3 or 4 series?

Yea the 4052R is likely the best pic for what your describing for your needs.
I have done several of those task you mentioned and I am thinking it's good thing they were out of 2038R you were planning to buy.

The loader capability and weight of the 2038R machine would have had some real issues with some of the task on your list there.

I have owned a 2038R, and a 4044R and currently own a 2025R and 4066R.

The 4052R is going to be a great choice for your overall needs.

I can tell you first hand a 2038R would not have liked messing with Rip-rap size rock at all. You would have been fighting moving that stuff all the way with a 2038R.

My 4066R can handle it, but honestly does not like that heavy large rock, but it can and has done it.

I agree 100% on the 4052R over the 4044R if your planning to have any PTO attachments, that turbo makes a world of difference on attachments like mowers, tillers or ground engaging tillage equipment in general. Strictly loader or backhoe work probably would not really matter.

Ditto on the 4-series recommendation. We have a small homestead and I don’t think we could get near the work accomplished satisfactorily with anything smaller. We routinely haul Class B Rip Rap to the lakefront, and we mill 1,200 to 1,500 board feet of lumber every couple of months or so. Plus, we have a small steel fabrication shop, and I’m always needing to lift materials, or fabricated items for receiving, work, or shipping.

cc1999 said:

Yea the 4052R is likely the best pic for what your describing for your needs.
I have done several of those task you mentioned and I am thinking it's good thing they were out of 2038R you were planning to buy.

The loader capability and weight of the 2038R machine would have had some real issues with some of the task on your list there.

I have owned a 2038R, and a 4044R and currently own a 2025R and 4066R.

The 4052R is going to be a great choice for your overall needs.

I can tell you first hand a 2038R would not have liked messing with Rip-rap size rock at all. You would have been fighting moving that stuff all the way with a 2038R.

My 4066R can handle it, but honestly does not like that heavy large rock, but it can and has done it.

I agree 100% on the 4052R over the 4044R if your planning to have any PTO attachments, that turbo makes a world of difference on attachments like mowers, tillers or ground engaging tillage equipment in general. Strictly loader or backhoe work probably would not really matter.

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So true, the turbo on the 2038 really whistles away running the tiller in virgin ground 💨

Having a 4052R, I am also sure that you will love this tractor.

If you are saying to yourself "should I have gone up to the 4066R?", let me give you something to consider.

The 4052R and 4066R use the same frame, cab, transmission, and virtually the same engine and turbo charger, but the 4066R engine adds the complexity of an intercooler to pump out a few more horsepower.

The 4052R has an air conditioning condenser, fuel cooler, hydraulic oil cooler, and radiator located in front of the engine, all impeding the airflow drawn by the fan to keep everything cool.

The 4066R has all of these same things, but adds another radiator looking device (and lots of piping) called an intercooler which reportedly cools intake air to provide this added horsepower.



The green piping in this picture going across the top of the radiator to the front intercooler are some of the extra pieces that are not present in a 4052R. These two holes are present, but blocked. You can see the big stack-up of "coolers" that are already present in 4 series tractors which is made worse by the addition of the intercooler. You have probably read threads on GTT discussing the challenges of keeping dust and chaff cleaned out of the areas between these coolers (and the coolers themselves) to allow the tractor to stay cool.


Here is what the front of my 4052R looks like. There is nothing installed in front of the air conditioning condenser.



The 4066R is a great tractor, but the added complexity of installing the intercooler crossed the line for me in making the decision to buy a 4052R. Admittedly, I do all my own wrench turning on all my cars, trucks, tractors, dozer, backhoe, etc, and have a "mechanic's mentality" on wanting to reduce complexity whenever possible, and reduce the number of components that can cause problems and make it more difficult to work on a vehicle.

I wouldn't be worried about an intercooler. The larger tractors have them and they are generally used for much heavier duty cycles than compacts are. My 5075E has one and the radiator screen gets plugged before any of the other radiators or the intercooler does because the radiator screen sits right in front of the radiator, which is immediately before the cooling fan.

I owned a 3520 before buying my 4066R a few months ago. The 4066R can do more but I could do a better job with the 3520. Biggest problem with the 3 series is they are tippy. Front visibility is also better, same cab so no difference there. You have more HP with 4 series and the Hitch assist is great. I'd say it's like comparing a 1/2 ton truck to a 3/4 ton truck in a lot of ways.

Huge difference in the 3series vs the 4series is the steel transmission case on the 4series, and the 4cyl diesel. My 3series is a 3cyl diesel with an alloy hydro trans. Perfect for my 4 acre place, drags a double-10 row disc and has a FEL, also pulls a ripper @16" deep. But for real work like a Bobcat would do, I'd buy a 4 series instead. JMHO, of course.

Gunny Hank said:

But for real work like a Bobcat would do, I'd buy a 4 series instead. JMHO, of course.

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Ultimately that's what caused us to decide on the four series; a lot of what we want to do is appropriate for a Bobcat, but there are enough other jobs where versatility of the tractor was more appealing (not saying that a Bobcat isn't versatile).