money for it when I sold. He wasn't into mx at all, but it soldiered on just fine.

I'd come home at Christmas every year and change the oil and filters for him and he'd be good for another year. Every two or three years I'd dump the coolant and tranny oil for new. Pretty much it for 25yrs.
 
Dad's Kubota tractor was 25yrs old when he passed and I still got decent money for it when I sold. He wasn't into mx at all, but it soldiered on just fine.

I'd come home at Christmas every year and change the oil and filters for him and he'd be good for another year. Every two or three years I'd dump the coolant and tranny oil for new. Pretty much it for 25yrs.

In the 100 HP or less range I really like the Kubotas also. I had one built in the 80's, even so, no problem getting any part I needed and boom proof. Look at resale, no small tractor holds their value as well as Kubota.
 
I own a JD 4105. I use it for lighter duty stuff on 172 acre ranch. Run a 6' rotary cutter all day, pull a 5' disc with weights on it buried deep and move 5' round bales. One downside on tractor is need for rear balast of doing much of any front end loader work. Which tires are you getting? Mine has R4 because I use it around the yard also but wish I had R1 for better traction since a little light sometimes. I bought it new 3 years ago and haven't had a single problem.
 
Kobotoa is not cheap. It's real quality and the engines are almost bullet proof if given decent maintenance. I helped out at an airport that had one. Great machine and pretty old when I used it. Owner swore by it as have several others. John Deere probably uses someone elses engine. Their excavator is made by hatachi , simply painted green rather than orange.



My sailboat had a raw water cooled kubota engine in it. That engine sat with salt water in the cooling galleries for 3 years without being run, and some clean fuel, and an oil change later, it ran for another 5 years that i owned the boat. Never failed to start, never was difficult to start.. +1 for kubota.
 
As mentioned earlier, LS tractors. They makes several tractors for New Holland/Ford and are cheaper. Under 50hp with a Deere you are actually looking at a yanmar painted green. How much is green paint worth to you? I have a grey market Mitsubishi that is a great little tractor. Pulls a 6' finish mower great, but it is too light for heavy dirt work. It fits places my bigger stuff doesn't though. It's a 2050FD.

John Deere lives off the name they made in the past. I am not impressed with their newer stuff. Around here, Deere salesmen will sit there and tell you a tractor is 100% American made while you are asking about the Yanmar plate that clearly states otherwise.
 
Dad's Kubota tractor was 25yrs old when he passed and I still got decent money for it when I sold. He wasn't into mx at all, but it soldiered on just fine.

I'd come home at Christmas every year and change the oil and filters for him and he'd be good for another year. Every two or three years I'd dump the coolant and tranny oil for new. Pretty much it for 25yrs.
That's probably better mx than most tractors. :eek:
My dad started with a Massey-Ferguson, went to Fords and ended up with all John Deere tractors when he sold the farm. He had good luck with all of them, from 25-100 HP, he had a man of the farm that was a maintenance nut, so they were always in great shape. He held an auction and some of them sold for almost what he paid for them, and the newest one was 6 or 7 years old. :D
 
Nope..But I have a 2013 Mahindra 2816 and wish I got a bigger one. I think the 41HP will serve you good. How much land are you dealing with?

18 acres. Lots of trees. I currently have a Kubota L3710, but always wanted a John Deere (my grandpa had a poppin' Johnny). Besides, our money will be pretty much worthless very soon, so I'm gettin' rid of it. :mad2:
 
I don't know the specidfics of the 4105, but it appears similar to my 4100, which I love. It's a 2001 and has never had a mechanical issue. What are you wanting to do with it?

Mostly dirt scooping (to keep my dog's swimming hole in the creek cleaned out) and tree felling/moving. Replacing a similar-size Kubota.
 
Will the three point handle a backhoe?

People I've talked to say that a backhoe needs to be chassis-mounted to really be of any real use. I've always used the loader for dirt/mud moving.
 
