Another new B7800 owner

[skod]

New member, have been lurking unregistered for a while, reading everything and learning. First post...

Just closed the deal (Potestio Bros. in Parker, CO) to buy a B7800 with the 402 loader, 60" brush hog, and 60" box blade to use for mowing, gravel road maintenance, snow removal, and FEL work on my 35ac property, before the 0% financing deal went away. Also added a block heater and chain hooks on the bucket. Cost of the whole package was right at $18k, and worth it to develop a tight relationship with my local dealer. I certainly could have bought it for a little less if I'd crossed the state line, but I want the local guys on my side in case of a failure. To me, it made sense to keep the money in the neighborhood.

We're in the process of building a horse barn, so it'll be a wrestling match with my wife to see who gets to use it more: her for mucking and general barn work, or me for working the rest of the property. One thing's for sure: with the barn project going strong, I'll be wearing out some gravel with the box the minute the machine arrives!

I need to get a tooth bar for the bucket, and I'll probably end up putting together an angle blade for snow removal on the driveway and barn access roads- there are several examples of homebrew bucket-attachable blades here on the site that intrigue me. It's tempting to go with a blower, but I'm not convinced that we really get enough snow here to justify it. Anyway, that blade project gives me a good excuse to get a welder!

I looked at the bigger tractors like the 3130 for quite a while, but decided against anything bigger than the 7800 for two reasons: one, it's small enough to work around the barn and in the runs nicely and not be intimidating to my wife to operate. And two, it's *way too small* to run a baler.

There's no typo there. If I bought a big enough machine to work hay, then sooner or later I'd be buying hay hardware. And having done a fair amount of it 30 years ago when I was a kid, I know there are *very few* more effective ways to lose your sanity than haying. (;-) Getting a machine of this size and weight effectively removes that temptation- I hope...

It ought to be delivered next week, and then let the gravel beware! Anyway, I just thought I'd say hello and thanks to all who have posted before, building up the amazing amount of information available here on the site. Reading the posts here made all the buying decisions much easier to make, from machine size to paint color. Thanks again!

 

[Poppa]

Skod,

Good job, I think you will be very happy with the B7800. I know mine has done all I have asked. I think your reasons for the tractor were sound but then I am kind of partial to it myself.

For a toothbar, I got mine from Universal Tractor In Lakewood for 225. Nice and heavy.

I think you made a good choice about not haying. Spent the last five years here watching farmers plant and then plow under their fields due to the lack of moisture. Even this year started bad.

Congratulations again.

Mike

btw, I want a blower but won't get one for that once a year it might be nice. Still want one though but I guess I will just stick with the blade and the FEL.

 

[PhoneGuy]

Congratulations on your new purchase. I know you will love
it. I agree with you on the size factor. my neighbor has a 3130, and while it is a nice tractor it is not what you would want work working in tight quarters. Enjoy some quality riding
time in the future.

 

[penokee]

Sounds like a Great Tractor and the price sounds good. I received quotes of $15,500 and $15,100 on a B7800, both with the 402 FEL - no other attachments. Having trouble making up my mind between that one and the L3130. Comments read here will help. I agree this is a great site - have learned much and everyone is willing to help if you have a question.

penokee /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[gray]

L3130 ----penokee. It will give you more ooptions and performance. Will you ever want to hay your property????

One other thing- there is the resale value to think of. Or maybe not? A full frame cut will have more value and more options for most people who may need a cut.

A B7800 is a good little machine. An L3130 is a bit more machine with many more otpions due to it's capacities.

OK - I have said enough. Just know that if someone with experience had told me to get the bigger machine right away- I may have sone so and saved money doing it.

Best of luck.

 

[KubotaSteve]

I was in the same situation between choosing the 7800 or the 3130. I was almost set on the 3130 then came to my senses and realized that it was too large to use as a mower. I like my 7800 because it has plenty of power, good lifting capability and small enough to maneuver around in tight places. So far my only major complaint is the dump height which is only 5.5 feet for the 7800.

 

[NSBound]

Skod :

Great sounding package!! Looking forward to photos of your "package" /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif. You have bought precisely the list of equipment what I am considering for my place - 12 acres on river with an acre or so of mowing to do. Do you plan to use the brush hog as a "finish mower", or wait and see what the cut looks like and still maybe buy a rear finish mower??????

Let us know how you like it once you've used it some!! And enjoy!!

 

[skod]

I'm actually feeling pretty cagey right now about the decision to go with the 7800. I was at a neighbor's place last night and told them about the new machine. And I found out that they are planning on buying a 58-horse large-frame Deere, moco, and baler to co-op around the properties here. So there's the capacity right there, when needed, and we have the smaller and more nimble machine sitting right here full-time. For dragging a baler, size does matter: it really does make sense to have access to a big machine for big tasks, and a small machine for small tasks. Especially if part of that can be accomplished with somebody else's money... (;-)

Looks like I will still get to lose my mind over my dadgummed hay- but at least it'll be with somebody else's gear! We took a little over 10 tons of grass hay off the property last year, and I thing there's probably 12-13 standing out there now- if I can ever get anybody to show up to cut and bale it. Maybe next year that'll be a non-problem...

