JD M Series and E Series

[chevytaHOE5674]

Not a green guy at all but do work on some from time to time. From my limited experience an M is twice the tractor as an E. More metal where it counts, better cab and layout, better built everything. An M is the way to go from what I've seen underneath and inside of them.

 

[littletom]

Anyone ran a M with the 32 speed transmission? Will be looking for a 5100 or 5115m this spring see this option on some seems it would be handy.

 

[SmokinM]

Anyone ran a M with the 32 speed transmission? Will be looking for a 5100 or 5115m this spring see this option on some seems it would be handy.

I haven't but my 5100M has the 16 spd. and my one real complaint with the tractor is a hole in the gears between 8-9. Right where you do 90% of your work. I would think maybe the 32 would fix that.

 

[littletom]

I have a open station 5085m put about a 1000 hours on it pretty happy with it other than its loud. Will be going with a cab on this one.

 

[Stocker Steve]

Did some internet searching for JD tractor reviews. Several themes came out:

E series are not built as heavy as... so they are junk.
E series are fine as long as you use them appropriately.
E series are awesome for food plots. ;-)

 

[Stocker Steve]

Not a green guy at all but do work on some from time to time. From my limited experience an M is twice the tractor as an E. More metal where it counts, better cab and layout, better built everything. An M is the way to go from what I've seen underneath and inside of them.

When would you go with the M series vs. the 6100 series?

 

[ccr]

We have a JD 5083 E and like it, does what we need on 60 acres. We use it to spray with a 100 gallon sprayer, use for front end loader work, some dirt work, putting out hay, and mowing some. Everything good so far. We've had it for 7 years and put about 200 hours on it per year.

 

[SmokinM]

Not a green guy at all but do work on some from time to time. From my limited experience an M is twice the tractor as an E. More metal where it counts, better cab and layout, better built everything. An M is the way to go from what I've seen underneath and inside of them.

When would you go with the M series vs. the 6100 series?

I am not him but here are my thoughts. The M is a bit more compact more of a chore/hay tractor. You would move up if your operation involved a little more tillage or larger scale. If you hauled on a trailer a bunch the M would be a better choice. Not sure where they fall in price wise so that would make a difference to maybe. Also not sure on torque in the motor. That could make a big difference pulling a larger baler etc. 100 hp is not equal in all tractors. Your place is fairly flat but if you had big hills the larger frame would be worth it also.

 

[MudHog]

Although I really like my 5425, my next tractor will be a 6000 series. The cab size, sound control, and ride are so much better in the 6000 series. Lots of people told me the same thing when I was looking to buy a tractor 3 years ago. I borrowed a 6210 2wd last year and the cab was so quiet I kept looking at the tachometer to make sure I hadnt hit the throttle to drop the engine rpms. It also had the hydraulic hi/lo which will be a MUST on my next tractor. Triple mid valve was a must on my 5425 and I use it alot. Hi/lo will be a must on my next one.

If you haul to tractor alot and you got the truck to haul the heavier tractor, 6000 series would be the better option. The bigger frame rides better too.

I believe JD started emissions in 2012, so prior to that would be the first tractors I would be looking at.

 

[cfpinz]

Did some internet searching for JD tractor reviews. Several themes came out:

E series are not built as heavy as... so they are junk.
E series are fine as long as you use them appropriately.
E series are awesome for food plots. ;-)

My folks have a couple of the e series, a 93 and 83(5) I believe. The hydraulics are impressive and they start well in cold conditions, but the cabs and overall quality leave a lot to be desired. My cousin is a tech at the local JD place and he continually stresses how important it is to keep up with hydraulic fluid changes on these model tractors. When I drained them both the first time, I saw what he was talking about - those hydraulic systems put off a lot of trash.

They both rank a solid "Meh..." in my book.

 

[Stocker Steve]

The 4 cylinders do start really well, but not so with the 3 cylinders.

