3200 vs 3800??

[Sammy3700]

Has anyone operated both 3200 and 3800 and been able to tell the difference in the 5 or so hp? Reason I ask is my father is looking for a 3700 or 3800hst however we found a 3200hst. Any thought on the difference is greatly appreciated thanks.

 

[teg]

I would be interested in what others say. For me, with R4 tires, I lose traction before power. Ag tires might be different. As for mowing, mine can handle a 5' - guessing I would run into hp problems with a 6 footer.

 

[Sammy3700]

Is your 2800 hst or gear? Are your tires loaded? I also only have a 5 foot hardee bush hog on a 3700. Pull a 20 blade disk in med range with no problem unloaded R4 tires. The 3200 in question has R4s

 

[robert421960]

I'm no pro on this but I can tell you I have just purchased a new L3301 and a new land pride 5' bushogg
I mowed some tall heavy swamp grass a week ago and it did very well
I had to slow down slightly on a few very dense grass spots but wow it's an awesome tractor

 

[s219]

If you're used to typical tractors, 32HP in this size is more than adequate, which is how I would describe the power of my L3200 -- plenty adequate.

Unfortunately, my previous tractor was an overpowered hot rod (smaller with 29HP), and I sometimes miss that extra oomph. Though that tractor would run out of traction long before it ran out of power. The L3200 also runs out of traction before power, but with less margin.

If I knew I would miss the hot rod feel, I would have at least test drove an L3800. But for anyone used to typical tractors, the L3200 is probably just fine. Go back in time 15-20 years or more, and this size tractor typically had 24-25 HP.

 

[kubotacres]

Has anyone operated both 3200 and 3800 and been able to tell the difference in the 5 or so hp? Reason I ask is my father is looking for a 3700 or 3800hst however we found a 3200hst. Any thought on the difference is greatly appreciated thanks.

The L3200 will pull either rotary cutter very easy. I have pulled both but went with a 5 foot because I liked the width being the same as my tire width.

 

[teg]

Is your 2800 hst or gear? Are your tires loaded?

HST and yes, loaded tires.

 

[motownbrowne]

They'll have basically the same "pull". The extra 5 HP will be noticeable for mowing and other high power demanding PTO applications, like snow blowing. If you're using it to pull stuff around, you won't miss it. If you're mowing and you're in a hurry, the extra will be nice.

 

[Tomtint]

I haven't used a 32 but own a 3700SU. It has plenty of power, but also some short falls. I think the loader is weak and the 3ph is extremely jerky. The BH is adequate for what if is, not super powerful but it beats the shovel.

 

[teg]

...but also some short falls. I think the loader is weak...

It's usually set on the low side from the factory, I just tighten my relief valve and got an extra 150# lift. Make sure you check the pressure before and after.

 

[Fallon]

I have a L3200 hst with R4s & like it. I rarely run out of power before traction now that i loaded the rears (which i would now say is a requirement for traction & stability). It happens, but not too often. I rarely have power problems with my 5' rotary cutter, cruising along pretty fast in medium & hitting a denser patch will bog the engine & force me to ease off the go pedal, but usually the ground rough (even not so rough) ground is the limiting factor for me. Whenever I hook up my tiller I wish I had a L3800, as I'm definitely power limited there, but it runs the 62" tiller just fine.

The HST eats up about 15% of the power compared to a gear transmission, but I consider it worth it by far for the convenience & usability.

I probably have $1k of regret for not getting a L3800 over my L3200, possibly $2k, but definitely not $3k. I am thinking about eventually trading mine in for a pimped out grand with a cab or something, but I'm pretty happy with what I have now baring the weather.

 

[Sammy3700]

Thanks for the input gentlemen. Tomtint which backhoe do you have and are you running of tractor hyd on a pto pump?

 

[Tomtint]

Thanks for the input gentlemen. Tomtint which backhoe do you have and are you running of tractor hyd on a pto pump?

I have a BH 77 and it runs off the PB port.

 

[Tomtint]

It's usually set on the low side from the factory, I just tighten my relief valve and got an extra 150# lift. Make sure you check the pressure before and after.

1/2 turn at a time ?

 

[C4Ranch]

Depends on your use. What are the other specs? Gpm flow, loader size and pto hp...

For me, if the bigger one has more hydraulic flow or can handle bigger loader that would be my choise.

Pto hp is what matters for lots of things and the bigger one should keep you >30hp and allow you to work bigger implements (roughly 1' bigger in many cases).

Just my opinion but I don't recall hearing anyone wish they bought fewer ponies.

 

[teg]

1/2 turn at a time ?

Again check the pressure, my nut was not that tight. I don't think I turned it 3/4 to set it at 2400 psi (some went up to 2600 psi... here's the thread: http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/kubota-owning-operating/128908-bump-up-lift-capacity-l3400.html

 

[Chilly807]

The hydraulics use shims to adjust pressure. I think there is a threaded relief valve on the loader though.
I have an L3400 and also run out of traction with loaded R1s before I run out of power. No problems running a 5 foot bush hog, I don't have a tiller. I'd rather have an engine working near capacity than have a larger one running at low load all day.
Sean

 

[Sammy3700]

Thanks again for the info gentlemen and a update. My father bought a L3901 hst with R4s today I really didn't want a emission tractor but, with rebates and a free box blade it was 2100 cheaper than the cheapest 3800 and the 3800 was 400 miles away.

 

[s219]

Wow, sounds like it was a good deal! Let us know how it works out.

 

[Fallon]

The 01 I saw had a smoother 3pt than my L3200 & I haven't heard of anybody complaining about a rough 3pt on any of the 01s. It should be a nice tractor for your dad.