TLB 3520 or 4120???

KB9UDE · Nov 22, 2006

Hi everyone. I am looking at getting into light residential/commercial construction and landscaping. My choices right now are between 3520, 300cx, 448 or 4120, 400x, 448. Which would you choose and why?? I like the 110TLB, but it is out of price range right now. We do not dig very many basements, mostly footings for a crawlspace in central IL.

2nd question: Will the 4120tlb be to heavy for a 7000lb tandem trailer??

John

jcmseven · Nov 22, 2006

John,

I have not owned a backhoe with any of my tractors, but I have owned both 3000 and 4000 series machines and can quickly contrast the differences. I currently have a 3720 which is about the perfect machine for me. It has a lot of power and operates a loader quite well. I also had a 4310 (similar to the 3320) and a 4520. The 4520 was a hoss. It is much larger, which is both good and bad. Pulling heavy duty attachments it did great. It had ample power and with the increased weight could operate larger attachments well. It also had a very stable feel with loaded tires, and rode great over bumpy terrain or with a full loader bucket. The 3720 is its equal in power, the 4310 would not compare with either. With a bucket full, or on rough ground, a mid frame and does not ride quite as well over bumps. My 3720's loader performance with a 61" bucket is similar to the 4520 with a 72". It is much more manuverable, though. I can fit my 3720 into spaces that the 4520 had no hope of going. I can almost go where my former 595 could as far as space, but with much more capability. In more open spaces the 4000 series would be a better choice, but if you have tight areas or soft ground the mid frame is the choice. There are many areas on my property where the 3720 would work circles around the larger machine due to its manuverability. It is heavy enough to do heavy work, and with 35 PTO HP can easily power most any PTO, or hydraulic attachment. The weight could be an issue with a backhoe, but I think either machine would have limitations here in certain cases. As for your trailer, don't do it with a large frame. My neighbor with the 4320 hauls his on a 7K trailer and it REALLY does not appear safe. I had a 7000# trailer initially with my 4520 and it was a load!!!!! You can figure a 4120 spec'd to your needs would weigh 7000# alone and both your trailer and tow vehicle would have a job. I currently have a Gator-Made 14K trailer and it would haul the 4520 easily and barely notices my 3720. Do not scrimp on the trailer. On the other hand, if you like the 7K trailer it would haul a mid frame fine.

John M

minimax · Nov 22, 2006

I have a 3720 with a cab and no backhoe and love the tractor,I had a 4400 TLB and the backhoe are so-so for that kind of work any think out 2.5 to 3 feet will be very slow,the prob. with TLB for that type of work is bucket size and not being able to swing 360 dergees like a mini x, I bought a 35 deere mini x and can out work a 3720/4400 TLB 4 to 1 in what i get done,my best day digging a 1' wide by 3' deep trench I did about 70' to 80' feet a hour on my mini x digging a 1' wide by 3' deep I did 250' to 270' feet a hour. so rent and try before you buy.

minimax

minimax · Nov 22, 2006

Here's a few pics of the mini x working.Try digging a hole like in the pic. with a TLB.

minimax

KB9UDE · Nov 23, 2006

Thanks for the responses so far. I looked into the mini excavators and they are nice and I agree you could work faster, but I need the compact tractor for other reasons also like plowing snow, mowing, etc.

JimParker · Nov 23, 2006

I recently purchased a 3320 w/ 300CX and MX-5 (among other things). The tractor (like all the 3x20 series) weighs 2900 lbs. The 300CX weighs roughly 900 lbs. The MX-5 has to be between 500-700 lbs (can't find the weight in the specs). All together, I'm at about 4500 lbs, plus the trailer itself, which weights 1800 lbs. Total comes to 6300 lbs. If your backhoe weighs 1400 lbs or less (I have no idea of the weight), you would be OK with the 7000 lb trailer if you went with the 3520 TLB. If the BH weighs more than that, you'd be over the weight limit for the trailer.

If you go with the 4120, all the weights go up pretty dramatically. I think you would definitely need to go with a heavier-duty trailer to be legal and safe.

By the way, my rig rides pretty darn well behind my Chevy 1500 pickup (limited to 6900 lbs tow). It feels very stable under way, and I'm quite pleased. It's a Big Tex 70PI model. I spent a bit more ($200 upgrade) to get brakes on both axles, and it makes a pretty big difference! I actually had to back off the electronic control quite a bit, even with a full load. The guys who set it up for me left it set like they would have used it with a single braking axle.

dirtworksequip · Nov 23, 2006

minimax, just out of curiousity. How come in the pic of the electric conduit run you are digging with your boom offset -the blade to the rear and not on the ground?

minimax · Nov 23, 2006

Well for a few reasons, the owner of the grass on the left did not want it tore up, and once I got to the trees I would not have the room to dig with thw boom in the center, Ilike to dig with the blade behind me if the ground is soft because you get a few more feet of dicth before you have move.

minimax

dirtworksequip · Nov 23, 2006

OK, that explains it. Was just curious. Thanks

KB9UDE · Nov 24, 2006

Thanks guys

If I was to purchase a 3520 tlb what could I charge per hour for this size of machine??

