5030 VS L48

[SkyPup]

I've filled out some questionaires from Kubota regarding my thoughts on our L-39. One of them was the GST vs HST gear train. I told them that I would not have purchased their L-39 if it had an HST transmission and that I am completely and totally satisfied with the GST tranny, my only wish was for more agressive tires that the wimpy IND treads.

I think that their new edition of the L-48, the L-51?, will have an HST transmission and GST will not be an option. That, in my opinion, is a mistake.

 

[_RaT_]

It's nice to have a choice.

 

[Muleskinner]

Okay. I spent six hours at the Bobcat dealer today. They have a big dirt pile and dirt area to play in,,,and play I did! The salesman handed me the master keys, told me to have fun and went back in his ofice. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif That could be dangerous.... /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

I tested the following models; T180, T190 and two types of T140's. Compared to a NORMAL tractor I felt like I was operating a spaceship! The foot controls to operate the FEL is way weird! One model had a switch to transfer operating control for the FEL from the foot pedals to the hand controls. I must say these things are built tough and will dig to china. The rubber tracs are just the thing for the type of terrain I operate in.

Now for the bad part. I may be wrong, but I don't for the life of me see how you can "Smooth grade" a flat piece of ground with a front bucket! The rear box blade was originally designed to grade dirt smooth and flat. Some folks may be able to do it with a front bucket, but try as I might, I was not able to make the thing do it.

One thing I really liked about the Bobcat product was they all use ,,,,you guessed it,,,Kubota engines. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[_RaT_]

<font color="blue"> Now for the bad part. I may be wrong, but I don't for the life of me see how you can "Smooth grade" a flat piece of ground with a front bucket! The rear box blade was originally designed to grade dirt smooth and flat. Some folks may be able to do it with a front bucket, but try as I might, I was not able to make the thing do it.
</font>


Oh yeah Dennis, your wrong. Just watch a guy who has a few hours on one, its unbelievable what you can do in a fraction of the time of any CUT made, HST or not. Your feet controling the bucket will take a couple of days to adjust too. After that, its so fast, so efficient. If I were looking for a dirt mover, the Bobcat track steers would be my first choice. The attachment possiblilities alone are amazing. After doing about a 1 acre lot with a T190, I realized that 2 L39's, one L48 and my L3830 even with HST would be no match. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Muleskinner]

Oh yea. "All of those attachments." When you get done they cost more than the tractor. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[bam747]

Bobcat does offer an attachment called the "Box Blade". It is the skid steer version of the rear box blade used on tractors. It's design includes gauge wheels and optional laser leveling. This is a link to the PDF specifications for the box blade. Here's a picture of the Box Blade:

 

[Muleskinner]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Bobcat does offer an attachment called the "Box Blade". It is the skid steer version of the rear box blade used on tractors. It's design includes gauge wheels and optional laser leveling. This is a link to the PDF specifications for the box blade. Here's a picture of the Box Blade:

)</font>

Yes that's true. Only what your looking at is almost $5,000.00. Compare that to a regular tractor box blade for around $1,000.00. Like I said, the attachments can add up to more than the tractor. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

 

[_RaT_]

A "comparable" weight and duty box blade for a tractor would be more like $2000. That still does not include the gauge wheels. Whats nice about much of the Bobcat and comparable units is the ability to rent so many of those attachments. I guess it boils down to how much your going to use the stuff and get paid for doing it. Anyway, I havent really priced out the Bobcat stuff, but have a pretty good feel on the tractor stuff. I still really enjoy my L3830. Mark

 

[Muleskinner]

Well after all of the research, Etc, Etc, Etc, my dealer got a new L48 in from the Kubota warehouse last Friday. No one has test driven it. It has .7 hour on it. I looked at it today, drove it and bought it. I am having them install a Gearmore 76" 4G2 rear box scrapper, hydraulic top and tilt with two rear tilt cylinders, a Kubota air cleaner pre filter, and the FEL controls and hydraulics for a 72" wide Quick Attach brand Quick Claw industrial grapple rake.

Now my clean, cherry, L39 with 181 hours on it is for sale. It comes with a 72" Woods Gannon with hydraulic top and tilt. I keep trying to post an ad for it on this site, but the site won't take my password information to enrole me in the classified section ??? I Emailed the site administrator with no reply from anyone. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

 

[_RaT_]

What??? You are unloading the L39 and getting a L48. I guess I missed something. I really enjoyed my L48. The HST worked very well. A bit overpowered in L and M, but I am sure you can deal with it. I had a Gearmore 72"/hydraulic ripper boxscraper on it. It dragged it easily this way and that way and twice on Sunday!!! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif I've never tried the L39, but I suspect your going to bit amazed at the loader.

 

[JimMorrissey]

Rat,

I though you were going to sell the beast? Good the hear she's still got a good home!

 

[JimMorrissey]

Mule,

Before you sign anything.....I would highly suggest you ask for a test drive with the BB at a location of your choosing! Make sure it's what you need before you jump. Maybe it's too late /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif Oh well, the L48 will be nice.

 

[Muleskinner]

Rat. Don't get me wrong, the L39 is a great tractor. I just needed something longer, wider, heavier and more powerful. I drove the new L48 around the lot and like the lower gearing VS the L5030 hydro they have there as a rental. I took their 5030 rental that is equipped a 72" rear box scraper and went to the vacant field next door and tried it out. The machine had no problem pulling a full box of dirt. I used the rippers and brought the machine to a stop with all tire spinning in mid range. The L4330 I got rid of last year would not do that. It would just kill the engine and that was in LOW RANGE!!

