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| I am looking at a used 9520T and was just wondering the pluses and minuses of the tractor? I have never had a tracked tractor, but rather duals and triples on the large tractors. Are there any common problems with these tractors? What do I need to look out for on a used model? Thanks, Brett |
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SW MICHIGAN | If you are serious about tracks i would suggest Challenger. I have ran Deeres on tracks and owned Challengers on tracks and i favor the Challenger, they are a smoother ride than a Deere and have been in the track business much longer. |
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| SWMFMAB - 1/16/2008 14:10
If you are serious about tracks i would suggest Challenger. I have ran Deeres on tracks and owned Challengers on tracks and i favor the Challenger, they are a smoother ride than a Deere and have been in the track business much longer.
I have always been fairly loyal to deere, and wouldn't even be considering a tracked tractor except that I have come across this one and the price seems very reasonable for the tractor - much cheaper than comparable Cat tractors. So from your experience, what are the pros and cons of a tracked machine in comparison to tires? |
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SW MICHIGAN | The pros are less compaction, more power to the ground, less slip, narrower transport width, and no flat tires. The cons are price, hard to turn in wet fields, deeres on tracks ride extemely rough on the road, and transport speed (i think the deeres only go 18-20 mph). Every farmer is going to have different opinions on pros and cons to tracks, these are just mine. |
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North Central Iowa | Brett you'll like the 9520T, yes its rough when you go and turn the corner on a road but you'll love it in the field. Will pull what ever you hook to it. No power hop. I would say the MT series is a notch above for ride only but the 9520 is considerably better than the C,D,E, series. My 2 cents. |
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Byron IL | The only time I really have any trouble in the field is when it is wet. Fall tillage in wet conditions can cause some trouble. Mainly if it gets greasy or icy. When you lose traction and a track breaks loose it tends to pull you and when you try to compensate by steering u end up doubling the problem. Overall though I really like the performance of tracks in the field. |
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NEMO | SWMFMAB - 1/16/2008 13:10
If you are serious about tracks i would suggest Challenger. I have ran Deeres on tracks and owned Challengers on tracks and i favor the Challenger, they are a smoother ride than a Deere and have been in the track business much longer.
I agree with you.. Go look at a deere's undercarrage then go look cats.. You'll see why the cats are higher priced, or hold there value better I should say. |
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| I agree. The CAT is certainly the better tractor and will hold its resale value better. One has to ask, why is this tractor "very reasonable"? A JD track tractor has poor resale compared to their wheel tractors; you need to factor that in to making this switch, especially now that they have an improved version on the market, how does that affect the value of this '20 series. You don't want to be stuck with a dinosaur, especially if you can save or wait around for the right CAT machine to pop up that you'll be far happier with. I'm not trying to talk you out of tracks; you'll absolutely love the benefits of a track vs. a 4wd: better field ride quality, no power hop, higher fuel efficiency, less maintenance, lower compaction, easier handling, better steering, and in the case of a Cat, better resale value for the hp. You could spend more now on a Cat, and you'll get more down the road for sure. If it's really, really screaming cheap, you likely can't go wrong, but there is probably a reason for it. Absolutely go with a track, but make sure you are comfortable knowing about a 9520T; I'd take some time to make sure you can't find a Cat that is anywhere close for you. The JD would have to be several tens of thousands of dollars cheaper to justify getting a 9520T over an MT series CAT. I have my money on the Cat winning the longevity argument easily. 12.5L JD engine vs. C15/16 Cat, and the Cat undercarriage is a good deal stouter. |
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SE IL | Probably will open a whole new can of worms, but here goes. Have owned several different Challengers and two different 9520T's. Traded for a STX 450 Quad track 2 years ago (2006 model) and don't anticipate ever going back to a 2 track machine. Ride is far superior, doesn't tear up the ends, and stays running straight if it's slick such as pulling auger cart or chisel plow. Put a Wayne's Tile Plow on it this fall and plowed almost 100,000' tile in. Might use 5% more fuel than Deere in a hard pull but a small price to pay for the other benefits. |
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| The company I work for is true yellow cat, but another place I am familiar with has a JD 9620T & a JD 9520T. The 9520T is an earlier model which has had a lot of problems (i.e. engine mostly) The other big thing is the ride. The earlier 9520T's had a rigid suspension (if any suspension) and it beats the snot out of the driver and the machine. Our local dealer has been (Nov-Dec) advertising 7 used 9520T's that have been traded back in. The 9620T is a nearly new model that has been a sweetheart. Could there be a breakpoint in Serial numbers for good and bad?
I like the power-to-the-ground on tracks, but they can really tear up ends where you turn. The wider the implement, obviously the less impact when turning. I was planting wheat with a 34' drill and a Cat 85E on irrigated ground and it doesn't look bad at all after it came out of the ground.
The view from here I guess. |
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| You are talking about good resale value on a Cat. Tell that to the guy down the road that sold two 65's and a 75 at auction a few months ago. All three were nice tractors, and brought just a bit over a 100 grand, for all three. Paying almost 500 grand and selling for 100 grand 8 years later is not good resale value in my opinion. |
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| That is your opinion. Fortunately, however, resale value is not established by one or two sales here or there. It is a broadly sweeping market trend with many variables. How was the auction, well attended or was it a foul day? Where was it? Auctioning farm tractors in New York City would probably bring their value down a bit - being in a strong market area helps. How many hours on the tractors? What was the former owners' reputation? What were the circumstances of the auction? What did the tractors look like? What condition were the track belts in? All of these things and more affect an individual piece's resale considerably, but as a general rule and trend, the Cats have better resale in tracks whereas JD does better on wheels. You're also talking about some older tractors as well, unless they were C or D or E models. Original 65/75 model tractors are far more than 8 years old. There's more to this story. |
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| I can't disagree with any of your observations except "may take 5% more fuel". It has been my experience that a two track machine of equal hp will use 10-20% less fuel than a quad trac. Also, it takes about 3-4 times more area to turn around than a Deere or CAT. I am assuming that the belt issues with quads have gotten somewhat better. |
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| I forget all the details, but they were nice tractors at a huge retirement auction. I just looked at Machine Finder and there is a 4400 hr 75C they are asking 55 grand for in Mattoon, Ill. and a 6800 hr 75C for 39900 in Melvin Ill. What did those tractors cost new? |
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| Same here, there is a significant difference in powertrain efficiency between a Quad-Trac and the Cat. And with fuel prices high, it makes a big difference on the operating cost of these machines going several hundred hours in a season. A good deal of parasitic loss through the articulated frame driveline, 2 drive axles instead of one on a Cat, and 4 sets of undercarriages instead of 2. There is still no more efficient way of getting power to the ground than through the Cat. I think there are definitely sectors that can use the Quad-Trac (construction, etc.) and applications in which it certainly can excel, but with fuel economy becoming increasingly important, many farmers may re-evaluate the QT as their high hp tillage tractor in favor of the more efficient Cats. |
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John Deere 9520T
