hayden
Veteran Member
After lots and lots of searching, back and forth between Deere 5 and 6 series tractors, looking closely at Fendt and other brands, I finally bought a 2024 6120M IVT with 620R loader.
The exacting ground speed control of the HST in my Kubota L5740 has been key on my property because there is a lot of steep and uneven ground where you need to carefully maneuver. An HST is also priceless for loader work. The problem is that the largest HSTs available top out around 60-70hp. My current tractor is 60hp, and is under powered for the snow blowing I do, and under sized for mowing with a batwing.
Kubota's M5, M6, and M7 tractors are very basic economy models, all with teh most basic transmissions compared to other brands. Their compacts and small utility tractors are great, but in the bigger stuff other brands seem a lot better.
Deere's 5 series tractors are about the right size and HP range (100-120hp is what I'm after), but they only are available in a partial power shift. In particular, the range shifting is manual, and gear shifting is power shift (shift on the fly with the press of a button). And the control layout in the 5M series I find unusable with the shift lever positioned so it's essentially under my thigh.
Then I started looking at the 5R that was only built for a few years, but was available with a full power shift for ranges and gears. I flew around the country looking at them, and even attempted to buy two of them. But thankfully those deals didn't come through.
Then I decided to look at the 6 series where you can get an IVT transmission. The 6 series is really a lot bigger than I need, but the 6090, 6110, and 6120 are a shorter wheelbase than the other models, so not THAT much bigger than a 5 series. So off I went to look at them, but I just found them overwhelmingly large.
Then someone suggested I look at Fendt because they are all IVT transmissions, and they have a model (211) that is about the same size as a Deere 5 series. So I talked to dealers and to Fendt directly, was frustrated getting the most basic info, found their web site to be terrible and seriously lacking on info, especially compared to Deere. Also, their list prices are VERY high ($200k+ new), the closest dealer is 6 hrs away, and they don't seem to have sold more than a couple of this model in the US. But they are supposed to be the greatest tractors on the planet, so I kept looking. Then I got a formal quote, and it was significantly discounted, which really put it back in the running. Then I had a chance to go see two similar models in person, so off I went on another road trip. Honestly, they strike me as overly complicated, and I wasn't seeing the best online reviews and experiences.
Then I discovered the real gotcha. Deere (and lots of others) have independent hydraulic control valves for the rear remotes and for the loader. My mid size Kubota has that too, and I presumed it was standard practice for anything other than a budget tractor. Nope, not so. Fendt actually robs two of the rear remotes to operate the loader. So if you have a total of three rear remotes and you install a loader, you now only have one rear remote. WTF? OK, I could add a fourth rear to now have two usable, but again, WTF? I have three usable on my lowly Kubota, but the cat's-ass Fendt tractor to beat all tractors can't have more than two when you have a loader? Did I say WTF?
But wait, it gets better. Any mid to high end tractor can have a third hydraulic function on the loader, and some even a fourth. Fendt offers a 3rd, but it's not a dedicated valve, but rather a diverter valve that repurposes one of the circuits that's already been stolen from the rear. So you can't simultaniously lift, curl, and grab with a grapple. With Deere I can have as many as 4-5 rear remotes depending on the model, and 4 front remotes, all at the same time. So I told Fendt and the dealer that I was really taken aback by this, and that the tractor would really be a step backwards for me in all ways except HP, not a step forwards, and that consideration of the them was "on hold".
Then someone on a Deere forum pointed out that the 38" rears commonly used on the 6M make it seem really big, and that with 34" rears it might not be so overwhelming. So off I went down that path. I found a dealer that had both a 6110M and a 5R on the lot, so off I went with a tape measure and calculator to see just how much bigger the 6M would be if you put 34" tires on it. Keep in mind that not all 38" or 34" tires are the same outside diameter, so you need to compare specific tire sizes. But the bottom line was that with the same size tires, the 6M only stands about 2" higher than a 5R (or 5M), and is only 2" longer. So now the 6M was back on the table.
A week or two ago I plowed through all the ads and picked out all the 6120Ms with IVTs, compared all the features, and figured out which was my first pick, second pick, etc. I was also only considering tractors with the electric rear and mid remotes, which also means a CommandArm control console. Many 6120Ms don't have loaders, so the comparison included adding a loader where needed. It turned out there was one with 34" tires (it's very expensive to change from 38" to 34" because you have to change tires, wheels, and discs, so roughly $20k). They are a bit larger 34", and if I wanted to change them it would only be changing the rubber. And the tractor was otherwise a good match. I had other business not too far from the dealer, so I set off on a combined trip this week.
The tractor was used only one season on a lease by the state for road side mowing, only has 300 hrs, and a year left on the warranty. They offered a good deal on an in-stock new loader, and agreed to fix a couple of minor things and truck it to my house. So I bought it. I expect it will take a couple of weeks to get the work done and get it trucked, and then I'll need to do a handful of other things, first of which is to add a bunch of ballast. The loader specs call for a lot of ballast both on the wheels and the 3ph, so I have to figure that out. And a handful of other smaller things.
