55HP Tractor

[sea2summit]

You loose HST when moving up to a utility.

I'd upgrade my MX in a heartbeat if they started offering the small utilities with a HST.

Have you test driven something with shuttle shift?

 

[sea2summit]

Thanks, I will be getting a loader for the tractor and I am trying to use the specs of the MX series as my basis for any other tractors I look at. Availability is the biggest question right now. I did a little more research last night and it looks like Kioti may be a contender also. JD makes a good tractor but I have had some issues with one of my JD dealers plus their tractors seem a little pricier than the others. I think I am gonna put Kubota as my first choice and Kioti as my fall back choice.

You mentioned Massey in the original post, I'd take a close look there. Cain Equipment is closer to you than it is to me but their prices beat everyone and they are the neatest little family business I've seen in a while, literally three generations handled my purchase there.

If you decide on Kubota call up to Barlow's and get a quote, another great little business and I actually drove almost 500 miles to get my MX from them because the price was that good. I support the local guys but I'm not made of money and when the price difference was 10-12K on the MX set up like I wanted I just can't justify it from the local guy, not to mention the local guy didn't want to order a BH thumb. I also work with Perrin Equipment down in Tifton, they usually have a lot of stock and offer good deals and my last two smaller orange purchases have been there.

My mentor bought his last Deere from Sunsouth and they have a lot of offices, the way they've treated him caused me to cut all ties there. They are the local stihl dealer for me and I wont even buy parts from them now. They delivered his equipment not in spec with the purchase agreement, they have improperly repaired and installed stuff, they constantly seem lost and don't live up to their word. Neighbors son is actually a pretty big name in ditch work and owns tons of $$ worth of JD equipment and contacted the corporate level about the issues which got a lot of it resolved but by that time my neighbor had already lost most of hay season.

 

[presnewt]

I have not drive the shuttle shift, my local MF dealer has one but I have not been on the tractor. I will take a look at the dealers you mentioned. I have dealt with AgPro (john deere) and am pretty disgusted with their service.

 

[rScotty]

You loose HST when moving up to a utility.

I'd upgrade my MX in a heartbeat if they started offering the small utilities with a HST.

Yes, losing HST and gaining a more heavily built tractor throughout have traditionally been the differences when moving from a compact to a utility.
I'm not sure that's a disadvantage though....especially for the kind of work a utility tractor does.
rScotty

 

[51allis]

Love my 2014 LS XR4046 and have absolutely beaten the crap out of the loader, still going, I use it for both construction/plow/till/woods work etc. no issues has shuttle shift/gear trans and I opted for R1 (AG) tires, its a beast of a machine, started with 12 hours and now has over 500 with just general maintenance/fluid changes...LS in my area is expanding, setting up a new dealership near Iron Mt. MI/Niagara WI area....

 

[mo1]

I have not drive the shuttle shift, my local MF dealer has one but I have not been on the tractor. I will take a look at the dealers you mentioned. I have dealt with AgPro (john deere) and am pretty disgusted with their service.

I would recommend test-operating that tractor as transmissions get a lot of discussion here but at least in my experience they are easy to operate if that is your concern. My unit has a conventional dry clutch transmission and I find it perfectly easy to operate.

 

[LD1]

Have you test driven something with shuttle shift?

I have no reason to.

Yes, losing HST and gaining a more heavily built tractor throughout have traditionally been the differences when moving from a compact to a utility.
I'm not sure that's a disadvantage though....especially for the kind of work a utility tractor does.
rScotty

Yes a heavier tractor is gained and certainly not a disadvantage.
I do 80% mowing and 20% loader work. There isnt a transmission out there better for what I do and how I use the machine.

 

[ljjhouser]

What? I thought the MX 5400 (55hp) and the MX 6000 tractors only came with HST. When they first came out, my dealer wanted me to try one. I drove it around the lot - it was hst. I first thought I may had forgotten. Went to Kubota website under "build your tractor" and with 4wd it seems to only have HST option. Maybe I missed something.

 

[airbiscuit]

I have a 21hp New Holland HST with a Mid Mount Mower. The Hydrostatic is perfect for that application
I have a 32hp Kubota with a GST (glide shift transmission = clutchless gear) that is fantastic for rough cut mowing (extra PTO power and easy speed change)
I have a 40hp New Holland with a Shuttle Shift that I use for loader work and road maintenance. I like having the extra power vs HST.

The point is that different transmissions are optimal for different tasks. Any of them would work for any of the tasks, but some are just better for certain applications. I will say that I didn't expect the shift on the fly GST to be as cool as it is.

 

[mo1]

What? I thought the MX 5400 (55hp) and the MX 6000 tractors only came with HST. When they first came out, my dealer wanted me to try one. I drove it around the lot - it was hst. I first thought I may had forgotten. Went to Kubota website under "build your tractor" and with 4wd it seems to only have HST option. Maybe I missed something.

5400 is available with a dry clutch partially-synchronized transmission (synchro on 3rd and 4th) or a hydrostatic drive. 6000 is hydrostatic only.