After running the 5030 I drove the L48 around and noticed the mid and low range gear ratios were lower geared than the 5030. Which is what I need. High range will be for transport only, as it should be. I can see using this machine in mid range 95% of the time.

Price wise, size wise and strength wise, the L48 seems to be the closest thing to a John Deere 210 LE I could find and afford.

 

[_RaT_]

The L48 in Low and Medium range is about half that of the L5030. The engine is the same. The L48 has got to be much heavier since it is braced and ready to go for a hoe and without a doubt, the loader has far more steel in it. While the JD 210 definitely has more steel in it and really uses industrial pivots all around, it also may be untrailerable by most states that have weight limits light trucks. The nimbleness of the L48's HST will definitely will be a bonus even though it is a bit larger then the L39. The L48 has a quite potent loader. It took all of my 1000lb box scraper and loaded tires to keep the rear tires on the ground with this load. It lifted it with ease.

 

[Muleskinner]

Yes the L48 has a lot of steel in it. I like the heavy metal hood and nose and all of the extra bracing straps and gussets Kubota welds on the top of the loader arms. The whole tractor looks to be built for heavy work, not AG work. The planitary gears in the rear axle should be a lot stronger than the spur gears used in the CUT tractors.

As for using a pickup to tow a JD 210LE you are right. That is another reason I decided against it. I could most likely get away with it as I don't travel near CHP weight stations, but I don't want to rebuild my Trans every year either.

 

[LarryRB]

When you latch on to that 48 and tow it, you'll know you latched on to something...

 

[Runk]

Muleskinner:
So I am surprised by your decision to go with the L48 and its HST and with the new model rumored to be coming down the pike.
Nevertheless, you know what is going to work bast for your biz etc etc ...
it will be greatly appreciated when you get your new L48 (congrats on that, by the way) you will post and let us know how it goes....
Question: What are you pricing the L39 at? If I understand your previous post it has FEL and TnT boxblade, and no backhoe?
Thanks for this conversation....I am still in a quandary as to whether or not my L4330 is the "right" tractor for my purposes, so your process is similar to my own situation.
Runk

 

[Muleskinner]

Runk

There were a few sleepless nights involved in this decision. Basically my dealer got a new M7040 in and I checked it out. Nice tractor, R4 tires, Hydro shuttle shift and FEL, but it is still basically a farm AG tractor. The decision to go with the L48 with Hydro was made after I drove it. The gear ratio is lower than the L5030 I drove at the dealer by about 1/2. That makes the Hydo okay, as the tractor is now geared properly for the weight. Plus the L48 is built like a tank. I like the all steel hood and nose piece. I also like the fact that the lower three point hitch arms are attached to the sub frame and not the rear axle housing. This is one tough tractor! Also, I checked with my dealer and Kubota. There is a new L21 coming, but no changes slated for the L48 in the near future. I don't know where that rumor got started.

My dealer's mechanic tells me they have sold a lot of L48's with NO PROBLEMS WITH THE TRACTOR EVER! I like a good track record VS a new untested machine. Besides, if they change it they will most likely add plastic body parts and such to it. I like the all steel look of the current model.

I am asking $28,000.00 for my L39. It is a cherry. The L39 is a great tractor. I just need more weight, length and power. (Not that it's underpowered) Although I might kick myself in the butt after I get rid of it. I can send pictures to anyone who is interested.

Runk I feel bad for you that you are a bit dissapointed with your L4330. Did you buy it before or after my ordeal with mine? If you are having under powered problems with it, and can afford to do so, I would clean it up to make it as nice as showroom and sell it. Then you can get something else. I know when I test drove my dealer's rental L5030 it felt like a different tractor compared to my old L4330. A lot more power. The price difference between the two is small. My dealer can't understand why Kubota even makes the L4330. He has had a lot of customers complain to him about the lack of power.

 

[Runk]

Muleskinner:
The L4330 I have with the GST is OK. It will pull a full box of dirt around. The big deal for me is that I am a custom house builder which means that the hydraulics on the 4330 wont run hydraulic attachments on the fel (this is what I gather from the conversations on this site) and the 4330's backhoe (which I did not purchase) has its own seat and from what I have read really does not work very well without someone else driving the tractor while the other person drives the backhoe which is not very efficient.
Also I have dents in the hood from moving crappola around in the fel some of which dropped out of the bucket onto the hood. So I lust after the heavy steel hood of the L48.
Nevertheless, I have a 4in1 bucket on the fel with the quick attach and it is awesome and the TnT box blade is also awesome, and like I said the power with the GST is OK. But, without a functional backhoe etc I really need another entire machine like a skidsteer or something so I can run a backhoe, a demo hammer, and hydraulic auger.
I suspect the L48 is what I "should" have gotten to begin with.
From what I understand, and I may have this wrong, the L48 will run these hydraulic attachments. If I have this wrong, will someone enlighten me??
I am very interested in hearing how your L48 works when you actually get it onto the jobsite and get some hours on the machine and get used to it. Feel like a guinea pig? Sorry, man.
I am hoping to hear that it will do exactly what you need it to with the HST and all.
Does all of the above make sense or am I making things up?

Also: Can I be rude and ask what the cost is for the L48?
Thanks,
Runk

 

[LarryRB]

there is a guy who use to be on here, ( doesn't have a computer anymore) named Ursushoribillus, who bought a new L 48 TLB, and he has the third valve to run a 4 N 1 FEL, the three valve stack for TnT, another valve for thumb, hydraulic post hole digger, several hoe buckets and other stuff,.... IT's an all in one machine with attachments having their place on his trailer,..For new construction and add on's, the contractors love him.,. he pretty much does it all, and when needing another impliment, a short trip to his trailer, and the change is made.