Price Check John Deere 5045E, 5055E or 5065E

[mo1]

One gripe that I might have with the 5065e (economy version, I know) is the fact that that they have such narrow tires on the front. I know that when I got mine, I specified 16.9 - 28 on the rear (they do come narrower than that, apparently). The rear tires are great! I just wish for more 'tire patch' on the front... Not sure if anyone has replaced the FRONT OEM's w/ R4's (for instance), while maintaining their 'Agg tires' in the back, without screwing up the MFWD... ? (my musings ~ when I eventually have to replace the tires)

- Outside Diameter (OD) ... obviously is the issue
- in the past I've swapped Agg tires on the front or rear while still using the "worn" front or backs w/ new 'mates'...? hmmm

Edit...
@Jlblake This post isn't about us 5065e owners lamenting as much as it as it is about you, lol... Sorry about that! GrnMtnMan

The fronts are all 9.5-24s on all MFWD 3 cyl 5Es. Competitive tractors use either that same size or 8.3-24s which are even narrower. You would need to go up in tractor size to get wider tires or use a different type of tire such as an R4 tire. Do note that you would need to match the rolling circumference ratio between the front and rear tires you already have in order to not destroy your driveline.

The R4s that would have been used on the fronts are 12.5/80-18s which have a rolling circumference of 114.6". The R4 rears Deere uses are 16.9L-24s with a 151" rolling circumference, which gives a front to rear rolling circumference ratio of 1:1.318. The 9.5-24 R1s have a rolling circumference of 123.2" and the 16.9-28 rears you have have a rolling circumference of 168," which gives a ratio of 1:1.307. That's fairly close, but I'd run that past your dealer or a tractor mechanic to see if it's close enough to work. It might be, might not be.

Also, your 5065E only came with 16.9-28 rears for ag tires. The smaller ones are standard on the 5045E (13.6-28) and 5055E (14.9-28.) You can option the 5045E with the 14.9-28s or 16.9-28s and the 5055E with 16.9-28s if you wish, but you can't option the 5065E/5075E with the smaller tires.

 

[GrnMtnMan]

I'm going to actually underscore this point... as (for me) it has been the most integrally beneficial thing that I have done since taking ownership of my 5065e... FLIP the front wheels... By this I mean, take them off & mount the previously 'concave' side of the wheel on the hub w/ the now 'convex' side of the wheel on the hub... U will think that you are in a different class of tractor w/ capability / SAFETY... (Just In My Humble Opinion) but with an exclamation point!, lol...

The new configuration will give your outside tire stance an near identical outside width ~ barely squeaking into an 84" width dump trailer (incidentally, lol)

 

[CobyRupert]

I'm going to actually underscore this point... as (for me) it has been the most integrally beneficial thing that I have done since taking ownership of my 5065e... FLIP the front wheels... By this I mean, take them off & mount the previously 'concave' side of the wheel on the hub w/ the now 'convex' side of the wheel on the hub... U will think that you are in a different class of tractor w/ capability / SAFETY... (Just In My Humble Opinion) but with an exclamation point!, lol...

The new configuration will give your outside tire stance an near identical outside width ~ barely squeaking into an 84" width dump trailer (incidentally, lol)

You can set the rear end stance wide too. Totally different tractor on side hills now.

 

[Jlblake]

@Jlblake, just work that hydraulic 'shunt' lever to the right of your seat (diverting hydraulic flow from the rear arms to SCV etc) IN COLD WINTER... Mine became a problem & this might be 'anecdotal at best' but in order to get my 3rd function (joystick remote) to work I had to spend quite a bit of time moving that lever at various levels of throttle ~ keep it moving in cold weather / add a trickle charger / add a 'block heater' plug in... (better yet garage the 'green machine')

- 3rd function kit as you'll eventually end up buying one for your new 5065e (as I did), lol... BTW, flip those front wheels (great off-set) for greater tire width / inherent stability, also helps in mowing approximation of cut (imho)

W.R. Long, Inc. | Valve Kits

I went through everythingattachments.com to buy mine.

