Used MX5800 vs L5740

[Tyvmmm]

Looking at a first tractor for our small family farm we purchased last year. Have found a used L5740 and mx5800 I am really interested in. Both are HST.

The L5740 is about 10 years old with 3000 hrs but is very well maintained. Includes FEL, one set rear remotes, R4 tires, the electronic transmission features, cruise control, etc.

The mx5800 is 5 years old, only 200+ hrs. It includes a fel, 6 ft bush hog, bale spear and skid steer connect bucket. Filled ag tires, one set of remotes.

What things would be best to consider between these two models and these two specific tractors in addition to cost?

The specs I care about seems fairly similar to me. The additional implements with the 5800 are nice, but the mx5800 asking price is about $15k above the L5740.

Looking forward to your thoughts!

 

[GeoHorn]

Both are Open Station?

Why is the owner(s) selling?

The ”L” was comparatively a more expensive tractor when new, all other features the same, and presumeably less restrictive emissions controls.

 

[Tyvmmm]

Both are Open Station?

Why is the owner(s) selling?

The ”L” was comparatively a more expensive tractor when new, all other features the same, and presumeably less restrictive emissions controls.

Both are open, the mx has a canopy. L owner is just phasing out as he has another tractor he does most of his work with now.

Mx owner is retiring and changing life plans/downsizing, getting rid of his animals (was primarily using for moving bales and brush hogging). I know the mx is a tier 3 engine.

Would the 3000 hrs deter you from the L vs the MX (only 200 hrs)?

 

[mcfarmall]

If well maintained, these engines can last 10,000 hours.

 

[trueg50]

How close is their pricing to your nearest dealer?

All the private party prices I've seen the last 2 years are within "close enough" to new pricing.

Pricing aside, do you have minimum hard requirements? Things like " I need X PTO horsepower to run my generator", or " I need to lift X weight bale to Y height". An L will be a little light and lift a little less but will be more comfortable and with more features. See the many Messicks comparisons of the lineups. The two tractors are far more different than the spec sheets say.

 

[MOOTS]

MX but I am extremely biased.

 

[jyoutz]

Compare the specs. If they are similar then you have to consider condition vs price. 3000 hours is a huge difference compared to 200 hours, but both are likely to give you years of service. I love my MX6000 and there’s not a time that I have regretted buying it. The MX does have DPF and I’m not sure if the grand L does have that or not, but at 3000 hours it might be time to replace the canister (not cheap). Many people dislike the DPF

Both are open, the mx has a canopy. L owner is just phasing out as he has another tractor he does most of his work with now.

Mx owner is retiring and changing life plans/downsizing, getting rid of his animals (was primarily using for moving bales and brush hogging). I know the mx is a tier 3 engine.

Would the 3000 hrs deter you from the L vs the MX (only 200 hrs)?

I’m pretty sure the MX5800 is tier 4 exhaust. At 3000 hours, the machine still has a lot of life left, but come be nearing time for some component replacements. At 200 hours, the MX is still basically new. If both are well maintained and treated, they will both serve you well, but they are not comparable in terms of “use.” There are some nice features on the grand L, but I prefer the simplicity and overall ruggedness of the MX.

 

[PoTreeBoy]

Looking at a first tractor for our small family farm we purchased last year. Have found a used L5740 and mx5800 I am really interested in. Both are HST.

The L5740 is about 10 years old with 3000 hrs but is very well maintained. Includes FEL, one set rear remotes, R4 tires, the electronic transmission features, cruise control, etc.

The mx5800 is 5 years old, only 200+ hrs. It includes a fel, 6 ft bush hog, bale spear and skid steer connect bucket. Filled ag tires, one set of remotes.

What things would be best to consider between these two models and these two specific tractors in addition to cost?

The specs I care about seems fairly similar to me. The additional implements with the 5800 are nice, but the mx5800 asking price is about $15k above the L5740.

Looking forward to your thoughts!

What tasks will you be doing? R4's wouldn't be very good for plowing or in the mud, but should be fine for mowing.
SSQA is nice, for about $1500 you should be able to buy an adapter and modify the bucket.
Do you have a dry place to store it? If not, I'd use the 15 grand to build a shelter.
One thing I'd dislike about the L is that the brakes are on the right side, preventing the use of steering brake. Just a personal thing.
Do you have the time and ability to make small repairs and adjustments? With its age, time and extra gadgets, I'd expect a little more TLC on the L, but, personally, I'd take that over the DPF. Either one will require oil changes, etc. Can you do that, or will you have to transport it? Get an Operator Manual and maybe the WorkShop Manual for either one.

