M7040 Options? Needs verses Wants...

[SanDucerro]

I'm "tractor shopping" for a new M7040 this week. I have quotes on 2WD and 4WD models - both with front end loaders. They look great on the dealers lot and certainly satisfy the "want" part of the equation - but I'd like a second set of eyes to assist with the "need" factor.

A little background first...

I currently have an L3130, no CAB, with a front end loader. I believe I've stretched the tractor to its limits. It's 10 years old, been outside all its life, and I've been pretty rough on it. I've used it to clear brush, knock down trees, plow the field (single bottom disc), and shred the pasture. Right now it's got two blown seals on the front end loader - a result of me doing something I should not have. Point is, the L3130 has been put through its paces.

10 years ago - when we bought the L3130 - I figured it was "tractor enough" to do what I needed. Truth be told, it was a bit on the small size for what I did with it - but it was doable. As life would have it - our "needs" have changed. I've now switched from dreaming of raising horses to actually planting grapes. So I suppose you could say I'm no longer a rancher, but rather a farmer.

As a "ranch" tractor the L3130 was OK, as a "farm" tractor it's under-powered. I keep running into PTO power requirements on the attachments I want to run that the little L3130 simply can't meet. In addition, I'm older now and I'm not at all happy with the amount of dirt/dust I "exhaust" from my body for several days after I shred. I've even got dirt coming out of my tear ducts in my eyes! So a CAB is an ABSOLUTE must.

Now for the questions...

4WD verses 2WD: My property is not "hilly" - for the most part it's gently rolling (if it's even that). I do have a slope in the back that begins near the middle and slopes down to the back of the property. The "slope" isn't aggressive, but it does drop a bit. I have 4WD on the L3130, but I only recall switching into 4WD twice in the 10 years I've owned it. Each time I switched to 4WD it was to uproot a small tree - and even then I didn't see that it helped all that much. As such, I'm not convinced I need 4WD. Is there a "need" I'm missing here in regards to 4WD?

Rear Remotes: I'm at a total loss here. My L3130 has nothing but a PTO shaft in the rear and other than being under-powered I've not ran into any issues. I envision a 3 board plow, a 7' disc, and a 10' to 15' rotary cutter in the future. What else am I missing that would require rear remotes? How many should I get - 2 or 3?

Front End Loader: I find the FEL to be useful, but wonder if it's actually needed. I'm not planning on trading in the L3130, so I would have its FEL to use if the need arose. However it sure seems like everyone has a FEL on their tractor (and finding one to buy that doesn't have a FEL may not even be probable). I use the FEL on the L3130 to carry things more than I use it to dig. As such, it's a pretty expensive tool box. What else am I missing here?

Thanks for your thoughts!

 

[KYDan]

It sounds that you have it pretty well covered and have answered your own questions.

 

[foreman Etexas]

As to the remotes if your running a single deck mower one would be fine but if going to have a batwing two's a must,three would allow you to control each wing seperate and raise/low deck.

 

[case245]

i have a 7040sud get 3 remotes you never know when you will need them i have my rear tires loaded and cast centers wieghts and the thing still to light i say if you can afford an 8540 i would go with that i wish i would have

 

[TripleR]

Tough one, I have found that what I once thought of as "wants" and not "needs", turned out to really be "needs" after I got them. Oftentimes if you have something, you will find a need for it you didn't realize.

I started out with no rear remotes and didn't miss them then bought a tractor that came with one; wow I really found I "needed" a hydraulic toplink. Our big tractor had two rear remotes and we only used one with our pull type land scraper and rotary cutter. When I bought my last tractor, I decided I needed top and tilt, so got three and now use a box scraper with hydraulic scarifiers; wow, I can also use it on our other tractor as it has two remotes we didn't "need" for years. So, I can only echo foreman Etexas.

You can just about count the number of ag tractors without MFWD on one hand in my area, so people seem to prefer them, we have both, but our 2WD are the much older models. We had a 2WD MF375 we bought new in 86 that wouldn't pull a 3 bottom plow or much of anything else, so traded it in on a MFWD one which we still own. Some people find a 2WD fine, but we much prefer something else.

We have a FEL on all the recent tractors we have bought, but use them frequently, many ag users, our renters as well only have them on one tractor and just keep a single tractor with a FEL.

I had to go to all cabs too and you will love it.

 

[SanDucerro]

You can just about count the number of ag tractors without MFWD on one hand in my area, so people seem to prefer them, we have both, but our 2WD are the much older models. We had a 2WD MF375 we bought new in 86 that wouldn't pull a 3 bottom plow or much of anything else, so traded it in on a MFWD one which we still own. Some people find a 2WD fine, but we much prefer something else.

What kept the 2WD from pulling the plow? Was it just not powerful enough, heavy enough, or did the lack of MFWD cause the issue? This is what concerns me the most. It appears to me that the M7040 has more than enough HP to pull the plow, but is it going to require/need the MFWD?

I'm pulling the single bottom with the L3130 (which is VERY slow going), and it does OK - not perfect, not quick, just OK. I do have areas where the plow "surfaces" and won't stay in ground, but for the most part it's doing what I expected - and this is in 2WD with a whopping 31HP. The ground is sandy loam for the most part and pretty easy to flip with the plow (except for the afore mentioned area). I'm thinking the M7040 - with it's superior HP and added weight - would make this all seem like childs play - even if I went with 2WD only. Am I missing something?

