Buying Advice John Deere 3038e or 3520

[Yellowvette]

Well, here it is. I have been reviewing these 2 tractors for a steady 2 weeks now and am really no closer to a decision on which tractor to get. Any advise would be greatly appreciated!

I have a 10 acre residence that I have about 5 acres in horse pasture. I will use the tractor for a variety of horse and landscaping chores, but the biggest use will be snow removal for my level, gravel driveway in the Iowa winters and for mowing the 5 acre horse pasture when it get too tall for the horses. Does anyone have direct experience with these actual activities - especially the snow plowing? Will the 3038e be too small to push a lot of snow or mow the grass when it gets about a foot high?

My concerns would be the weight difference of the tractors, difference in the loaders, and the size of what attachments I could get for the 3038e.
I have talked to the local dealer and got a "semi" sharp number of each tractor - that is where my decision gets even harder. I can get the packaged 3038e with all the attachments and the trailer for around 21,000 and the loaded down 3520 with the 300cx loader and GM1072R grooming mower for around 29,000.

Besides any advise on what the above differences would be for snow plowing and mowing, I was wondering if anyone also had any experience with the trailer that is included in the John Deere package? I can find no information on whether the trailer is just a carrot to get your attention, or if it is actually something worth looking at?

This has been and continues to be a very hard decision. It is going to be a tractor that I most likely keep forever. I really do not want to get something that I am going to regret. Everything I have read says the 3038e is a good tractor, but if you can upgrade - do it. I love everything about the 3520 except the price difference. I want to make sure if I do get the 3520 that it is necessary for what I NEED the tractor for and not just me up grading for bells and whistles. Bells and whistles are fine, but with all the extra attachments and the trailer that I would get with the 3038e package - it can not be overlooked.

Thanks for any first hand experience or direction you can give.

 

[jenkinsph]

Read your post and should note that the 3038 package is a dealer package, not a Deere package. So we don't know what is in it. A lot of the weight difference is in making the 3520 a better tractor overall, things such as the ehydro three range transmission come to mind. If you were to decide a mid mount mower was the better option for your lawn areas it has the mid pto on the 3520 and is not available for the 3038. Both of these tractors may need chains for the winter and proper ballast to clear the snow but either should do the job.

 

[azkubotaguy]

I was in your same dilemna for a couple of weeks, I almost bought a 3038E recently until I went to the Kubota Dealer and tested the L3800, also watch this video comparing the two. I wound up spending more to buy the Kubota and I am glad I went orange instead of green.

 

[Yellowvette]

Read your post and should note that the 3038 package is a dealer package, not a Deere package. So we don't know what is in it. A lot of the weight difference is in making the 3520 a better tractor overall, things such as the ehydro three range transmission come to mind. If you were to decide a mid mount mower was the better option for your lawn areas it has the mid pto on the 3520 and is not available for the 3038. Both of these tractors may need chains for the winter and proper ballast to clear the snow but either should do the job.

Sorry about that. The package is an 18' trailer, 3038e tractor, 305 loader, rotary mower RC2060 and box blade BB2060.

 

[Poopdeck Pappy]

I don't have any comments on the two tractors, but you would do well to heed the advice to buy the one you like the most if you can afford it. If you buy the 3038, will you regret not having some of the features on the 3520?

If you keep this tractor for 20 years, the cost difference is approximately $400 per year for the 3520. And, if you sell it sooner than that, you'll get more for the 3520.

I wanted a tractor with a cab, but I struggled with the extra cost the cab added. Ultimately, I decided I would kick myself every time I used it if I didn't get the cab. Now, I'm very glad I got it.

 

[super55]

The trailer used most likely is a 16' tandem axle 7500# rated landscape trailer with one set of trailer brakes. To go out and buy one new generally will set you out about 1500 to 2000 dollars. Tractorhouse shows a lot of these dealer packages to give you an idea. Used one for years when I worked landscaping and pulled my Kubota on it with a 1/2 ton pickup with no issues. If you have to buy hay for your horses it might be a consideration to put in your possible purchase.

