L5740 Cab + Bradco 511

[hayden]

Has anyone put a Bradco hoe on one of the new Grand L40 cab tractors? I'm particularly interested in a 511 hoe on an L5740. My dealer says it can be done.

Thanks,

Peter

 

[bmiker]

I also have a 5740 and have been real happy with it. It has done everything I wanted to with ease. It has a gannon box blade with hydraulics , also I use the fel alot for unloading steel plate off my trailer it will pickup & haul about 2500 lbs & it ran a 8 ft. mower with no trouble .Have been very happy with the hst transmission. Just wondering how can you use a backhoe with a cab tractor do you have to change seat out. What do you use your tractor for.

 

[MessickFarmEqu]

I'd question your dealer. Thats a very big hoe for that tractor, and latley Bradco has not been doing a very good job of keeping up with subframes for the new models. I'd be very surprised if in fact it is possible.

 

[john_bud]

Unlike you, some sales people are not superbly knowledgeable in the products they sell.

 

[hayden]

I've got a B2910 now with a backhoe, rotary mower, wood chipper, logging winch, back blade, snow blower, tiller, wood splitter (what did I leave out?). I use all of the above. It works great, but there are just too many times where the 2910 is too small for the 250 acres I need to maintain. When I've posed the question to this group about what size tractor I should have, most say it should be an M series, not even an L, but I'm stuck on HST. When the 5740 came out, I said "that's the tractor for me". My wallet might soon be able to agree, so I'm starting to look more seriously at what I want. Here are some examples of the limitations I current encounter.

1) I regularly try to dig out rocks that are too big for my BH, and I spend more time than I'd like repositioning the tractor due to limited BH reach. I use the BH all the time, weather it's trenching a road for water/runoff control, stump removal, rock removal, etc. I also have a couple of foundations to dig for a barn and shed, and a 1500' water line to run for a micro hyro power plant. The bottom line is that I use it all the time. For my new tractor, I like the Bradco's bcause of their digging power and solid build, and I like the 511 for the extra reach.

2) Today I mow about 5 acres of field once or twice a year (we let the wild flowers and milk weed grow for the buterflies). With the 4' mower I have today this takes nearly two days because a) it's broken up into a bunch of pieces (it's really 6 distinct areas) and b) there's a lot in dodging stumps and trees. Each year I clean it up a bit more and it gets easier, but 48" is a narrow swath. I'm unsure whether to go to a 6' mower to try and maintain some degree of manuverability, or a 7'. I also have another 20 acres of field that I currently have someone else hay, but it's hard finding someone to do it, and I expect one day I'll be just cutting it myself, so that makes the 7' mower look real nice.

3) My wood chipper (Salsco 824) is great, but the 2910 can barely lift it, and once it does the tractor is not very stable because the weight is up high. It really wants to be on a larger tractor.

4) My logging winch (Farmi 351) is wonderful, but the tractor is really too small for it. It moves rather than the logs sometimes, and it struggles to drag anything other than a small/med size hitch of logs.

5) The road/drive to my house is 1/2 mile of unmaintained (other than by me) road. A neighbor plows it when I'm not around, adn I snow blow it when I am around. Snow blowing takes 1-2 hour, including thr parking area etc. I've considered a plow rather than snow blower, but much of the road is narrow and choaked in and after a few snow falls the snow just falls right back into the road if you are just plowing. The snow blower throws it away enough to solve this problem. It's also miserable snowblowing in 10 degree windy weather with the snow blowing back in your face, hence my insistance on a Cab.

These are the key things driving my decision.

 

[hayden]

I'd question your dealer. Thats a very big hoe for that tractor, and latley Bradco has not been doing a very good job of keeping up with subframes for the new models. I'd be very surprised if in fact it is possible.

This big hoe is specifically at my request. He's been recommending a Woods BH90 (or is it BX90?) or a Bradco 509. I want the 511 for the extra reach. I have a few projects that really need it, but don't involve hard digging, just long reaches.

I'm a big believer in checking and verifying things, which is exactly why I posted this. I'll be calling Bradco directly as well, but I always like to hear about peoples first hand experience.

There have been discussions in the past about fitting hoes to the Grand L30 Cab tractors, and for a long time it looked possible but nobody had ever actually done it. I finally spotted both a bradco and Woods set up at this same dealer. They regularly sell the Woods on Cab models (now both L30 and L40), but like you suggest, I want to confirm the Bradco on the L40 because it's new. I'd also really like to physicaly get on one and see how I fit. I'm 6'3" and have long legs, and my Kubota 4690 hoe is very cramped. I don't use the hoe day in and day out, so I can live with some discomfort, but I need to be sure I can fit in.

