Final thoughts before purchase in the 3500lb+ cab range?

[CoThG]

I am sure that a backhoe is not for everybody, but I doubt very seriously that most who have BH's would now be willing to surrender them.
To put it into perspective, there are two more bits of BH information I should share.
#1) I am 80 years old, and do not like picking things up that weigh more than 75 lbs., or wrestling them around.
#2) My L48TLB hoe has an 11' dig depth, so it is a light construction type piece of equipment, and can lift, move, or dig, substantially more than a 6' or 7' hoe.
My Kubota L48TLB will be in my barn until I am under the ground,..... perhaps, it could even be used to dig that final hole for me.

L48TLB is a great machine!

 

[DieselBound]

The OP said he wasn't going to get a BH. End of story. Let's concentrate on what he NEEDS...

As 5030 noted, you have to size according to the power REQUIRED by the attachments/work at hand. It might very well be that in order to achieve the necessary power you will have to buy used; if so then that's what you should look to do: don't rule things out, don't paint yourself in a corner. I bought my B7800 amply used. Bought my Kioti new for nuanced reasons.

Keep in mind that any price that you see is the advertised price, be it new or used. And in the used arena you have a chance to hook up with a seller that actually NEEDS cash, and if you HAVE cash then there can be a good deal for the both to be had. When I list things to sell I often set prices a little high in anticipating a price drop for a sale.

Also keep in mind that this isn't the best time of year to be looking for deals. We're pushing well into spring and most tractor work really is picking up. Others who have procrastinated, or just coming into the position of needing a tractor, are vying for machines, thus holding prices higher. I buy (though I admit it just seems to work out this way) in mid-to-late fall.

 

[Garson]

I had an L275 Kubota for 20 years and loved it, but after two more size upgrades my choice for my present RX7320 Kioti without cab was simple. It was $10,000 CAD cheaper than the competition and my homebuilt cab fits in an 8' high garage door. It's a great stump remover and their regen design is great. It's never demanded a regen in 200 hours. Just keep your rpm above 1500 rpm. It's the Boss of these 50 acres.

 

[shooterdon]

I run a 74” pull blower with 32PTO HP. It is marginal at times, but I can take a smaller “bite” when I need to. I do not get much wet heavy snow.

 

[greginfinity]

So the Boomer 40 was sold and I went back to try the Boomer 45 one more time and they are very helpful and let me play around with a pile of dirt/clay. I am glad I did because I am not sure I feel comfortable with the loader that far out. It was extremely tippy and I hated the feeling. Granted the tires aren't currently loaded, and this didn't have a backhoe on it like the L4060 did, but this was an eye opener. And not just tippy front to back, but with a slightly unbalanced bucket load it was kind of scary. Now I am not sure what to think! Is a better loader geometry going to help? Do loaded tires really help that much? Should I just get a smaller and lower CoG tractor? Makes me want to buy a track loader instead!

 

[dodge man]

Loaded tires help but you need ballast on the 3 point.

 

[Doug62]

I'm pretty happy with my Massey Ferguson 1835M. I've had it about 8 months.

 

[RustyA]

Loading my tires and a fairly heavy duty back blade eliminated all tippy feeling on my Boomer 40. Without rimguard and back blade it was spooky to drive with bucket loaded even keeping it low. Love the visibility with bucket, bale spear, or forks on.

 

[buck12]

So the Boomer 40 was sold and I went back to try the Boomer 45 one more time and they are very helpful and let me play around with a pile of dirt/clay. I am glad I did because I am not sure I feel comfortable with the loader that far out. It was extremely tippy and I hated the feeling. Granted the tires aren't currently loaded, and this didn't have a backhoe on it like the L4060 did, but this was an eye opener. And not just tippy front to back, but with a slightly unbalanced bucket load it was kind of scary. Now I am not sure what to think! Is a better loader geometry going to help? Do loaded tires really help that much? Should I just get a smaller and lower CoG tractor? Makes me want to buy a track loader instead!

