Go Bottomconsidering a 3320 is this enough
 | tuolumne
Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 8 Connecticut 
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2007-03-26 140745
Hello, I'm new to the forum and utility tractors. We recently purchased 25 acres in Vermont, I will be building a home there and maintaining that property. This tractor will be used for that construction also; I'll likely rent a backhoe, box grader, york rake etc. if needed. Long term usage will primarily be snow plowing, mowing and hauling firewood. Total budget is 25,000 for tractor, loader, snow plow, and mower. I anticipate getting a rotary cutter and tiller down the road. My goal now is to get as much tractor as possible (new) in that budget.
There is a lot of snow in this area. I like the Curtiss setup that will attach to the loader quickly. Is the 3320 heavy enough to handle vermont snow? I'll have a weight box, but would like to avoid chains. How wide of a plow should I consider? Are filled tires a must? I would rather keep things lighter in this regard in consideration of mowing the lawn with ag tires.
The property has 10% grades in some areas. Will I get bogged down with a trailer load of cord wood?
Area to mow will be 1 to 2 acres, so I don't need a very large deck. I would prefer a belly mower. Would the 72" let me get closer to trees etc.? How easy are these to take on and off?
How high can the 300x loader lift? Can the 3320 lift a full bucket of stones without trouble?
I prefer gear drive over hydro. I'll need rear hydraulics for a possible backhoe. I'll need mid pto for the belly mower.
Is the 3320 the right tractor to be considering, or can I get something in the 4000 series within my budget? Is the larger platform tractor too big to mow with easily? Is the 3000 series to small for heavy snowfall? Will I need the coolant heater for cold weather starting? Any advice is greatly appreciated.
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Add Photoconsidering a 3320 is this enough
| breadboy
Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 8 connecticut
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2007-03-26 140749
Hi ,I have a 2006. 3520 front and rear aux hydraulics.It has a 300 cx loder 448 hoe mid pto,30 hours loaded tires brush guard, heavy duty front bucket.asking 25,500.year and a half warranty too.i also have a like new 6 ft hydraullic angle plow.Curtis brand.Quik attach for the front loader.1450.00.Gene ....
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Add Photoconsidering a 3320 is this enough
| tuolumne
Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 8 Connecticut
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2007-03-26 140750
Where are you in CT? ....
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Add Photoconsidering a 3320 is this enough
 | Iowafun
Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 955 Central Iowa 
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2007-03-26 140751
Ok, the 3320 has ~32 hp according to the Deere site. I have a 4310 at 32 hp so they are pretty comparable. I love it!
I use a 72" Belly mower (referred to as a Mid-Mount Mower or MMM) and it often did better around trees than our little JD325 lawn tractor. But watch for branch height. It can hit the ROPS.
As for snow, with the 4wd, I had no issues with traction. But I would make sure you have weight on the back to counter any weight on the front. Some like using a box blade on the rear 3pt as it's heavy to counter the weight on the front plus you can lower it to push snow with it while going backwards.
That sized tractor can do a lot of stuff. As far as a full load of rocks is concerned, um... depends on the weight of rock. Don't do anything that would jeapardize your safety. Twice as many trips using the tractor is still way better than loading a wheelbarrow using a shovel. It also depends on what you have for counter weight at the back of the tractor. If you use the loader, have weight in the back. I've picked the rear wheels off the ground before using an old tractor. It's exciting, but not the fun kind. ....
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Add Photoconsidering a 3320 is this enough
| breadboy
Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 8 connecticut
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2007-03-26 140757
Hi,I am in the waterbury area.thanks Gene. ....
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Add Photoconsidering a 3320 is this enough
| tuolumne
Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 8 Connecticut
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2007-03-27 140778
Having recieved some pricing, the 3520 looks promising. Will this get better fuel economy than the 3320?
I will be clearing a homesite and moving a lot of trees (12-16" diameter) and brush. I picture bucking them up into 12' lengths and stacking on site to have sawn later. A 12' x 16" log of green maple should be less than 800 lbs so that should be OK. Do the grapples that bolt on the bucket work well, or should I consider a dedicated grapple bucket? What can I expect to spend? Would the add-on grapple work better with a pair of tines bolted to the bottom of the bucket and projecting say 8" or so? My concern with logs is trying to get under them for the pickup. Would all of this greatly inhibit a bit of loader work without removing them? ....
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Add Photoconsidering a 3320 is this enough
 | reason201
Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 91 Nebraska
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2007-03-27 140785
Tuolumne,
When I got my tractor, I went by the same theory that I used when I got my boat. Get the largest unit you can fit into your budget. No one has ever complained that their tractor had too much power or could lift too much or could pull too big of a load. However, the opposite happens all the time. How many posts do you see saying someone is moving up to a larger unit because they found that there were bigger jobs around their property they wanted to do.
Trading tractors is usually expensive and time consuming. I got the basic items I needed in the first year and then added some attachments as time went on. That allowed my initial budget to be spent mostly on the tractor itself. Just my 2 cents worth but given a choice between stretching the budget just a little to get the bigger tractor up front and eating the depreciation if I decided to trade up a couple models later, I will stretch the budget a little up front.
