TSO
Elite Member
Well, as most of you have seen, I decided against all odds (and against my own past beliefs) to get a cab tractor. The cold, my aging, aching joints, and my snickering buddy (staying toasty warm in his cab) all led me to the decision... even the wife was on board with it! I know right?!
So anyhow, my search requirements required hydrostat, at least as much power as I already had with the R4047 (or close), a good loader, nice cab, affordability, at least 1 standard remote... all the basics. Of course my first avenue was to head to the LS dealer now that the R (now XR with the Tier4 engine) series had a cab available. My dealer offered me a fair trade-in price, and an "out-the-door" price of around $28k for the XR4046 HST Cab. Being a very big fan of my R4047 and LS in general I figured it would be an easy choice. Well, after playing with it, I wasn't really happy with it. I didn't like the overall fit/finish of the cab and I felt it wasn't as good as some of the other cabs I checked out. I didn't like where they moved the loader joystick to, or the parking brake lever. It came with a front wiper, but the rear wiper & radio would be extra. The tractor still comes with dual remotes & draft control, which are bonuses. But then came the engine. Now, it could have just been the cold, or that it was a brand-new-off-the-truck unit, but I wasn't very happy with the new Shibaura 46 horse Tier4 engine. It seemed very underpowered, especially compared to the Mitsubishi 47hp in my R4047. The hydraulics seemed slower too, and there was ALOT of hydro whine. The quietness of the hydro system in the R4047 is one of my absolute favorite things about this tractor, there is virtually no whine. I also wasn't especially pleased with the notion of working out any possible kinks of Tier4 as well. And finally, one of my ONLY complaints about my tractor, still hadn't been addressed in the new series: The loader. The loader height is too short for me and I run out of height, especially dump clearance, often. Since the loader hasn't changed at all for the new series, that was a definite drawback.
So I looked at the other contenders, which you might have seen in this thread: http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/...27-apples-apples-comparisons-between-cab.html As you can see, the tractors are all pretty close. Some have clear advantages and/or disadvantages to the others when it comes to raw specs. I'll skip all of the fluff and get to brass tacks.
But ultimately, I ended up with the Massey 1648. I've always been a Massey fan, but they've always been too overpriced for my taste. The stars aligned and I found this one about 8.5 hours away in Central Wisconsin. Even though they wouldn't call it a dealer demo (it's a New 2012 model with under 10 hrs) I think that's what it is. But anyhow, I ended up getting it, out the door, for $30,800. They also had better financing rates through Agco (parent company) than I was getting on the other tractors thru AgriCredit. A couple points that helped make the decision:
But, I will say, the R4047 does feel more stable than this Massey. They weigh about the same (well, they would when comparing cab-to-cab) yet the center of gravity is much lower on the LS, as you'll see in the pics. Of the tractors I drove, the LS felt the most "planted."
You can also see in the pics that the tires are smaller on the Massey. Well, to be more accurate, the front tires are smaller (10x16.5 vs 12x16.5) and the rear tires are actually narrower but a tad taller (14.9x24 for the Massey VS 17.5Lx24 for the LS). I would have preferred the tires on the LS, but due to lack of availability, beggers could not be choosers. I could probably add the 12x16.5's to the front rims, but the rear rims would need to be changed to accommodate for the wider tires (the 17.5L ... wider & the "L" means low-profile). But, these tires are pretty common to Massey & Kioti, and many others ... people don't seem to complain about them, so I guess I'll give them a shot and learn to deal with them.
Anyhow, I'll be getting ready to sell my R4047 now. Just have to take off my home-made "canopy/cab" thing (easy bolt on/off --- sorry fellas, Gman already claimed it) and get her washed up. I'm just waiting for a dang day when it's not so frigid cold outside! My barn isn't heated, and it's hard to wash things when they immediately freeze! I just hope that the Massey will be as reliable & tough as the LS has been. Blue is still my favorite tractor color, but as I've said before, red is my close 2nd.
Pics: Note, with the loaders raised, the buckets were in the "level" then "dumped" positions.
So anyhow, my search requirements required hydrostat, at least as much power as I already had with the R4047 (or close), a good loader, nice cab, affordability, at least 1 standard remote... all the basics. Of course my first avenue was to head to the LS dealer now that the R (now XR with the Tier4 engine) series had a cab available. My dealer offered me a fair trade-in price, and an "out-the-door" price of around $28k for the XR4046 HST Cab. Being a very big fan of my R4047 and LS in general I figured it would be an easy choice. Well, after playing with it, I wasn't really happy with it. I didn't like the overall fit/finish of the cab and I felt it wasn't as good as some of the other cabs I checked out. I didn't like where they moved the loader joystick to, or the parking brake lever. It came with a front wiper, but the rear wiper & radio would be extra. The tractor still comes with dual remotes & draft control, which are bonuses. But then came the engine. Now, it could have just been the cold, or that it was a brand-new-off-the-truck unit, but I wasn't very happy with the new Shibaura 46 horse Tier4 engine. It seemed very underpowered, especially compared to the Mitsubishi 47hp in my R4047. The hydraulics seemed slower too, and there was ALOT of hydro whine. The quietness of the hydro system in the R4047 is one of my absolute favorite things about this tractor, there is virtually no whine. I also wasn't especially pleased with the notion of working out any possible kinks of Tier4 as well. And finally, one of my ONLY complaints about my tractor, still hadn't been addressed in the new series: The loader. The loader height is too short for me and I run out of height, especially dump clearance, often. Since the loader hasn't changed at all for the new series, that was a definite drawback.
