Comparison Look at new tractor. Between LS and Branson and maybe Mahindra

[mred2]

Also posted something on the Branson site. I am looking at a new tractor. I think in the 40 to 50 hp range. I currently have an Iseki TL3200 and while it has been a good little tractor for the price that I paid almost 20 years ago, parts are getting very hard to find.
I want a new tractor, green and orange is in town, but I feel price will be a factor. My son has a Mahindra 26hp and likes it, but the dealer here has no parts and very limited service. There are more Mahindra dealers within 100 miles. The Branson dealer of any size is 130 miles, one each direction. The LS dealers are also 100 plus miles away.
What I want 40 to 50hp, syn shutter shift, 2 rear remotes, FEL, 3rd function on loader, grapple, backhoe.

My pros and cons:
Branson: pro: good heavy tractor, no electronics on the engine, more flow on the pumps,
cons: Parts support 10 years from now, Less large dealers in this area, will TYM change the models and still support the older branson.
I do believe that Branson will be here, but do not believe that they will tell TYM how to build tractors.
LS: pro: good heavy tractor, rear remotes standard
cons: regen?, problems with FEL hyd. flow
Mahindra: pro: More dealers to pick from, no doubt parts can be ordered(local dealer stocks no parts, that is why I will likely buy 100 miles away)
cons: flow on pump for FEL, loader controls, shutter on 8 speeds
I feel the price on the Mahindra may be higher after adding the rear remotes and 3rd function. The local dealer no longer feels like he has to cut the price to sell. I plan to making two trips in the next 2 to 3 weeks to test drive the LS and Branson. I can also drive the Mahindra on one of these trips.
I will also note the I stopped and looked at the Massey and their closest dealer to me. They want to sell me a 60hp, no offer to test drive or even start it up. Their salesman did not impress me at all. Almost no inventory.
Any pros and cons to add?

 

[audsp98]

I can't speak to LS or Branson since I don't own one of those.

The Mahindra will have standard rear remote(s) for a 40 to 50 HP tractor. Should have 1 or 2 sets standard depending on the tractor. The Mahindra will also likely be the heaviest bare weight tractor of the group.

The 3rd function is going to be an add-on for any tractor so that cost is additional regardless. Not sure what you're referring to with the cons on the Mahindra being pump flow for the FEL. It's as much or more than any other tractor in that market.

Any of those 3 will be good tractors...find the best dealer to work with.

 

[mred2]

Everything that I have read about all of the utility tractors is that they all have a problem with operating more than one hyd. function at a time. (can not raise and curl the FEL bucket at the same time). Looking at web sites, only LS lists the rear remotes as standard equipment. I know that all can be added.

 

[mred2]

I will be stacking hay, mowing pasture, clearing brush and trash, installing water lines, keeping roads in shape, basic farm work.

 

[Texasmark]

Everything that I have read about all of the utility tractors is that they all have a problem with operating more than one hyd. function at a time. (can not raise and curl the FEL bucket at the same time). Looking at web sites, only LS lists the rear remotes as standard equipment. I know that all can be added.

My FEL lift and bucket curl can operate simultaneously with the joystick in a quadrant position, like NE vs North or East.

I'm not able to concentrate on more than one hydraulic function at a time. I never checked my hydraulics to see if I could lift the 3 pt and FEL simultaneously, but I can steer with hydrostatic steering (geared tranny) and operate FEL or 3 pt simultaneously. I do have a flow control valve and it only affects the 3 pt so that seems to me to indicate separate circuits meaning that you could use both 3 pt and FEL and steering simultaneously if you had enough hands and flow rate to satisfy your aspirations.....steering being a different pump so it doesn't matter what you are doing with it.

The more people that buy Branson (or any badge for that matter) the better your chances of having support in the years ahead, both OEM and aftermarket...Where there is a market there will be parts.

Buy the Branson so both us can have another name added to the customer base and help to insure our parts base in the future. Wink!

 

[ning]

I pondered a similar decision for over a year when I was in the market. I've got "the" orange dealer in my closest town (8 miles), a MF & Green about 30 away, almost everything else within 60, and Branson was 100 miles away.

I went with Branson (3520h). My justifications:
- much cheaper
- much stronger
- much heavier
- much simpler
- overbuilt

I don't anticipate anything breaking on the tractor without help from its noob operator, and I'm doing my best to avoid breaking with while still getting tons more done than ever before. If something does break... well, I'd have to rent a trailer or get off the pot and buy one, and it would be a hassle - a two hour drive, come home, and then some days later do the round-trip again. I wouldn't appreciate that, but I seriously don't expect it to happen given all I've read about and talked to others.

For me, buying orange would've been paying a boatload more (for my use, the 3520h is basically up against the 3560, and it still beats it in a number of ways, and loses in ways I don't care about) effectively as insurance. For the price difference, I could probably pay Dave himself to come pick up my tractor and deliver it back for a yearly service and still come out ahead for many years, and meanwhile, I've got a better tractor.

I'm just amazed Branson hasn't bothered to market themselves better, or they would be the "red tractor".

 

[Aquamoose]

Branson’s my vote. I have the 3520h and it’s a straightforward, good tractor. I researched like **** and decided that the weight and the 2100 lbs loader lifting capacity was the major factor.

 

[mred2]

I really like the looks of the Branson. But the two dealers for it are both about 130 miles away. One other dealer that is closer but only stocks lawn mowers. I think the Branson has the largest hyd. pump on it. I think most questions will start next week when I start to test drive. I know the closest Massey dealer really turned me off by how little knowledge they had.

 

[ericm979]

My Branson dealer is 240 miles away. They're used to remote customers- they have some as far away as Hawaii. They ship me parts. So far all I have needed is filters.

 

[ning]

I really like the looks of the Branson. But the two dealers for it are both about 130 miles away. One other dealer that is closer but only stocks lawn mowers. I think the Branson has the largest hyd. pump on it. I think most questions will start next week when I start to test drive. I know the closest Massey dealer really turned me off by how little knowledge they had.

During my research phase, I tried to contact my local Massey dealer (~30mi away = 2nd closest dealer). The contact on the dealer portion of the massey website goes to corporate, and they promised to put me in contact with the dealer - and they followed up with me three times to see if the dealer had gotten back to me, apparently pushing the dealer from their end, and I got nothing from the dealer. I'd tried calling the dealer first myself, and never got a call back either. I don't think that dealer does 30-40hp tractors to single-tractor-buyers; they're a big ag dealer in a big ag area. Given that MF was on my list mainly because of the proximity of the dealership, the lack of desire even to make a sale didn't give me the slightest security that they'd be interested in supporting the sale after either, and I can't say I'm impressed with the prices either.