Thanks for the input. I'm not sure which lever is the shunt lever. Apparently I have far more to learn...lol. Couple questions:
1. 3rd Function Kit - can you clarify the need for this? If I have FEL and cutter/box blade...what do I do with the 3rd function? Looks like it allows me to be more flexible with my existing implements. Is that right?
2. would you consider a universal one like this one: Amazon.com: Universal Hydraulic Third Function Valve Kit w/Joystick Handle & Bracket 15 GPM: Home Improvement
3. Flipping the wheels - do you literally just turn each one around and bolt back on?

Thanks for the help and I apologize for the ignorance.

 

[Jlblake]

I'm going to actually underscore this point... as (for me) it has been the most integrally beneficial thing that I have done since taking ownership of my 5065e... FLIP the front wheels... By this I mean, take them off & mount the previously 'concave' side of the wheel on the hub w/ the now 'convex' side of the wheel on the hub... U will think that you are in a different class of tractor w/ capability / SAFETY... (Just In My Humble Opinion) but with an exclamation point!, lol...

The new configuration will give your outside tire stance an near identical outside width ~ barely squeaking into an 84" width dump trailer (incidentally, lol)

sorry, I responded to previous page. This sounds easy enough and makes sense. Sounds like a reason to go to the ranch a day early...lol

 

[Jlblake]

You can set the rear end stance wide too. Totally different tractor on side hills now.

is that the same thing, just flip the rear tires around?

Speaking of side hills, because I'm a novice tractor operator, when I drive on the slightest slope around my pond, I feel like I could roll. When I view what I've done or view before cutting, I know I'm not even close to risking a rollover. How do you cut side hills, back and forth length wise or the opposite? How much of an angle can I safely cut with the 6' cutter on the 5065? I'm sure there are specs I haven't seen yet. Thank you!

 

[GrnMtnMan]

Hey @Jlblake,

- I'm not sure about the rear tires (as for me... I'd leave them alone, at least until you try flipping the front) they sit at just under 7' (84") & that should be appropriate for this size tractor; unless you start mowing roadway median & byways for your county, lol... (definitely try flipping your front wheels though, just put your FEL bucket down & lift up - real quick 'flip-arooo').

- W.R Long 3rd function remote if you ever want to simultaneously manipulate your loader (up / down - tilt & roll - open / close simultaneously). Basically any sort of grapple or plow configuration etc. (I have to remind myself that In TX U don't have to deal with - 0 degree weather, lol forget about the whole trickle charger & block heater / garaging... lol... All the best!

 

[GrnMtnMan]

Awesome post!!! (glanced over it at first) tks @mo1 I definitely got some further insight in re-reading this post...

 

[hosspuller]

For those folks with a Deere 5xxx … Look in your manual for the wheel / hub mounting combinations. By changing the bolt locations & direction of the center hub and rim, the wheel offset is changed. The rear wheel track width is the most important for slope stability. The front axle center pivot minimizes stability support until the front axle hits the stops. By then, IMHO, you're going over. I increased my track from 65 inches to 73... Doesn't seem like much , but the stability increased significantly. Be aware, these tires are HEAVY. If loaded with fluid, they're dangerously heavy. Get help or a machine to handle the wheels. In all cases, remember, you're working with heavy machinery. Loosen the wheel bolts before jacking the tractor. You don't want to knock the tractor off the cribbing muscling the bolts loose.

For the 5045,5055 and 5065 machines, here's the various combinations (see at link)

OMSJ16026

 

[CobyRupert]

Don’t flip the tires “around”, you want the tread to be going in the right directions.
You may have to “flip” tires from one side to the other for greater width depending on current set up. See and understand manual.
Manufacturers will never publish maximum tip angle.
There’s too many other variables.