So I looked at the other contenders, which you might have seen in this thread: http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/...27-apples-apples-comparisons-between-cab.html As you can see, the tractors are all pretty close. Some have clear advantages and/or disadvantages to the others when it comes to raw specs. I'll skip all of the fluff and get to brass tacks.
- I ruled out Kubota because there were no new 4740's around. Even if there were, they would have been priced right out of the running.
- Deere was ruled out for the same reason.
- Bobcat was ruled out because you can't find any more new ones reasonably priced (white Kioti)
- Mahindra was ruled out because of high pricing, and lack of options: No telescoping 3pt arms, no telescoping stabilizers, 1 standard remote, rear wiper, radio, draft all optional. However, the Mahindra clearly had the BEST loader of the bunch.
- TYM was eventually ruled out, though reluctantly. The T503 is a nice package for a nice price. Clearly has a better loader than the LS and the same options. The cab was nicer too. The problem with the TYM was dealer support, or rather, lack of it. I was working on the phone with a dealer 2.5 hrs away. There was a closer dealer (45 mins) who practically carries/stocks NONE on the lot (they push Branson) and to be honest, it doesn't seem like they'll be handling TYM much longer. So, while I don't require a dealer right next door, 2.5 hrs is a bit too much for my comfort level.
- Speaking of that, Branson was ruled out (although they put together a very nice package too) because their loader lift it only 1" higher than LS, and MUCH lower than the competition.
- Kioti was right near the top. Good loader. Good options. Good price.
But ultimately, I ended up with the Massey 1648. I've always been a Massey fan, but they've always been too overpriced for my taste. The stars aligned and I found this one about 8.5 hours away in Central Wisconsin. Even though they wouldn't call it a dealer demo (it's a New 2012 model with under 10 hrs) I think that's what it is. But anyhow, I ended up getting it, out the door, for $30,800. They also had better financing rates through Agco (parent company) than I was getting on the other tractors thru AgriCredit. A couple points that helped make the decision:
- This tractor has the DL130 loader, which has the 2nd highest lift height of the group (2" less than the Mahindra) and which is nearly 18" higher than the LS loader.
- The hydraulic output is the best in the group, and 30% more capacity than my LS.
- Operators area - the cab area was very comfortable & roomy, and I felt the best in the group, although the Kioti's area might have been about as roomy. The seat was/is VERY comfortable.
- Cab-vision is very good, and there seems to be more glass / less hardware than the other cabs.
- Auto-throttle - automatically matches the RPM's to the foot-pedal response, so you get the RPM's you need automatically, without using the hand throttle. I was surprised at how much I liked the feature. I think it's only Massey & Kubota that do this, and it really is nice. Unless you're doing loader work and want more pressure for the loader, you keep the RPM's practically at idle, and they increase as needed when you move.
- Fit/Finish. I have to say, the Massey feels very well built. In my opinion, the best of the group. I'm sure someone will flame me for that, but the quality is top-notch.
But, I will say, the R4047 does feel more stable than this Massey. They weigh about the same (well, they would when comparing cab-to-cab) yet the center of gravity is much lower on the LS, as you'll see in the pics. Of the tractors I drove, the LS felt the most "planted."
You can also see in the pics that the tires are smaller on the Massey. Well, to be more accurate, the front tires are smaller (10x16.5 vs 12x16.5) and the rear tires are actually narrower but a tad taller (14.9x24 for the Massey VS 17.5Lx24 for the LS). I would have preferred the tires on the LS, but due to lack of availability, beggers could not be choosers. I could probably add the 12x16.5's to the front rims, but the rear rims would need to be changed to accommodate for the wider tires (the 17.5L ... wider & the "L" means low-profile). But, these tires are pretty common to Massey & Kioti, and many others ... people don't seem to complain about them, so I guess I'll give them a shot and learn to deal with them.
Anyhow, I'll be getting ready to sell my R4047 now. Just have to take off my home-made "canopy/cab" thing (easy bolt on/off --- sorry fellas, Gman already claimed it) and get her washed up. I'm just waiting for a dang day when it's not so frigid cold outside! My barn isn't heated, and it's hard to wash things when they immediately freeze! I just hope that the Massey will be as reliable & tough as the LS has been. Blue is still my favorite tractor color, but as I've said before, red is my close 2nd.
Pics: Note, with the loaders raised, the buckets were in the "level" then "dumped" positions.
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