Buying...help! L3800 or Bx3200

   / Buying...help! L3800 or Bx3200 #1  

hnicols

Member
Joined
Apr 24, 2005
Messages
35
Location
Upstate, NY
Tractor
Yanmar Lx 4900
Looking for my first tractor. Use: 100acres mostly wooded, 800 ft gravel driveway, pond that occasionally needs clearing, 5acres for pasture/ brush hog, fertilizer and seeding. Lots of logging roads that could use some help. I think the too wet and soft to use tractor on 4 acres of lawn that need mowing and have a guy who does that cheap for me. Don't really see to much need for a backhoe but suspect if I had one....

If pay cash have following alternatives before tax

New L3800 TLB HST 27,200
New Bx3200 TLB HST. 25,222

used not from dealer 2007 L3400 TLB HST with old flail mower, leveling box, posthole digger and rake for 23000

Could use the attachments thoughthey are appropriately worn. Hate to go without warranty on my first tractor though.

Thoughts?
 
   / Buying...help! L3800 or Bx3200 #2  
Hey there and welcome to TBN (again) ;).
What happened to the B3030hsd in 2005?

Personally I would (actually I did) opt for the L3800. It is not much more money but a much sturdier machine and of course many more horses under the hood. E.g. look at the front axle of the B-Series tractor and compare to the L3800. Huge difference! Especially when planing to go into the woods. Also the L-Series are wider, which gives you more stability.

Be aware though of the 'jerky' 3 point hitch (search this forum). Mine does the jerky thing too, but not too bad. You gotta check this out at the dealer and decide for yourself.

I had the same concerns about new tractor versus used. I went with a new because of the warranty (and since I was new to the business, I didn't exactly know what to look for/check on a used tractor).

Go test drive both if you like and judge for yourself.

Good luck.
 
   / Buying...help! L3800 or Bx3200
  • Thread Starter
#3  
Life is what happened to the b3030. Got caught up with work and never purchased. Now I have retired and want to play. Glad you like the l3800. Think I am headed in that direction but pains me to buy new as so expensive, especially since I worry I will use at most 100 hours a year. But like having the warranty that the dealer tells me almost never gets used. How bad is the 3pt hitch problem? Is it worth my looking to Deere or someone else? Deere is so expensive, almost 6k more for something comparable.
 
   / Buying...help! L3800 or Bx3200 #4  
with 100 acres I would go with the L3800 between those two. But if it was me I would get a much bigger tractor, a MX5100 at the very least but preferably a M.

And with a 800 ft driveway in upstate NY a snowblower would top my ''to buy '' list as attachment goes.
 
   / Buying...help! L3800 or Bx3200 #5  
I agree with the snow blower 100%, unless you've already got a blade mounted to a pickup.

With 5 acres to rough cut and a pond to maintain, either the L3800 or the L3400 seem a perfect fit.

With Kubota's current financing, I'd use their money, in any event.
 
   / Buying...help! L3800 or Bx3200
  • Thread Starter
#6  
Thanks all. I hear you on the snow blower except there are so many people here with plows on pickup that snow plowing is pretty cheap and since my wife and I travel some I need to rely on them in any event. If I was going for snow blower wouldn't I then want a mid pto so it is front mounted? Doesn't that suggest the b3200?

I like the financing but they will also give me a 1500 discount for paying cash. Since my money is currently earning close to zero percent I thought I would go with the discount.
 
   / Buying...help! L3800 or Bx3200 #7  
If I was going for snow blower wouldn't I then want a mid pto so it is front mounted? Doesn't that suggest the b3200?

If you go to the Grand L series you can get a mid PTO and a front mount 62" snowblower.
With the amount of pasture you need to cut, I think bigger is better. If you go to a Grand L series you get a longer wheel base heavier tractor that would be better for brush mowing, loader use, backhoe use, could have a front mount blower, or MMM, and won't have a jerky hitch.
Tractors tend to shrink with use. If you can afford to, I would advise going a little larger than you think you need. Features like mid PTO can be added later if you want, but they can only be added to machines that would except them in the first place.
IMHO a B series would be good if you also needed to mow your lawn, but limited for other tasks. They are very good tractors that can do many things, but like all tractors they are limited by their size and weight. If you need to work in a confined area they are great. If you don't then bigger (to a point) is better.

Happy hunting, Bill:D
 
   / Buying...help! L3800 or Bx3200 #8  
If you go to the Grand L series you can get a mid PTO and...
I would also suggest this... the Grand L features would be a nice retirement gift to yourself :thumbsup:

Take your time with buying and get what you need. A backhoe seems to me to be pricey... for what I do, front forks, grapple on the bucket and other attachments allow my tractor to do a lot (for just a little extra money).

You should look at other models - that's half the fun when buying. Definitely test out the 3 point hitch.
 
   / Buying...help! L3800 or Bx3200 #9  
On the snowblower end we often go to a three point hitch to deal with the banks that the plows leave. When we do get a big fall it is not totally unbearable to have it on the rear as long a you get an auxilary valve for hdraulic turn!

When needed in the past you can often guide by the old existing plowing to get the driveway open and not even looking back for much of the distance or to use the loader to bunch it, then blow the banks away.

So you could get by with a MX series without the mid PTO.

I'd also recommend the larger series with ag or r-4 tires. The backhoe could help with the wet issues with possible trenching or ditching or tile.

Grand L's do give you some good features like the mid PTO but with the price difference you could buy some extra tools!

The B-3200 could do but the L would be better, it depends on you!
 
   / Buying...help! L3800 or Bx3200 #10  
you can often guide by the old existing plowing to get the driveway open and not even looking back for much of the distance .

Your not missing any dogs or cats, are you?:shocked:
Things happen fast. I wouldn't advise traveling any distance without looking where your going, especially with something like a snow blower.

Bill
 

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