Get rid of all my "stuff" for a B3030 Cab?

[JP11]

Ok.. I'll try to make this short.

I've got.. just under 2 acres of grass. A half mile long drive, the last 300' of it pavement around the house. 11k sf of pavement.

I currently have/had

A F650 with a 10 foot plow for the dirt portion of drive. It's owned with a couple friends.. works great for the few hundred miles a year I put on it in winter. (friends use it in summer)

A 1966 JD1020 gas. 40hp. Has a old/beat loader. I've got a 60" rotary cutter. 6" chipper with hydro feed. a 6' rear blade. A 7' sickle mower. and a 72" rear snowblower (more on that neck killer later!)

I HAD a 21hp cub cadet mower/blower. I sold that for 2500 bucks.

I PLANNED to buy a exmark zero turn. Nothing faster for doing the lawn. It's a demo unit. Call it 7k upcoming cost this spring. Got the cash for that sitting ready.


NOW.. could I... keep the F650. Sell the 1020 for 5k or so. Put that with the money earmarked for the exmark. Now i'm 12k towards a replacement machine. In reality.. a 3030 probably wont run the chipper. They say 25pto min.. so maybe sell that too. Sell the rear blower for 1500. What am I up to.. 15 to 17k. Sounds like a little less than half of what i need.

B3030 or the new 3000 cab. all the cold weather stuff. Front mount blower (NO MORE TURNING around and killing my neck. Manual adjust chute has GOT TO GO) turfs, wheel weights (want to be able to lighten it up for mowing) mid mount deck (a narrow one so it will fit between my vehicles in garage.) loader.

Think I'll be happy? It's not the best at everything.. but It may be the one machine that will do all my work easy. I've got about 70 acres. Would love to buy a few loads of gravel and start building up my trail network. That wouldn't do well with the turfs (land is wet)

Thoughts? Anyone follow my rambling?

JP

 

[Ductape]

Well....... I can only say I'm 110% happy with mine. Most of your implements, I'd keep for the B3030. That includes the chipper, which might not be ideal..... but should work fine for moderately sized brush. Just get rid of the rear blower and maybe the sickle (?? never tried to run one on my 3030). The front blower on that 3030 is a snow munching beast ! You will definitely enjoy using it. I finish mow with my loaded rear tires and it has not been a problem, but I'll admit i'm not mowing a golf course type lawn. From what I've seen online so far, I see no gain in waiting for the B3000 to hit the dealers. If anything, I might try to play the dealer for a better deal on a B3030 since its an "outgoing" model.

 

[bigbull338]

as you said you have more than enough stuff todo what you do.an you could sell most of it an put it down on the tractor an equipment that would do the job.thus cutting your maintance down to 0.an serverly cut your fuel bill as well.

 

[RoyJackson]

Since you're planning on buying an Exmark ZTR, why would you need a mid-mount mower on the Kubota?
That's a $2000 or so savings in purchase price.
So, since no lawn mowing, go for the R-4's or Ags which might suit your other tasks better. Also, since no mowing, go for the filled tires and save your back.

Just another opinion...

 

[JP11]

Roy.. no that's it.. was considering NOT getting the exmark.. and using the 3030 to mow.

I was thinking non loaded turfs.. due to a few wet-ish parts of lawn. Would rather ADD wheel weights or a rear implements if needed. I don't have any great NEED for doing much loader work (other than moving 1 55gal drum at a time biodiesel) thus the idea of getting turfs.. chains if I had to



JP

 

[RoyJackson]

OK...misread your post.

I do have turfs and in wet areas they slip quite a bit (never had that problem with the R-4's on my old 790). In fact, I need to use 4WD where I never needed it before. However, the turfs are what came with the used 4400 I own. R-4's don't mark the lawn...they leave impressions from flattening the grass, but that recovers in a day or two. If I had the option, I'd rather have the R-4s...but what I have is what I have...

 

[forester2]

I run a 60 brush mower w/ mine and have no problems. Also have loaded R-4s for lawn mowing with no problem. Whatever tires you get, load them. Makes for a much less top heavy feel. If you think you'll be using chains consider the wheel spacers; probably can get them cheaper at purchase time.