Will the three point handle a backhoe?

Unfortunately, no the 4105 is not setup for backhoe. In the few instances where I needed one I just rented one for a few hours. If I owned one I'm sure I could find plenty of use for it.
 
People I've talked to say that a backhoe needs to be chassis-mounted to really be of any real use. I've always used the loader for dirt/mud moving.

Depends what you are digging. I dug water pipe trenches ok with a three point mount. The main pain with them is you have to change seats to use them, and that takes you out of the cab.:( I had borrowed it from a neighbor, but yeah, for limited use you're probably better off renting, and for regular use, you're better off with a dedicated unit. The TV-140 and the 9030 Ford predecessor, may be the exception. That is a platform I always really liked. I ended up with one for a hay rig. I loved the bi directional cab with PTO and three point on both ends plus the big hard mount on the one end for the big accessories. I had one customer wanted silage bales so I got the 16' sickle header for it and pulled a 535 round bailer behind it, then he came behind with his wrapping rig and finished them off. At the end I would change over to the loader and put a spike on both ends and clean up the field.

The great thing is they aren't really popular, so you can usually pick them up for a good price and get some accessories with it.
 
I have a BX-25 Kubota with the backhoe. Haven't found anything yet that I can't bury or dig up. ;)
 
. The TV-140 and the 9030 Ford predecessor, may be the exception. That is a platform I always really liked. I ended up with one for a hay rig. I loved the bi directional cab with PTO and three point on both ends plus the big hard mount on the one end for the big accessories. I had one customer wanted silage bales so I got the 16' sickle header for it and pulled a 535 round bailer behind it, then he came behind with his wrapping rig and finished them off. At the end I would change over to the loader and put a spike on both ends and clean up the field.

The great thing is they aren't really popular, so you can usually pick them up for a good price and get some accessories with it.

Wow. I was not aware that such a beast existed. That is cool. Too bad it totally overwhelms my tractor needs. (I have to content myself with a 1969 MF 150 that starts every time and allows me to bush-hog).

Wells
 
Wow. I was not aware that such a beast existed. That is cool. Too bad it totally overwhelms my tractor needs. (I have to content myself with a 1969 MF 150 that starts every time and allows me to bush-hog).

Wells

Thing is, if you have a good tractor, you can always make a living with it. Hay worked out perfect with my offshore work on a 28/14 schedule since fertilize -cut was 28 days for best protein. When I got home, we'd cut everything, turn around and start bailing, clean up, fertilize, and water all the fields, and go back offshore.

There's good money in doing custom hay for people on shares. I always baled my share into small square bales and hauled down to the metroplex horse people.
 
My dad had a whole slew of bi-directionals which I think were an evolution of each other. I know the TV-140 was one of them. Used almost exclusively for moving and feeding round bales every morning. Neat tractors.
 
In the 100 HP or less range I really like the Kubotas also. I had one built in the 80's, even so, no problem getting any part I needed and boom proof. Look at resale, no small tractor holds their value as well as Kubota.


If I didn't already have a Ford, I know the only new tractor dealer in Colorado sells orange.

JD hasn't opened a new dealership since the 90's around here.

And the new orange dealer is only 10 miles from the house down a dirt road. So they're closer anyway.

They must be doing something right to open more than one dealership in a time when Deere hasn't opened anything at all for almost 20 years.

I took the Ford to the JD dealer that's 20 miles away for some work on the Ford this year. They were openly honest that all non JD products went to and stayed at the back of the line for shop time, and it's never first come first served.

I didn't need the tractor right away so I left it... for over a month. For a tire change and a couple other things I couldn't do safely in my home garage. Not kidding. A month. Nothing fancy.

Their price ended up being reasonable but I was warned by neighbors it wouldn't be. I'll be seeing if the Orange place works on Fords, next time.

