LS MT240E or MT342

[Nutcracker]

New to the forum. Never owned a tractor, but did use my brother n laws ford tractor to rototill 4 acres a few years back. That is my first and only tractor expierence. . I looked at Mahindra & Kubota, but since the LS dealer is only ten miles from my house and is a reliable shop, I am leaning that way. I plan on using a finishing mower/maybe a rotary mower to mow 6-8 acres of fields/lawn. I have ten acres of grass, hay or weeds. No brush. I probably will need to mow a couple times a month, maybe more. Will use a rototiller on 2 acres in the fall & 2 acres in the spring. Will use a cyclone pto fertilizer spreader. Probably will not use the FEL much at all, snow, driveway maybe. I already talked to the dealer and he says he likes the HST best as he sees less trouble with them, I think he said they was idiot proof, but I don't hear well. So on that advice, I am going HST. The MT240E is around $23000 & the MT342 is around $28000. I like the idea of five grand less on the MT240E but, do not want to let that make my decision. Which one should I get? Thanks in advance.

 

[Torvy]

New to the forum. Never owned a tractor, but did use my brother n laws ford tractor to rototill 4 acres a few years back. That is my first and only tractor expierence. . I looked at Mahindra & Kubota, but since the LS dealer is only ten miles from my house and is a reliable shop, I am leaning that way. I plan on using a finishing mower/maybe a rotary mower to mow 6-8 acres of fields/lawn. I have ten acres of grass, hay or weeds. No brush. I probably will need to mow a couple times a month, maybe more. Will use a rototiller on 2 acres in the fall & 2 acres in the spring. Will use a cyclone pto fertilizer spreader. Probably will not use the FEL much at all, snow, driveway maybe. I already talked to the dealer and he says he likes the HST best as he sees less trouble with them, I think he said they was idiot proof, but I don't hear well. So on that advice, I am going HST. The MT240E is around $23000 & the MT342 is around $28000. I like the idea of five grand less on the MT240E but, do not want to let that make my decision. Which one should I get? Thanks in advance.

The MT345E would fall in between those two. You would get the bigger frame of the MT3 series without the bells and whistles. 'E' is the economy version.

 

[Nutcracker]

True, never thought about that. thanks..

 

[Bearsixty7]

Love my MT240HE so far, I'm at ~180 hrs. I have used the backhoe a lot, I've used a 5' Bush Hog BH215 Brushhog on the deer lease, A Terraforce 62" tiller in the garden, A 6' 3pt Disc on the deer lease, A 60" EA grapple a few places and it has performed great. If the MT3 line is in the budget, go for it, you won't be disappointed.

 

[Mrsig]

Can't help you pick but my MT225 has done a ton more for me than I thought it could with no problems I just hit 110 hours so far.
Good luck on your pick and enjoy your new LS I am.

 

[ZetorSteve]

I too have a MT240HE. My 11 year old daughter is a novice operator as yourself and has no problem using it confidently with my direction. It has plenty of power to run a 6ft cutter and handle many other jobs around the farm.

My only concern with the MT342 is a bigger frame with basically the same pto power of the MT240. Less power per pound. The MT342 is better suited for extensive loader work. You have a lot of mowing to do quite frequently which means you would benefit from more pto hp. Yes, the mt240 with a 6 foot cutter would do the job but take awhile. A MT357H would allow you to use a light duty 10 ft cutter to tame the grass quickly and often.

Now, on the other hand the MT3 is a bigger footprint of a tractor. When tilling it is ideal to completely till past your wheel tracks to do so efficiently to not compact your just tilled land with the tractors tires. Meaning you would need a wider tiller. This is where the MT240 will be a better fit. A smaller 6ft tiller would be a perfect fit and be more manageable in tight spaces. Also, lower initial cost.

Basically it comes down to how quickly you would like to get your chores completed. The MT240 should be a good fit for all the chores you listed. I personally would not get a MT342 over a MT240 unless I was doing strictly loader work.

 

[Nutcracker]

I too have a MT240HE. My 11 year old daughter is a novice operator as yourself and has no problem using it confidently with my direction. It has plenty of power to run a 6ft cutter and handle many other jobs around the farm.

