JD4020 vs. MT125

Diggin It · May 4, 2019

People say size, weight and tires make a difference. Obviously the 4020 is bigger and heavier and this one has old R1 tires, but they still have good tread. His FEL is a lot bigger too.

Same field, same conditions, same time. We were pushing the same freshly dug pile of dirt, filling in a hole the dirt just came out of. Why were his rear tires spinning and mine weren't? I was in Low and 4WD, I don't know what gear he was in.

atsah · May 4, 2019

You have to be kidding me comparing a 4020 to a MT125.. If he had enough ballast, you could bury the scut in one of his tire tracks.. I had a 4020, I would barley feel a bump running over a scut..

You come up with some good ones..

Diggin It · May 5, 2019

Why was the larger, heavier machine spinning tires when I wasn't?

Bocephous · May 5, 2019

Playing devil's advocate here, but my best guess would be for two reasons:

1. His bucket is larger, hence he was potentially moving more earth til it eventually ended up in that bucket.
2. Two wheel drive.

If the 4020 had the same sized bucket on the front of his tractor and the story played out the same, I'd say you had a good argument for your theory.

atsah · May 5, 2019

Diggin It said:
Why was the larger, heavier machine spinning tires when I wasn't?

2WD, Big bucket, probably no ballast or not enough and probably not using the diff lock.

You don't understand, power, weight and traction..

LS Tractor Owner · May 5, 2019

I experienced a similar situation a few weeks ago. The neighbor just purchased an older Kub. 4200(?), 1972, built like an old tank. Twice the size of my MT 125. His loader bucket was just a little taller, but width was the same. We were both digging the same dirt, the same day. I could get a full overflowing bucket...he could only get about a half bucket before his big R1 tires would just start spinning. His machine is probably double the weight / size, we both had about the same amount of ballast in the rear.

His is only 2 WD, mine was in 4WD low. His is gear, mine hydro. He has R1, mine R4's, both operating with rear wheels on crushed stone road base. There are a lot of differences between these two machines. They each do better in different circumstances.

SCUTS are highly under-rated for what they can really do. Even my neighbor was amazed at my machine, and disappointed in his. He thought he was going to out work me.

Diggin It · May 5, 2019

The ONLY things different .... yes, he does have a bigger FEL bucket, his is 2WD, my rear tires are loaded and I had the BH on.

I would think though that he was heavier overall in the back due to the frame and much larger tires. The older JDs have steel or iron transmissions and axles, don't they. That alone probably outweighs my BH.

Ground was a pasture, grass over wet clay/mud. He should have been digging holes with his rear tires if anything, but he wasn't.

Maybe me be closer to the ground played a part? His is much higher.

cruz54982 · May 5, 2019

simple answer as you load your bucket it ads weight to the front tires giving you much more traction while his 2 wheel drive ads resistance to the front wheels making them much harder to push .