Chriss,
I have been looking at both these machines and some others, except in hydro instead of gear. They are both fantastic machines. You may also want to take a look at the NH TC30 Gear (25.5 HP PTO), TC33D Gear (28.6 HP PTO) or TC35 (29.6 HP PTO). However, the TC30 and TC33D only come in 9/3 and not 8/8 and 12/12 shuttle shift like the
L3130 and 4310, respectively.
Here are a few of my observations (for whatever they are worth) about the JD 4310 vs the Kubota
L3130.
4310 ePowrReverser:
* 32 HP Gross
* 27 HP PTO
* 2900 lbs
* 2200 lb 3PH lift capacity
* Ground Clearance: 10.5"
* 430 FEL: 1260 lb lift capacity at pivot pin
* Standard JD-specific Quik-Change for FEL bucket
L3130 DT:
* 32.1 HP Gross
* 25.5 HP PTO
* 3200 lbs
* 2650 lb 3PH lift capacity
* Ground Clearance: 14.2"
* LA513 FEL: 1345 lb lift capacity at pivot pin
* LA723 FEL: 1870 lb lift capacity at pivot pin
* Optional skid steer type quick attach for FEL bucket
* You can only run a MMM with R3 turf tires
When I test drove these tractors, I found them both to be a pleasure to drive. I placed them side-by-side so I could compare them. The Kubota is a slightly larger and heavier machine, which can be good or bad depending upon your situation. For whatever reason, I fealt a little more stable and safer on the
L3130.
It was hard to tell any difference but I would say the JD was a little louder at an idle due to the direct injection but the Kubota may have been slightly louder at the rated RPM speed. I noticed a few rattles on the Kubota that I didn't hear on the JD.
Both had an impressive turning radius, both with and without brake steering. By the way, you can brake steer fairly easily on the
L3130 HST using the cruise control lever instead of the treadle pedal. I also really like the mechanical cruise control lever. It allowed you to easily adjust the speed on the fly and maintain creeper-like speeds. I would like to comment on the JD cruise control but it was not working and the diagnostics light was blinking (not sure if the two were related). With all that said, I realize that you will not have cruise control on a gear tractor for obvious reasons, which means it would be difficult to brake steer the
L3130 DT. The big question is, how often do you plan to brake steer? For most of us, it's rare.
The JD had noticeably smaller R4 tires and I asked the salesman about this. Take the following information with a big ol' bag of salt. He said the 4310 should and could have larger R4 tires on it but JD is having issues with tire quality in that size from Titan. Supposedly some sort of pee contest going on between JD and Titan so they are settling for the smaller tires. Seems odd to me, so take it for what it's worth.
I liked the loader control placement on the JD better. I liked the tilt wheel design on the Kubota better. Both seats were comfortable, with the JD seat having a better suspension but the K seat having standard arm rests.
I'm not sure which loader you looked at since you did not mention it but I imagine it was the LA513. I'm not sure about this FEL but I know the LA723 seemed much beefier than the 430 FEL. The FEL mounting points and framework on the K seemed much beefier as well.
The 4310 seems to have more electronics for critical functions. Some people love this and some fear it. The
L3130 has an electronic display but I would not consider this to be critical since you could probably operate the tractor without it.
The
L3130 has a beefier 3PH with external cylinders for easier maintenance in the future. However, at 2200 lbs lift cap, the JD should lift everything you will ever need to lift. The
L3130 comes standard with telescopic lower links, which is extremely handy in my opinion. It is an option on the JD and should seriously be considered. The
L3130 also has a nice crank handle instead of a turn buckle like on the JD.
The JD has green plastic hood/fenders and the K has orange metal. There is something to said for both. The one thing I have noticed is that 3 year old K machines with metal look older than 3 year old JD machines with plastic.
Both of these machines have a mid-PTO option and both are dependent upon the rear-PTO being engaged.
This has been a subject of some debate but you should know about it and make your own judgements. The
L3130 has a cast iron rear axle housing and the 4310 has a cast aluminum rear axle housing. The lower links attach to this area.
This is not a factor on the gear tractors but I will mention it anyway. The
L3130 HST still has a clutch, which is a nice safety blanket for people who are in the habit of jamming on the clutch in an emergency.
I like the IntelliPanel on the
L3130 for those bonehead moments when you forget about the safety features.
I wished the JD used a standard skid steer type quick attach instead of their JD-specific type. This makes finding FEL attachments a little more difficult and costly. It also means the JD FEL attachments will be more difficult to unload if you ever want to sell one.
The throttle seems backward on the
L3130. Wouldn't it make sense to push forward/up for throttle up? On the JD and NH, you push up/forward to throttle up instead of back/down like on the K.
I hopes this helps or maybe it just confused you. Now go do the right thing ... whatever that is. When you do, let me know because I still can't figure it out. Just make sure you let us know what you choose and post many pics ... don't leave us hanging.