 

[Tyvmmm]

How close is their pricing to your nearest dealer?

All the private party prices I've seen the last 2 years are within "close enough" to new pricing.

Pricing aside, do you have minimum hard requirements? Things like " I need X PTO horsepower to run my generator", or " I need to lift X weight bale to Y height". An L will be a little light and lift a little less but will be more comfortable and with more features. See the many Messicks comparisons of the lineups. The two tractors are far more different than the spec sheets say.

Their offers are each considerably lower than buying new right now. And while I like the idea of buying new, we have always tried to buy things outright to stay out of debt and avoid financing costs.

Regarding requirements, we’re still feeling that out. I like the idea of at least 50 hp pto, as that is the minimum requirement to run our county coop’s small no till drill which I could see is potentially using.

We currently use only square bales for our cows due to storing in an old tobacco barn so lifting and stacking round bales isn’t really on the radar.

I think primary initial uses are brush hogging some pastures that get pretty muddy at times, some dirt moving and prepping family garden plots, maybe eventually some grappling for land clearing on the perimeters and in our wooded land.

I watched some of the messicks videos, I wish there was a way to rent for a week and use to really get a feel for each machine.

 

[Tyvmmm]

Compare the specs. If they are similar then you have to consider condition vs price. 3000 hours is a huge difference compared to 200 hours, but both are likely to give you years of service. I love my MX6000 and there’s not a time that I have regretted buying it. The MX does have DPF and I’m not sure if the grand L does have that or not, but at 3000 hours it might be time to replace the canister (not cheap). Many people dislike the DPF

I’m pretty sure the MX5800 is tier 4 exhaust. At 3000 hours, the machine still has a lot of life left, but come be nearing time for some component replacements. At 200 hours, the MX is still basically new. If both are well maintained and treated, they will both serve you well, but they are not comparable in terms of “use.” There are some nice features on the grand L, but I prefer the simplicity and overall ruggedness of the MX.

Good feedback, thanks.

The 5800 seller told me it was a 2017 bought in 2018 and is a tier 3, and said no def. I’ll confirm for the L.

 

[Tyvmmm]

What tasks will you be doing? R4's wouldn't be very good for plowing or in the mud, but should be fine for mowing.
SSQA is nice, for about $1500 you should be able to buy an adapter and modify the bucket.
Do you have a dry place to store it? If not, I'd use the 15 grand to build a shelter.
One thing I'd dislike about the L is that the brakes are on the right side, preventing the use of steering brake. Just a personal thing.
Do you have the time and ability to make small repairs and adjustments? With its age, time and extra gadgets, I'd expect a little more TLC on the L, but, personally, I'd take that over the DPF. Either one will require oil changes, etc. Can you do that, or will you have to transport it? Get an Operator Manual and maybe the WorkShop Manual for either one.

Good feedback, thanks. Ability? Maybe. Time? Depends. Ha. I do my oil changes and basic jobs on all my vehicles and as much I have time for. I have never owned a Diesel engine, though.

I do have a lean to pole barn I can store under, and plan to extend and add doors.

 

[jyoutz]

Good feedback, thanks.

The 5800 seller told me it was a 2017 bought in 2018 and is a tier 3, and said no def. I’ll confirm for the L.

Tier 4 doesn’t mean DEF. DEF is only required for 75+ hp machines. My 2021 MX6000 is tier 4, but no DEF. I specifically chose a new model with tier 4 because I can operate my tractor all day without sinus headaches. My old tractor without DPF gave me a headache after operating more than 30 minutes.

 

[mcmxi]

MX but I am extremely biased.

Hard to argue with this! I'd pick the MX over the L in this situation, no doubt about it.

 

[BobInSD]

Good feedback, thanks.

The 5800 seller told me it was a 2017 bought in 2018 and is a tier 3, and said no def. I’ll confirm for the L.