 

[DelSc]

I think it sounds like a good choice for you. Let me echo Ductapes comments on it being a snow eating machine. I heard on the radio this morning that this was one of the snowiest Jan/Feb on record and I still felt like we could use a little more.

The B3030 with a cab is a very nice mower as well. After so many years of enjoying open tractors, I was surprised how much I came to enjoy mowing in air conditioned comfort. I have loaded rears (turfs) and the only damage I really do is if I turn at the limits while in 4WD. The inside front tire leaves a scuff that shows in the lawn. In 2WD I have never seen it happen.

I do think the loaded rears compact the lawn more than a regular dedicated mower, so using removable weights may be a good improvement to make.

 

[Verticaltrx]

All of the implements you have would work very well on a B3030, with exception of maybe the sickle bar mower. Depending on what type it is the small 3pt hitch geometry of these little tractors won't match up. Also 7' is quite a bit to hang off the side of a small tractor, it will pull the back of the machine around some in heavy cutting.

Don't have much to add other than I think the turfs would be a good tire choice. IMO they actually have better traction in most all conditions over R4 industrial tires (I've run all three types on a B-series Kubota). BTW, Kubota doesn't have any wheel weights readily available for these models. You would have to drill a few holes in the rear wheels and use weights off a B2320DTN if you wanted to go with Kubota parts. Aftermarket companies make some rear wheel weights but again you'll have to drill a few holes in the rear wheels. IIRC the aftermarket weights weigh 66lbs each, not sure how much the Kubota weights weigh.

 

[JP11]

well... i decided to stick with buying a ZTR mower.. an exmark.

and i'm going with a 3540 on R4s. front mount 7 foot power angle snowplow.

Getting rid of my old 1020 and getting rid of my F650 with 10 foot plow i've been plowing with.

JP

 

[devildog1]

WoW! That's a big jump up from the 3030, probably double the weight , lift, and three point hitch capacity. L3540 is a beast of a tractor good luck.
DevilDog

 

[JP11]

I admit it's a big jump.. but once I realized that the MMM was going to cost as much as a cheap ZTR... and I don't want cheap stuff anymore.. I decided to stick with the exmark I priced.

and once i tipped over in my mind that i would borrow money (we have all debts but house paid off) at zero percent... it became more about what would fit in the garage than what would be cheapest way to do all the jobs.

My buddies I share the F650 with were willing to buy me out.. so i'm anxious to find a one machine for the whole job (minus the lawn of course)

JP

 

[ejkessler]

Remember that you can't get a frame mount BH on the B3030 cab unit but you can on the B3000. It may be an add on you want later. Sounds like you are right inline with what you need with what you are looking at and totally agree with the zero turn. It will also do the lawn in a 1/3 to 1/2 the time as well.

 

[My Hoe]

Remember that you can't get a frame mount BH on the B3030 cab unit but you can on the B3000. It may be an add on you want later. Sounds like you are right inline with what you need with what you are looking at and totally agree with the zero turn. It will also do the lawn in a 1/3 to 1/2 the time as well.

Not to be argumentative, but it's my understanding that, before Kubota brought their current, biggest, B-series hoe, the BH77, that dealers were equipping cabbed B3030's with Woods hoes--up to the Woods BH80-X "Groundbreaker." I have the Kubota BH77 on my B3000, but would have preferred the Woods, as it is a full, 8'-sized hoe, the outriggers spread out about 11" wider (IIRC--but that would be a disadvantage for tight spaces, and a possible advantage for "craning" with the hoe), it has an adjustable swing speed, which I thought would be nice for craning, though I found the Kubota BH77 to be smooth, in my "test drive." There is at least one member in the Kubota section that currently has this setup, and maybe more.

The above is what I know. I suspect the operator platform is also bigger on the Woods BH80-X, but I cannot verify that. While I haven't used the BH77 to work, I found the operator station a bit cramped, but I have a bad knee.

On the downside, the frame required for the any hoe to clear the cab on a cabbed B3030 is, I believe, longer, which will reduce your "departure angle" clearance--i.e., you'll dig trenches or possibly lose some traction, as the hoe frame grounds, going up steeper slopes.

Just my .02

My Hoe

 

[Luke'sScreenName]

Thread is from 2011. Given the average age of TBN users, most of the previous respondents are probably dead.