Buying Advice I was wrong. L3800 too small for my needs.

[gocards1177]

Although I bought my L3800 last May, I didn't get to use it hardly at all last year. (So far I've only put 10.2 hours on it But after spending half of that time cutting brush yesterday, I now realize it's too small. And without sounding like a wuss, I would be happier with a cab. To review, we have 83 acres, 46 of which is thick woods. So there's 37 acres to keep nature at bay on. And a 2800 foot long gravel drive to maintain. No animals, no house yet, someday an orchard. I don't have any aspirations of driving into the woods. I'm content with trimming the periphery of low hanging limbs to protect a cab.

So, I'm now in the market for a bigger, cab tractor. (Thankfully with my wife's blessing. :thumbsup: Whew!) I like my local Kubota dealer - honest, easy to work with, and fair prices. So I'll stick with them and Kubota. They have a 4240 on the lot that I'll go drive tomorrow, but they would have to get a 4740, 5240, or 5740 from another dealer. I guess tractor dealers trade inventory just like new car dealerships trade? If I can get the pricing to work out, I think I'll go for the 5240 or 5740. They're offering (over the phone anyway) 16,500 as trade for my L3800 and loader, which is pretty fair in my opinion considering the deal they gave me last year on it. He quoted me a price over the phone for the 4240 and 5240 that are 15% below the "Build your own" on the Kubota website. He said he can't remember the last 4740 he sold, so he didn't bring it up. I didn't ask about a price ont he 5740 and he didn't bring it up. With the new emissions changes and the phasing out of the 40 series, I want to move forward soon.

I'll keep my 6' cutter and box blade.

If there's one thing this sites good at, it's giving advice. Do I have to get all the bells and whistles now, even if I don't need them? Can a Mid Mount PTO or remote hydraulics be added later by the dealer? I know the M.O. on this site is "never too big", but I don't want to jump to an M series - I'm hooked on the HST. Is there a sweet spot? I'm thinking 5240?

 

[Uyuni]

Funny...I just went in last week to check out the L3800 but have recently decided to get the L4240 as soon as my dealer gives me a better price.
I can't even get the to go 10% less than Kubota site

 

[Code54]

Had a 3700 for about a year and found it was too small also - ended up with a MX5100 and am much happier now (no cab however)
Good luck!

 

[Gale Hawkins]

Have you consider getting some old iron in a much larger size? It can be fun having a beater piece of equipment.

Upsizing at McDonald's might not be the best thing to do but often is when buying equipment.

 

[gocards1177]

Actually yes. As you can see from my pic I have a bit of a nostalgic side. The red truck was my uncle's 67 f100. I'm the second owner. A blast to drive. I hope to restore it and give it to my 2YO son someday.
Speaking if someday, a big, older tractor would be fun to have. For now I need a utility tractor, though. I'm doing this for enjoyment and to let off steam. I'm not a "real" farmer. As such, now that I've got my feet wet I'd like to make it a bit more enjoyable.

 

[gocards1177]

Funny...I just went in last week to check out the L3800 but have recently decided to get the L4240 as soon as my dealer gives me a better price.
I can't even get the to go 10% less than Kubota site

Don't get me wrong. The L3800 is a sturdy, straightforward tractor. I've found it to just be a bit too small and I've decided I would prefer a cab.

 

[Sockwell]

I went through the very same scenario. Upgraded from an L3240 to an L5740HST3C about a year later. There was nothing wrong with the 3240. It just wasn't big enough. FWIW, I went ahead and got everything I thought I'd need at the time of purchase.

 

[s219]

Shoot, 10 hours in a year -- you should rent!

 

[Buppies]

Have a 5240 about one year now and very pleased with it so far. Primary usage is moving dirt mulch and snow removal. Just installed 3 rear remotes to operate snow blade. Width is very stable on hillsides and power is adequate for my needs. Only mow with if z turn is out of commission. Cab is quiet, heats in subteen temperatures and cools in triple digit very very well. Overall could not be happier

 

[gocards1177]

Shoot, 10 hours in a year -- you should rent!

That's basically what I've done! I put on 3 hours last year and it sat most of the time. I've done two ~3 hour stints this week and come to the above conclusions. Fwiw at the above price if I trade it in I've spent about $2 per day in rental fees!

 

[Gale Hawkins]

This is one reason I like the ideal of going old iron for the first tractor when is is not to earn a living. $5K will get a tractor, box blade and bush hog type cutter all day long in this end of KY. $10K will give you a new option with a FEL. On average either route will get you back your initial purchase price 5 years later in a cash sale or trade. If checking the oil level or changing hydraulic filters is beyond the skills one wishes to develop then new may be a way to go but dealers service will add up even with a new tractor.

 

[crazyal]

I think you'll be happy with a Kubota from the larger Grand L line. I love my 4240. It's rare that I feel like I could use more power. Usually when it happens it's because I want to blow snow at speeds much faster than I really should be. You'll love the more advanced HST+ system.

 

[sixdogs]

Just a thought but you could keep the 3800 AND also get a tractor a couple sizes bigger that what you are now planning to buy. I know cost is a factor but then you would have a small one for getting into corners around the house and a big one you can grow into.

 

[Gary Fowler]

Just a thought but you could keep the 3800 AND also get a tractor a couple sizes bigger that what you are now planning to buy. I know cost is a factor but then you would have a small one for getting into corners around the house and a big one you can grow into.