You have to have something on the back or at least loaded tires when doing any loader work. It is night and day difference in the feel on my tractor when I use the loader with nothing hang off the back compared to the feel with a rear implement.

 

[Frogmore]

My tractor is much smaller (B2620). I have loaded tires. I can carry a load of manure fairly easy with no additional rear weight. But anything heavier demands more. I have a 200lb rear blade for light loads and a 400lb grading scraper that is 4 feet long and wide. There is quite a difference in feel with a bucket full of rock between the blade and scraper and downright unsafe without anything.

I have heard good things about wheel spacers. But, they make the tractor wider, which is great for stability, but not so much for everything else.

 

[grsthegreat]

My dk45 can handle anything I throw at it with the loaded tires and standard bucket. But with max weight on the forklift attachment it was a different matter. I added a 1,000 # ballast box. That took care of any issues.

 

[TractorGuy]

I am pretty set on new since the used market is crazy right now. I am not going to pay 80-90% of new for a tractor for one with 500+ hours. For instance:

2015 Kubota HST L3560 Tractor Loader - farm & garden - by dealer -...

2015 Kubota HST L3560 Tractor Loader - New LA 805 Loader with 72" Quick-Tach Bucket - One Owner - 317 HRS - Air & Heat Cab - Excellent condition - 36 HP

maine.craigslist.org

One reason for this is emissions vs non emissions. If it has what you want, doesn't have a DPF system, and is close I would make an offer.

Of course with used you may have a harder time with financing. Not sure if Kubota financing offers anything for used but that might be something to check into.

 

[ljjhouser]

So my tractor journey started here looking at something like a 1025r for basic yard maintenance, moving brush piles, dirt etc. As I looked into tractors, I started thinking about being able to clear some land, grade it, remove stumps, do snow removal etc. I was lucky enough to borrow a Kubota L4060 with backhoe last summer for a couple months and got a good idea of what I could do with a tractor, and what I couldn't do.

I quickly decided that I would want a cab, both for bugs/snow/heat, but also because I don't have space in a garage. I also realized that if I was going to spend $20k on something like a 1025r, I might as well jump up in size and get a more capable tractor.

My needs are: snow removal, clearing trees/brush on wooded land (and maybe chipping), grading cleared land, moving dirt for gardens, moving rock for landscaping etc. After renting a 13,000 lb mini excavator, I have talked myself out of paying the premium for a backhoe. The backhoe on the L4060 is nothing compared to a mini excavator. I am sure I there are a few tasks around the house where I would want one, but I can't justify the extra money.

Attachments: Loader, grapple, rear blower, box blade, (borrow a chipper)

The dealers around me are JD, Kubota, LS, New Holland, and a little further are TYM, McCormick, Bobcat. I am looking for something that is over 3000lbs with a cab.

Kubota - The dealer seems ok, although I think the tractors fly off the lot without any effort. An L3560 is about $37k and they have 0% for 84. I don't love the treadle but it is fine.
JD - Almost nothing on my local lot. Sister dealerships have 3 and 4 series but they are so expensive that I haven't bothered to go look.
LS - 0 tractors in stock locally. 2 hours away there is an MT357HC for $37k, and I think they have 4% for 84.
New Holland - Best customer experience so far, I know they are marked up LS tractors but the dealer seems solid but small (they mostly sell large construction equipment). There is a Boomer 40 (same as XR3140) for $34k, or Boomer 45 (same as MT347HC) for $38k. I HATE the gear shifter on the MT3 sized tractor, it is right against your right knee, next to the loader joystick. Terrible design. They have 0% for 60.
TYM - Such an odd dealership, they sell tons of recreational type products, and have a pretty huge operation of RVs, trailers, boats, etc. They were nice enough, but the TYM products don't seem polished. Definitely the cheapest option, but I don't want to deal with them if I have any issues.
McCormick - No HST on the lot, but the tractors look nice!
Bobcat - No call back and no stock.