Thanks!

 

[xring100]

First of all the 7040 is a great tractor i debated for a while once in centered on kubota to get a M7040 and M8540 in the end my wife knows how i think and told me to just get the larger model the extra money over 30 years is nothing
IF your current FEL is adequate for your needs you might not need the Loader on your new purchase. however consider this the LA1153 has at least 1000 lbs more lift capacity and 2.5 feet higher lift height, things you might have never considered moving lifting are now suddenly available to you. If you do opt for FEL though i consider 4wd a must unless your never leaving pavement. I have loaded tires and generally 500 - 1500 lbs hanging on the 3 point depending on what i'm moving. and still need 4wd when moving in and out of piles or trying to back up on any kind of grade. In fact even with an empty bucket if the grounds is wet i need to engage 4wd to back up the drive to my barn which does not have much slope to it at all. You mention that 4wd didn't seem to help before when you engaged it this would definitely be different on a M7040 or larger as you get the added benefit of the Limited slip so with Diff lock on you can spin all 4 tires. With the extra weight and LSD you could push over much larger trees than your current tractor.

For brush hogging you mention a 15' in that case your going to probably want to step up to an m8540/8560 to get the hp you need 5 hp/ft puts you at 75 pto hp. You could easily pull a 10 ft with the 7040.

For plowing my buddy has an old john deere 3 bottom plow that someone cut to make a 2 bottom plow. I am on mostly clay the field had not been turned in 30 years the first time we tried to plow it my buddies 2wd JD2040 made it about 6ft with the plow 4 inches bellow grade before he lost traction. I hooked up to it and tried pulling in 2wd thinking i had twice the weight. I could'nt pull the plow any deeper than about 5-6" in 2wd engaged 4wd and went to town but still managed to be underpowered in 4th gear about 4.8 mph and under tractioned in 3rd gear at 3.5 mph to plow 10" in some spots just had to let draft control do its thing its the only time i wish i had bought the 12 speed. When we plowed it in the fall there were no problems turning it over as it was not compacted.

Consider Cast centers and loaded tires i wish i had opted for cast centers on my M8540. as far as remotes i would get at least 2 but 3 would be useful with a box scraper or back blade if you have top n tilt or a back blade with 2 circuits. Nice thing is that if you only get 1 or 2 you can add another in under 2 hours. If you get the FEL consider 3rd function this is on my wish list for a grapple and someday a snow plow for power angle.

 

[xring100]

Forgot to mention around here a newer 2wd is probably going to be a much tougher sell and at much more of a loss than a 4wd no one seems to want 2wd's anymore. I don't remember the last time i've seen a new 60 - 100 hp tractor for sale on any of the dealer lots. I've seen some of the dot mowing crews use 2wd but most of the time they are also 4wd

 

[TripleR]

What kept the 2WD from pulling the plow? Was it just not powerful enough, heavy enough, or did the lack of MFWD cause the issue? This is what concerns me the most. It appears to me that the M7040 has more than enough HP to pull the plow, but is it going to require/need the MFWD?

I'm pulling the single bottom with the L3130 (which is VERY slow going), and it does OK - not perfect, not quick, just OK. I do have areas where the plow "surfaces" and won't stay in ground, but for the most part it's doing what I expected - and this is in 2WD with a whopping 31HP. The ground is sandy loam for the most part and pretty easy to flip with the plow (except for the afore mentioned area). I'm thinking the M7040 - with it's superior HP and added weight - would make this all seem like childs play - even if I went with 2WD only. Am I missing something?

Thanks!

We have what is often referred to here for some reason as "buckshot clay" and it really takes some power to turn. Our 72HP 375 just spun the rear tires while creeping forward and they were loaded. In loam soils it would have done fine. I brought one of our tractors up from another farm to hook onto the plow as we had farmed with it, different soil, and it just spun the tires too.

Look on some Ag sites and others on desired performance, wheel slip, fuel efficiency etc., it is more complicated than one would think. I know you are not running the same kind of equipment that a regular row cropper would, but I prefer pulling plows etc in MFWD, getting less wheel slip and overall performance.

Yes, with Ag tires and sufficient weight, fluid in the tires, weights etc. you can probably pull a three bottom plow in your soil, but having MFWD opens up possibilities of no till drills, bigger disks etc.; never know what you will wind up doing and I look at a tractor as a lifetime investment. Some of ours are close to sixty years old.

No I don't wear a belt AND suspender, I just like to look ahead.

 

[xring100]

What kept the 2WD from pulling the plow? Was it just not powerful enough, heavy enough, or did the lack of MFWD cause the issue? This is what concerns me the most. It appears to me that the M7040 has more than enough HP to pull the plow, but is it going to require/need the MFWD?

I'm pulling the single bottom with the L3130 (which is VERY slow going), and it does OK - not perfect, not quick, just OK. I do have areas where the plow "surfaces" and won't stay in ground, but for the most part it's doing what I expected - and this is in 2WD with a whopping 31HP. The ground is sandy loam for the most part and pretty easy to flip with the plow (except for the afore mentioned area). I'm thinking the M7040 - with it's superior HP and added weight - would make this all seem like childs play - even if I went with 2WD only. Am I missing something?

Thanks!

What kind of soil do you have if your a sandy loam you might be okay but I'm severely traction limited in 2wd to pull a 2 bottom plow in soil that has'nt been turned in a long time. I would like to get a 3 bottom plow next