My only concern with the MT342 is a bigger frame with basically the same pto power of the MT240. Less power per pound. The MT342 is better suited for extensive loader work. You have a lot of mowing to do quite frequently which means you would benefit from more pto hp. Yes, the mt240 with a 6 foot cutter would do the job but take awhile. A MT357H would allow you to use a light duty 10 ft cutter to tame the grass quickly and often.

Now, on the other hand the MT3 is a bigger footprint of a tractor. When tilling it is ideal to completely till past your wheel tracks to do so efficiently to not compact your just tilled land with the tractors tires. Meaning you would need a wider tiller. This is where the MT240 will be a better fit. A smaller 6ft tiller would be a perfect fit and be more manageable in tight spaces. Also, lower initial cost.

Basically it comes down to how quickly you would like to get your chores completed. The MT240 should be a good fit for all the chores you listed. I personally would not get a MT342 over a MT240 unless I was doing strictly loader work.

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Thank you for the well thought out response. What is the widest measurement of your MT240HE & that rotary hog. I need to consider where I am going to store a tractor & currently the only unoccupied space I have with a roof, is the end bay of my carport which is only 86 inches width between post. Most likley the mowing implement will be attached 90 percent of the time. Just something for me to consider. Thanks

 

[ZetorSteve]

The hog is 77" at it's widest point. The widest point on the bare tractor is 68" with the R4 tires.

 

[m5guy]

I have a mt357. Love it. Get as much hp in whatever frame size you choose. I run a 6ft tiller and it covers the tracks. Spend a little more and get a cab. Best $5k extra I ever spent.

 

[Torvy]

Steve is right, if you are not really planning on using the loader, the only advantage is the up tick in PTO power. The 345HE has about 10% more PTO HP than the 240HE. Another consideration is that if you are mostly doing mowing work, the HST is not really worth the money unless you are constantly changing directions. Shuttle shift will allow you to 'cruise' at a consistent speed. HST is another $1000 or more. If you are unfamiliar or uncomfortable with manual transmission, that is another story. The hst also bleeds another 2HP off of your PTO..5%. May not matter with your mower, but tilling 2 Acres I'd want as much PTO HP as I could reasonably afford. The 345 is going to be almost 75 inches wide. Wider and heavier is more stable and safer. That may be important depending on your land. You should be able to park it with 10" of clearance. With a 6' tiller you only have 1.5 inches on either side. I would not go bigger than that as there are other ways to avoid compression, like offsetting your tiller.

 

[Bobrown14]

I have a mt357. Love it. Get as much hp in whatever frame size you choose. I run a 6ft tiller and it covers the tracks. Spend a little more and get a cab. Best $5k extra I ever spent.

I'm with @m5guy. I bought a MT352 with a cab and all the bells and whistles. Nothing beats cutting grass/hay onna hot summer day in AC and no dust. And then pushing snow with heat anna light jacket.

My choice was about availability at the time of purchase.

Be sure and get whats in stock and not get on a waiting list. With Covid it took me 2 years to finally get what I wanted.

I figured getting a bigger tractor than what I really need is better than getting a tractor that I wish was bigger 2 years from now.

I too have a 6 foot tiller and it covers the tracks perfectly. The tiller takes more time to hook up than it takes to till. Itsa brute. Love my MT352.

Edit: I have a shuttle shift so can set the speed and go. 2 gas pedals 2 break pedals 4 gear shifters and step on diff lock and 3 rear remotes, draft control and the cool part is I can shift gears without pushing the clutch in. Formula1 for tractors. lol

Float on the FEL is perfect for snow too.

 

[Nutcracker]

Thanks for all the input. More to choosing a tractor than I thought

 

[Torvy]

Thanks for all the input. More to choosing a tractor than I thought

I was updating some of my data this morning and I completely forgot about the XR3135. It falls between the 235 and 342 in size. It has some bells like 2 standard rear remotes like the deluxe models. It is also available with gear or HST and with or without a cab. Price lies between the two as well. The overall width is right at 60", so only 6" wider than the 235, but more than a foot narrower than the 342. You may want to check it out as well.