What kind of thrash did you find in the hydraoulic oil? My best find was rods from a roller bearing...

 

[LocustDaleCattleCompany]

Anyone ran a M with the 32 speed transmission? Will be looking for a 5100 or 5115m this spring see this option on some seems it would be handy.

I'm running a 5115M with the 32 speed tranny and it's nice to have the extra gears doing hay work. Also run a 6120R and the 6 series is a huge jump up compared to the 5 series. Love the nimbleness of the 5115m though, solid tractor. There should be tons of DOT returns sitting on JD lots right now to look at.

 

[LocustDaleCattleCompany]

I borrowed a 6210 2wd last year and the cab was so quiet I kept looking at the tachometer to make sure I hadnt hit the throttle to drop the engine rpms.

Completely agree, the 6 series is much quieter than the 5 series!

 

[cfpinz]

What kind of thrash did you find in the hydraoulic oil? My best find was rods from a roller bearing...

You'll have that...

No big chunks, but it had the color/consistency of something I would have expected to be drained from a machine with 10k hours on it. Supposedly, if you don't keep up with the hydraulic service on those machines the trash will wind up plugging up the solenoids/valves associated with the reverser. Which was the reason my father dropped the 5093e off at my house - "My reverser isn't working...". For information's sake, it had 2k or 3k hours on the original oil (nice!) and the 508xe had 500 hours or so - they both looked like overflow from the Exxon Valdez.

 

[Stocker Steve]

My reverser shifts smooth into reverse, but has a noticeable "thud" into forward. Any ideas here?

 

[cfpinz]

My reverser shifts smooth into reverse, but has a noticeable "thud" into forward. Any ideas here?

When is the last time hydraulic fluid was changed? Did you pull the screen out of the back just beside PTO and clean it thoroughly?

There's two wires going into the back of the seat for a safety switch. Short them together with a blue crimp on style electrical connector like is used on so many trailer wiring harnesses. Cousin says that fixes a lot of them - it did on one of ours.

 

[Cress27]

Go with the m series if you can afford it. It's a lot smoother ride and a much better cab more bells and whistles. To me the m series run a lot smoother and more quite than the e series and heavier. I've used both and from what I see the m series are just a better built and well rounded tractor then the e series. Nothing wrong with going ether way tho.

 

[OklaBrangusBreeder]

(IMHO)

It's all about fitting the tractor to your operation...

I have a 5093E that I bought new in 2009. I absolutely love the tractor. The first cab tractor and largest tractor we have ever had on the farm. For the price I paid, I think is/was a great buy. It's been a reliable and dependable tractor the whole time I've owned it. Never once have I had a need that my 5093E did not accomplish. I feed a 40 head herd all winter with it and I use it to cut/bale about 300 4x6 round bales in the summer. The tractor has been 100% for what I needed. If Deere did not offer the E series models, I would be unable to justify "paying up" to the M Series for my size operation. I probably would have gone with a lesser brand for lesser money. I'm very glad I did not have to make that choice. I got the dependability and support of my local John Deere dealer which is worth a lot for me.

Now, I'm sure their are JD owners that would look down the nose at the E series. Their operations demand "more" tractor than the E series offers and so they own either the M series or the R series. That is why Deere basically offers 3 different models around the size of mine. It would make NO sense for my needs to pay more than what I paid for my E series. There are other operators that would be very unhappy with an E series for their operations. That's not a reflection on the tractor, but rather a reflection on whether that tractor is right for their intended use.

I'm a believer that the E series is a great tractor if it fits your operation. For me, it's perfect... If it is right for your operation, I would highly recommend one.

 

[littletom]

I test drove a 5115m today, nice ride

 

[T & B farms]

I would look for a lower hour 7130, or 7230.
Put many many hours on several 7230's with great luck. Running 6140r's now. They are very fancy and enjoyable to run, ATR is awesome, but a lot more problems with them.