cornbot - 2/5/2021 16:29

I run a couple 8650s. The cab isn't as nice as Deere, but the Sisu engine runs so quiet you don't need it. The CVT is really slick. I mostly don't work mine hard (planting and grain cart), so it just putts along at low RPM to do its job nice and quiet while burning the minimum fuel. When you do run it hard, the CVT sure is a smooth way to put power down. One has front suspension, one doesn't. The front suspension does matter. It doesn't look like it does much, but it is. I think cab suspension is standard on all, which I love. Cab suspension has one issue. The actuators go out every so often (one every other year or so for the pair of tractors). They aren't cheap and are a pain in the butt to put in. Not complicated, but a pain. The rear actuators you need to move the tires to get to them. The fronts, you have to slide the fuel tank out. Once you have cab suspension, it WILL be a priority to have it working! There have been known issues with the remote connectors. I think they get hot and melt the seals out if running hydraulic motors. They are surprisingly inexpensive and easy to change. I now keep a spare in each tractor.

I think they all are DEF. My older one is tier3 and hardly uses any (around 1% of fuel). The newer one is tier4 and uses more (around 2-3% of fuel). I've had a couple DEF issues, but were always dumb things. The most recent was the heated pressure line had rubbed through and was throwing a code because the heating element was open. No problem, the dealer had one in stock and it took about 15 minutes to change. Idiotic that it was derating while it was 90 FLIPPING DEGREES OUTSIDE... Which is probably not unique to these tractors. One more complaint is that they can collect a lot of mud under the cab and thereabouts - just a lot of places for stuff to get into and nearly impossible to clean out.

All in, I'm very happy with them. Very quiet, comfortable operation while being easy on fuel. I also like that it weighed a decent amount for the chassis and I didn't have to spend another $5000 on weight that should have been there in the first place.