Seat time is addictive... so the more your unit can do, the more fun you can have... uh work you can get done.
John ....
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Add Photoconsidering a 3320 is this enough
 | yooperpete
Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 1413 Northern Michigan 
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2007-03-27 140786
If you are mowing only one to two acres, I'd talk the tractor dealer into a discounted package price to also include a nice garden/lawn tractor with 48-50" deck. I'd think with the larger tractor, that would be overkill for mowing. Compare the cost of a MMM and mid-pto and it will pay for the lawn/garden tractor. You will find this little tractor usefull for lots more than mowing like pulling around a small trailer to haul stuff, roll and or aerate the lawn.
I have a 72" MMM and took it off once and never put it back on. It was too much hassle getting in and under trees and tight spots. Granted in open areas, it mows lots of grass fast. If you had 3-5 acres it would be a totally different story.
At times, I wish my tractor was a little larger, particularly with loader lift capacity. Mine is about 800 lbs. 1,200 to 1,500 lb. capacity would be nice for lifting landscape boulders and larger than 60" bucket to fill it with stuff like branches and limbs from trimming or when spreading bucket fulls of driveway stone. ....
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Add Photoconsidering a 3320 is this enough
| breadboy
Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 8 connecticut
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2007-03-27 140787
I had a grapple on my 3520 manufactured by anbo mfg.The best piece of equipment for clearing.They make two models for the deere.excellent quality.Much better than a bucket grapple. ....
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Add Photoconsidering a 3320 is this enough
| tuolumne
Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 8 Connecticut
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2007-03-28 140804
This forum is a great help! I looked at a 72" frontier plow for the 3520 yesterday. I liked it better and the price was much lower than a curtis. Is this the right size for a 3520 and Vermont snow? Could this tractor handle an 84" plow? I've found with my little 112 that that a 36" plow is too wide, and it almost seems as though the job would go quicker with something smaller. I don't want to be in that situation again at the bigger scale. ....
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Add Photoconsidering a 3320 is this enough
| reason201
Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 91 Nebraska
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2007-03-28 140810
I would think the determining factor for plow size is the type of snow you receive and how it falls. Yes I know that sounds silly. In Nebraska we don't get a lot of snows but when we do get one it tends to be in the 4-8 inch range with lots of wind. That can make for some good sized drifts. In those instances, the only method of moving the snow is with the FEL. The other snows we tend to get here are the early fall and late spring dumps where we get 8-12 inches of heavy wet snow. In these conditions I would opt for the 72 over the 84 as lond as the 72 at angle would cover the tracks of the tractor so the tires were on clean ground. Talk to your dealer and see what he says other owners in the area have done and what success or failures they have had. Local conditions can often make the difference. Good luck...
John ....
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Add Photoconsidering a 3320 is this enough
| cjones
Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 2 Mass
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2008-08-20 156208
Hi Gene,
Wondering if the 3520 you had listed for sale is still available? Thanks ....
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Add Photoconsidering a 3320 is this enough
 | AnnBrush
Join Date: Mar 2004 Posts: 463 Troy OH
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2008-08-21 156216
IMHO Ag tires for a lawn is a no-no. You will keep being disappointed at how they rip up the sod especially if it is wet/soft. This will be aggravated with a MFWD set-up. ....
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Add Photoconsidering a 3320 is this enough
| nuruc7
Join Date: Dec 2008 Posts: 7
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2008-12-19 158682
Did you also check out Tractor House?
http://www.tractorhouse.com/listings/list.aspx?bcatid=464&PCID=&dlr=&dlrgrp=&GUID=33B99DF878DE4FA2B37B0063DA989733&DidSearch=1&EID=1&CDTS=&CDTE=&ual=0&OAuctions=0&scf=true&scfchange=yes&hdnSCFMode=&pc=05601&MDLGrp=&ETID=1&catid=0&Mantxt=&Mdltxt=3520&mdlx=Contains&DPF=&DPT=&WPF=&WPT=&MPF=&MPT=&PF=&PT=&YF=0&YT=0&EventBD=&EventED=&hrsFrom=&hrsTo=&SN=&DRV=&Name=&CTY=&keywords=&txtStates=&LS=&SO=2&btnSearch=Search
I used a 72" boom mounted loader plow on my 4310, and now i have a frame mounted 366 (66") plow on my 3520. I like the frame mounted version a bit better as it is much easier for me to control and keep from gouging the driveway and private roads. I have plowed 24" of snow out of driveways in RI, when we were there, and that was with my former 4100 and 54" blade. So the 3x20 series and a 66, 72 and 84" blade should do just fine.
Right now I am using my dirt scoop as a weight, loaded with materials and that seems to work just fine. I have not needed to try out my JD rear ballast at all yet. Might have to figure out what to do with thing that someday. :D
BTW, I mow less than 2 acres, but I am a member of the Overkill club, and I like to do things quite fast. So if you want to mow with that unit - go ahead! I do and I really like it. LOL! ....
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