JD 6120E Review

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So we ended up pulling the trigger on a used 2016 JD 6120E, 4wd, with loader. It has the 24/12 transmission with the power shift.

I've been shredding roads and hunting spots with a 16' batwing the last month or so with it and I'm very pleased. It has more than enough power. It's nice to ride in as far comfort, ac, radio, air ride seat, etc. Its a ton smoother than our old tractor. It's nice but not fancy which I like. It doesn't have all the draft controls and things like that I dont need any ways.

The transmission is set up good and I have no complaints about finding a certain speed. The power shift is extremely handy. The 25mph top speed is pretty quick on a tractor, even on a good road. 😄

The tractor has way more hydraulic power than rear end. We added rear wheel weights and a grapple. If you grab some thing that does not give it has no problem lifting the rear of the tractor up in a heart beat. It took some time getting use to the sensitivity and power of the loader.

It does have DEF but uses like one of the jugs per 3 or 4 tanks of diesel. I'm use to running def in my trucks so I dont really see it as an inconvenience.

For all the bad press I've read about the E models I'm just not seeing it when driving it. In fact it's quite the upgrade from our old tractor. Time will tell on the longevity I guess. For some one needing a ranching tractor to move hay, shred, disk, spray, do road work, dirt work, odds and ends it's more than capable IMO.

The only thing I did give up is turning radius which is to be expected. Every thing else is a noticable upgrade.
 
Congratulations.
I didn't know they made the 6120 in e.
Good to know. My 85 porpoises pretty bad at top speed on the road. The 5100 not so much. I do think the difference is the weight of the cab on the 5100 versus the open station 5085.
The 12/24 trans is very nice doing hay work.
 
Congratulations.
I didn't know they made the 6120 in e.
Good to know. My 85 porpoises pretty bad at top speed on the road. The 5100 not so much. I do think the difference is the weight of the cab on the 5100 versus the open station 5085.
The 12/24 trans is very nice doing hay work.

Our Case Maxxum does that something awful. Either need to slow down or try to speed up and outrun it. It'll just about buck you out of the seat at times.

I think the short wheelbase and loader is to blame on our tractor.
 
Our Case Maxxum does that something awful. Either need to slow down or try to speed up and outrun it. It'll just about buck you out of the seat at times.

I think the short wheelbase and loader is to blame on our tractor.
I would agree the short wheelbase on the newer tractors is probably what causes it.
The 5100 and 5085 are virtually the same tractor. The 5100 has slightly larger tires and a cab. It has to be one of those that makes it ride better.
 
This tractor does it too some times. I moved it with the shredder hooked up and grappler on front and thought it was the shredder causing it. If you stay around 20 mph it doesnt seem to do it.

To me it feels like the rear going up and down, not so much the front, which is no surprising given how easy it is to lift off the ground.
 
Our 5055e does that too at top speed on the road. I think it's a combination of both tractor being short wheelbase with a loader and the road being rough. It seems to level out and not do it where the road is smoother. Drove it about 5 miles down to the church a while back to move some mulch. It's a state highway that gets a lot of heavy truck and equipment traffic and pretty hilly and curvy. I first thought oh my goodness I don't know if my head can take that jarring, but when it got where the blacktop was in good condition it did much better.
 
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Our 5055e does that too at top speed on the road. I think it's a combination of both tractor being short wheelbase with a loader and the road being rough. It seems to level out and not do it where the road is smoother. Drove it about 5 miles down to the church a while back to move some mulch. It's a state highway that gets a lot of heavy truck and equipment traffic and pretty hilly and curvy. I first thought oh my goodness I don't know if my head can take that jarring, but when it got where the blacktop was in good condition it did much better.

Ours is kind of like the death wobble in a pickup.. Can be going along smoothly and hit a hole that will set it off. Won't stop until you slow way down.

I wondered if filling the front tires with fluid might help.
 
Ours is kind of like the death wobble in a pickup.. Can be going along smoothly and hit a hole that will set it off. Won't stop until you slow way down.

I wondered if filling the front tires with fluid might help.
I don't know. I'm afraid that would make ours too heavy in the front and take traction away from the rear tires. We have fluid in the back tires as a counter weight to the loader, I have actually wondered if putting rear wheel weights would help as that front is pretty heavy.
 
One of the Mitas front tires blew out on me when I was moving the tractor down the road a couple days ago. I had them put 2 new Firestone radials on the front. I was only a couple miles from the place I needed to go. They had to order 2 rears.

It will be interesting to see if the tires make any difference. I'm pretty pessimistic about factory tires on any thing. If they can save a nickle on some thing that is where they will make the cut IMO.
 
Brother has a 6150M that bounces terribly on pavement, even when pulling a big overloaded litter spreader. Just about need to keep your seat belt fastened to stay on. And hoping the buzzer will sound so that you can bail before you get bucked off. A little exaggeration, but it is very bouncy. Don't understand why.
 
No experience with those particular tractors, but often bounching and bucking issues are air pressure related.

One of my Ford loader tractors bucks like crazy on the blacktop when the front tires are aired up near max for heavy loader work. If I drop the pressure down it rides like a dream.
 
No experience with those particular tractors, but often bounching and bucking issues are air pressure related.

One of my Ford loader tractors bucks like crazy on the blacktop when the front tires are aired up near max for heavy loader work. If I drop the pressure down it rides like a dream.
How high is down?
 
Tires can make a huge difference. My tractor never bounced till I blew a rear and changed them both this summer. Switched from Michelins to Goodyear. First time I went down the road I wasn't happy. Certain speeds - I can usually get above or below the bounce speed. On my tractor its usually 28-30mph. Radials are worse than bias I've heard. I've got radials.
 
When the loaders are off for hay season I run 12-16psi in the front tires. 16 ish in the back. With the loaders on for handling two bales I run closer to the max pressure on the side of the tire.

That is on good radial Firestone or Michelin tires.
 

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