Kubota L3240D Grand Review
Model Year: 2005
I purchased this tractor, my first ever, last year, with approximately 1200 hours on it. The previous owner had really beat the heck out of it. Busted hydraulic mounts on the LA724 loader, broken and bent body panels, broken and repaired loader mounts, leaking transmission and steering seals; the list goes on. I've been doing the repairs myself and have been pleased with the availability of parts (tractorsmart.com especially!) and documentation. The tractorbynet forums have been especially helpful! I have almost 200 hours on the tractor now and have gotten a lot of use out of it. The bucket is very handy for moving large items (even moved a small shed with it) and the 4-in-1 bucket is perfect for ripping out big poison oak plants by the roots. The HST is very easy to use, especially the hi/lo feature on the steering column when doing loader work. And the 4WD is essential on the steep hillsides around here. That said, it's a bit underpowered for the main task for which it was purchased: clearing a 13 acre partially forested lot on steep terrain. That's mostly my fault, as I had no idea what it would take to rip out a tree with a ten inch trunk, or even a small sapling for that matter. Both require the use of the backhoe (a Nardi 220) to break the roots before the tree can be pushed over, and even then it's a struggle to lift/drag the tree out of the resulting hole. The loader is equipped with an L2245 4-in-one bucket which weighs considerably more than the non-articulated 72" bucket it replaced, and that reduces lifting capacity to the point where large stumps must be dragged, not lifted, out of the hole. The water loaded R4 tires don't provide as much traction as standard ag tires, especially on slopes, and that limits the weight that can be dragged. It's like a neighbor said: "compact tractors are good for maintaining stuff, but not for building stuff". I have gotten good service from a Bush Hog RZ60 60" rotary mower, which the tractor pulls and powers with no strain at all. It'll take down small saplings and brush without complaint, and has been a real time saver. I've also used the box blade, a Woods GB72, to scrape a 50' x 75' area for parking, and to spread gravel. Again, the tractor manages it with no problems, unless one of the rippers hits a root, which will stop the tractor dead in its tracks. It's also easy to stop the tractor when pushing dirt in reverse when the scraper digs in more than a couple of inches, and it's difficult to keep that from happening with just the controls on the 3 pt. hitch. Overall I've been pleased with the tractor, and even though the local dealer is sometimes clueless about accessories and repairs, they'll dig in and eventually help figure it out. If I had it to do over again, though, I'd purchase a full sized John Deere or Case backhoe/loader for the greater power and deeper digging depth.
Pros: Very easy to learn and use (even the wife has no problems driving and running the loader). Good parts availability, easy to maintain. Kubota hydraulic fluid is very expensive so I've switched to Tractor Supply brand with no issues.
Cons: Differential lock hard to keep engaged without removing enough weight off the seat to activate the engine kill switch.
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