John Deere 3038E
The John Deere 3038E compact utility tractor is a step up from the likes of the John Deere 3032E and the John Deere 3005 compact utility tractors.The JD 3038E is a highly versatile machine that is perfect for any landowner (or commercial contractor) that has a wide variety of jobs that need to be performed. This is mostly thanks to the large array of attachments that are compatible with it. Obviously there are a ton of different mower decks that can be either mid mounted or rear mounted on the tractor. These range in size from 54 inches to 72 inches in cutting width.
But it’s not just mowing that the John Deere 3038E is good for. There are a huge number of different sized backhoes (260, 8B and 46 backhoes are just some examples) as well as front end loaders (200x, 305 and 512 loaders are just a few of the loaders compatible with the JD 3038E). This is not forgetting a variety of seeders and snow removal equipment (snow blowers, snow blades, rotary brooms).
The engine powering the John Deere 3038E is a Yanmar 3TNV84T. This is a diesel powered engine with natural aspiration. The engine is not particularly large with a displacement of just 1.5 liters although it does have a decent power output of 37.1 hp. Power from the engine gets to the wheels through a 2 range (Hi and Lo gear) hydrostatic transmission. The power to the wheels is controlled via Twin Touch pedals which make it incredibly easy to control. The category 1, 3 point hitch can take a maximum load of 615 kg (1356 lbs). If you are looking for a similar tractor to the JD 3038E but not quite as powerful, then you should have a look at the John Deere 3320 compact utility garden tractor.If you own one of these tractors, then please feel free to leave a review below.
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Very happy with it. I might eventually trade up to an “R” series, mostly for the added lifting capacity and weight. I should probably get fluid in the tires. And agree that I don’t believe there are mid-mount mowers for this series. This is the first I’ve heard of seals popping in the front, so may look into getting a vented cap / plug. Thanks all for mentioning that!!!
Like the tractor, hate the loader hydraulics
Front axle seals just started leaking like everyone complains about. Shortly after new I sheared the top of the dipstick off the front axle and didn’t worry about it til recently. Put a new one on and it sealed it tight. Then my axle seals blew a month later. I figured out the front axle needs to be vented to preserve the seals.
Poor quality, nuts, bolts, wheel lugs etc fall off. Never buy a cheap JD again.
Good tractor but undependable. 3rd set of front axle seals in less than 2 years/233 hours……
I have three years of use on this machine & love it!!
Everything you would expect from a JD. If you’re looking for a small affordable tractor on steroids, this is the one.
Has 305 loader that works great for small jobs.
Light duty bucket on front end loader.
No rear lights.
Roll bar does not fold.
No toolbox or mount.
In general I am very satisfied with this model. I have no regrets buying it. It has done so much work for me on my property where I operate a small farm and have had to do lot of landscaping. I really like the power that it has, the reliability, the 4 wheel drive and the quality you get from john deere.
The four wheel drive on this machine assists greatly with digging and preventing from getting stuck. Where I live the ground can get very soft. I find that the wide rear tires assists with traction in soft soil and with preventing the making of deep wheel ruts. Even in mud I haven’t had my machine get stuck where it couldn’t get itself out on it’s own.
The other con, is that after spending a fair bit of money on a new machine, there isn’t a rear work light. The headlights work well and are nice and bright, but if you want to back up or hook up an implement in the dark, you will need a rear light as well. Luckily I was able to buy a rear light for $20, and when I checked my 3038 already had 12v wires which were wired into the headlight switch. Adding the rear light was simple and it improved safety tremendously.
A third con, is that the draw bar is very low. It should be another 4-5″ higher in my opinion in order to make it more convenient to hook onto trailers and manure spreaders.
I modified my tractor by doing the following:
-I added a rear work light which works in conjunction with the headlight switch.
-I welded an attachment on my draw bar which allows me to use a universal receiver for pulling trailers. The attachment also increased the height of the draw bar which I felt was needed to pull a manure spreader that I use.
All and all its a great tractor for the money. I always keep the tiller or box blade attached to the 3 point for rear weight. it can be dangerous lifting anything with no weight on the back of this tractor. but over all I have no regrets about this purchas at all but i would like to see the bucket upgraded a little bit.
5 ft brush hog mower—- works ok, i should have spent more money and got one of better quality. remember you get what you pay for.
5 ft box blade—— works awesome,again it will handle a larger one but i dont think its worth working the tractor that hard and in reality your not gonna save any time.
post hole digger with 12″ bit and 9″ bit—— works awesome
6ft disk—- works awesome—– I did add about 500 pounds of weight to the disk to make it dig in better and the tractor still handles it just fine.