John

minimax · Nov 25, 2006

I get $60 hr for the 3720, and $75 for the mini-x but rember not to price your self out of the market or on a bid price I get a $1 a foot to dig the trench up to 3' feet deep and one foot wide and a $1 to backfill.

minimax

Rob-D · Nov 25, 2006

Minimax,
While you are right about the speed of your machine most of us buy TLBs for versatility. You machine is ‘application specific’ and limited.

I personally place versatility above speed. You can't mow with your machine and clearing snow with your BH will leave you outside when the rest of us are inside sipping hot coco with cleared driveways.

minimax · Nov 25, 2006

I can mow circles around a TLB( literally) with the mini-x I have a mower head that goes on the end of the arm!! I could try to clear snow with the hoe but the dozer blade would work but I would rather use the 3720 with a cab

.I use the mini 60-70% of my work.I work all winter and a TLB wont work in a foot plus of mud

,TLB's have there place but they are a jack of all trades and a master of none!Here's a before and after of the mini-x and the mower head! try to mow this with a tractor bushog combo

minimax

Rob-D · Nov 25, 2006

The Mini has its place but it isn't the master of all trades either. Let's be honest you're not going to cut a golf course with those treads and you're not going to beat a good blower with a blade especially in the dead of winter when you have no place to push the snow.

What's the price of that machine new? I'll bet it's not cheap.

How many attachments can you put on it and how fast can you change them? 3PH? Can you even put an FEL on it or a tiller? I don't see a lot of places selling attachments for it. What did that hog cost you? Bet it's not cheap either.

Will the town let you drive it down the road in the summer with those treads?
We have tractors all over the roads here.

Once again, it's a nice machine and it has its place and I'll take my tractor.

minimax · Nov 25, 2006

I'm not trying to start a war, this machine has a brush cutting head on it( 4" cap.) so you wont be cutting a golf course but I can slopes, ditchs, roadsides, small trees, limbing, right of ways, soft or muddy ground.No you dont clear snow with it. Cost of a mini-X is anywhere from $25,000 to 80,000 depending on size,brand,EROPS or OROPS, type of tracks ,attachments,etc.
This mini-x is about $40,000 plus about $10,000 in the mower,brush rake and buckets.As for attachments here we go buckets,thumbs,mowers,brush rakes,breakers,augers,grapples,rotating grapples,rippers,compactors,power tilts,stump grinders,and I could go on,It only takes less than 2 mins. to change attachments. the tracks are steel with rubber pads so they dont hurt pavement but I tralier it to keep the wear down and it would be to slow.
I don't mine if you like your TLB better just more work for me

Here's some more pic's

minimax

jcmseven · Nov 26, 2006

I rented a JD mini-excavator for a weekend about three months ago from our local dealer. It was a nice machine for its purpose. I can say I doubt a tractor with a backhoe would have done the fairly intense excavating I needed to do. I will also say though that if one has some site prep work such as hauling buckets of dirt from one place to another, moving a trailer filled with dirt, etc. or box blading a long section for a floor, etc. I would still prefer the tractor. True, the excavator can do some of those things, but its limited ground speed is inhibitory. If our original poster is going to do some heavy duty or frequent work, investing in one of these neat machines is a good idea; if he is wanting to do "tractor-work" mainly and is dabbling in site prep on a limited basis, he might be out of budget going for one of these machines. I believe his original post really was questioning whether he should go with a large frame or medium frame machine. I suggest a mid frame, unless he wants to buy a different trailer. If he were to go the mini-hoe route, he would DEFINITELY need a new trailer.

John M

minimax · Nov 26, 2006

Well said, I would 2nd the bigger trailer mini-x or the larger frame TLB.

minimax

GreatWhitehunter · Nov 26, 2006

I need to throw in my two cents. I can't see how you'll haul the 3x20 on a 7k trailer? The dry weight of the tractor alone is 2900lbs add the loader and hoe an that's another 2400lbs and the trailers got to weigh at least 2000lbs so the way I see it your 300 lbs over your gvw and thats not including chains other attachments etc. So I think either way you go large or medium frame your going to need a larger trailer. Oh and I'd vote for the 3x20 tractor. Mine's got plenty of versitilty for me.

Matt T.

BloomingtonMike · Nov 27, 2006

A response that is a little closer to home for the OP. Minier, IL has Brad Cross as a JD Dealer. He gets some leased machines back each October and sells them for large discounts. Many come from light duty application area like the Havana golf course. This is where I bought my 3320 and 300X for $17,500 from.

Then there is Sam at Martin Bros here in Bloomington, IL. He has a 4120 or 4320 (cannot remember which) that has a 448 hoe on it that has been there since March. He might be able to work a good deal for you. If you buy from either one of them tell them Mike Heidrick sent you.

Good luck.