Can't believe I'm saying that. Selective memory is a funny thing: 30 years ago I said I'd rather drink molten lead than deal with a baler again. All those memories of shearing the last shear pin with a thunderstorm bearing down, knotter problems, and broken PTO shafts have faded enough that I actually congratulated him on his decision to buy some gear for us all to use...

They've gotta have medicine for that, don't you think? Where do I sign up? (;-)

 

[skod]

NSBound: that's exactly my plan. If I keep the blades sharp, the hog will probably do an adequate job at what I need. If not, I'll trade it up and take the hit.

The hog is more versatile, or maybe I should say "less fragile". I don't have that much really rough stuff to deal with, but if I can do what I need with the less expensive attachment, I'll be happy with it...

 

[tabby]

I love it! No, they don't have a medicine for that.... Especially when it concerns horses. We built a barn a few years back and made it REALLY big and now it's too small! The haying we do stay away from because we have a great guy that does it but, it could always change. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif Ahh yes those fond memories of haying.
This is really making me think because I priced out the B7610 and the 7800. They both were priced w/ fel and sb. We do get enough snow in NNY to justify a blower. sometimes it comes in FEET rather than inches /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif It's good to know you feel comfortable with your decision. It sounds like most people on here are really satisfied with thier purchase. let us know hoew it is working out for you.

 

[skod]

We usually get relatively sensible snows around these parts- 6" to 8" at a time. But that's only "usually": a year ago spring we got 5.5 feet in one night, and it took a couple of days before a neighbor with a Bobcat dug us out. The almanac says that we average 160 inches a year, but haven't seen that in the past several drought years.

My knees are telling me that his winter might just be different, though: it's been a wet July and August, and we're actually caught up with our yearly average rainfall now, for the first time in many years. It was down to 38degF last night, and there was snow in the mountains. So it's coming, and soon.... I may go prowl around the local dealers and see if there's a beat-up but restorable blower out there for a shop project.

Meanwhile, after looking at the quality of cut that a neighbor got with his hog a few days ago, I changed my mind, called up my dealer, and changed my deal to go with a finish mower instead- it just added a couple hundred dollars to the price. I have a lot more smooth, easy cutting than rough cutting to do, and his hog left a lot of weeds standing- it really needed two passes... Besides, my neighbor who is getting the hay gear has a 5' hog that he says I'm welcome to borrow any time, but he doesn't have a finish mower. Since we're combining forces here, it seemed to make a lot more sense to not duplicate implements.

 

[skod]

Took delivery last night, and put 2 hours on it right away, grading some erosion damage on the drive and moving dirt and pea gravel at the site for the new barn. They just trenched in the electrics for the barn yesterday, so I'll be doing the backfill this afternoon: it couldn't have shown up at a better time... My, that is one stout little machine. Large smiles all around!

 

[skod]

Just hit 10 hours. I updated from the 7800's turnbuckle 3-pt stabilizer links to the much stronger telescoping version from the B2910. I like the telescoping stabilizers much better for quick implement changes. I also have the headlight assembly from the B2910 to install, once I get the appropriate stub wiring harness at the back of the lamp sockets (didn't know that it was different, so that'll have to wait). By going from the 7800 headlight cluster to the 2910, the headlight wattage goes from 18W to 23W, and the beam is spread out into a more usable pattern - and I have some 35W and 50W single contact halogens that I intend to try in there for even more light. The harness is wired with 16AWG, so it should certainly handle the 35W lamps...

I have a bumper-pull car hauler and a gooseneck horse trailer that I move around the property a lot, so I got a Flexpoint 3-pt hitch adapter for that- I've now jockeyed them around all over the place. Hitching up with the 3-pt is much nicer, and *unbelieveably* quicker, than backing up the pickup and grinding on the hand jacks when a trailer needs to move. I just leave 'em down, and let the 3-point do the work.

Moved a bunch of dirt, finished the backfill and wheel-packing on the trench for the electrics, mowed stuff I'd never attempted before. Still a happy camper...

 

[Archdean]

Please let me know how the shroud around your new wattage bulbs Handel the heat! It could get very expensive! I am looking to do the same thing to my new B7510........
Thanks,
Dean

 

[skod]

That's the fun part. If I melt the 2910 headlight assembly, which I don't think is too likely (since I'll mostly be using them for snow plowing in subfreezing ambient temps), I can just switch back to my perfectly-good 7800 assembly with the stock 23W lamps from the 2910 assembly. It has steel reflectors, not plastic.... I have a Plan B!

I'll stay with the 35W halogen lamps to start, since the total load would then be ~6A on the 10A-fused headlight circuit. That should give me more than twice the light output.

But you can bet that I'll let everybody know how it works. That machine can definitely use some more brightness out front...

 

[fastwalker19]

I have sent you a PM