So finally, the search is over, and my yard is a bit greener than it was before.
The exacting ground speed control of the HST in my Kubota L5740 has been key on my property because there is a lot of steep and uneven ground where you need to carefully maneuver. An HST is also priceless for loader work. The problem is that the largest HSTs available top out around 60-70hp. My current tractor is 60hp, and is under powered for the snow blowing I do, and under sized for mowing with a batwing.
Kubota's M5, M6, and M7 tractors are very basic economy models, all with teh most basic transmissions compared to other brands. Their compacts and small utility tractors are great, but in the bigger stuff other brands seem a lot better.
Deere's 5 series tractors are about the right size and HP range (100-120hp is what I'm after), but they only are available in a partial power shift. In particular, the range shifting is manual, and gear shifting is power shift (shift on the fly with the press of a button). And the control layout in the 5M series I find unusable with the shift lever positioned so it's essentially under my thigh.
Then I started looking at the 5R that was only built for a few years, but was available with a full power shift for ranges and gears. I flew around the country looking at them, and even attempted to buy two of them. But thankfully those deals didn't come through.
Then I decided to look at the 6 series where you can get an IVT transmission. The 6 series is really a lot bigger than I need, but the 6090, 6110, and 6120 are a shorter wheelbase than the other models, so not THAT much bigger than a 5 series. So off I went to look at them, but I just found them overwhelmingly large.
Then someone suggested I look at Fendt because they are all IVT transmissions, and they have a model (211) that is about the same size as a Deere 5 series. So I talked to dealers and to Fendt directly, was frustrated getting the most basic info, found their web site to be terrible and seriously lacking on info, especially compared to Deere. Also, their list prices are VERY high ($200k+ new), the closest dealer is 6 hrs away, and they don't seem to have sold more than a couple of this model in the US. But they are supposed to be the greatest tractors on the planet, so I kept looking. Then I got a formal quote, and it was significantly discounted, which really put it back in the running. Then I had a chance to go see two similar models in person, so off I went on another road trip. Honestly, they strike me as overly complicated, and I wasn't seeing the best online reviews and experiences.
Then I discovered the real gotcha. Deere (and lots of others) have independent hydraulic control valves for the rear remotes and for the loader. My mid size Kubota has that too, and I presumed it was standard practice for anything other than a budget tractor. Nope, not so. Fendt actually robs two of the rear remotes to operate the loader. So if you have a total of three rear remotes and you install a loader, you now only have one rear remote. WTF? OK, I could add a fourth rear to now have two usable, but again, WTF? I have three usable on my lowly Kubota, but the cat's-ass Fendt tractor to beat all tractors can't have more than two when you have a loader? Did I say WTF?
But wait, it gets better. Any mid to high end tractor can have a third hydraulic function on the loader, and some even a fourth. Fendt offers a 3rd, but it's not a dedicated valve, but rather a diverter valve that repurposes one of the circuits that's already been stolen from the rear. So you can't simultaniously lift, curl, and grab with a grapple. With Deere I can have as many as 4-5 rear remotes depending on the model, and 4 front remotes, all at the same time. So I told Fendt and the dealer that I was really taken aback by this, and that the tractor would really be a step backwards for me in all ways except HP, not a step forwards, and that consideration of the them was "on hold".
Then someone on a Deere forum pointed out that the 38" rears commonly used on the 6M make it seem really big, and that with 34" rears it might not be so overwhelming. So off I went down that path. I found a dealer that had both a 6110M and a 5R on the lot, so off I went with a tape measure and calculator to see just how much bigger the 6M would be if you put 34" tires on it. Keep in mind that not all 38" or 34" tires are the same outside diameter, so you need to compare specific tire sizes. But the bottom line was that with the same size tires, the 6M only stands about 2" higher than a 5R (or 5M), and is only 2" longer. So now the 6M was back on the table.
A week or two ago I plowed through all the ads and picked out all the 6120Ms with IVTs, compared all the features, and figured out which was my first pick, second pick, etc. I was also only considering tractors with the electric rear and mid remotes, which also means a CommandArm control console. Many 6120Ms don't have loaders, so the comparison included adding a loader where needed. It turned out there was one with 34" tires (it's very expensive to change from 38" to 34" because you have to change tires, wheels, and discs, so roughly $20k). They are a bit larger 34", and if I wanted to change them it would only be changing the rubber. And the tractor was otherwise a good match. I had other business not too far from the dealer, so I set off on a combined trip this week.
The tractor was used only one season on a lease by the state for road side mowing, only has 300 hrs, and a year left on the warranty. They offered a good deal on an in-stock new loader, and agreed to fix a couple of minor things and truck it to my house. So I bought it. I expect it will take a couple of weeks to get the work done and get it trucked, and then I'll need to do a handful of other things, first of which is to add a bunch of ballast. The loader specs call for a lot of ballast both on the wheels and the 3ph, so I have to figure that out. And a handful of other smaller things.
So finally, the search is over, and my yard is a bit greener than it was before.
We have hundreds of them running around down here….lol