That is what I did except I bought the big one first, the LS P 7010 with a cab, well second as I bought a greymarket Yanmar 4220 first. The cab was my reason to upgrade from the Yanmar. After a couple of years of very few hours on the 70HP tractor, but quite a bit of work completed, I was told by one of my TBN buddies about a used Kubota B26 TLB for sale at a reasonable price with only 68 hours on it. I had plenty of disposable income at the time so I bought it. Now I have the Blue Beast to do the heavy stuff and the B26 for tinkertoy stuff, although I have put way more hours on it than the LS. I have had it (LS) for 2 1/2 year and only got 82 hours on it but now have over 240 hours on the B26 and it has only been mine for 8 months the last three of which didn't account for any hours due to winter. Hours build faster on it due to the need to run the throttle at 2000-2200 when working the backhoe which I have used it for mostly that work compared to the LS which I run at 1500 rpm most of the time as it has plenty of power so I don't need to rev it up so much. I can run it for 4 hours and barely get 2 hours on the meter. I sold the Yanmar shortly after getting the B26 because I surely didn't need 3 tractors.

 

[DieselnHooters]

It sounds like you have a great dealer OP, a fair price on the trade in and 15% off sticker price on the larger one. So you misjudged your needs on that 1st tractor but you still come away with little to no harm to your pocketbook....go for it

 

[nybirdman]

I am more than happy with my L4240 HSTC,I upgraded from a L3130 open station.I don't don't think there is a lot of physical difference between the L4240 and L5740 other than HP/maybe tire size.

 

[farmgirl19]

Actually yes. As you can see from my pic I have a bit of a nostalgic side. The red truck was my uncle's 67 f100. I'm the second owner. A blast to drive. I hope to restore it and give it to my 2YO son someday.
Speaking if someday, a big, older tractor would be fun to have. For now I need a utility tractor, though. I'm doing this for enjoyment and to let off steam. I'm not a "real" farmer. As such, now that I've got my feet wet I'd like to make it a bit more enjoyable.

I had a '68 F-100, that was used when I got it. Drove it another 100,000 miles and sold it for more than it was purchased for, by me. It pulled my horse trailer, and was a great truck, if not fuel efficient. It had a 10 gallon tank, and got 10-12 miles to the gallon. It was geared for towing, and I don't think top end on it was above 70mph. It had a 390 engine, and if someone took care of it, it is probably still running today!

Your son will love this truck!

 

[ovrszd]

Hours build faster on it due to the need to run the throttle at 2000-2200 when working the backhoe which I have used it for mostly that work compared to the LS which I run at 1500 rpm most of the time as it has plenty of power so I don't need to rev it up so much. I can run it for 4 hours and barely get 2 hours on the meter.

Gary, I believe the hour meter on the newer Kubotas are electronic. I'm not sure about the L3800, but certainly on the Grand series they are. On my old L4400, it was like you described. If you did idling work, you could go all day without putting on more than a couple hours. Mechanical driven tach/hour meter. On the newer stuff, being electronic, it's just a simple clock that starts ticking when you turn on the key. Makes buying a used tractor with mechanical tach truly a guessing game as verified with your comments.

 

[gocards1177]

Just got back from driving a L4240 and L5740. At two different dealers. I definitely have a preference for one dealer versus the other - the same one with the above prices and who sold me my tractor last year. He even gave my kids toy tractors without me even committing to anything! Plus the one I like is $500 cheaper that the other. I remember from last year when I called around to a bunch of different places within 200 miles of me, they were cheaper then, too. So, I think my wife and I are going to talk it over tonight and then I'll hopefully be placing an order on Monday. The difference in price from a L4240 to a L5740 was (only) $5500, so I'm going to probably go for the L5740 and try to not make the same mistake twice and be underpowered this time. I'll do my due diligence and swing by the JD dealership (which is actually much closer) and see how they compare, but I don't think my mindset on brands will be any different than it was a year ago.

As for bells and whistles, I don't plan on getting any for now. I never plan on using a MMM, so I'm not going to get a Mid-PTO. Snow in my part of Missouri isn't typically that bad, so I don't see a need for a blower, sweeper, or for that matter glass defoggers or a rear wiper. If I were to get a radio, I would want Bluetooth, so I'll maybe do something aftermarket someday. I don't have anything that would use rear-remotes, so I'll hold off on those until the day comes. As for a 3rd function, I'll probably add that myself once I ever get a grapple. I had done a bunch of research on adding one to my L3800, so I feel comfortable that I can do that cheaper than the $1K the dealer would want.

As for checking a dipstick on "old iron", I'll save that for someday. I certainly am capable of maintaing something like that, or so I think. For now though, I prefer to have something reliable and cabbed. If I want something less reliable, I can always take my 67 F100 for a spin.

As for last minute freebies, I think I'm getting such a fair deal, I want ask for much. Probably a hat or two. Maybe a toy rider for the kids? They were playing with the one at the store, but I didn't pay attention to how much it was.

 

[gocards1177]

Just a thought but you could keep the 3800 AND also get a tractor a couple sizes bigger that what you are now planning to buy. I know cost is a factor but then you would have a small one for getting into corners around the house and a big one you can grow into.

Man, I wish!