 

[ZetorSteve]

I was updating some of my data this morning and I completely forgot about the XR3135. It falls between the 235 and 342 in size. It has some bells like 2 standard rear remotes like the deluxe models. It is also available with gear or HST and with or without a cab. Price lies between the two as well. The overall width is right at 60", so only 6" wider than the 235, but more than a foot narrower than the 342. You may want to check it out as well.

Problem with the xr3135 is it is the same size as a MT240 with 5 less pto hp. Also seems like the op may not need the remotes. If he does they can be added on. I paid under 600 for the dual remote kit for my MT240. HP is not something you can add on to these real easy if you find you need more.

 

[Torvy]

Problem with the xr3135 is it is the same size as a MT240 with 5 less pto hp. Also seems like the op may not need the remotes. If he does they can be added on. I paid under 600 for the dual remote kit for my MT240. HP is not something you can add on to these real easy if you find you need more.

I think maybe you mean the MT235E. The XR3135H is 415 lbs heavier than the 240HE. It is also 6" wider, which makes it more stable without making it overwhelmingly large. The fuel tank is almost 50% bigger at 10.6 gallons. The loader can handle almost 500 lbs more. The 240HE is only 4HP more off of the PTO. The only area where the two are the same is 3pt hitch lift of 1808 lbs. My point is not to make decisions for someone else by convincing them to make similar choices to mine. It is just giving them the info. The remotes were just an example of the XR series being considered a 'regular' or premium line rather than the Economy model. IMHO, more information is usually better.

 

[ZetorSteve]

I think maybe you mean the MT235E. The XR3135H is 415 lbs heavier than the 240HE. It is also 6" wider, which makes it more stable without making it overwhelmingly large. The fuel tank is almost 50% bigger at 10.6 gallons. The loader can handle almost 500 lbs more. The 240HE is only 4HP more off of the PTO. The only area where the two are the same is 3pt hitch lift of 1808 lbs. My point is not to make decisions for someone else by convincing them to make similar choices to mine. It is just giving them the info. The remotes were just an example of the XR series being considered a 'regular' or premium line rather than the Economy model. IMHO, more information is usually better.

Yes, more information is good. guess my post did kinda sound pushy. I wonder where the extra weight comes from? All the extra accessories I think? Yes, the loader on the xr has bigger lift cylinders and a bigger loader sub-frame last I remember. I wish you could still get a XR3140 open station. Only offered with a cab now. Back in 2018 when I started looking at LS I drove a 3140 open station and loved the features. Was kinda sad when I went seriously looking to buy and found the mt240 lacking the rear remotes and a tiny fuel tank. Not the end of the world but I'd rather have a 10 gallon tank. It gets thirsty at rpm with a good load.

 

[Nutcracker]

Still undecided. But all your input has helped. Definitely has made me more sure of the LS. I figure that the MT240E is a good match, but have not counted out the MT3E 45 or 50. GLW I will visit the dealer tommorow. Thanks...

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

The MT3 comes with some nice options, that are standard, that you may like in the future. Like draft control and remote valves. Not sure you see that on the MT2

 

[ZetorSteve]

The MT3 comes with some nice options, that are standard, that you may like in the future. Like draft control and remote valves. Not sure you see that on the MT2

Remotes, yes. Draft control, no. The xr3135/40 has draft control.

 

[Nutcracker]

Well , got there & had my mind made up for the MT240HE or the MTE345H. I did get on the the MT225E. Was cramped awful. I am 6'4" and weigh 260. That one was not really a serious consideration anyway. They did not have any MT240E on the lot. So tried the MTE345, was 8 speed shuttle. I could of lived with that one. Seat was horrible, would have replaced. But then got on a MT342 Shuttle with cab. That one was comfortable. Plus the fuel tank on the side will be easy for me to fill in my old age ( 62 now) . Appeared to have more user friendly 3 point hook up too, which for someone like me, might be better. So I figured I would go with that one without a cab. Well the MT347H was only 1200 more than the 42. So I ordered the MT347H , with a LS 6ft finish mower & a LS6ft tiller. He said I could get bigger/wider ones, but would not fit in my car port. So I done did it, gave him a deposit. He said could be here as early as february, but more like march. He was not rushing me and talked at least two hours and answered my questions. He said he has been selling LS for 11 years & has good luck with them. They are only 11 miles from my driveway to theirs. Thanks for all the input.