Price difference between 3720 & 4320

[fabsroman]

I am probably looking at another year or two before this purchase, but I am trying to plan it out ahead of time.

Other than the FEL capacity, the 4320 is probably way more than what I need right now for my property but if the price difference isn't that substantial I will probably go with it. The reason I want the 4320 is the 2,000 lb capacity of the FEL so I can take pallets of pavers off of a trailer and I can move pallet boxes of firewood off of a trailer. Just bought a wood burning furnace and I am neck deep in firewood. It would be nice to be able to take this wood off a trailer or truck with a FEL and move it to where I need to stack it. Also looking at doing a 200' driveway in pavers, a rear patio in pavers, a bunch of retaining walls in matching paver blocks, and possibly a circular driveway out front with a little patio off of the porch. This is all on a 2 acre lot.

Other than that, I don't really see me using the 2,000 lb FEL capacity too often unless I take the tractor with me in the woods and use the FEL to drag firewood out or I get a local developer to drop logs off right here at the house.

Over the next 10 or so years though, the plan is to buy a 100+ acre farm. Keeping my fingers crossed that the plan comes to fruition.

Anyway, wondering what the price difference is between the two machines with an open station. Might go to the dealer, take another look at the 4320, and decide it is way more tractor than I will ever need for this property.

 

[Uncle Wayne]

I looked at both of these tractors as well plus the 4105. The cost difference in 2009 wasn't enough make a difference at my dealer. He suggested that I buy more tractor than I thought I'd need. He said, "I've never had a customer complain about buying a tractor that was too big but have had several complain they bought one too small."

I bought the 4320 and have not regretted it.

Good luck with your decision (once you make it, don't look back) and your 100 acre farm plans. Hope it works out.

 

[om21braz]

IMHO, both machines equally equipped (e-hydro), I'd say you're looking at $4000-5000 difference in price between the 3720 and the 4320. Having spent a little time running a 3320 and having owned a 4120 - there is quite a bit of difference in capability. At least working in dirt & using loader there is. Spend some time at your local dealer running each machine around, see which size you feel more comfortable with, then consider the tasks you may have - I expect you'll feel better with the larger machine. Good Luck in your search.

 

[charleyfarmall]

With the plans you have laid out, the larger tractor makes a lot more sense. You will run out of room with the smaller one very quickly. I have tractors from 18 to 75 hp including a 3320. It's nimble and tight and has decent loader capacity, but it is too short and narrow for anything outside the barn yard.

 

[jenkinsph]

I have the similar equipment the size of the 4320 and would point out that none of these will lift a pallet of pavers. I do lots of paver work and flagstone work, most pallets of pavers weight about 3,400 lbs and stone can be up to 5,000 lbs.


My suggestion is to have the pallets placed in position when they are delivered. Most places such as Lowes or Home Depot and other brick companies will do this for you without any added charges. Once you have laid some of the pavers from each pallet you can then move them down with a tractor and forks to keep them close to your work.

 

[avphile]

Sounds like your in the same position i am in, was looking at the 3720 for its compact size but after reading the post's on here and comparing their specs plus seeing them at the dealer thought i was going with the 4320. I have a lot of paver work to do also and looking at paver manufactures websites looks like most pallets weigh over 3,000lbs which neither tractor will handle. So im still considering the 3720 to save some money and I have some tight spots. Considering not getting a FEL and picking up a used skid steer for the paver work.

Good luck with your decision, let us know what you get!

 

[fabsroman]

Sounds like your in the same position i am in, was looking at the 3720 for its compact size but after reading the post's on here and comparing their specs plus seeing them at the dealer thought i was going with the 4320. I have a lot of paver work to do also and looking at paver manufactures websites looks like most pallets weigh over 3,000lbs which neither tractor will handle. So im still considering the 3720 to save some money and I have some tight spots. Considering not getting a FEL and picking up a used skid steer for the paver work.

Good luck with your decision, let us know what you get!

I don't think I have any tight spots that I need to worry about with the tractor. I just bought a JD Z445 zero turn mower for the lawn. The tractor is going to be for the big stuff like ripping out the current asphalt driveway and the concrete patio out back, moving around logs in the woods/farm so that I can cut them with the chainsaw, grading the backyard so that the water does not form a marsh right behind the current patio, grading the backyard and side yard so I can put some retaining walls in, etc. The list of stuff to do around here is rather large.