I am leaning towards the New Holland Boomer 40 (which is an XR3140). I know I am paying a little extra, but they are right down the road, and seem to have a good reputation. I'm not sure I love the loader being far out on the tractor, you gain visibility at the expense of max lifting load. I definitely like the old shifter location on these tractors, not how it is on the Boomer 45+. The little tires on the front worry me a little bit with traction and getting stuck, we do sometimes get soggy/muddy areas. Not sure if that should hold me back though. I also like that I get two rear remotes. Not sure I would ever use the mid-pto.

Any thoughts on anything I am missing?

Thanks for this great resource!

Did the Kubota dealer have any L4701 or the new MX 60 tractors. The MX tractors come from factory with cab. Good luck, Larry

 

[bdl67]

I havea TYM and Scott's was great to deal with. They email frequently to see how happy i am. I haven't needed any warranty work but they are very helpful with questions i have about service. I Have about 200 hours on my T394 cab model which i have had for 8 months. I am very happy with my tractor and the dealer. I live in Jackman if you are close enough and want to give it a try

 

[bdl67]

With Loaded tires and backhoe its VERY stable. I wouldn't be without by backhoe. I dig a lot of trenches, stumps, trails etc. But the biggest advantage to a backhoe is when you make a mistake in the woods in the middle of winter. So many times i was able to free my tractor with the backhoe from the snow filled ditch.

 

[grsthegreat]

I stay out of my woods, except for my established trails, In winter. Winter is my time to have feet up in front of fireplace.

 

[thinkIcan]

I am surprised the Boomer felt tippy. I have an LS XR3135HC, which I thought was the same chassis. I do know they use different loaders, but my LS always feels very solid. I do usually have something on the back, from a brush hog to a regular back blade it always feels stable. Just an impression on the LS, I really like it. For me the small tires are a bit of an looks issue but haven’t found a performance problem. I budgeted for a JD or Kubota so was able to get the LS with cab AND backhoe in a deal at my price point. It’s nice but I still do a lot of my land shaping with a tiller and box blade. I had looked at a lot of tractors as we have a lot of dealer options around. In the end it came down to Mahindra or the LS. I would have gone Mahindra if I had my old wooded property as the ground clearance and undercarriage protection looked better but we have a tame ‘farm’ place now. Very happy with the purchase. I never see them for sale used. It is a crazy market out there for sure. Best of luck!

 

[TxSam]

So the Boomer 40 was sold and I went back to try the Boomer 45 one more time and they are very helpful and let me play around with a pile of dirt/clay. I am glad I did because I am not sure I feel comfortable with the loader that far out. It was extremely tippy and I hated the feeling. Granted the tires aren't currently loaded, and this didn't have a backhoe on it like the L4060 did, but this was an eye opener. And not just tippy front to back, but with a slightly unbalanced bucket load it was kind of scary. Now I am not sure what to think! Is a better loader geometry going to help? Do loaded tires really help that much? Should I just get a smaller and lower CoG tractor? Makes me want to buy a track loader instead!

As has been said, without ballast on the rear any CUT is going to feel 'tippy' with a load of whatever in the bucket and an offset load is going to feel unstable side to side without ballast on the rear. Running with a box blade, mower or other weight on the 3pt is going to make a significant difference on the feel of a loaded FEL. I had a NH TC35 that I did a lot of dirt work with and if you have nothing on the 3pt while doing that work, you will experience a certain amount of 'lightness' on the rear. In the cases where I didn't have something on the rear (rarely) and didn't want to take time to hook something up, you have to have a balanced load and keep the FEL close to the ground while transporting a load. If those are not options at any given time, at least put the box blade on and have at it. The fulcrum on these is the front wheels and even though a box blade isn't the heaviest implement, the leverage it exerts overall is enough to make a significant difference. I would not let that limited experience with the Boomer 45 discourage you from that particular tractor. If anything, go back and have them attach an implement and then go play in the dirt some more.

YMMV