If not, at least I know exactly where I stand with big Green, and if the Ford dies, I won't be buying from them. That's for damn sure. They lost a customer on the first visit. Tell me I'm not in line like everyone else, I'm not giving you any more money if I can avoid it.

Also says something that their shop is that full, continuously, with Green stuff.

The idea that the Green stuff is actually any better than the other stuff was destroyed in my head when I saw the green machines packed into the shop and back lot like sardines with shop tags on them.

Haven't seen multiple rows of dead orange stuff at the other place.
 
John Deere 4105. Any comments?



I went with a New Holland TC55DA-EHSS was the last small loader/tractor we bought.

Whatever you decide on, if the Deere comes with an electro-shuttle shift, get it. You'll love it for loader work. :)

Another tip. If it comes with the industrial tires, try to keep the front tires from going flat for long because if they bust off the rim, they're a real ***** to re-seat. O.k., that's two comments. :redface:

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Like I said, depends on what kind of work your doing with the machine. Don't see to many "orange tractors doing this kind of work. I'm not saying kubota is a bad tractor, I own a couple 100hp kubota's, but when I need to get real ground prep done, you need a real tractor.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Shpc_QvCDw&feature=youtu.be


Perhaps true.

Most of the broken green stuff was smallish. But there was row after row after row of it. All looked fairly modern, too.

Apparently made the dealership's shop so busy they couldn't service anything else on a first come first served basis.

I read Rich's thread on the snowblowers and it made me realize I'll be pretty sad when the 80's vintage Deere 826 we got a decade or more ago when family moved to a warmer climate, dies. It'll be the engine at some point. The hardware is built massively stout for a "home" blower. Not even the new green stuff is built like this thing.

8ccc0224e3db867b283438a1fdbe1e50.jpg


The green shop will take a month or more to get to it, and then try to "upsell" me to something not built nearly as well.

They certainly won't be going out of their way to do any rural deliveries like Rich got. Hell, I haven't seen that done in 20 years around here. That was impressive. Home delivery? I don't think honestly I've ever seen anyone offer it here, ever.

I'm definitely no tractor expert -- just saying that local dealers are popping up for the orange guys, and the customer service at the green guys is pretty sketchy. There's also some really big tractors on their new orange lot.

For now the old Ford 1210 and McKenzie will be ready for snow duty here. She's going to need some new hydraulic lines next year. Definitely needs a paint job, but I'm not going to tackle that, probably ever.

302429a9aaadb2e8046decae7fe401ec.jpg


Runs like a champ. The closest New Holland place is 60 miles away or more and doesn't service any of the old Ford stuff at all. They're in an Ag area and only interested in the really big stuff, and it's all they sell.
 
Oh by the way, you can see that God awful tracked blower I mentioned in the blower thread, in the bottom right of the tractor photo. I truly hate that thing.

And you can probably see why I want to build a barn. LOL.
 
Oh by the way, you can see that God awful tracked blower I mentioned in the blower thread, in the bottom right of the tractor photo. I truly hate that thing.

And you can probably see why I want to build a barn. LOL.

Nate-

Don't throw the baby out with the bath water. Comparing a Craftsman to a Honda is well… Try the Honda if you ever get a chance, just because they both have tracks doesn't make them the same.
 
Nate-



Don't throw the baby out with the bath water. Comparing a Craftsman to a Honda is well… Try the Honda if you ever get a chance, just because they both have tracks doesn't make them the same.


Fair enough. The Craftsman is pure junk.
 
Like I said, depends on what kind of work your doing with the machine. Don't see to many "orange tractors doing this kind of work. I'm not saying kubota is a bad tractor, I own a couple 100hp kubota's, but when I need to get real ground prep done, you need a real tractor.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Shpc_QvCDw&feature=youtu.be
well, the 4105 deere is of the line of deere's that are yanmar's painted green. Yanmar's are indeed orange. Why not just yet the yanmar version and save the money? Green paint must be incredibly expensive.
 
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