Right now I am leaning toward the 4320, but who knows what my ultimate decision is going to be. Still have a good amount of time to think about it.

 

[msmud]

Looks like the cheapest way to get the hydraulic capacity you want in an ehydro machine is the 4120, which is about $1700 - 1800 more in retail cost than the 3720. The 4320 is about $4000 more. According to Deere's published specs, the 4120 has substantially more operating torque than the 3720, while burning around 15% less fuel at max load.

 

[jcmseven]

I love the compact size and agility of the 3000 series, and have had a few of them in the past. They are great machines and personally for MY use I prefer them over the 4000 series machines. That said, there is no way I would recommend a 3000 series over a 4000 series for someone who have the space to store and use one, as they are vastly stouter machines. The Power Tech engine is a very high torque, four cylinder engine that even in 4120 trim is more powerful than any of the 3000 engines on the bottom end. Add to that full planetary drives, larger everything, and higher lift capacity and there is no question they are worth some extra. I mentioned this in the past, but I owned a 4520, which I really liked, but it was like the Queen Mary in a bathtub in many places I needed to go, so I sold it. I had a chance to operate both a 4120 and 4320 on my property after the sale doing ground engagement work (not PTO). Doing even heavy work in all ranges on very steep grades I could tell only a very tiny power difference between the 4120 and my 4520, and none between the 4320 and 4520. I am sure operating a bush hog in deep field grass, one may tell more difference. I am particular, though, and I am one who would normally notice a reasonable performance gap. My point here is that really look strongly at the 4120 unless a large amount of heavy PTO work is in your future, as this machine has plenty of power and torque without having to spend several more thousand dollars to get a 45 or 4720 tractor.

John M

 

[jenkinsph]

I don't know about comparing a 4120 with a 4520 but I do know about comparing a 110tlb to a 4520. If I remove the heavy hoe on the 110 and loader bucket I have a 43 hp tractor (same as the 4120. There is a big difference to me between the 4520 and the 110tlb going up hills, the 4520 is way faster. That said any of these 4x20 machines would work well for the OP.



fabsroman,
Curious why you are ripping out the asphalt dirveway?

 

[speedbump]

I own a 4520 and love it. It has a cab which I finally had to go with because I'm mowing between 4 acres of Date Palms. They can shread you when they get big. I had the open cab before this one and loved it too. It had the shuttle shifter where the new one has just a three speed shifter and two pedels, F&R. The loader works great and I when I had the 8 foot pull behind mower, it ran it just fine is some very tall and thick weeds.

I would never but a two wheel drive tractor. Just my 2¢

 

[jcmseven]

Steve, there seems to be not much difference in real-world performance between a 4120 and 4520, unless PTO work is involved; at least in my experience. Does your TLB have a 4 cylinder Yanmar engine? If it does that may explain the difference in performance. I found the 3 cylinder Yanmar turbo in my 3720's (I had two) to seemingly have less power than the 4120, even though it was rated one HP higher at the flywheel. Though I suspect a 4 cylinder engine to have a little more grunt, if it is Yanmar, it will not have the torque curve of the PowerTech engine.

John M

 

[eagle107]

Steve, there seems to be not much difference in real-world performance between a 4120 and 4520, unless PTO work is involved; at least in my experience. Does your TLB have a 4 cylinder Yanmar engine? If it does that may explain the difference in performance. I found the 3 cylinder Yanmar turbo in my 3720's (I had two) to seemingly have less power than the 4120, even though it was rated one HP higher at the flywheel. Though I suspect a 4 cylinder engine to have a little more grunt, if it is Yanmar, it will not have the torque curve of the PowerTech engine.

John M

You are right. The 3720 might have the same HP as the 4120 (43hp), but the engine torque is different. The 4120 has an engine displacement of 148.9 cu. in., four cylinders and 95 ft. lbs of torque while the 3720 an engine displacement of 91.5 cu. in., three cylinders and 84.3 ft. lbs. of torque. Couple the 4120 engine with beefy hydraulics and final drive hydro or planetary gear set, this tractor feels and performs better than the 3720; however, for some people, the downside is that it is also has a bigger size chassis which cannot easily be garaged or use between tighter spaces as a 3720. If I did not get such a good deal on my NH Boomer 3040, the 4120 would have been the next tractor on my list to purchase.