I have a 5740, and can confirm that there is no DPF or DEF. Many say it's not a big deal, and in NC you probably won't have an issue. Most of the big problem$ I hear of are in the winter (and winter is cold here, -20F is common and -35F is not unheard of).

I really like my 5740, but I think I would go MX for the ag tires and SSQA on the loader. I did not think SSQA would be much of a big deal, but I use it much more than I thought I would. On a smaller place with a single tractor you will probably find it useful also.

 

[rc51stierhoff]

I’d sort of think about what attachments you might want over next 5-10 yrs. If you ever plan to have a bucket plus 3rd function up front, and or forks, front auger, grapple etc are all very handy and SSQA would be a factor potentially. To me the versatility on the front end will enable you to use for a lot of different tasks and situations IMO….I am very biased though towards using forks more than my bucket and wanting to be able to swap implements on the loader quickly. Sort of depends on your uses and how often. Good luck.

 

[fried1765]

I’d sort of think about what attachments you might want over next 5-10 yrs. If you ever plan to have a bucket plus 3rd function up front, and or forks, front auger, grapple etc are all very handy and SSQA would be a factor potentially. To me the versatility on the front end will enable you to use for a lot of different tasks and situations IMO….I am very biased though towards using forks more than my bucket and wanting to be able to swap implements on the loader quickly. Sort of depends on your uses and how often. Good luck.

My forks STAY on my loader for about 70% of the time.
My bucket about 30%

 

[PaulL]

They're roughly comparable machines. MX a bit stronger, L a bit more complex transmission. The big difference is the hours. Is it worth $15K to you to have a 200 hour machine. That's the big difference. If it were a 3000 hour MX vs a 3000 hour Grand L, we could do all the debating about this feature or that feature in the world. But for those two machines, the age and price are the differences that matter.

If you can afford the $15K extra, get the MX. It'll last longer, less to maintain, it's a bit more powerful tractor and probably a little better suited to the kind of uses you describe. If you don't want to spend the $15K, get the L and don't look back. They're an excellent machine, and it'll do everything you describe just fine.

SSQA and tires are considerations. The slightly different attachments matter too. But seems like none of that would be a deal breaker given your uses are up in the air anyway. I was taking the pins out of my bucket to put the forks on for a couple years, and didn't hurt me. Annoying, but I didn't use forks _that_ often, and was only 10-15 minutes.

Either machine can be sold and replaced if your use turns out to require a different sort of machine.

 

[Tyvmmm]

They're roughly comparable machines. MX a bit stronger, L a bit more complex transmission. The big difference is the hours. Is it worth $15K to you to have a 200 hour machine. That's the big difference. If it were a 3000 hour MX vs a 3000 hour Grand L, we could do all the debating about this feature or that feature in the world. But for those two machines, the age and price are the differences that matter.

If you can afford the $15K extra, get the MX. It'll last longer, less to maintain, it's a bit more powerful tractor and probably a little better suited to the kind of uses you describe. If you don't want to spend the $15K, get the L and don't look back. They're an excellent machine, and it'll do everything you describe just fine.

SSQA and tires are considerations. The slightly different attachments matter too. But seems like none of that would be a deal breaker given your uses are up in the air anyway. I was taking the pins out of my bucket to put the forks on for a couple years, and didn't hurt me. Annoying, but I didn't use forks _that_ often, and was only 10-15 minutes.

Either machine can be sold and replaced if your use turns out to require a different sort of machine.

Great perspective, thanks! I think I’m leaning toward the MX after everyone’s feedback. I’ll keep you posted.

 

[mcmxi]

I am very biased though towards using forks more than my bucket and wanting to be able to swap implements on the loader quickly. Sort of depends on your uses and how often. Good luck.

Forks are my least used implement up front, well, almost. I use buckets, a snow blade, and a grapple most of the time. Forks are necessary but only when moving a fuel tank, pallets of concrete, pallets of other materials or the generator. I would estimate about 5% or less is pallet fork use, which is still more use than the loader mounted auger, up to this point at least.

 

[jyoutz]

Forks are my least used implement up front. I use buckets, a snow blade, and a grapple most of the time. Forks are necessary but only when moving a fuel tank, pallets of concrete, pallets of other materials or the generator. I would estimate about 5% or less is pallet use for me, which is still more use than the loader mounted auger.

I agree. I don’t use my forks that often. But when I need them, nothing else will do.