Usually with these dealer packages they get a discount for bulk purchases or being able to push so much of the product. If one went out and bought all the implements separately they would be hard pressed to usually come in at or below the price unless they went used.

As for what tractor you might want the 3520 and the 3038e is like deciding a pickup between a truck between basic and loaded trim package. You researched the tractors so I'm not going into pros and cons of each because you have done your research.

I guess the biggest deciding factor if I was making the purchase was. 1. If I wanted a factory cab someday and 2. I prefer a mid mount mower or a front mount snowblower than I would go with the 3520. If I wanted to get my money to get the maximum amount of equipment even though it is more basic than I would go with the 3038e.

Some people like Mid Mount Mowers and front mount snowblowers. Me personally I prefer 3 pt set up for both. I like how I can back the mower under trees and into corners with a 3 pt. and with a snowblower on the back I can keep my loader on for leveling snowbanks or use it to push my tractor free if I get stuck in the snow.

 

[Yellowvette]

I guess I am really looking for someone to let me know if the 3038e will be enough tractor for what I will make it do. I will want to got out after an Iowa snowstorm and plow my drive without much effort. Does anyone have specifics about plowing/pushing snow with the 3038e?
Also, I tend to let the pasture get to about 1' high before mowing off the taller grass/weeds that the horses will not eat down - will a 72" rotary cutter be able to perform without having to crawl through it at a turtle's pace?
Bells and whistles for the 3520 are one thing, but if the 3038e will not perform the duties I expect it to, then I will really have to look hard at the 3520? Just want to make sure I am getting a tractor that will perform the way I would expect. With this being my first ever tractor, I have no clue what to expect and DO NOT want to be surprised with an under performing tractor. Everything I read on the 3038e says it should perform my duties just fine and nothing I have read suggests that the tractor should have any issues with snow or tall grass. Just looking for a little real world performance data to set my mind at ease.

 

[cartod]

The 3038 will do everything you want, just not with as much grace or ease. Your lift capacity is not as much though.

 

[RoyJackson]

There are two things going against the 3038e: Weight (it's pretty light) and the lack of off-seat PTO capability.
What goes for the 3038e is price, of course.

As far as your mowing work...both have 30 PTO HP, so performance with a 72" cutter should be similar...72" cutters with high grass....odds are either machine will bog down somewhat if you try to take a full width pass.
As far as plowing snow...well, the 3520 has more weight to it, and weight is your friend. But with a plow, both tractors will benefit from adequate rear ballast.

What tires are you planning to get?

Anyway, I'd go with the 3520, of the two choices given...for me, it's the off-seat PTO capability being the deciding factor.

 

[jenkinsph]

I see that in the 3038 package you are listing it with a RC 2060 but the 3520 package is with a GM1072R. There is quite a lot of difference in what I would expect from these two mowers. If your 445 is in good shape I would continue to use it for the lawn areas and tight spaces. Then you need to decide what you want to do with the rest of the pastures. I would recommend you mow the pastures more frequently or at least before weeds have a chance to top out. Over time mowing more frequently will yield a better pasture grass. Maybe Roy has a better idea of the rfm capabilities, if you can cut the field at 10 inches down to six inches with the mower set high then it would be my choice. If you are going to clip the pastures infrequently then go with the RC2060.

Deciding between the two tractors is a little harder choice. What I think is happening on TBN is that the guys' here are more interested in tractors in general and in most cases will go for the more feature laden and better equipped machines. There is likely a large segment of the population that are not as interested in tractors and for them a more basic tractor such as the 3038 is a good fit, they just want to cut the grass and perform a few basic chores and move on. The rub comes in if you get more involved and want to do more with the tractor and find that you cant use some implements on the basic tractor that would work on the feature laden model. I think that only you can decide which is best for you and your uses in the future. As an example I don't own a car and am satisfied to drive a 10 yr old nice pickup but have three nice and newer tractors. You may be more interested in a nice vette and a basic tractor, that is your call.