 

[jenkinsph]

Steve, there seems to be not much difference in real-world performance between a 4120 and 4520, unless PTO work is involved; at least in my experience. Does your TLB have a 4 cylinder Yanmar engine? If it does that may explain the difference in performance. I found the 3 cylinder Yanmar turbo in my 3720's (I had two) to seemingly have less power than the 4120, even though it was rated one HP higher at the flywheel. Though I suspect a 4 cylinder engine to have a little more grunt, if it is Yanmar, it will not have the torque curve of the PowerTech engine.

John M

John,
You bring up a good point about the engine differences, the 110tlb has a Yanmar 132 ci naturally aspirated 4 cyl engine while the 4520 has a Power tech 4cyl turbo engine. Since I operate at about 7000 ft elevation the turbo might make the most difference.

 

[msmud]

If you look at the dimensions of the 4000 series, they really are fairly compact. To me the great advantage of the 4000s is the wider stance compared to many compact tractors, longer wheelbase for ride comfort/stability with long rear attachments, heavier front end weight and overall machine weight, and the decreased need for ballast for many 3ph applications. Truly, if the 3720 turbo engine could be put into the 4120, tuned to produce peak hp at around 2300 rpm for lower fuel consumption and higher operating torque, it would be the ideal tractor for my uses. As it is, I think the 4120 is the bargain of the 4000 line.

 

[PioneerMan]

Is it true that the 4x20 is cast iron vs the 3x20? And I assume the frame is larger? There is a big weight difference for the size difference.

 

[CTW]

I have the similar equipment the size of the 4320 and would point out that none of these will lift a pallet of pavers. I do lots of paver work and flagstone work, most pallets of pavers weight about 3,400 lbs and stone can be up to 5,000 lbs.


My suggestion is to have the pallets placed in position when they are delivered. Most places such as Lowes or Home Depot and other brick companies will do this for you without any added charges. Once you have laid some of the pavers from each pallet you can then move them down with a tractor and forks to keep them close to your work.

My thoughts exactly. These pallets will weigh alot more than that FEL capacity, especially the height you will have to lift them off of the trailer. We had paver work done before for a driveway and the crew used a big piggy back forklift that you see on the back of a flat bed rig trailer. As in our case, your delivery company should be placing them for you, especially for a customer who's buying that much product. At any rate, when the project does start, post some pics.

 

[msmud]

The best way to compare the two was by the comprehensive specs published in the various manuals, which used to be available online, but which I can not find so far on the new website. To the best of my remembering, the fronts of the 3000s and 4000s are all cast iron but the 4000s had 500# more capacity, approx 1000# more in the rear; the 4000 has a 3.5" longer wheelbase and about 10" longer OAL.

Generally the dimensional differences are fairly small--except for maximum OAW-- but the capacity differences are substantial. The gross wt of the 4000s is about 800# more than the 3000s, more than a 25% difference. The 4000s also have beefier R1s (8-16 F, 13.6 - 28 R vs 7-14F, 11.2-24r on the 3000s), and better maximum OAW at rear R1s (89" vs 68") for better slope stability.

 

[jcmseven]

Compared to a big farm tractor, none of these machines are overly large, but for a compact the 4000 series are big tractors. The term "compact" seems to address the length of the machine primarily and my 4520 was not much longer than my 3720 and not too much longer than my 2320 even; but it was much wider than either and much taller. It also weighed a lot more. I had a 72" 4/1 WR Long bucket on mine, with loaded tires and had wheel weights as well. I also had a 72" box blade on back and that combination tipped at roughly 6300 pounds. I had a 20' tandem trailer and the combination was just over 8000 pounds. That is a pretty big load for a 1/2 ton, and at the time, my diesel Ford would notice the weight. I know this is by no means a huge load, but for our half ton truck owners out there, careful balancing of the load may be needed if one is planning to transport that kind of machine, even with one of these 10K tow rating trucks. Just another thing to keep in mind when buying.

John M

 

[speedbump]

I had a 20' tandem trailer and the combination was just over 8000 pounds. That is a pretty big load for a 1/2 ton, and at the time, my diesel Ford would notice the weight.

I'll attest to that. I have pulled mine with just the loader on with a 16' tandem trailer. The 6 liter GMC has no problem pulling it, but stopping it is a horse of a different color. The GMC is a 1/2 ton also. And I do have to pull the tractor up on the trailer very slowly and watch for the truck to settle back down near level to get the tractor centered on the trailer with a little tongue weight. Once your going down the road, you forget it's back there, but don't tail gate.