Finally pulled the trigger, put deposit on an L45

[vjd57]

Well finally made a decision yesterday after 10 months of research . . . . . . chose orange over green (yellow JD 110). Looked at many many used tractors as well but in the end the 0% financing for 60 months was too good to pass up. Other than worrying about the almost certain blow out w/ the wife when she finds out I bought it (and the price!) I have been on a 24 hr. natural high. Haven't been this excited since I don't know when!

Couple of questions.

Can I get away w/ an 18' Big Tex trailer? Weight wise I'm OK (10,000 lb GVW) but length wise not sure. Anybody been hualing one of these around? Whatcha using?

Primarily going to use this clearing land and moving dirt at my camp, do I need to fill the rear tires on this bad boy? Dealer says it will add about 800 lbs which might put me slightly over 10,000 lb towing limit of my Chevy 2500 HD but don't plan on towing more than 2-3 times a year.

Thanks in advance for any input.

 

[troe]

sure would like to see some pics? i think that will be a nice tractor.

 

[pat331]

vjd57, Congratulations! I'm jealous. I've got an L35 that is a little smaller than your L45. I haul it with a F250 w/ a 7.3l diesel and a 20' goose-neck trailer. The truck is rated at 13.7k & the trailer is rated at 14k. With the L35 weighing about 8k, the truck/trailer handle it just fine. The length of the trailer is about right for the L35. I put the front bucket flat on the floor, about 1' from the front and the backhoe bucket about 6" from the end of the trailer. I have put the FEL up on the goose-neck, so I could haul stuff on the end of the trailer, but haven't done that very often. I'd guess the 18' trailer will be ok, maybe a little short. As far as filling the tires, I'd recommend it. I use my L35 for a lot of 3pt work. Even with a 900 lb counterweight on the 3pt, the FEL will still lift a back tire off the ground. This is with the rear tires filled with water/antifreeze. If you don't ever plan on taking the BH off, you'll be ok. Good Luck and please post pictures once you get your new L45 home!

 

[Eric McCarthy]

Agreed with Pat 110%

 

[vjd57]

I'll try to post some picture when I take delivery but probably not going to be until the end of the month.

Decided I should spend the extra money and go with a 20' trailer, dealer is trying to get one shipped up to NH from Texas. Hopefully it will all come together at the end of the month.