 

[hayden]

I also have a 5740 and have been real happy with it. It has done everything I wanted to with ease. It has a gannon box blade with hydraulics , also I use the fel alot for unloading steel plate off my trailer it will pickup & haul about 2500 lbs & it ran a 8 ft. mower with no trouble .Have been very happy with the hst transmission. Just wondering how can you use a backhoe with a cab tractor do you have to change seat out. What do you use your tractor for.

Sorry, I never actually answered your question. A hoe on a cab tractor is just like a hoe on a non cab tractor - there are separate seats for the tractor and Hoe. It's not like a TLB where there is one reverable seat (though that would be nice) The issue is that the hoe seat usually would hit the back side of the cab, where on a non-cab model it hangs over the back of the tractor. On my 2910/4690 combination, the backs of the two seats actually touch.

To eliminate the interference, manufacturers have made extensions to the hoe mounting frames so the hoe sits further back to eliminate the interferance between the hoe seat and cab. If I recall correctly, woods places the extension on the tractor frame, where Bradco places the entension frame on the hoe. The effect is the same, it's just a matter of where the extension lives when you remove the hoe.

 

[hayden]

I called Bradco directly today. They said the 511 backhoe would work fine on an L5740 HSTC, and that they have had a number of people do it. He said when the L40 series first came out there were some fit issues on the cab models, but they have now been fixed.

 

[design]

Hayden,
If you are interested, I have a almost new Bradco 609 that I am willing to sell. I am sure you can get the subframe for that model as well. It is a big hoe.

-design

 

[hayden]

I called Bradco directly today. They said the 511 backhoe would work fine on an L5740 HSTC, and that they have had a number of people do it. He said when the L40 series first came out there were some fit issues on the cab models, but they have now been fixed.

It turns out this is not the case. While assembling my tractor the dealer discovered that the Bradco frame doesn't fit properly. They double checked to be sure they ordered and received the right frame, and they did. An engineer from Bradco is flying out this week to take measurements etc, and they are going to fabricate a new mounting frame.

Needless to say I'm dissappointed that the frame doesn't fit when Bradco specifically told me they had done several of them before. Stay tuned....

 

[Double Orange]

Hayden, First let me congradulate you on your Grand L 5740 Cab purchase.
Now I'm going to say I'm sorry Bradco screwed up the sub-frame. But it looks like they are going to correct the issue.

I got $10 Bucks that says they monitor this board!!

Keep us TBN'ers [and bradco] posted on the progress.

We also accept picture of new tractor that are still at the foster home/dealer.

Good Luck
Frank

 

[hayden]

Thanks. I'm confident it will all get resolved. The latest word is that the brackets we received don't match their drawings, so it would appear there was some fabrication mix up or perhaps a miss-labeling of parts - who knows for sure. New parts are being fabricated and will be shipped overnight later in the week. Hopefully we'll get it resolved for next weekend.

In the mean time, I've got the tractor, loader, and forks at my house in NH (it's ultimately going to VT). I've got one or two small projects to do, but mostly want to check it out thoroughly before it's moved 100 miles from the dealer. The mower, snow blower, and chipper will all go straight to VT once the backhoe situation is resolved.

I'll get some pictures in the next day or two. It's a pretty sweet machine, if I do say. I sure hope it fits in my barn. I calculate 1.3" of clearance.....

 

[hayden]

Here's the latest. I'm told that Bradco discovered a discrepency between their drawing for the frame and their manufacturing jig. It was rotated by about 8 deg, which matches the misalignment when we (the dealer) tried to install it. They have fixed the jig, fabricated new frame parts, and sent them overnight for delivery today. Hopefully by late today, or perhaps tomorrow we'll be back on track.

I hate it when issues like this happen, but the true test of a company (and person) is how they deal with such a situation. So far my dealer and Bradco are passing the test.

 

[rbargeron]

It is admirable that you are taking the high road on this. There was a factual disconnect back there when somebody said the L5740/511 combination had been done before. It's good that they are standing up. It's a pretty fabulous set of new toys, er... tools you have there - the little bump in the road will soon be a distant memory. Hope you can dig out a couple rocks or stumps before moving it 100 miles from the dealer, just to be sure the subframe really fits and stays tight everywhere it needs to. Take care, Dick B

 

[hayden]

It's all together and everthing fits. Many thanks to Bradco and my local dealer (Chappell Tractor) for getting everything sorted out.

 

[rbargeron]

Great news, Peter. Now we'll be looking for pictures of your new goodies. Hope you're not getting anything dirty.