My New Tractor

[rf33]

I just drove my tractor for the first time (at the dealership still) and I have to say that I love it. It is a Deere 5520 MFWD with a 541MSL loader, the power reverser transmission, and a Deere MX8 shredder. That shredder weighs a ton... I think that they are going to deliver it next Wednesday. I hate to wait, but I am having them change the exhaust to the horizontal instead of the vertical stack, so I will not be as likely to tear it off on any trees

rf33

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[rf33]

My dream tractor

Here is a shot of my dream tractor, that I think would pretty much take the cake in terms of being able to move about anything.../w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

rf33

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[Hawgee]

Nice picture. I felt the 4600 was too large for my needs @ the time I sat in the saddle. Does the rotary really weigh 2000lbs.?
As for your dream machine. Didn't know you had that much cable to pull?

"What is a weed? A plant whose virtues have not yet been discovered."
Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)

 

[rf33]

I have not seen the spec sheet on the MX8 shredder, but the dealer told me that it weighs around a ton. From the way the tractor squatted down in the rear when I picked it up, I have to believe him. It actually has two decks, the top one is domed to keep water and dirt from piling up in the low spots which eventually rust through. The lower of the two decks is shaped to generate the airflow / lift. I think that this two deck design is great, but it sure makes the thing heavy. As per my dream machine, I really do not think that it would be of much use to me, but it sure would be fun to run/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

rf33

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[Anonymous Poster]

That MX8 is a beautiful unit @ 1540 lbs...

 

[ronjhall]

Ron
Nice <font color=green>JD</font color=green>. I don't think you can lift Harv's <font color=orange>Kubota</font color=orange> with it. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif Every time I see a larger tractor like yours I wish I had bought a bigger one./w3tcompact/icons/tongue.gif Then I could trim more trees for clearance to cut my lawn./w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif

 

[rf33]

Thanks John, I think that it should do the job for a good long while. I guess I was a little off on the weight, but still it is a pretty heavy attachment. I also bought an extra set of blades, anticipating a few rocks which might jump out and get under the cutter/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif, but otherwise, this thing looks tough to hurt.

rf33

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[ronjhall]

Re: My dream tractor

Ron
In Michigan we call that a big Bull Dozer./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[rf33]

Re: My dream tractor

Ron, (it sounds like I am talking to myself) I think that big bulldozer is an understatement for that beast. A D11R is listed at an operating weight of 230100 lbs.../w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif. I think that you could relocate major landscaping features with that. I am sure that I could not lift anyone's Kubota with the tractor, but with the dozer, I bet that I could move it as far as I wanted to/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif.

rf33

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[Harv]

Re: My dream tractor

Maybe you couldn't lift my 'Bota with your tractor, Ron, at least not with my fat butt in the seat, but if I ever got 'er stuck in the mud, I wouldn't mind having you around to pull me out. /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

Regardless of color, that is one handsome hunk o' machinery. /w3tcompact/icons/cool.gif

 

[jinman]

Your "shredder" looks like a finish mower. You said that you got extra blades for it, so that sounds even more like a finish mower than a shredder. I'm just curious which it is? Also, the bar over the top of the loader's lift arm...is it a constant level device to prevent rollback when the loader is lifted? So many questions.../w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

JimI

 

[ejb]

defintely not a finish mower...the mx8 is what is often refered to as a bush-hog...does a nice job on the field but you don't want it anywhere near your finished lawn...and defintely don't want to be driving over the lawn with the 5520!

 

[jinman]

I understand, EJB. Thanks. I'm surely familiar with cutter/shredders and John Miller dropping the graphic also helped. I went up to JD's site, but I tired quickly of all the sub-menus and graphics and...well, I got tired of waiting for screens to paint./w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif (I'm not bustin' on JD, because NH, and 'bota are the same.) Anyhow, I'm guessing that the "8" in MX8 stands for 8' and that means that each set of blades/stump jumper is slightly over 4'. Considering the size of the blades on these shredders, have you ever heard of anyone buying extra blades? That seems so unusual that I had to ask to make sure RF33 was talking about a "bush hog" type cutter. ...and yes, I know that the 75hp 5520 is a "tad" too big for finish cutting. I suspect it's a bit overpowered for a 8' cutter too, but you buy a cutter based on the narrowest space through which you drag it rather than the largest size your tractor can pull. I suspect this tractor could easily pull a 15' batwing without breaking a sweat./w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif

JimI

 

[rf33]

Thanks, for the compliment Harv.../w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

JimI I agree that the MX series of rotary cutters look like finish mowers, but I have to agree with EJB, if you consider using it on you lawn, you might be a redneck.../w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif. I am also pretty sure that my wife would not appreciate me driving the tractor around the yard. With the loaded tires, I think that the tractor + shredder + loader weighs in at around 10K, so it might leave some ruts. As to finding them on the JD site, I agree that it can be a maze, but here are a few links which might be helpful

JD Equipment Quickfind

and

JD Rotary Cutters


rf33

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[rf33]

The extra blades might not be necessary for a while, but they can get pretty dinged up by rocks and or old scrap metal which always seems to find its way under these darn things. Deere suggests a minimum recomended PTO HP for the MX8 at 40-50, but I think that some of the smaller tractors in that HP range might have a little trouble picking the mower up with the TPH. I could be wrong, but this thing has alot of weight way behind the draft links, and really takes alot to lift. I probably could have pulled a rather large batwing, but you are right in that I picked the 8 footer because of some narrow areas and trees to work around. I think that the highway dept is where most of the batwings go, as they are the only ones who seldom need to mow around tight quarters. I went with the slightly larger tractor, as I plan to cut and bale some hay next year. To answer your question about the bar over the loader, if you are referring to the green horizontal bar, that is the MSL link (mechanical self leveling) which keeps the bucket level as you raise the lift arms, the rather thin silver vertical rod, I think is a bucket tilt indicator, so if you have a narrow bucket or forks on the loader, you could see what you were doing. I hope this answers your questions.

Ron

rf33

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[jinman]

Thanks, Ron. The MX8 really looks like an awesome machine. And who is likely to use batwings more than the highway dept.? How about airports? I look out over Dallas-Ft. Worth Airport from my office, and I can tell you that they have about 25 tractors with batwings mowing every day. I also was happy to find out I correctly ID'd the self-leveling link. Thanks for your explanations. I've never been shy about asking questions./w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

JimI

 

[rf33]

JimI, Thanks for the compliment./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif I guess I never really thought about mowing all of that grass out along the runways. I also am not afraid to ask questions (except for directions when I am turned around (I do not get lost /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif)) if I am unsure of something, especially something as interesting as tractors.

Ron

rf33

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[HR_Mutt]

rf33
That's a great looking setup/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif.
And...another bookmark/w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif to the equipment quick-finder.I wish the fine people would stop(not really!!) coming up with all those links, only chance I get to dig thru them is in the hours that I should be asleep.Is there a way to color code your favorites page setup? Thanks again!
regards
Mutt